Rainbow Foods Shopping List 8/23 – 8/29/09

rainbow

Welcome new readers from Twin Cities Live! This is a great week to get started shopping at Rainbow because you should be able to get a number of items free if you shop on Wednesday and have the value of your coupons doubled.

You can read this for full details, but in essence Rainbow will double the face value of up to 5 coupons when the shelf price (which is usually the full price) totals $25 before coupons on Wednesdays. That means a $1 off coupon becomes like $2 off. 

I will likely buy my groceries in two separate transactions so that I can have 10 coupons doubled in value.  There are some great meat and produce sales, not to mention Barbasol shaving cream for $1.00 and pop with manufacturer-issued coupons to use as fillers (fillers are items I buy even without a coupon to help me reach a required spending threshold. In Rainbow’s case I need my total to reach $25 so my coupons double). If you drink tea and soda, clip and save the manufacturer’s coupons that are within Rainbow’s ad. They can be used anywhere that coupons are accepted.

Your turn: New readers, what questions do you have?  Long-standing readers, what exactly are you planning to buy this week so we can help the newbies out with our lists.

Meat

Jennie-O Turkey Franks $1.00
Use $.55/1 from 7/26 Smart Source insert
Final price: Free after doubled coupon

Klements Cooked Sausage $3.00
Use $.75/1 from 8/9 Smart Source insert
Final price: $1.50 after doubled coupon

Freezer

Aunt Jemima Pancakes or French Toast $1.50
Buy 2 and use $1/2 from 8/16 Smart Source insert
Final price: $0.50 each after doubled coupon

Skinny Dipper $3.00
Use $1.50/1 printable here (some Rainbow Foods only accept printed coupons up to and including $1 in value)
Final price: $1.50 after coupon

Dairy Case

Dannon Activia and DanActive $2.00
Use $1/1 from 7/26 Smart Source and 8/9 Smart Source inserts (2 coupons per insert)
Final price: Free after doubled coupon

Yoplait Whips! $0.50
Buy 6 and use $.50/6 hereor $.40/6 from 7/12 Smart Source or 8/9 Gm inserts
Final price: $.33 each after doubled coupon

Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits $1.50
Buy 2 and use $1/2 printable here or here
Final price: $.50 after doubled coupon

Organic Valley Milk $3.69
Use $1/1 printable here
Final price: $1.69 after doubled coupon

Grocery

Emerald Nuts (select varieties) $2.00
Use $1/1 from 8/16 Smart Source insert
Final price: Free after doubled coupon

Motts Applesauce $2.00
Use $1/1 that was printable last week at Lunchbox Builder
Final price: Free after doubled coupon

Wacky Mac Pasta $1.25
Use $.75/1 from 5/10 Smart Source insert or printable here
Final price: Free after doubled coupon

Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes $1.50
Use $1/1 printable after registering here or $1/2 printable here
Final price: As low as free after doubled coupon

Campbell ’s Soup at Hand $1.00
Buy 2 and use $1/2 printable here
Final price: 2 free after doubled coupon

Starkist Tuna $.75 (not sure if the pouches are included?)
Use $.75/1 emailed to you after registering here
Final price: Free after doubled coupon\

Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Wild Rice $1.79
Use $.75/1 from 7/26 Red Plum insert
Final price: $.29 after doubled coupon

Skippy Peanut Butter $.98 (first one at this price and $1.59 thereafter)
Buy 2 and use $.75/2 from 8/2 Red Plum insert
Final price: $.53 each after doubled coupon

Dole Fruit Bowls and Jars $2.00
Use $.55/1 from 8/9 Smart Source insert or printable here
Final price: $0.90 after doubled coupon

Newman’s Own Salsa $2.25
Use $.50/1 from 8/16 Smart Source insert or buy 2 and use $1/2 printable here
Final price: $1.25 after doubled coupon

Newman’s Own Dressing $2.79
Use $.75/1 from 8/23 Red Plum insert or buy 2 and use $1/2 printable here
Final price: $1.29 after doubled coupon

Starbucks Frappuccino $4.99
Use $1/1 from 6/21 Smart Source insert
Final price: $2.99 after doubled coupon

Household

Bic Multipurpose Lighter $3.99
On sale buy one, get one free and stack with
(2) $1/1 from 8/23 Smart Source insert or printable here
Final price: Two free after doubled coupons

Chinet Paper Plates, Cups, Bowls $2.50
Use $1/1 from 6/28 Smart Source insert
Final price: $.50 after doubled coupon

Personal Care

Dove Deodorant $2.33
Use $1/1 from 6/7 Red Plum insert
Final price: $.33 after doubled coupon

Zantac $7.99
Use $5/1 printable here(some Rainbow Foods only accept printed coupons up to and including $1 in value. If that’s the case at your Rainbow, then have the price matched at Walmart or Target)
Final price: $2.99 after coupon

Pocket Your Dollars is part of BeCentsable’s Grocery Gathering, a compilation of shopping lists for stores nationwide.  If you want a shopping list for a store not covered by Pocket Your Dollars, then check out the Grocery Gathering.

