I decided to go out to Kroger and Rite Aid and to get a few Sunday papers this afternoon, by myself. I think it’s so much fun to get out by myself good for M and Evelyn to have quality time together sometimes, and M does not care for drugstore shopping in the least. So, I went out, but the gas station was out of papers so I decided to go to Kroger first (planning on using coupons from the paper at Rite Aid.) I ended up spending the entire time I was gone at Kroger because I stood in line for so long I was beginning to worry that my food would be bad by the time I got it to the car. Seriously, upwards of half an hour. I had my first ever raincheck and it was a giant pain. It was from the mega sale, buy 10 items and get $5 off your bill or 20 items and get $10 off–I bought 20.

The rain check was written out for Green Giant steamers, $1.59, but with a big “LOOK–>”" pointing to the back to instruct the cashier to take off $5 or $10 if I purchased 10 or 20 items. After trying to figure out how to process the thing to begin with, they insisted that the mega promotional pricing was part of the $1.59 and therefore, wouldn’t take the extra money off. I argued the matter, the lead cashier (who has been subjected to my annoying behavior in the past, sadly–it’s weird, but I refuse to give them more money than I owe them) came over, and finally offered to call over a manager. We took everything to the customer service desk and waited, and waited, and waited. I would have been really aggravated if Evie had been with me because she’d have been fussing loudly at sitting there doing nothing for half an hour, but since she was at home with Daddy, it wasn’t too terrible (except I was beginning to feel guilty for being gone longer than I had meant to.)  The manager finally arrived, looked at the issue, and then agreed with me. I was so happy and relieved! Not least of all, I did not look like an idiot who just didn’t understand sales in front of the guy I had been arguing with all that time.  Soo… I got twenty bags of frozen vegetables for $.09 each plus $3 (the cost of the coupons I ordered for said promotion.)  That works out to $.24 a bag.

The husband, who is in charge of stocking the basement freezer, has mandated that there will be no more vegetables purchased until we have eaten the ones we have.  I may have bought twenty more bags a couple of months ago (though many of them are gone already.)

It was sort of funny, too, because as he was scanning my coupons, he stopped to tell me that my free box of macaroni and cheese (sent to me by Kraft for getting a faulty box) was only valid up to $1.20 and so it would cost me nine cents.  I told him that it was $1.19 on the shelf…. but added that I wouldn’t quibble about nine cents at this point.  I mean, we’d already been standing there for so ages over the raincheck issue.   He just looked confused and said he’d just give it to me anyway, so the receipt has a random .09 deduction on the bottom. Just out of curiousity, I checked the price of the mac and cheese when I got home.  It was listed at $1.29, with the next line showing my card discount of .10.  Poor guy! I had him so flustered that he forgot how to read receipts! :)  And hey, yay for ten cents of overage!  That’s half a banana right there… ha. ;)

By the time I got out of there, I had lost my desire to go to Rite Aid and the vegetables really needed to be in the freezer by that point.  I spent $15.55 and saved $32.52 for a total of 67%.. according to the receipt.  My math makes it 61% but I like theirs better so I’ll go with it.  ;)