Friday, January 30, 2009

Tonight's haul

Making money at CVS is fun. : )

Tonight I got some good stuff that we need, want, and can use eventually. And I made $4.35, hooray!



Since I'm feeling under-the-weather, I'm not going to write everything out, but here's the jist: I got $50.39 worth of stuff, used a $10/$50 coupon along with a combination of other CVS and Mfr. coupons, paid with $20 in ECBs, paid cash for the remaining $2.61, and walked out with another $26.96.

I made money on the Maalox/Benefiber because of the deal they ran this week: Buy $20 or more of Maalox/Benefiber/Gas-X, get $10 ECBs back. I had a $2 Mfr. coupon for each of the three bottles, PLUS I was lucky enough to get a couple of good CVS coupons at the scanner: $3 off any Benefiber product, and $5 off any 2 Maalox products. My lucky week! And we just happen to be on our last bottle of Maalox. (We've been eating a lot of chili lately.) *urp*

I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had FINALLY restocked the NutraTrim gum. I don't know if it works or not, but I don't mind the taste of it, so it replaces my usual afternoon gum. If it works, that's a bonus. : )

You may notice the Pixie Sticks. I am not ashamed of my love for these tasty delights. I even took the time - in front of about six amused strangers - to go through the bags and try to get the ones with the most blues. It's just my thing.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Monday, January 26, 2009

A CVS tip

We CVSers have a common dilemma: how to best utilize our ECBs when paying for purchases. Since they come in all different values, depending on what we've bought in the past, it can be a challenge to figure out which combination of ECBs to pay with. We don't want to end up with a large balance to pay, but we also don't want to lose anything to manual reduction.

For example: I may have in my hand several ECBs in the amounts of $3, $5, and $10. After my purchase is rung up and my coupons deducted, my pre-tax total might come to, say, $9.05. My choices are to a) use the $3 and $5, and pay the remaining $1.05 plus tax (too much!); or b) use the $10 and have the cashier reduce it to $9.05 (a loss of $0.95, ouch!). Neither is a great option.

Some people add on another cheap item to get the total closer to the higher ECB amount. I've done this many times. (After all, the candy bars are right there at the register, ha ha!) In fact, it has become a crutch for me, so that over time I completely forgot that I didn't HAVE to add a filler at all. I've been known to have a total of $9.95 and scramble for a filler item!


Well, last night my total came to $2.99. Instead of grabbing a filler, I remembered that I could pay with a $3 ECB and forfeit that penny. Come to find out, when the cashier scanned the ECB, it didn't require a manual reduction at all, and allowed a negative balance of one penny! Now I'm curious about exactly how negative the register will allow the total to be...Inquiring minds want to know...

Maybe others already know this. But me, I just learned something new. Hooray!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Because one can never have too many Dews or diabetes monitors


Crazy? Probably. But if I've learned ANYTHING while playing The Drugstore Game, it's to use those diabetes monitor coupons to my advantage.

You see, the 1/4/09 RedPlum insert had a coupon for up to $30 off an UltraSmart monitor. This week those monitors are on sale for $29.99, so the coupon makes them completely free. But here's where I get excited: if I buy another $20.01 worth of merchandise (which is easy), I can use one of my gazillion CVS coupons for $10 off a $50 purchase! Woohoo!!

I won't give all the details for these two transactions I did tonight, since most of these items have been highlighted on other blogs. And besides that, it's not all that interesting that I bought onion powder and bottled water.

Suffice it to say that I got all of this for free in the end. I should have made $4, but the cashier messed up one of my $2 coupons and instead CHARGED me the $2. I didn't catch it until later. This is the second time this very thing has happened to me, so you'd think I'd pay closer attention. Oh, well. I still made out like a bandit.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Bear update

Bear has had yet another extensive surgery. He is currently recovering and seems to be in good spirits.

He does miss his arm, though.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

A good day

Today was one of those days that, at the end, you look back and say, "You know, this has been a really nice day."

I got up at a decent time, made us some cinnamon toast for breakfast, and had mine with some good coffee as I watched Grey's Anatomy. After showering, I tried french-braiding my hair and it actually turned out okay for once! I was so proud that I had to run downstairs and show Lance, who (God love him) gave the appropriate amount of praise and appreciation.

