My First CVS Trip!

For the last two months I have been interested in trying to play the "drugstore grocery game," especially after we found out we were pregnant and would be needing lots of diapers. Well today I played the first hand in my new pastime. And I went straight to the "jack-pot."

Transaction #1
1 Pampers Cruisers @ 7.99
1 Pampers wipes @ 2.99
1 Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49
1 Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49
-------------------------------
-3$/15 CVS coupon
-2$/2 Pampers
-1$/1 Listerine
-1$/1 Listerine
Total: $12.46/ECB (Extra Care Bucks) earned: $6.98 (Listerine 3.49x2)

Transaction #2
2 Pampers Cruisers @ 7.99
-------------------------------
-3$/15 CVS coupon
-2$/2 Pampers
-$6.98 ECB (from above transaction)
Total: $4.60/ECB earned: $5.00 (buy $20 Pampers)

Transaction #3
2 Pampers Cruisers @ 7.99
-------------------------------
-3$/15 CVS coupon
-2$/2 Pampers
-$5.00 ECB (from above transaction)
Total: $6.78

Total spent OOP (out of pocket): $ 23.84

I would have to say that I did pretty good for my first trip, especially since all of the diapers (175) alone would have cost over $50 dollars at Target or Wal-mart!

If you are considering the "drugstore grocery game," here are some helpful links:

- CVS 101
- CVS coupons
- CVS deals this week

Celebrating My Second Month of Coupons

All of these items were bought with coupons.

Each item cost $.00 cents (plus tax)!

Here is the breakdown: (+ means what I was credited; if I don't have a link to the coupon it means the coupon came from the Sunday paper or online and is now expired)

4 boxes of Live Active Cereal (48 oz) @ +.02 cents per box
25 bars Johnson and Johnson Buddies soap @+.06 cents per soap
6 packages of Huggies Baby Wipes (96) @ +.01 cent per package
5 boxes of Zantac (40 pills) @ +1.02 dollars per box
2 boxes of Scotch Brite toilet scrubbers @ .00 cents
12 boxes of Kotex pads (216) @ .00 cents per box
6 Clean and Clear Facial Scrubs @ +1.01 dollars per tube
2 Clinic Happy Perfumes @ .00 cents per bottles
1 Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (12 oz) @ .00 cents per box
2 boxes of Hello Kitty Band-Aids (20) @ +.01 cent per box
4 All Small & Mighty detergent (8 loads) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Herbal Essence Shampoo (trial size) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Herbal Essence Conditioner (trial size) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Frizz-ease Mousse (trial size) @ +.01 cent per bottle
1 Adidas Deodorant (2.8 oz) @ .00 cents per bottle
1 Joint Juice (16.9 oz) @ +.82 cents per bottle
25 boxes of Royal Jello @ .00 cents per box
3 tubes of KY @ +.40 cents per tube
30 Archer Farms Ground Coffee (52.5 oz) @ +.01 per bag
Total:$ +++15.57
Estimated cost for these items: $ 168.64

Because I actually made 15.57 dollars, I decided to include a picture of everything I was able to buy with the overage money.

All of these items were bought with coupons.

Each item cost .99 cents or less (plus tax)!

Here is the breakdown: ( - means what I spent; if I don't have a link to the coupon it means the coupon came from the Sunday paper or online and is now expired)

3 Ocelo sponges (26) @ -.14 cents per package
6 Flamless candles @ -.99 cents per candle
5 bags of Lays Cracker Crisps @ -.50 cents per bag
4 Degree Deodorant @ -.50 cents per bottle
4 Bushes Grillin Beans @ -.25 cents per can
2 Childrens tooth brushes @ -.38 cents a brush
2 Smucker's Magic Shell @ -.25 cents a bottle
1 box of Couscoss @ -.25 cents a box
Total: $---13.37
Estimated cost for these items: $ 88.57

So you do the math 15.57-13.37=
Total $+++2.2o
Estimated cost for all items in both pictures: $ 257.21

YES, coupons really work ! (Check out my first month of savings here)

If you are now considering using coupons, check out some of these wonderful "Money Savings Blogs" for links to great coupons and tons of free samples!

Money Savings Blogs

• The Thrifty Soaper
• A Garden of Blessings
• More Than Enough
• Budget Helpers
• The Grocery Cart Challenge
  

This Week's Shopping!!!

This is my shopping for the week of May 11-17 th! My goal is to only spend $50 dollars a week. I spent a grand total of $58.23 on all of these items, slightly over budget, but I am simply thrilled at what I was able to buy and stock up on.

Each of these items cost between $2 and 3 per item!

Each of these items cost between .50-.99 cents!!

Each of these items was absolutely totally FREE!!!

Total spent: $ 58.23
Total saved with the help of coupons: $103.15

(Maybe this does not look like a lot of complete meals but because I have been stocking up on food and toiletry items for about four months, I really didn't need any other food items)

I love coupons!

Celebrating One Month of Coupons

All of these items were bought with coupons.
Each item cost .14 cents or was free!

This post is dedicated to my first month of using coupons. For several months, I have pondered over the long debate: Do coupons really work? and Should I even waste my time?

Well the great debate is finally over! COUPONS REALLY WORK!


As I mentioned above, each of these items was .14 cents or free. Here is the breakdown: (+ means what I was credited; - means what I spent)

14 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (203 oz) @ +.02 cents per box
9 bars Johnson and Johnson Buddies soap @ .00 cents per soap
10 packages of Clean Team wipes (620) @ -.14 cents per package
15 packages of Ocelo sponges (26) @ -.14 cents per package
6 bottles of Bath and Body Works soap (52.5 oz) @ .00 cents per bottle
2 boxes of Zantac (16 pills) @ +1.02 dollars per box
3 boxes of Scotch Brite toliet scrubbers @ .00 cents
(3 handles and 12 scrubbers) per box

Total: $ 1.18
Estimated cost for all items: $ 151.05

So YES, coupons really work and I should definitely "waste" my time!

If you are now considering if you should "waste" you time, check out some of these wonderful "Money Savings Blogs" for links to great coupons and tons of free samples!

Money Savings Blogs

• The Thrifty Soaper
• A Garden of Blessings
• More Than Enough
• Budget Helpers
• The Grocery Cart Challenge
  

Who Says You Can't Buy Anything for less than a DOLLAR

Recently I came across some really great coupons thanks to A Garden of Blessings and More Than Enough.

I purchased all 12 of these items for .82 Cents!!! I know that you may not believe me but it is completely true and I will tell you how I did it. I promise there was no magic or stealing involved.

And for anyone who might be asking what we are going to do with six boxes of cereal when we already have 10+ in the pantry, a wonderful creative woman created a yummy chocolaty recipe using this chocolate cereal.

First, I had a $2.00 off coupon for one box of this new Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats. I discovered that Wal-mart was carrying this new brand. The first Wal-mart I went to was selling the box for $2.08. I bought the cereal with the $2 coupon and paid .08 cents! The second and third times I went, the boxes were on sale for $1.98. I bought five boxes receiving a total of .10 cents in return. Therefore, all six of these boxes combined cost a total of .00 cents! And I actually received .02 cents in return! Can you believe someone paid me to take six boxes of cereal out of their store!

Second, I had a $3.00 off coupon on any two Huggies Clean Team products. I purchased the refill wipes for $1.64 each. Two packages of wipes @ 1.64 = 3.28. After my $3 off coupon, I paid .28 cents. That's .14 cents per package!

Total: .14 x 6 = .84 - .02 = .82 cents
I love Coupons!