Back-to-School shopping…for groceries! I think TECHNICALLY this is a Summer Olympics-themed promotion (and the last promotion was Super Bowl-themed), but grocery discounts are always welcome, regardless of the occasion!

The Summer Savings Marathon, a promotion of over 2,300 participating products “running” through 07/29/08 at all Safeway-owned stores, rewards shoppers with Catalinas (see below), in a single transaction of 9-25 participating products.
1.) Purchase 9-14 participating products to receive a $5 Catalina
2.) Purchase 15-24 participating products to receive a $10 Catalina
3.) Purchase 25 or more participating products to receive a $20 Catalina

(For those of you who are new to the Catalina term, a Catalina is an automatically-generated coupon that prints during a transaction of specific items. The name comes from the Catalina Marketing Corporation - the invisible force behind promotions between product manufacturers and retailers. The Catalinas in this promotion work much like a Safeway gift card - use the $5, $10, or $20 Catalinas to pay for additional items on your next purchase.)

Going back to the promotion, the full list of participating products is attached HERE (2008July-Safeway Summer Savings Marathon Product List), but so far, I have only the items below to note. Because this promotion is valid through July 29th, there will likely be new savings with each new weekly sale. Let us all know if you find any great deals…and I’ll do the same!

1.) Mountain Dew (20-oz. bottles - All Flavors)
Purchase 25 bottles of Mountain Dew at $1.00 each
Pay $25 out of pocket
Receive $20 Catalina
Purchase 25 more bottles of Mountain Dew
Pay $5 out of pocket + $20 Catalina
Receive another $20 Catalina
(Repeat as frequently as you like, or purchase other items with the remaining $20 Catalina.)
With the two transactions above, you would have paid $0.60 per bottle or $0.20 per bottle if you count the final $20 Catalina in the savings.

2.) Diet Pepsi Max (20-oz. bottles) This one is my new favorite!
Purchase 25 bottles of Diet Pepsi Max at $1.49 each
Use 25-$0.40 Off Coupons (available on tearpads at many store locations)
Pay $27.25 out of pocket
Receive $20 Catalina
Purchase 25 more bottles of Diet Pepsi Max
Use 25 more $0.40 Off Coupons
Pay $7.25 out of pocket + $20 Catalina
Receive another $20 Catalina
(Repeat as frequently as you like, or purchase other items with the remaining $20 Catalina.)
With the two transactions above, you would have paid $0.69 per bottle or $0.29 per bottle if you count the final $20 Catalina in the savings.

3.) Betty Crocker Cake Mix (Many Flavors)
Purchase 25 boxes of BC Cake Mix at $1.25 each
Pay $31.25 out of pocket
Receive $20 Catalina
Purchase 25 more boxes of BC Cake Mix
Pay $11.25 out of pocket + $20 Catalina
Receive another $20 Catalina
(Repeat as frequently as you like, or purchase other items with the remaining $20 Catalina.)
With the two transactions above, you would have paid $0.85 per box, or $0.45 per box if you count the final $20 Catalina in your savings.

4.) Betty Crocker Frosting (Many Flavors)
Purchase 25 cans of BC Frosting at $1.50 each
Pay $37.50 out of pocket
Receive $20 Catalina
Purchase 25 more cans of BC Frosting
Pay $17.50 out of pocket + $20 Catalina
Receive another $20 Catalina
(Repeat as frequently as you like, or purchase other items with the remaining $20 Catalina.)
With the two transactions above, you would have paid $1.10 per can, or $0.70 per can if you count the final $20 Catalina in your savings.

A limit of one Catalina will be issued per transaction, and a limit of one Catalina may be redeemed per transaction, but for those of you who coupon - go for it!

Thanks to Mommy Making Money, Slick Deals, Alex, and Safeway!