I then got to work cutting coupons and making my list for Kroger. I headed out to Kroger and got almost everything on my list in under an hour, surprisingly. Got a LOT of great deals, too, which alway makes me happy. I came home and made us some spicy tuna salad for lunch, and we ate together while chatting and laughing.

After lunch, we went down to my favorite thrift store to find some deals. Lance didn't find anything, but I got four nice button-up shirts for work (just what I needed!) and a denim jacket. I even found a really simple but elegant wreath made of straw and pine cones for just $2.00! That will be perfect on our back door next Christmas.

We decided mid-afternoon to go down to Cool Springs to run a long-overdue errand (having our rings polished and dipped at Jared) and to go see a movie while there. We wanted to see Benjamin Button, but it was sold out, so we saw Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was actually a pretty good movie, though not one I would have normally seen in the theater. I'm glad we ended up going to see it, because we need to support good, clean movies like that.

We had planned on eating at Chili's afterward with a gift card (I like frugal dates!), but it was such a long wait that we decided to just get some Whoppers instead. Fine with me! And you know what my wonderfully sweet hubbin stopped to get me as a final treat to end the night?...A Frosty! He didn't even mind the extra stop. Now that's true love.

When I go back to work Monday and get the usual small-talk question of "Did you have a good weekend?" I won't even have to hesitate. You bet I did!

Hooray for the Mega Sale!

Well, the weather warmed up yesterday (to 60 degrees!), and that's just what my poor soul needed. Apparently I've got the winter blues. And you know what helps the blues?...Getting stellar deals!

I LOVE when Kroger runs their Mega Sale, because I can combine paper coupons (often doubled) with some virtual coupons (via Shortcuts and now Cellfire) and really rack up the savings. Today's run was so great that I just have to share!

Below is a list of what I got, the sale price, the Mega Sale discount (which is $0.50 off each item since the deal is buy ten specified items, get $5 off your total), and the coupons I used. I decided to list everything together, in case anyone wants to see the final price paid so that they can decide whether to run out and get some. It's all about the bottom line, you know. :)

  • Sierra Mist 12-pack $3.00 - $0.50 = $2.50
  • 3 boxes of Fiber One bars $2.69 each - $0.50 each - $0.50 Cellfire Q off one - $0.75 Shortcuts Q off one - $0.50 (doubled to $1) MQ off each box = $2.32 for all three boxes, or $0.77 per box (these are great for breakfasts!)
  • Orville Red. Naturals popcorn $2.19 - $0.50 - $1 MQ = $0.69 (yummy work snack!)
  • Krafts Singles $1.99 - $0.50 = $1.50 (we love our grilled cheese)
  • 3 Snapples $1 each - $0.50 each - $0.75 MQ off each = profit of $0.75 for all three!
  • 2 Hormel Chili $1 each - $0.50 each - $0.55/2 MQ = $0.45 for two cans or $0.22 each
  • French's Mustard $1.79 - $0.50 - $0.50 (doubled to $1) MQ = $0.29
  • 2 Pace Salsa $1.99 each - $0.50 each - $0.40/2 MQ (doubled to $0.80) = $2.18 for two or $1.09 each
  • Rotel $0.87 - $0.50 - $0.30 MQ (doubled to $0.60) = profit of $0.23!
  • 2 Chex mix $2.19 each - $0.50 each - $0.60 Cellfire Q off one - $0.60 Shortcuts Q off the other -$0.50 MQ each (doubled to $1) = $0.18 or $0.09 each (cheap snack!)
  • 2 Green Giant Steamers $1.59 each - $0.50 each -$0.50 Shortcuts Q off each - $0.50 (doubled to $1) MQ off each = profit of $0.82 for two bags!
  • 2 bags of Lays $2.38 each - $0.50 each = $1.88 per bag
  • 3 Beefaroni $1 each - $0.35/3 (doubled to $0.70) = $0.77 a can (cheap lunch)
  • Fritos $2.75 (to get the Pepsi/Frito Lay deal when combined with my CVS purchases)
  • 2 lbs of mini carrots $2.50
  • bananas $0.40
  • apples $1.05
  • 3 lbs of ground beef $5.45

All this for $27.01 before tax! I was giddy! If I had had some more Rotel coupons, I would have gotten more, since I like to put it in my chili and spaghetti sometimes. And I wish I had had more Snapple coupons. Oh, well. I can't complain, because I got some great deals!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Deep freeze

I feel so restless these days.

