Free stuff and cheap drinks

Another boatload of free school supplies this week at CVS! I didn't get every single item, though, since I only had to reach a total of $30 to use my $5/$30 CVS coupon. (It came by email this week, how fortuitous!)

Here's how I used the freebies to get really cheap drinks:

• 4 12-packs of Pepsi products, $12, get $4 ECB with purchase of 4
• 1 pack of CVS pens, $0.99, get $0.99 ECB
• 1 pack of CVS pencils, $0.99, get $0.99 ECB
• 2 CVS compasses, $1.50 each, get $1.50 ECB each
• 2 CVS notebooks, $0.99 each, get $0.99 ECB each
• 1 pair of CVS scissors, $2.99, get $2.99 ECB
• 1 pack of CVS glue sticks, $0.99, get $0.99 ECB
• 1 Blink Tears eye drops, $7.99, get $7.99 ECB

Coupons used:

• $5 off $30 purchase
• $1.50 off Blink Tears (internet printable mfr. coupon)

Total = $30.93. After coupons, I paid with $17.83 ECBs (my entire stash), paid the remaining $6.60 plus $2.08 tax, then I got back $22.93 in ECBs. So essentially I paid $3.58 for all this. That comes to 7 cents per soda can!

Now I call that a sweet deal. : )

Oh, and don't forget to check the bottom of your receipt for your free item coupon. The item this month is batteries, hooray! Perhaps they'll do a free item each month through the fall like they did last year. I hope so!

Week #2 of free school supplies at CVS

And the free school supplies keep a-comin'...

Unfortunately, my CVS didn't stock up on the scissors and pens, so by the time I got there at 11:30 this morning they were almost all gone! Since mine is a 24-hour store, some women came in at midnight last night to get the deals, according to the cashier. Unbelievable! I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

*Disclaimer: Although I don't have children and thus don't need school supplies, I get them to donate in the fall when my church has a collection for the inner city school children. *

Okay, here's how I did today:

• 4 12-packs of Pepsi products, $12, get $2 ECB
• newspaper, $1
• 3 packs of pens, $0.99 each, get $0.99 ECB each
• 2 notebooks, $0.99 each, get $0.99 ECB each
• 2 glue, $0.99 each, get $0.99 ECB each
• 2 rulers, $0.99 each, get $0.99 ECB each
• scissors, $2.99, get $2.99 ECB
• Gillette Fusion razor, $7.99, get $4 ECB

Total came to $32.89. I used a $5 off $30 CVS coupon, a $2 off $10 in CVS brand products coupon, and a $4 Fusion Mfr. coupon to bring the total down to $21.89. I paid with $21.89 in ECBs (all I had!) and then put the remaining $0.33 tax on a gift card. I got back $17.90 in ECBs. That made my total loss for this trip only $4.32, which a FANTASTIC deal considering I stocked up on sodas for Lance!

Next week there will be even more free-after-ECB school supplies, so be on the lookout for some $/$$ CVS brand coupons at the scanner machine!

CVS freebies for today

Three weeks later, and there are finally some CVS deals worth blogging about! Thank goodness my CVS takes expired ECBs...Otherwise, I would have been in a tough spot with deals being so scarce.

Here's how things went today:

Bought:

• Playtex Gentle Glide, $3.99, get $3 ECB
• 2 x Band-aids, $2.99, get $2 ECB (limit 2)
• Colgate Total Advanced, $2.99, get $2 ECB
• Revlon nail color, $3.99, get $3 ECB
• Clearasil daily cleanser, $3.99, get $3.99 ECB (FREE!)

Subtotal = $20.94

Coupons used:

• $4 off $20 purchase CVS Q (from scanner machine)
• $1 Playtex Mfr. Q (came with a sample in the mail)
• 2 x $1 Band-aid Mfr. Q (from inserts)
• $1 Colgate Mfr. Q (from insert)
• $1 Revlon Mfr. Q (from insert)
• $1 Clearasil Mfr. Q (from insert)

Total after coupons = $0.46. Tax was $0.60. I put the total of $1.06 on a CVS gift card, and then got back $15.99 in ECBs. That's a profit of $4.45 for today!

For those who may not know, it's easy to find which Sunday insert a particular coupon came in by searching the database here: http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/coupon.php. Looking for the Colgate coupon? Search for "Colgate Total" and see what comes up. Even printable coupons are added to the database regularly, so always check for coupons before making your CVS or Kroger trips!

Back in the game!