I am passionate about helping people keep their money where it belongs - in their pocket. I live in Minneapolis, MN with my husband and two little girls.

39 responses to “Rainbow Foods Shopping List 8/23 – 8/29/09”

  1. Renee

    Can’t seem to find the Soyjoy coupon. Anyone?

  2. Kim

    Haagen-Dazs Single Serve Ice Cream Cups $3.00
    Buy 3 and use $1/3 http://www.boodle.com
    Final price .33 each

    Also the newly opened Rainbow in SLP has additional sale items that the other stores do not.

  3. Erika

    I also have b1g1 coupon for the Wacky Mac. It was in a coupon circular but I don’t know from when. And there are Target coupons for Starkist tuna that you can stack with the manuf. q and get (I would assume) free tuna. This frees up some coupon space for doubling at Rainbow.

  4. Rachel

    How do you know the shelf price of things when the ad states the sale price?

  5. Rachel

    Also,

    What I find most useful is when people lay out their exact shopping scenarios. Carrie, since I am new to Rainbow double coupon days and am extremely interested, would you mind sharing your two shopping scenarios? :) Thanks for all your work compiling the list.

  6. Angela

    The Maplewood Rainbow wouldn’t let me use a $1/2 coupon when the sdale was BOGO so I’m guessing they won’t let you use two coupons in that sale either. : (

  7. Sarah Beth

    I love the new frozen meals offered by Healthy Choice. If you print this coupon, and double it at Rainbow you will save 1 off each box when you buy 2. Will be hard for me to hold on to this one and wait for a sale!!!

    http://www.healthychoice.com/news-special-offers/

  8. Abby

    I’m keeping my budget to a minimum this week, so won’t be doing my normal trip to Rainbow. But I’m glad I checked this post because I am in need of a long BIC lighter, and with a BOGO and 2 $1 off coupons, I can’t resist! I’ll probably stop in tomorrow during double coupon madness just to pick these up.

  9. Maryellen

    The Danactive & Activia coupons I found can’t be doubled. Also, there were 2 Emerald coupons in the past. One requires you purchase 2 but can be doubled and the other one is only 1 purchase but cannot be doubled. Is that what you find?

  10. Jaime

    Is anyone else having trouble finding the soyjoy coupon??

  11. Kathy

    You can’t use the printable Campbell’s coupon on the Soup at Hand as they aren’t “cooking soups”.

  12. Sher

    I can’t find a couple of the coupons in the Pioneer Press inserts (Jennie-o Franks 8/23; the skippy peanut butter from the RP 8/2 insert). Are the inserts different depending on the paper? Most of the coupons are included but of course the really good ones I want aren’t included.

  13. Anita

    Sher- you are correct the Pioneer Press does not get the same q’s as star trib. The trib does get the better q’s. Usually if they have really good q’s I will use I will make an effort to go to dollar store and buy sunday trib. If you do that check your paper to make sure it has the inserts.

  14. Anita

    might be worth it to buy 5 dannon and use it toward the coupon rebate. see details at http://www.dannononmics.com

  15. rebecca

    also at rainbow the la choy creations is $3.00 each there is a coupon in the all you sept.25th issue

  16. rebecca

    oh sorry its $1.00 coupon on lachoy creations so it would only be $1 after doublin

  17. Sher

    At Rainbow this morning – I used my 3.25 off milk coupon – b/c I bought Roundy’s brand she keyed the exact price. In the past, I’ve gotten the full milk coupon price buying the kemps/landolakes brand. Just FYI – I hated to not get the overage this morning – bummer!

  18. Sarah Beth

    I’ve been confused by the “Do Not Double” statement as well. But my Rainbow has done it every time/they’ve never stopped me. I think it might be because RAINBOW is the one “taking the hit” when they offer double coupon days to get people into the store? I think they only get the first dollar back from the MFR. I don’t think the MFR takes the hit for the “double.” Anyone else know if this is how it works?