I don't know what to expect of the future, which can be scary, but I also don't know what I WANT for my future, which is just plain frustrating. I'm the girl with The Plan, so why am I suddenly drawing a blank?

This lack of vision is disrupting my sleep patterns. I have Restless Brain Syndrome.

And the worst part is the numbness down deep. Like my soul is holding its breath, waiting for something.

I need spring...

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mama's little helper

Baxter helps his mama with the staging by holding down the backdrop...

How does this keep happening?

I mean, seriously...How am I unable to burn any ECBs? This is madness, I tell you!

I fully expected to blow some ECBs on sodas at today's after-church CVS run. But I didn't anticipate the fact that they actually had four boxes of throat coolers in stock, and that changed my whole transaction.

Somehow I ended up MAKING money AGAIN! (But what a wonderful problem to have, huh?)

<----Check this out! (And yes, I am a big fan of symmetry.)


Here's what I ended up with, after 2 transactions:
  • 7 12-packs of Pepsi products, $3 each, buy $20 worth, get $10 ECBs
  • 8 Reese's whips, 2/$1 (DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS CANDY DEAL!)
  • 1 KitKat, $0.50
  • 4 Children's Throat Coolers, $4.99 each, get $4.99 ECBs each
  • 1 Excedrin Migraine 24-ct, $1.99
  • 1 Excedrin Express Gels 20-ct, $1.99
  • 3 American Greetings cards, $0.99 each, buy 3, get $3 ECBs
  • 2 CVS allergy medicine, $3.79 each, get $3.79 ECBs each
  • 1 CVS hand soap, $1.99
  • 1 newspaper, $1.75

I used these coupons:

  • $10/$50
  • 4 Reese's whips Mfr. coupons for $1 off two (from last week's inserts)
  • 2 Throat Coolers BOGOF Mfr. coupons printed from the website
  • 1 Excedrin Migraine coupon for $2 off
  • 1 Excedrin Express gels coupon for $2 off
  • 1 CVS coupon for $3 off any CVS brand

I used $31.86 ECBs, and paid the remaining $2.52 with my gift card. (I messed up a bit, but that's okay.) I got back a total of $40.54 in ECBs, thus making a profit of $6.16!

Again, I failed miserably at burning ECBs. My stash has grown...again. How on EARTH am I going to roll $122 worth?? I will eventually have to actually buy something, I do realize that. And then I'll start all over again, building up my stash.

What fun!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Debt: Good or bad?

Our Wednesday night class has been discussing money over the past few weeks. Lately we've been talking about debt, and debating whether or not debt is a good thing or a bad thing.

We all know what Dave Ramsey would say. And a lot of people agree with him. One such person blogs regularly about all things financial, and has stated that she and her family are going to save up enough money to pay cash for their first house.

That's a lofty goal, and I have to admit that it is awe-inspiring, especially since she is on track to accomplish it. But when I really started to think about the logistics of the plan and crunched some numbers, I found that it may not be as beneficial as most would think. Trying to avoid debt may COST more.

As long as you're renting property, you aren't getting ANYTHING back for the money you spend in rent each month. No equity at all. And the money you're setting aside for that house purchase?...Unless it's in a CD or savings account that is earning a fantastic rate (which is rare right now), it's either barely keeping up with inflation or it's depreciating.

With mortgage rates so low right now, it's a great time to purchase a home, even with no money down! The key is the extra principle payments. Let's say someone were to buy a $200,000 home with no money down and an interest rate of 5.0% (assuming a 30-year term). That's a monthly payment of about $1074. And let's say they put an extra $2000 per month towards principle. They would pay off the house in 6.5 years! The total paid (including interest over the life of the loan) would be about $234,000.

If that same person were to pay about $800 a month in rent and lay aside $2274 a month to save for the house, they would have enough to buy the $200,000 house in about 7.5 years. The total they will have paid by that time (including rent) would be $272,000. More money, more time spent in a rental.

Is it really worth it to wait, just so you won't have any debt? Wouldn't taking on a large debt like a mortgage be a good thing, since you would pay less over the long-run?

The same goes for college loans. I was able to get several good scholarships for school, but I certainly didn't have the money to pay for the remainder. Would it have been worth it for me to work for a few years to save that money and then go to school?