I haven't posted much about CVS over the past few weeks due the lack of truly good deals. I made a trip here and there, but nothing worth mentioning. Until today, that is!

Here's today's swag:

Transaction:

• 3 boxes of Kellogg's cereal, 3/$10, get $5 ECB
• 2 Adidas deodorants, $3.99 each, get $3 ECB each
• 1 Colgate Max Fresh, $2.99, get $2 ECB
• 1 Zantrex energy drink, $4.99, get $4.99 ECB

Subtotal = $25.96

Coupons used:

• $5 off $25 purchase CVS coupon (from email)
• 3 x $1 Kellogg's Mfr. coupons (click here and here to print your own)
• 2 x $1 Adidas Mfr. coupons (from 4/05/09 Red Plum insert)
• $1 Colgate Max Mrf. coupon (from 4/26/09 SmartSource insert)

Subtotal after coupons = $14.96. I paid with $15 worth of ECBs (adjusted down to $14.96) and put the remaining $0.77 of tax on a CVS gift card. I got back a total of $17.99 in ECBs, which makes today's transaction a decent money-maker!

Wow, I love getting paid to take my favorite cereal. : )

And if that wasn't great enough, I was pleasantly surprised to get a $4/$20 CVS coupon at the scanner today...on BOTH our cards! This might be a universal thing, so all you ExtraCare customers out there should run to the nearest scanner machine! Because after all, great deals begin with a great $/$$ CVS coupon.

Now I'm off to do some planting. In the rain. : )

Hello, again

Sorry to have been absent for so long! I've been CVSing as usual for the past few weeks, only I've been trying to spend ECBs, so I haven't had anything to brag about. Today I spent some more, but I thought I'd post about it anyway, just for kicks.

Here's what I got today:

• 2 boxes of Garnier Nutrisse hair color, on sale for $5 each, get $5 ECB when you spend $10
• Secret Flawless deodorant, $3.99, get $1 ECB
• Crest ProHealth, $2.99, get $2 ECB
• Vaseline Men's lotion, $3.69, get $2 ECB
• 3 General Mills products, 3/$10, get $5 ECB on 3

Subtotal came to $30.69. I used a $5/$30 CVS coupon (from the scanner), and manufacturer coupons on every product. The total came down to $16.19, and I paid with $15.97 ECBs. I paid the remaining $0.22 plus $0.78 tax in cash. I got back $15 in ECBs. That means I paid less than $2 total for all this! (Spent $15.97 ECBs and $1 cash, got back $15 ECBs) Well worth it for the hair color alone.

It's humbling to actually admit to everyone that I color my hair. But I'll have you know I AM a natural blonde, it's just not a "pretty blonde." Some call it dish-water blonde, yuck!

I'm looking forward to trying the caramel flavor Fiber One bars. Lance and I really like the peanut butter bars, and often have them for breakfast. They're rather filling, and they taste like a dessert. I'm hoping we'll like the caramel ones just as much.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Finally used up some ECBs!

I know it sounds crazy, but I'm so happy I finally made a dent in my ECB stash! I actually used up $19 worth of them, can you believe it?? And really, $19 for all THIS is a great deal in my book.
The Gamer razor, CVS antacids, and energy drink were all free. The Stayfree were money-makers ($3.99 each, used BOGO free MQ, $1 MQ, and $2 CVS Q, then got back $4 ECBs). The Post Trail Mix cereals were on sale BOGO free, and I used a $2 MQ for each, making them about $0.40 each. The 12-packs were $2.25 each after ECBs. (Since I got the last two 7ups they had, the manager kindly offered to substitute another brand to get the deal!) The Ziplocs were $1.75 each after sale and MQ. And I got the pistachios and ClearCare just because we like them and they were on sale.

Oops, I just realized the best part got left out of the picture...Another huge box of Valentine's chocolates! I was just $2 shy of being able to use a high-dollar ECB, so Lance ran to the candy clearance and got the perfect "filler." : )

I was still about $0.22 short, but I decided to have the cashier just adjust the ECB down. Turns out, he didn't have to! Apparently the register will take up to a 22 cent deficit without beeping! That 22 cents went towards tax. Sweeeeeeet.

I know it's crazy, seeing as how I try so hard to MAKE money on my CVS trips, but I am truly glad to have whittled down the stash for now. It's so hard to keep rolling all those ECBs every month. I'm happy with spending them on things we use for a really good price. And really, when all is said and done, only $1.18 in cash was spent on all this stuff. Pretty good.

