The Non-Consumer Advocate

Despite having worked today, I feel like I put in a full day of Non-Consumer activity. This is because soon after getting home, I commandeered one of my kids and went out to run a couple of errands.

First on the agenda was a quick stop into the Belmont branch library, where I picked up a number of books and a DVD of Rachel Getting Married. Coin-Girl gleaned a bright shiny nickel in the parking lot, which when added to the dime I found on Thursday and the stray pennies from the bottom of my purse paid off my 25¢ library fine.

Sweeeet!

We then motored over to our nearby Safeway store to take advantage of the conglomeration of store coupons, sale items, manufacturer’s coupons and the $10 off $50 coupon. There was also a $10 Kohl’s gift certificate if you spent $50. (My friend’s daughter works there, so I planned to give it to her.)

My son and I filled the cart and made our way over to the check out. When everything had been a rung up, I asked the clerk about the Kohl’s gift certificates. He told me that he would have to re-ring everything to get my total over $50. I told him to not bother, (I would hate to be the person behind me in line) to which he asked me if I would simply like an extra $10 back.

“Uh. . .  sure!”

I did have to buy one extra $1.50 five pound bag of flour to bring my total up, for which I was rewarded with $8.50 in cash.

Double sweeeet!

It may sound like I am becoming one of those crazy coupon ladies, but my coupons were for butter, Raisin Bran, toothpaste, dental floss and chocolate chips. Stuff I would be buying anyway.

Altogether I paid $35.80. Here’s what I bought:

• 5 five pound bags of flour
• 1 bag of pretzels
• 1 16 ounce bag of black beans
• 1 bag of Nestle chocolate chips
• 4 boxes of Kellog’s Raisin Bran
• 1 box of Mini Wheats
• 4 cans of tuna
• 2 candy canes, (remember, I had a kid with me, and that I am putty in his filthy little hands.)
• 1 package of tortillas
• 2 cans of orange juice concentrate
• 1 package of ready-to-bake Halloween theme chocolate chip cookies, (don’t judge me — they were 30¢.)
• 3 pounds of butter
• 1 tube of toothpaste
• 1 large container of dental tape
• 1 package of English muffins
• 2 loaves of bread
• 1 bag of whole wheat hamburger buns, (for black bean burgers)
• 1-1/2 pounds of green beans
• 2 onions
• 3-1/2 pounds of apples
• 1 rotisserie cooked chicken
• 1/4 pound of jo-jo’s. (Remember? I am putty in my son’s skilled hands.)

Unlike others, I don’t usually buy food for specific meals. Instead, I keep a full pantry from which I can create a multitude of different meals. I did buy one of those $6 precooked chickens tonight though, as it was already 6:30 P.M. by the time we got home.

We also rented a family movie for $1 and my son found 11¢ in and around the Coinstar machine.

I may not have spent an entire day on Non-Consumer activities, but I think I did pretty damned well. I think I may actually have turned into one of the crazy coupon ladies.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

P.S. Safeway has a new “Everyday Low Prices” promotion where a very large number of items have been lowered in price. This is not a sale, but a long term price decrease and the store is rife with bright yellow signage to prove it.

Corporate Safeway is sending me a couple of $50 gift cards which I will be giving away on the blog in the near future. I do almost all my grocery shopping at Safeway, and have very happy with their quality and customer service. They always take back disappointing fruit and offer to help me load the groceries into the car. This was hugely helpful when my kids were little and I truly did need an extra set (or two) of hands.

The only downside to the Everyday Low Prices program is that the employees have to wear extremely bright yellow T-shirts as additional signage. My favorite Safeway clerk is an extremely fashionable woman and seeing her in this shirt was sadly jarring.

I guess I can live with that.

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