Well, it would have taken a while to save up enough, since I wanted to attend a private university. I would have gotten a late start on my career, since I would be several years behind my peers. Being an older graduate might have subjected me to age discrimination when applying for starting positions.

But since I took out a loan, I was able to graduate on schedule and get a better-paying job right out of school. I was better equipped to pay for my education AFTER getting the degree than beforehand. I feel I made the right decision.

I guess it comes down to a personal feeling about debt. To me, debt is a tool. It can be risky, but if I use it correctly and wisely, it can be a great help and actually SAVE money over the long run. So I guess I would say debt is a good thing.

Sorry, Dave. : )

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

CVS FAQ

I get a lot of questions when it comes up that I spend a lot of time at CVS. I figured I'd share my answers here, for anyone wondering the same things...

Q: Why buy things at CVS if you can get a good deal at Wal-Mart or Costco?

A: Because Wal-Mart and Costco won't give me those things for FREE. Sure, you can always get a good deal at a Big Box store, but my definition of a "good deal" has changed somewhat over the past few months. To me, paying for something is not a good deal. Getting something for free but paying TAX is just BARELY a good deal. A truly good deal is getting something for less than free, and I'm only able to do that consistently at CVS because of their great ExtraCare rewards program.

Q: What are these "ECBs" you prattle on about?

A: Hey, I don't prattle! Okay, maybe a bit. : ) ECB stands for ExtraCare Buck. CVS's rewards program hinges on these ExtraCare Bucks (also called Extra Bucks). When you buy an item that is free-after-ECBs, that mean that you pay cash for the item and then at the bottom of your receipt prints a certificate for exactly that amount (minus tax). You're able to turn around and spend that certificate (ECB) like cash. It's like being able to spend your money TWICE! And a great thing about an ECB is that it reduces your taxable total, unlike Walgreens' Register Rewards.

Q: Why do you buy things at CVS that you don't really need? Isn't that wasteful?

A: I buy things that I don't need only if I can give them away to someone AND if they will help me with my transactions in one of the following ways:
  • the item is free-after-ECBs, and I have a coupon for it, which turns it into a "money-maker"
  • the item is free-after-ECBs, and I need some items to get my total up high enough to use a coupon for $ off a $$ purchase
  • my ECBs are going to expire and I need to buy something to "roll them" (meaning, I now have another month to find something I want to spend them on)

Sometimes I can accomplish all three in one transaction! But I will never simply throw away a product that I get for free. If I can't use it, I will find it a loving home. : )

Q: Doesn't it cost you a lot of time and effort to plan and clip coupons?

A: Absolutely. It's a time commitment, to be sure. But the difference for me is that it is more a HOBBY than a tedious commitment. Lance can attest that I am the happiest when I'm deep in "deal-planning mode." If it ever becomes too tedious, I will scale back my efforts, but for now this is FUN! And besides that, I haven't had to step foot in Wal-Mart in MONTHS! So worth it.

Q: What happens when you've stocked up on everything you need?

A: I don't know yet, but I'm getting very close to that point! I have a feeling I'll continue to "do the deals" and give away the extras I don't need. After all, I don't want to let my huge stash of ECBs expire...

Q: What if I don't WANT the items I can get for free at CVS? I'm picky about my toothpaste...

A: You can't be a brand snob and play the Drugstore Game very efficiently. Now, there's nothing wrong with knowing exactly which brands you like (in fact, that can be a money- and time-saver in itself!), but to fully take advantage of the ExtraCare program, you have to be willing to try new products. Lots of new products. Some may be duds (vanilla toothpaste? BUST!), but one might be your next "favorite," who knows? I'm lucky that Lance is open to trying new toothpastes, bar soaps, laundry detergents, etc. That's why I can pull this off. We may be switching toothpaste flavors every other month, but we'll never have to pay for it!

You may try what my friend Denise does: Utilize the program when it fits YOUR needs, and don't buy products you know you won't like. She doesn't rack up quite the stash of ECBs that I do, but she buys what she knows she will use, gets a great price, and she's content. And she doesn't have to find a place to store all the diabetes monitors. Ha ha!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Even during a slow week...

...I can manage to find some deals at CVS!

This week is about as slow as it gets. Not even ONE free-after-ECBs item! But thankfully my store had a few of the monthly freebies in stock to help me round out my transaction today.