I can't stay away. Not when there's discount candy to be had.

"My" CVS only had their Valentine's Day candy for half off. Hmph. Well, I guess I can't complain...I still got it free.

Here's how today's transaction went:

• Two $2.99 Colgate Total, get $2.99 ECB each
• Two $3.50 clearanced Mylanta, get $3 ECB each
• Two $4.99 J&J First aid 5-ct boxes, get $3 ECB each
• $2.49 (!!!!) box of small envelopes
• $4.99 box of chocolates
• $0.88 Pixie Stix filler

Sub-total = $31.32. Used these coupons:

• $5 off $30 purchase (thank you, machine!)
• Two $1 Colgate MQ
• Two $2 Mylanta MQ (printed from Mylanta website)
• Two $2 J&J MQ (peelies)

Sub-total = $16.32. Paid with a $6 ECB, a $9.98 ECB, and put $1.30 on my gift card. Got back $17.98 in ECBs, making a profit of $0.70. ($17.98 ECBs earned - $15.98 ECBs spent - $1.30 cash spent) Not bad!

Lance had requested the envelopes. Can you believe they were $2.49?? Crazy! But, hey...It's something we needed. And I have to spend my ECBs on something eventually. It's still rough to pay so much for simple envelopes.

Hope everyone had a good Monday!

Finally some decent profit at CVS!

(I say that with such entitlement, ha.)

But in all seriousness, I had been a bit discouraged as of late. The deals were few and the stock sparse these past few weeks. And the Gamer Fusion razor? Fugetaboutit. Nary a one to be found.

But I managed to still make a good run today, ending up with a profit of $8.34 when all was said and done. Per usual, I relied on my trusty $10/$50 purchase coupon and my diabetes monitor filler.

Here's the rundown:

• $0.73 worth of Valentine candy, 90% off (most to give away)
• Two $2.99 Colgate Total Advanced, get $2.99 ECB each
• Two $2.99 Herbal Essences, get $2 ECB
• $4.99 Gillette shampoo (for Daddy, since Lance obviously can't use it!)
• $7.99 Earinse, get $7.99 ECB
• Two $3.99 Stayfree pads, get $2 ECB each
• $19.99 One Touch Mini (for donation to missions)

Sub-total came to $53.64. Used these coupons:

• $10 off $50 purchase
• $19.99 off One Touch Mini
• Two $1 off Colgate Total Advance from recent insert
• $3 off 2 Herbal Essences from recent PG insert
• $2 off Gillette Shampoo from recent PG insert
• BOGO free Stayfree coupon from recent insert
• $1 off Stayfree printable Mfr. coupon

That brought the sub-total down to $11.66, and I paid with a $7.58 ECB and a $3.99 ECB. Sub-total = $0.09! Of course, tax was outrageous ($2.97, ouch). I paid the remaining $3.06 using a CVS gift card. I walked out with $22.97 more in ECBs, thus I made a profit of $8.34 ($22.97 ECBs earned minus $11.57 ECBs spent minus $3.06 cash spent).

CVS, I heart you. : )

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!

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!

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!

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!

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? : )

Today was better than Thanksgiving!

Oh, CVS...You've given me such a wonderful early Christmas present...

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that I hit the CVS 2-Day sale after lunch and made a killing. Well, $26.03 to be exact, and that's not including the $9 in rebates I'll apply for.

I dragged Lance along as an accomplice. We loaded up our baskets with the carefully chosen free-after-rebate items, and used each of our cards to maximize the savings. The only item that was completely missing was the Arm & Hammer Essentials cleaner. And they only had one box of Benefiber, but luckily they had a few bottles of Complete left to fill the void in my transactions.

Everything went off without a hitch! I walked out with $107.71 worth of merchandise, having only paid $2.80 in cash, and ended up with $28.83 MORE in ExtraCare Bucks than I came in with! AAAAAAND I'll be submitting the rebate form for one Excedrin and one Zantac, which is another $8.98 back in my pocket!

Can you tell I'm stoked?

But do you know what REALLY excited me? When the receipts printed out, and they were both over six feet long! I used to joke to Lance that one day my receipt would be longer than me, and today it really happened. Twice. Ha ha!

Back and ready for action

Though it looks like I may have picked up a cold from my niece and nephew this weekend while in Pigeon Forge, I was nonetheless ready to hit CVS as SOON as we got into town. Oh, yes, the deals are good this week, especially for getting one's total up to $50 in order to use a $10/$50 purchase coupon.

