78% off: Publix Wins Again and 7-Eleven Joins the Playing Field

[Saving4Fun]

My only plan was to grab my evening coffee from Starbucks, but I decided to pop in 7-Eleven to see if it had the new Bai Boost FAO. No such luck, but I did find the elusive L&L The Boss! Cookie FAO (less than an hour before the offer expired)! It’s horrible, by the way. One of worst protein snacks I’ve tried, so don’t be jealous. 

Either way I couldn’t believe I found it and decided to try my luck at Publix. Sure enough, I found the new Evolve Protein Shakes FAO ($8.99 value), and that was just the beginning of a major score. Now, you should be jealous 🤣 I left with more than $67 worth of products for only $14 OOP (78% off). The breakdown is listed below, if you want to grab these deals, too. Please note, the Publix Weekly Sale runs thru Saturday of this week because of the Easter holiday. Normally, it follows a Thursday-Wednesday schedule. There are several more opportunities to stack and save, some of which I purchased and posted yesterday. Also, this was my second Ibotta offer on the Chobani Cold Brew Coffee (first offer was $1.00 back, limit 5).

Chobani Cold Brew Coffee ($16.36/4)

• Publix BOGO -$8.18 (no coupon required)
• Mfg Coupons -$6.00/4 (SS in-aisle coupon - $1.50 off - some locations may limit number of redemptions)
• Ibotta $0.75 back (x4) -$3.00

$0.82 MM  
 ___________

Chobani Probiotic Yogurt ($3.00/2)

• Publix BOGO -$1.50 (requires coupon from weekly ad)
• Ibotta $0.50 back (must buy 2)

$1.00/2 OOP ($0.50/ea).
___________

Evolve Plant-Based Protein Shakes ($8.99)

• Ibotta $8.99 back (Free After Offer)

$0.00 OOP   
___________

Gatorade Zero ($6.00/4)

• Publix Weekly Sale $0.50 off (x4) -$2.00 (no coupon required)
• Fetch Preferred Brand (40 points)

$4.00/4 OOP ($1.00/ea)   
___________

Muscle Milk Pro Series ($3.99/1)

• Publix Weekly Sale (Free with purchase of 2 Gatorade 32oz - requires coupon from weekly ad)
• Ibotta $1.00 back

$1.00 MM
___________

Muscle Milk Zero Sugar ($3.49/1)

• Publix Weekly Sale (Free with purchase of 2 Gatorade 32oz - requires coupon from weekly ad)
• Ibotta $0.75 back
• Ibotta Any Brand Energy Drink $0.10 back

$0.85 MM  
___________

Califia Farms Oat Creamer ($19.96/4)

• Publix Weekly Sale -$4.00 (requires $1.00/2 coupon from weekly ad - some locations may limit number of redemptions - my location allowed 4)
• Ibotta $1.50 back (x4) -$6.00

$9.96/4 OOP ($2.49/ea). 
___________  

CLIF BAR Coffee Collection ($1.25/1)

• Ibotta $0.50 back
• Ibotta Earn More Bonus (credit 1 of 3)

$0.75/1 OOP    
___________

CLIF BAR Energy Bar ($1.25/1)

• Ibotta $0.25 back
• Ibotta Earn More Bonus (credit 2 of 3)

$1.00/1 OOP    
___________

Larabar Nutrition Bar ($1.25/1)

• Publix Digital Coupon -$1.00
• Ibotta Any Brand Nutrition Bar $0.10 back
• Fetch Preferred Brand (12 points)

$0.15/1 OOP    
_________________________

Subtotal $65.54
Publix Sale & Coupons -$23.16. 
Mfg Coupons -$7.00
Ibotta Offers -$21.19

Total OOP = $14.19 (78% off)
Total Fetch Points = 52

[SaverGirl67]

Nice!  See I want a whole board of just this. People sharing their shopping trips.explain what they got and how much it really cost  How many you need to buy  and what coupons and Ibotta offers they’re using  

Can we have a separate board just to share these?please. 

[Donna2]

@Saving4Fun Nice work!! I don't have a stop and Shop out here but I still love seeing the deals. Some items can make me wonder if on sale anywhere here too and I start searching! I've gathered thru different posts that you primarily walk everywhere. I do some walking to but nowhere near as much as you! How in the world do you carry everything when your doing a longer walk? 

[John102]

Nice

[Saving4Fun]

@SaverGirl67  I love that idea! Sometimes, I feel like I’m posting my bundles too late for others to be able to get the same deal, but I think it still helps us discover new ways of stacking for future bundles. I know when I was a newbie, I studied all of the bundles posted on FreeStuffFinder. That’s how I learned everything about CVS and Walgreens, which can be very difficult to comprehend. Eventually, you just have to give it a shot and go easy on yourself. I used to beat myself up when I’d screw up, but then I realized it’s all part of the game. That’s the only way to learn, and I’m still learning new ways to stack and save. 