  19. Hilary

    clif bars are 75 cents each. i have the organic grocery deals book and there is a $1 off 3 deal so i will be using that doubled to get 3 for 25 cents. they are regular $1.43 ea. yippie

  20. Angela

    Sher- I always buy the Roundy’s milk and get the overage from the Q. I think you just got a cashier that didn’t want you to get the overage :(

  21. J.P.

    For the first time today my Rainbow cashier did not double those coupons that marked “Do Not Double”! She did something so the value of the coupon was added to the item and at the end of the receipt it still said the coupon was doubled. Really can’t argue because that was stated in their double coupon policy…

  22. Jaime

    Carrie, are you going to run your list with your different transactions? I would love to see how you are planning your trip to Rainbow for today.

    Thanks!

  23. Deoxy

    I’ve had some trouble with Rainbow the last couple weeks. They are telling me that I need to reach $25 SALE price in order to double coupons. I have been doubling coupons for a few months now and always went by the shelf price before. Is anyone else running into this? It’s frustrating to plan my shopping so carefully, then have issues at checkout.

    Diana

  24. Abby

    When I went to Rainbow in Brooklyn Park today they did not have the BIC lighters on sale BOGO Free. :o( Since I needed it I just bought one and used my $1 off coupon.

  25. Maryellen

    Thanks Sarah Beth. Yes, you are right. I went to Rainbow today and she explained it is Roundys who is picking up the “double dollars” not the manufacturer. She said the manufacturer puts “do not double” so that cashiers don’t scan the coupon for more than just the one item. Meaning if you purchased 2 you would need 2 coupons. But it doesn’t have anything to do with Rainbow doubling the item. Thanks again

  26. Katie

    I was inspired by the information you presented on Twin Cities Live yesterday. I gathered up my coupons and went to Rainbow today. Had great savings! I will make Wednesday shopping at Rainbow a ritual now. Thanks for the great info!

    I did try purchasing my groceries in two transactions, but the cashier told me that they would allow it this time but not in the future. I will plan next time to make my first $25 purchase, leave the store to put in the car and then go back for the second.

    Thanks!

  27. Kim

    Deoxy The rainbow that I am shopping at just open a little over a week ago and I have to make the 25.00 with the sale prices or the coupons won’t double.

  28. Linnea

    It looks like the coupon you have linked for Skinny Dippers is not the same brand as the one in the ad: Skinny Cow Skinny Dippers. Bummer, because those are a great snack and hard to get for cheap.

  29. Joanna

    Got lots of freebies this week at Rainbow –
    BOGO bic lighters minus the $1.00 MQ doubled (and yes they doubled both my $1.00 off coupons);
    Emerald Walnuts & Pecans were 2/$4.00 and I used 2 $1 off coupons making them free;
    8 pack Reese’s peanut butter cups free after doubled .55 coupon (and yes the entire amount was doubled, so I made .10 on that one)
    2 packages of Playtex gloves (raincheck from last week) – 2 $1 MQs (free without being doubled)
    I won’t take the space to list everything else I got, but after making 2 trips my total out of pocket was $21.44 which included 10 -12 packs of diet coke (I’m an addict).

    At the Rainbow in Maplewood there were ladies signing up people for the Pioneer Press sunday paper. It was a pretty good deal, so I signed up and received a $10 Rainbow gift card which I used today.

    Thanks again, Carrie, for all your hard work.

  30. Beth

    The Woodbury store didn’t have the Bic lighters BOGO Free, at least not on the shelf tags. Was it in the ad, and I missed it?

  31. Tonya

    Deoxy and Kim commented about Rainbow and the whole shelf price thing, and today I encountered something I have never encountered at Rainbow. The Lean Cusine were on sale 50% off and I had 3 $1 off 3 coupons, the register took the sale price of the items, not the shelf price, to reach the $25.00 threshold. They must of realized they were losing money and changed their policy. I shop at the Rainbow in Blaine by Northtown, and I have not encountered that until today.

  32. Tonya

    link for dannon deal is http://www.dannonomics.com/ earlier link has an extra couple of letters.

  33. Jennifer

    Abby – There wasn’t a sign for the BOGO lighters, but they rang up that way. This morning at Brooklyn Park, they wouldn’t allow me to use two $1 off coupons when I got two lighters, because she said I was only buying 1. I argued with her, but she wasn’t budging.

  34. Angela

    At the Richfield store the Bic Lighters had a sign that said $2.89 but it rang up as $3.99. Ugh….it frustrates me when stores do not have the right signs posted.

  35. Julie

    I shopped at the Cottage Grove Rainbow and the Bic lighters weren’t marked as BOGO but they did ring up that way and the system also let me use both of my coupons and doubled them.

  36. SarahBB

    FYI: I just wanted to say that anytime I have had an issue w/a cashier over coupons/specials etc, when I was fairly certain I was correct, I have been able to get cust. serv. to refund me or agree to the deal.

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