I have made not one, but TWO trips to CVS in the 3 hours we've been back. The first trip was not as successful as I hoped. I ended up paying way too much, because I got hurried and a) forgot to give the cashier one of my $2 coupons, and b) bought two unnecessary items, thinking I needed them to get my total over $50. I hate when I mess up! So I'll be taking the two extra items back and then I think I'll be breaking even.

The second trip, however, was more of a success. I decided to try a different CVS to see if they had the money-making contact solution in stock. They did! AND they had the 12-pack of Rolaids softchews I've been searching for. Hooray!

Here's how the second trip went:

• Complete contact solution, $8.99, get $8.99 ECBs
• Earinse, $9.99, get $9.99 ECBs
• SleepMD, $7.99, get $7.99 ECBs
• Rolaids Softchews 12-pack, $2.89 each, get $2 ECBs for each
• Colgate Total Advanced, $2.99, get $2 ECBs

Coupons used:

• $2 Mfr. Q for Complete
• two $1 Mfr. Q for Rolaids Softchews
• $1 CVS Q for Colgate Total
• $0.75 Mfr. Q for any Colgate toothpaste
• $5 off a $30 CVS purchase (came in an email)

Total before coupons = $35.74. Total after coupons = $24.99. Used $24.76 ECBs from my Thanksgiving stash, and paid cash for the remaining $0.23 plus $0.46 tax. Earned a total of $32.97 ECBs, making a profit of $7.52!

If I had been thinking clearly, I could have easily thrown some other items on and been able to use the $10/$50 coupon. I could have made a few more bucks that way. But I won't worry too much about it, I guess. The fact that I can actually earn money by shopping is so amazing that it's hard to be too upset about not making MORE. I'm happy with what I've got.

And now, the question of the day: Does anyone actually USE saline ear rinse??

Thanksgiving at CVS

CVS started their Black Friday deals on Thursday, meaning technically at midnight Wed. night for our 24-hour store. I was so tempted to gather my coupons and head over at midnight (or a little before) to grab all the great deals to be had, but I convinced myself that THAT would push me into the realm of Crazy-Obsessive Coupon Queen. And besides, I thought to myself, I'm sure no one else is going to grab all the freebies before I get there early Thursday morning!

I was so, so wrong.

It was quiet enough when I pulled into the CVS parking lot at around 7:10 am Thursday. I was pleased to see only a couple of cars. This should be a piece of cake! I got inside and grabbed a shopping cart. I started my rounds, knowing exactly which aisles to head for. And a lady with a cart stopped me. "You're here for the deals?" she asked. I smiled and nodded. "Well, just so you know, they're already out of the razors and iPod headphones. People bought them all last night."

WHAT???

I was fuming through the rest of my shopping. Why on earth didn't I come in last night? I could have gotten the items I REALLY wanted! Later, I ran into one of my favorite cashiers, who told me she had been at CVS at midnight and witnessed the frenzy of the coupon queens. They started crowding the aisles at 11 pm, grabbing items off the shelf before others could, and freaking out over coupons they dropped. Then they all flooded the check-out lines once the sale officially started. Maybe I DIDN'T want to be in the middle of all that.

Well, regardless, I still got some great products (most less than free) and walked out with more ECBs than I came in with. Not too bad! Here's how it went...

Transaction #1:

• Johnson's Soft Lotion, $5.69, get $5.69 ECB, used $1 MQ
• Colgate Total toothpaste, $2.99, get $2.99 ECB, used $1.50 MQ
• Garnier 25-ct towelettes, $5.99, get $5.99 ECB, used $1 MQ
• Covergirl Smoothers makeup, $7.99, get $7.99 ECB, used $1 MQ
• Covergirl pressed powder, $5.99, get $5.99 ECB, used $1 MQ
• Gatorade G2, $1.49, get $1.49 ECB
• Used a CVS coupon for $5 off a $30 purchase (came in an email)

Total before coupons = $30.14, total after coupons = $19.64. Paid with $18.99 in ECBs, and the remaining $0.65 plus $0.55 tax went on my gift card. Got back a total of $30.14 in ECBs, meaning I made $9.95 from this transaction.

