Publix: Breaking all the rules

With Passover over on Saturday evening, I ran out to Publix to splurge a little on our Saturday night dinner.  I wanted to make pasta with sauce, salad, garlic bread, and dessert.  But I didn't have a few items I needed.  So I went to shop, but I broke pretty much all my rules:

• I didn't check the weekly ad, or look at an online coupon matchup site.
• Obviously, I didn't bring any coupons.
• I didn't have a list, other than an idea of what I wanted to make.
• I shopped at a busy time.
• I hadn't eaten anything before shopping, and I was pretty tired.
• I took my two younger daughters with me.
• I - get this one! - let my youngest daughter pick whatever she wanted from the bakery for dessert.

But I still managed to save some money!  Maybe not as much as if I had planned, but I still did well.  My daughter picked chocolate-covered doughnuts, which were thankfully on sale.  (I don't know if she took that into account or not!)  I found the Fresh Express Salad Blends on a BOGO sale.  I also had a $5 Publix gift card from the Running Out? Run In promotion, so I used it here.

Here's what I got:

Dobie pad @ $2.00
2 Fresh Express lettuce @ BOGO $3.99
1 half-dozen glazed chocolate donuts @ $2.49
1 Italian 5-grain baguette @ $2.09

Total product: $10.57
Tax: 12¢
Total bill: $10.69
Pay with $5 gift card from Running Out? Run In promotion

Total out of pocket: $5.69
Total saved compared to Publix full prices: $10.88

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)