Catalina round #1

I am going to run down a catalina deal for you, so you can see how it is supposed to work. Even if you aren't in Albies land anymore, follow me on these string of posts, because catalina promos work the same at many stores.

Round #1: Look through ads, your pantry, and coupons to see what you want/need. I looked through my coupon stash and the ad and saw what I had coupons for (or could print easily) and came up with: cookie mix, frosting, potatoes, flushable wipes, toaster strudels, paper towels, Kleenex, salad dressing, soup, brownie mix, yogurt, Chex mix, and pasta sides. I also wanted to get some soup mix, cake mix, bar soap, mayonnaise, and veggies at these prices, even without coupons. I added up what coupons I had and I had enough to do three transactions. This step took longer than I thought because of those crazy uneven prices.
Next I divided them up into three separate transactions. I made a list (you couldn't see anything in the picture I took so I didn't post it, sorry) of each transaction. I wrote the quantity of each item, the amount, and then the total amount. Remember you total is $30 before tax and coupons. Use the prices directly from the ad, don't try to calculate in coupons and the catalina discount. So tomorrow, I am going to do one transaction and buy:

2 Wishbone Dressings (2@1.99) 3.98

2 Progresso Soups (2@1.69) 3.38

2 Viva Paper Towels (2@1.99) 3.98

3 Betty Crocker Frostings (3@1.69) 5.07

7 Cottonelle Tubs or Refills (not sure which size is included by the ad, but we LOVE these. If you have small children learning to potty train, they are a must!!) (7@1.99) 13.93

Total $30.34

Now I will use 2 $.75 dressing, 2 $1.00 soup, 2 $.50 paper towels, 3 $.50 frosting, 2 $1/2 wipes, 1 $.50 wipes, and 1 $.50/2 wipes (again not sure on the sizes, so I might not need to use all these wipe coupons). For a total of $10 in coupons so my new total is $20.34 and I should get back $15 (usually in the form of 3 $5 catalina coupons, which will print out AFTER I pay). So I will need to pay $20.34 for this transaction. I leave the store with the above items and my $15 cat coupons. I am going to do this Thursday AM, so I will post my results and see how it turned out.