And I'm thankful for the fact that my store also takes expired CVS coupons, meaning I could use an old $5/$25 coupon that came in an email around the beginning of the year. I had printed it but never used it.

I essentially went in to "blow" some of my huge stash of soon-to-expire ECBs on some things we could use, like milk and Cheez-Its. Somehow I ended up using enough coupons to get everything free! (So much for blowing ECBs, huh?)

Here's how it went:
  • Cheez-Its twin pack, $6.00, get $3.00 ECBs
  • Purity milk, $3.19
  • NasoGel, $7.99, get $7.99 ECBs
  • Nutra Trim gum, $3.99, get $3.99 ECBs
  • 3 J&J First Aid kits, $0.99 each
  • CVS body wash, $2.99

Coupons used:

  • $5 off $25 purchase
  • $2 off NasoGel (printed from website)
  • $3 off J&J First Aid products (adjusted to $2.97)
  • $3 off any CVS brand product

I paid with $13.98 ECBs and put the remaining $0.18 plus $0.71 tax on my gift card. I walked out with another $14.98 in ECBs, making my total for today a profit of 11 cents!

And I plan on submitting the NasoGel for a $3 Manufacturer's rebate (which came in the packaging), so that's $3 back in my pocket.

What a great way to start out the week!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

A little CVS pick-me-up

Thursday was a rough day at work. I needed a little something to cheer me up. So I thought I'd stop in at my favorite CVS and get some coupons from the scanner machine, which always excites me. (You never know what you're gonna get!)

While there, I thought I might as well see if any of the hot items were in stock. I figured the shelves would be empty by this late in the week, but would you believe that they had all but ONE of the products I needed for my scenario? Amazing!

Here's what I ended up with:
  • 4 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, on sale for $4.50 each, part of Johnson & Johnson deal
  • 1 box of Band-aids, $3, brought my J&J total over $20 to get $10 ECBs back
  • 3 boxes of Bayer, on sale for $5 each, buy $15 worth, get $5 ECBs back
  • Garnier Fructis shampoo, $2.99, get $2 ECBs back
  • NutraTrim, $3.99, get $3.99 ECBs back (monthly freebie)
  • Jack Link's jerky twin pack, $9.99, get $2 ECBs back
  • CVS brand mixed nuts, $4.59

Coupons used:

  • Yet another $10/$50 CVS Q
  • Two $2/2 Stayfree Mfr. Qs
  • Two $2/1 Stayfree CVS Qs
  • Two BOGO free Stayfree Mfr. Qs
  • Three $1/1 Bayer Mfr. Qs
  • $1 Garnier Mfr. Q
  • $3 off any CVS brand Q

I paid with $22.48 of my ECBs, plus used the $1 ECB that printed at the scanner for my "Fall Spending" reward. That brought my total down to a whopping $0.08! I put that plus the $1.36 in tax (GRRRR!!) on my gift card. I got back $22.99 in ECBs. So essentially I walked out having paid nothing (thanks to the gift card!) and with $0.51 more in ECBs than I came with. Not bad!

To make things even sweeter, I will submit the receipt for a Bayer rebate (half back, not full price), and get back $6!

I was happy to be able to give Lance more jerky (since he has already polished off almost all of the jerky I bought Sunday) and get my mom a can of nuts as a thank you for always sharing her coupon inserts. The Bayer will be donated to church, the Dora Band-aids will go to my 3 year old niece, and the Stayfree will have me stocked up for at least four years, ha ha!

So my Thursday ended up being pretty good after all. All's well that ends well, right? : )

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Goals for getting our "Finances in Line in 2009"

MoneySavingMom is hosting a discussion about financial goals for this year (click here to view), and I couldn't help but want to join in!

As my family members know, I've always been the type to budget. My budget is my financial blueprint. It's my boundaries and goals wrapped up in a simple spreadsheet.

I'm a firm believer in boundaries, especially when it comes to money. If I had no boundaries, I would spend with abandon and get nowhere fast! My financial boundaries are not stringent by any means, but at least they give me an idea of how much I'm able to spend and how much to lay aside.

I bought my little starter home (on my own) in 2003. Using a budget and careful planning, I was able to buy a new refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer, love seat, and privacy fence without paying a cent of interest. I utilized store credit with 12-months-no-interest programs. I was able to buy a new desktop computer and digital camera in the same way. All this on a very limited salary!