Transaction #2:

• 2 Aussie conditioners, $2.99 each, get $2.99 ECB for each, used (2) $1 MQs
• Playtex tampons, $3.99, get $3 ECB, used $1 MQ
• Colgate Total, $2.99, get $2.99 ECB, used $1 MQ and $1 CVS Q (from scanner)
• L'Oreal lip gloss, $6.99, get $6.99 ECB
• Retro air popper machine, $19.99, get $10 ECB
• Maybelline mineral makeup, $8.99, get $8.99 ECB (which didn't print)
• 2 King sized Hershey bars, $1, get $1 ECB for first one (fillers)
• Used a CVS coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase (from scanner)

Total before coupons = $50.93, total after coupons = $35.43. Paid with $35.45 in ECBs (adjusted down to $35.43 by the cashier), and the $0.42 in tax went on my gift card. Got back a total of $29.96 in ECBs, meaning I paid $5.89 for this transaction. I will contact customer service about the $8.99 ECB that didn't print, or else return the item. Then I will be making a profit of $3.10 on this transaction.

Transaction #3:

• Crest Spinbrush, $5.99, get $2 ECB, used $2 MQ
• L'Oreal lip gloss, $6.99, get $6.99 ECB
• Sally Hansen nail polish, $3.79, get $3.79 ECB
• Universal Remote, $6.99, get $6.99
• 5-hour energy shots 2-pack, $3.99, get $3.99 ECB
• Breeze II glucose monitor, $30, used $30 MQ
• Used another CVS Q for $10 off a $50 purchase

Total before coupons = $57.75, total after coupons = $15.75. Paid with $15.69 in ECBs, and the remaining $0.06 plus $2.97 tax went on my gift card. Got back a total of $23.76 in ECBs, meaning I made $5.04 from this transaction.

So right now, while missing the $8.99 ECB for the Maybelline, I've still made a PROFIT of $9.10 by buying all this stuff. I should have ended up with a profit of $18.09. Believe me, I'll get it taken care of. : )

I gave away almost half of these items at Thanksgiving, which was fun. I felt like Santa Claus! As for the rest, I'm happy to have an air popper, which is something I've always wanted, and the Aussie conditioner is one of my favorites. Yes, I have another glucose monitor, but Uncle Steve says that the Cuba missionaries could use them, so I'll hopefully be able to ship those out very soon.

The shopping trip took maybe an hour, so I was home in plenty of time to start making up some waffle batter, real whipped cream, butter-pecan syrup, biscuits, sausage, bacon, and gravy for a family Thanksgiving breakfast. Mom brought some ham and fruit salad, and Claire brought eggs to scramble. We had quite a feast! I ate so much that I wasn't even hungry until we got to Huntsville for the big family dinner gathering at 5 pm.

All in all, the day went very well, from start to finish. A great Thanksgiving.

Where there's a will...

It seems that I am slowly becoming one of those crazed coupon queens.

Yes, I made a Sunday afternoon CVS run. I had to! The Complete contact solution was a $2 money-maker, and I KNEW they wouldn't stock the shelf with enough bottles to last until tomorrow morning!

When I arrived, I immediately headed for the eye care aisle. And was disappointed to see that the Complete section was already COMPLETELY EMPTY. There went that $8.99 towards my $50 total.

I briefly considered turning on my heels in a huff and leaving without making a purchase at all. But then I remembered that my sweet husband made the effort to drive me to CVS. (I have a near-migraine, which may otherwise incapacitate me, but it ain't keeping me from some sweet deals.) I knew he wouldn't be happy if we just left with nothing.

So I decided to try to work a new scenario to get my total up to $50 without going too much in the hole. (As in, having to pay money. Ha!) I got some other things I planned on, picked up a pet bed for Baxter (which I DIDN'T plan on, since they have been out of stock for weeks), and was trying to think of something else to get as "filler". It was then that I had an idea, and headed back to the eye care aisle.

I knew that the spot for Complete was empty, but on a hunch I reached my hand back behind some neighboring products. I smiled, and pulled out a lone box of Complete. Lance looked surprised, but I wasn't. Someone had apparently hidden the last box with the intent to return for it later. Won't they be shocked to see that I outsmarted them?

