Caregivers Mail-in Rebate Form

When searching for a coupon the other day, I came across this website:

http://www.caregiversmarketplace.com/FrameSetup.asp

I immediately thought of Sherry and all the products she buys for Stephen. I sent her the link, and she says she has enough receipts to submit and get $50 back!

As a disclaimer, I don't know much about this rebate system, but I thought I'd post the link in case others (my very welcome visitors) would like to try it out. It appears that anyone with a child under 5 is eligible for rebates on certain Huggies diapers and skin products.

Hope this helps someone!

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??

Thank you, Walgreens!

I had to go to Walgreens to return something (grrrr), so I figured I'd try to utilize the holiday rewards for this week (get $5 Register Reward for a $25 purchase). I wasn't interested in the deal previously, but then I read on MoneySavingMom about the L'Oreal raincheck. Since buying that would put about $15 towards the $25 total, I knew I could throw some extra things on there as filler and get the Register Reward.

I picked the following fillers: 2 4-packs of Scotch tape, 5-lb. bag of sugar, and a bottle of Arm & Hammer detergent. The tape was free after EasySaver rebate, and I had a $1 coupon off of two (money-maker!). The other two products were on sale with the ad coupon, plus I had Mfr. coupons.

After coupons and tax, my total came to $18.38. I will get a full rebate on the L'Oreal and Scotch tape, plus get the extra 10% for putting the balance on my gift card, so I'll get back a total of $18.69! That's a profit of $0.31 PLUS the $5 Register Reward that printed out!

Yeah, that rocks. I love free stuff.

Silent night

We got a surprising amount of snow this evening. It's so pretty and peaceful. I figured this was a good time to try using my camera for a night shot. I only recently read (on someone's blog, of course!) about how to accomplish this. It takes a very slow shutter speed, a 2 second delay, and a tripod (a tiny one, set on top of the grill). The shot turned out nice. It really captures the way the snow and clouds reflect a pinkish light.

So pretty.

Blogosphere + coupons + Kroger = STEALS!

Look what I got for under $6 (including tax) at Kroger today:
The only things I really PAID for were the croutons (our absolute favorite brand) and the cookie dough. And of course I had coupons for both of those. : )

The total came to right around $5.50 for the three transactions, of which $1.50 was tax. I did three transactions, because each of the Fleischmann's yeast packets gave a $0.50 Catalina, which I turned around and used to buy another package and a can of chili (on sale for $1 each). I only had to pay $0.18 for each yeast and chili transaction. If I had known that it would have worked so well, I would have taken more Fleischmann's coupons!

I got a tip from another blog about the freebies to be had. I know that reading other peoples' blogs seems like a waste of time, but it's worth it to find these kinds of deals. If I remembered where I heard about these deals, I would post the link and give that person the credit, but I honestly don't recall! I'll have to pay more attention from now on.

Well, it sounds like the bread machine is done making the dough for my rolls, so I best get to the kitchen.

Ta ta!

The scientist in the kitchen

I must admit to approaching my kitchen counter as I do the lab bench: I have a detailed plan to follow and a hypothesis in mind. And just like in the lab, things don't always turn out how you want them to do.

Saturday's experiment was chicken pot pie. (How can I call myself a Southern woman without knowing how to make this, the very epitome of comfort food?) I had a yummy-sounding recipe (http://www.lifeasmom.com/2008/08/recipe-swap-whats-dish-that-you-deliver.html), all the ingredients, but no pie plate. I decided to try breaking the recipe up into individual pies. I scrounged up the best containers I could find: four heart-shaped ramekins from Valentine's Day. I knew they looked kind of small, but I figured it didn't matter, because they were all I had.

With my ramekins ready, I went to work making the crusts. (Wow, what a time-consuming step! Next time I will try using a food processor like others do.) With the crusts finally rolled out and chilling in the fridge, I started chopping vegetables for the filling. When I cut into the onion I had just bought from Kroger that morning, it was completely rotten inside! I was so disgusted and frustrated. There goes one ingredient. (Thank goodness I had minced onion and onion powder to substitute.)

It seemed to take forever, but I finally got the filling ready to go. I got the crusts out, and began laying them in the ramekins...and recognized a rookie mistake: I had made the crusts all the same size instead of making some large enough to cover the bottom AND sides! Rats. I did the best I could to stretch them, but finally had to give up and move along. So I poured in the filling, and noticed that I would have a lot of unused filling if I didn't top them off as high as possible. With the ramekins almost overflowing (and that's with filling left over!), I topped them with more crust, pricked the tops, and put them in the oven on a baking sheet.

Forty minutes later, I pulled out some nicely browned pot pies...which sat in a pool of filling. Oh, well. As messy as they were, they actually tasted pretty good, if I do say so myself. Lance was happy. And the portion was just right. I still think I'll check the thrift stores for some larger (10 ounce) round ramekins for next time I give this a whirl.

That said, I'd say this experiment was successful. I filled our bellies with some good comfort food and learned some lessons. The scientist in me is pleased.

Now THAT'S what I call Customer Service!

I just want to brag on CVS a little bit...

As I explained before, my bottom line on Thanksgiving was affected by the Maybelline Mineral Powder foundation ECB not printing like it should. Well, I went online and left a message for CVS Customer Service, explaining what happened and politely asking for advice on rectifying the situation.

In two days, I received an email from a representative saying that they have now credited my ExtraCare account with $9, which will print out next time I make a purchase! (Since the product was only $8.99, I guess I just made a penny, ha ha!)

I just love CVS. Eight months ago, I didn't even acknowledge its existence, but now I'm a loyal customer. Who needs Wal-mart, anyway?

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):