Then I got married. ; )

I've heard that finances are one of the biggest sources of contention in marriages today, and I BELIEVE IT! Lance and I have struggled to reconcile our differences for the last 4 years. It has not been easy. But we're finally working together, and we're excited about the financial freedom in our future!

Our main goal for 2009 is to completely pay off all our debts, with the exception of our mortgage. This covers: my school loan, Lance's school loan, the home equity line (on which we put the majority of our renovation costs from last summer), our Best Buy credit card balance (new stove bought last summer), and Lance's business debt.

Our secondary goal is to put as much into savings as possible. With our focus being on paying off debts, it doesn't make sense to be socking away a large amount into savings while paying interest on remaining balances. But if we pay off the debts earlier than expected, we'll direct the "snowball" of payments towards savings.

We've already taken a major step towards realizing our goals by starting the process of refinancing our mortgage. When the rate hit 4.75%, which is almost 2 whole points lower than our current APR, I jumped at the opportunity! We'll be able to save about $200 a month in interest while still paying extra towards principle every month in order to reach our long-term goal of paying off the mortgage by 2023!

It's also helpful that I started a new job last month with a 12% jump in salary. During this time of economic distress, it's such a blessing to not only have a job, but to have been offered a new job with a higher salary. I'm thanking God for His goodness! And I'm asking for His guidance in being a good steward this year with what He's given us. That's what it all comes down to...being a good steward and GIVING of what we've been given.

2009 should be a very good year.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Sunday CVS Swag

Here's my Sunday CVS rundown for this week:
  • Fructis Shampoo, $2.99, get $2 ECB
  • Ziplock twin packs, $5.99 each, get $2 ECB for each
  • Nasogel, $7.99, get $7.99 ECB
  • Jack Link's Jerky twin pack, $9.99, get $2 ECB
  • EPT 2-pack, $15, get $10 ECB with purchase of $20 in Johnson products
  • Tylenol Sinus, $6 (to finish out the Johnson's purchase total)

Coupons used:

  • $1 off Fructis
  • $1 off two Ziploc products
  • $2 off Nasogel (printed from website)
  • $4 off EPT
  • $1 off Tylenol Sinus
  • $10 off a $50 purchase (CVS coupon)

I paid with $34.46 ECBs, and the total came down to just $0.49! Tax was $0.77, because they have to charge the full amount of tax on food products by law. The total of $1.26 went on my CVS gift card (Thanks, Mom!), and I got back $25.99 in ECBs, plus a bonus $0.50 for my "Fall Spending" (2% back). That just goes to show how LITTLE I paid out of pocket during the fall, ha ha!

So, my bottom line for today: I PAID $9.23. That's a bit unusual for me to not EARN money with my purchases, but I had promised Lance some Jack Link's jerky, and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to boost my total up to $50, so I could use yet another $10/$50 coupon. I think I've used about ten of these so far, and they just keep coming!

If I had skipped the jerky and Ziploc bags, I could have ended up making about a dollar on the rest. And if I had had one of the BOGO free Ziploc coupons (they didn't print them in the Nashville inserts), I would have spent much less. Oh, well. Sometimes you just gotta spend money to get stuff you want, huh?

Just FYI: The EPT tests are for the FUTURE! Just getting my ducks in a row...

; )

Friday, January 2, 2009

The bottomless toilet paper stash (pardon the pun)

Apparently, my garage has magic powers of regeneration.

Remember that huge stash of Cottonelle I got for really cheap back in September? (Okay, I know you don't, so go here if you want a refresher, ha ha!) Well, as I was searching for room in the upstairs closet to stuff yet another free 4-pack from Kroger, I got curious about how much of that stash in the garage we've actually used to date.

NONE.

I could have SWORN that I opened at least ONE of those huge packs of double rolls over the last 3 months! Apparently not. Either that, or I have discovered the secret portal to the Land of Endless Toilet Paper.

I wonder how long this will continue. I previously thought we had enough TP to last us a year, but seeing as how we've gone over three months without using any of those rolls, perhaps we're looking at TWO years! As long as Cottonelle keeps putting $0.50 coupons in the papers and Kroger keeps selling 4-packs for $0.99, we'll be set for life!

How did I ever live without coupons?