My Exciting Cereal Find

If you’ve read any of my other posts you’ll know that my grocery budget is quite large. I have to admit, this absolutely kills my inner frugalista when I think about how much I could save if I had more time to devote to coupon clipping, going to different stores for deals, etc. I pacify the frugal side of me by; shopping at the lowest overall grocery store in the area, clipping a few coupons from the newspaper, printing off some coupons from Swagbucks and picking up the coupons that the store sticks on the shelves. I may only average $5 in coupon savings but better $5 in my pocket than in the food industry’s pocket!

Now, imagine if you will gentle reader. It’s a Thursday evening, a young couple (hey – it’s my story I can be whatever age I want) is venturing into the grocery store without taking inventory of their pantry and refrigerator or making a shopping list. The wife has worked a long day, is wearing high heels (because she didn’t plan on grocery shopping on a Thursday evening!) and has been stuck with a cart that keeps pulling to the right. Snaking past the cereal aisle they decide they don’t need cereal that week because there MUST be some left, at least judging by the number of open cereal boxes the wife saw that morning in the cupboard (and the wife is trying to avoid as many aisles as she can in those high heels!).

Cut to the next aisle, the wife remembers that the daughter needs granola bars; the granola bars that are located at the far end of the cereal aisle. As the wife weaves her way through the sea of shopping carts, a flier catches her eye. What is that? Is that a coupon for $5 off 10 boxes of Kellogg’s cereal? She’s torn, is buying $30 of cereal worth the $5 that she would save. Wait! Is that a sale tag on the shelf below the small boxes of Fruit Loops? Can it be true - $1.69 for the 8.7 oz box of cereal? Her tired mind quickly starts doing the math in her head. 10 boxes would only cost $10.69 $16.90; with the $5 coupon she would only have to spend $5.69 $8.45on cereal. At this point the Pricing Director takes over – “Do the math sister! Is it cheaper to buy those small boxes of cereal or the larger boxes of cereal that typically has a better price per ounce?” The tired woman pulls out her cell phone (because the calculator that is typically attached to her hand at work has been left at on her desk neatly where it belongs) and does the math. Gasp – can that number be right? Is that truly only $.065 (I don't know what this number should be - I don't have my calculator and it's early!) per ounce of cereal after the discount?

I guess when I was shopping I was more tired than I thought!  Totally did the match wrong - and I do analytics for a living!  Even though I spent $3 more than I thought it's still a rockin deal and I'm still excited, albeit slightly less due to the fact the I've shown all of you what an idiot I am :)  Thanks Wendi.

As fast as her high heels can take her she races to her waiting husband who is, quite frankly, surprised at how fast she’s moving. “Quick, bring the cart” the wife hollers. The couple quickly pulls 10 boxes of Fruit Loops off the shelf, much to the dismay of the throngs of shoppers making their way to the waiting boxes of cereal. Victory! The tired woman exclaims as she moves forward to the next adventure lurking for her down the dog food aisle.

End of scene. Fade to black.

Ok, it really wasn’t QUITE that dramatic (and there really weren’t throngs of people trying to get the same deal, only one or two) but I was pretty pumped to buy 10 boxes of cereal at an average of $.57 per box. Of course my daughter says “Fruit Loops? I really wanted Captain Crunch!” Suck it up little girl, you’ll be eating Fruit Loops for quite a while.  She actually lucky that there was only one coupon per visit otherwise she'd be eating Fruit Loops for the year.

Here's a picture of my deal - sorry for the picture quality.  I had to take it with my Blackberry and I guess I must have moved a little bit.  The phone is not very forgiving of movement

Have you found any deals lately that got you as excited as my cereal deal got me?

I’ll be linking this up over at Money Saving Mom