@LaraL, what do you think about a section for posting our bundles? See above for explanation from @SaverGirl67.

[Saving4Fun]

 @Donna2 

You’re absolutely correct to look for similar deals at any retailer available to you. A lot of people don’t realize that the manufacturers underwrite the majority of all discounts and special offers. This includes weekly sale prices as well as Target free gift cards, CVS ExtraBucks, MyWalgreens Cash, etc. All of them are underwritten by the manufacturers.

If you look closely at most of the Target free gift card offers, you’ll notice that the list of products included in the offer are divisions of a single manufacturer (i.e. Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Kellogg’s, Nestle, etc.).

National retailers have more input in determining when and where to run an offer, so you’ll notice more overlap when you compare a regional retailer in one part of the country to a regional retailer in another part of the country. For example, if Publix is featuring a particular group of P&G products, chances are Shop Rite or another Northeast retailer is featuring the exact same group. That’s how the manufacturer makes sure it’s covering the entire east coast.

Depending on how much coverage a manufacturer wants, you might see the same grouping featured at multiple retailers on a regional and national level. If you remember a few weeks ago, Unilever partnered with Fetch and Walgreens. This special offer was part of a multi-faceted marketing campaign that covered the entire country on a national and regional level. Even though the Fetch offer was only available at Walgreens, nearly every retailer in the country had special savings opportunities on Unilever products. I was able to stack together some incredible bundles at Walgreens, CVS, Target, and Publix. I could’ve kept going at Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Dollar General, and more, but I already had enough of my favorite Nexxus products to last the rest of the year! Unilever, not the retailers, paid for nearly all of it.

I’m sure you’ve noticed many of these things because I can tell you’re very perceptive by how you picked up that I walk everywhere. 😊 In response to your question about how I get it all home, it requires careful planning and coordination. I have an awesome Columbia book bag that I got for $30 on Amazon. I’m amazed at how much it can hold. If there’s any chance I’m going to buy refrigerated or frozen items, I make sure to take a couple of ice packs wrapped in Target drive-up bags to contain the condensation. The Target drive-up bags are my secret weapon. Even though they’re plastic, they’re heavy duty and more durable than most of the reusable bags you have to buy. I always save them and bring two or three of them, in case I buy more than I can fit in my book bag. I’ve been reusing the same Target drive-up bags for a couple of months now. They even held up when I over-purchased laundry detergent to get a free gift card, and  I learned my lesson about never buying extra-large detergents or 8-packs of Powerade. I came really close to calling an Uber that time, but I made it home 🤣

In general, I shop every afternoon/evening at the same places, and I buy only what I know I can handle. Most bigger items, such as the cases of Core Water, I try to get in a separate trip to Publix because it’s only two blocks from me. Anything else, I order from Target.com. I follow the same route from my apartment to Publix, Whole Foods, Target, Walgreens and CVS with stops at other places only for the Shopkick scans. The route is based on store hours but also makes a loop of 7 miles. Once every couple of weeks, I’ll make a trip to Walmart in the suburbs, and I’m able to hit a few other stores outside my normal routine.

A lot of people think I’m nuts, but there’s a good reason behind all of it. I’ve been on medical leave from Target for the past year, after I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and dermatomyositis. All three are treatable with the right combination of immunosuppressants, but it’s a process to find the right one, which is complicated even more by a worldwide pandemic. I’m considered at the highest risk of severe COVID infection, so I had to change my entire life.

I’ve always been an avid runner, and decided early on to sell my car to save money. I started walking everywhere because Uber and public transportation were too risky. I tend to shop late in the evenings when the stores are less crowded, which makes it easier to keep a social distance. I’m fortunate to live in the heart of the city, and it’s been surprisingly easier than I thought (physically speaking). From a mental standpoint, it’s been extremely challenging, and it will take some time for me to recover in that respect.

Just learning how to be social again is going to be a process, and my newfound hobby of discount shopping is the one thing that’s saved me. I’m still full of hope and can see the end in sight. As of this week, I’m fully vaccinated, which means my doctors are more comfortable with making changes and adjustments to my treatment. Within a few months, we should be able to get everything under control, finally!

Most importantly, we need to push the RA into remission. It’s having a tremendous impact on my hands, and my rheumatologist isn’t sure I’ll ever be able to return to my job as a visual merchandiser. I’m starting to accept that reality, and perhaps, I’m already on my way to a new career path with everything I’m learning from my new hobby.

One thing I know for sure, I’m not the same person I was a year ago. I don’t take nearly as much for granted, and I’ve learned so much about myself. The human body and mind are incredibly resilient, as long as we do the work. Onward and upward! Life is just getting started.

[LaraL]

@SaverGirl67 I really like this idea too! I'm currently working on some new designs for the community and I think this would be a great addition to it.

I won't make a board just yet as there are a lot of moving pieces at the moment, however I will share these layouts and plans with everyone here very soon. I just need to make a bit more progress refining them first, and your feedback/ideas help shape it.