An Experiment

When you get a pull-out with coupons and it claims "$50 in savings", do you ever wonder how much you actually have to spend to "save" that much money? I do occasionally clip coupons and I was especially intrigued by how much one could actually save by clipping coupons. So I decided to see what percent of my normal groceries I could get at the large CVS on 51st street using the $5.00 off, $3.oo CVS savings and various other coupons clipped.

This isn't a standard CVS store (formerly Longs Drugs), it has a fantastic craft department, fabric, a huge garden center and fresh produce, along with the standard chain-drugstore fare. With coupons in hand I set out to do my Saturday grocery shopping.

I was surprised by the amount of fruit I could purchase at decent prices ($0.39 per banana, $0.80/apple, avocados for $1.00). They also had an amazing international food section with Asian, Hispanic, Jewish foods, and more. Of course where they really excel is in junk food - there is no lack of this particular food group. If you subsisted on Cheetos alone, you could live like a king.

I tried to take advantage of the in-store coupons, clipped coupons, mailed to me coupons and store specials. In the end I walked out spending $57.00 for the groceries you see above-right. It left me without lettuce or any meat or the specialty breads I needed. I had to make a quick stop at the Safeway next door to fill in what I still needed for the week, which was an additional $23.00. Any time I can spend less than $100 for a week of groceries I feel I've been successful, so I met that criteria even making the second stop.


The problem with this type of shopping is that in your standard grocery store, you walk up and down aisles and you tend to purchase the basics. When you shop some place different, or follow a different routine, you tend to forget things. I most likely won't have to go back to the market again during the week, but it's not likely I'll try to do 80 or 90% of my shopping like this again.

Life Changing: 1 (no)

Fun: 2 (not really)

Easy to implement: 3 (takes some effort)

Worthy of repetition: 3 (took me twice as long and I forgot stuff)

Try This: 2 (you really have to clip coupons to save)

Cost: 3 (with all of the coupons, CVS was well priced, but you can't live only off of just that food, and in the end, it was a little less)