So here's the transaction I ended up with:

• 3 3-packs of Dial bar soaps, on sale for $1.99 each, get back $1 ECB each
• 2 CVS tissues, on sale for $0.99 each
• 1 12 oz. bottle of Complete, on sale for $8.99, get $8.99 ECB
• 2 4-packs of rechargeable Energizer batteries, on sale for $10 each; buy $20 worth, get $10 ECB
• 1 Maybelline Mineral liquid makeup, on sale for $8.99, get $8.99 ECB
• Pet bed, on sale for $5.99

Total before coupons = $51.92

Coupons used:

• CVS coupon for $10 off $50 purchase
• 3 Mfr. coupons for $0.30 off Dial soap
• CVS coupon for $1 off 2 boxes of CVS brand tissues
• Printable Mfr. coupon for $2 off Complete
• 2 Mfr. coupons for $1 off any Energizer batteries

Total after coupons = $36.02

Paid with $35.97 ECBs (My entire stash! I was glad to be able to use that large $15.99 one from last week...), and that left only 5 CENTS plus tax! Lance scrounged up the $0.51 cents, and we walked out with $30.98 in ECBs, plus an extra $5 ECB printed on the receipt, because I took a survey earlier this month. That means I spent only $0.50 on this transaction!

I'm having more fun shopping lately, because I have a specific plan for the extra freebies I'm able to pick up. In fact, it's making me try even harder to get more! I can't wait to hand over the big box of stuff I've collected...I dare say that it will mean more to me on that day than to the recipient. : )

And just in case this post wasn't long enough...Here's Baxter already enjoying his new bed under Daddy's desk (one of his favorite places to be):

Behold, a great wonder!

See this?

This is what we CVSers would call a miracle. It's a free-after-ECB item...which was still available MID-WEEK!

I amuse myself sometimes with images of crazed coupon queens flooding the stores at 12:01 am Sunday morning, elbowing each other out of the way to grab the freebies off the shelf. But whatever the case may be, the reality is that if you wait until Monday to visit CVS, that freebie shelf will be empty. You snooze, you lose.

But not this week.

I ambled into my store after church on Wednesday night, husband in tow (I had to bribe him with promises of pistachios, which I knew to be on sale), prepared with my list and coupons, and just thought I'd swing by the L'Oreal area to see if they had any Age Perfect left. Imagine my shock when I saw TWO (!!!) packages sitting on the shelf. My jaw went slack, and I stood there for several seconds, just staring. How is this possible?

As elated as I was when placing the item in my basket, I knew that this would totally throw off my planned transaction. And it did. I could have worked a MUCH better deal than I did, and I could have actually used one of the eight $10/$50 CVS coupons I have amassed! Oh, well. Can't win 'em every time.

It still worked out to be a fantastic money-maker. It cost $15.99. I used a $1 Manufacturer coupon, a $2 off any L'Oreal product CVS coupon, and a $3 off any $15 face care CVS coupon. (Did I luck out at the coupon scanner or WHAT?) I got an ExtraCare Buck for $15.99 towards my next purchase. That, my friends, is a gain of $6!

Now my only problem is figuring out how to spend that $15.99 ECB. Good grief!

$0.41 Sauce

CVS Transaction today:

• 4 jars Ragu sauce at 3/$5
• 2 jars Hellmann's mayo at $3 each
• 1 Aleve 10-ct at $3.99, get 3 ECBs
• 1 Excedrin 20-ct at $3.99, get 3.99 ECBs

SUB-TOTAL = $20.65

Coupons used:

• CVS $4 off $20 purchase (printed at scanner last week, lucky me!)
• 2 $.50/2 Ragu coupons
• 2 $.60/1 Hellmann's coupons
• $1 off Aleve (printed online)
• $2 off Excedrin

TOTAL after coupons = $11.45, plus tax

I used a total of 10.99 ECBs, then paid the remaining $1.44 in cash. I received back 3 ECBs for buying over $10 of the food products, 3 ECBs for the Aleve, and 3.99 ECBs for the Excedrin.

I really wanted to use that $4/$20 coupon before it expired tomorrow, so getting some food staples was the perfect plan. We can always use mayo and sauce, and it keeps in the pantry for a LONG time. The food deal was "buy $10 of Ragu/Skippy/Hellmann's/Lipton products, get 3 ECBs back", but I could only do it once, so there was no point in buying $20 worth of just food (to get my total up). Thus I picked out some "fillers", things I could either get for free after ECBs or, in the case of the Excedrin, actually MAKE money on. Hence, the Aleve and Excedrin. Those brought my total up just over $20, so I could use my $4/$20 coupon.

In all, I was only out $2.44 for this transaction (10.99 ECBs used + $1.44 cash - 9.99 ECBs earned), so it's as if I paid $.41 a piece for the jars of sauce and mayo. Good deal! And I'm sure Lance and I will use up the free Aleve Cold and Sinus this winter. In all, I'd call this a successful trip. I didn't end up making money or even breaking even, but I paid less for these staples than I would at the best sale Kroger could come up with!

Now, if only CVS sold gasoline...