October Summary - Finally

October was a good and a bad month for me. :) I spent more than I should have, but it did include some gifts and wedding items (for a friend's wedding that I was in).

Cost of items (sales prices, not full retail price): $679.02
Coupons redeemed: $277.99
Doubled coupons (Kroger): $2.65
eCoupons (used at Kroger): $9.90
Special store coupons: $35
Cost after all coupons: $388.48
Actual cost out of pocket: $182.99 (the rest was paid with gift cards, RR's, ECB's, etc.)
Expected rebates: $168.99

Which means that everything I bought actually only cost $14. And that included gifts and wedding accessories.

I need to work on not spending as much out of pocket up front. On the other hand, as the holidays are rapidly approaching, I do expect that I'll have some higher than normal costs. And since I use my spreadsheet to track every penny spent at all my local grocery stores as well as Target and Walmart, that will be all right.

Super Savings Saturday!

I decided not to take a picture - the picture is always what holds me up in posting my deals, so I decided to not include one tonight.

I was sick all week and didn't shop until today. I will be doing more tomorrow since we have the Super Double coupons at KMart!!

1st Walgreens:
5 Softsoap body wash @ $3.49 each
1 6 (double) pack Charmin toilet paper @ $3.34 with 7 day coupon
1 Oral B toothbrush @ $4.49
1 Gillette Fusion Razor bonus pack @ $8.99
- $1/1 Softsoap coupon
- $1/1 Softsoap Spa coupon
- (5) $1/1 Softsoap IVC coupon
- $4/1 Fusion coupon
- $.025/1 Charmin coupon
- $0.75 Oral B coupon
- $5/$20 Walgreens coupon

Paid $19.98 on my rebate gift card, received $10 RR for Softsoap, $4 RR for the razor, and $4.50 RR for the toothbrush. Total cost after register rewards and tax = $1.48

2nd Walgreens
1 Rimmel foundation (Oct. FAR) @ $7.49
1 Gillette Fusion razor (no bonus pack sadly) @ $8.99
1 Oral B toothbrush @ $4.49
1 Energy Shot drink (Oct. FAR) @ $3.99
- $4/1 Fusion coupon
- $0.75 Oral B coupon
- $5/$20 Walgreens coupon
(There was reportedly a $1 Rimmel coupon out, but I couldn't find it. I'll double check and if I find it go back and ask for my $1.)

Paid $17.06 on my rebate gift card. Received $4.50 RR for the toothbrush, and $4 RR for the razor. I'll also get back $12.63 in rebates (after the 10% bonus). PROFIT of $4.08 after register rewards and rebates.

Kroger
4 Glade Flameless candles @ $9.99 each
1 wedding card @ $2.49
- $3/1 candle coupon
- $5/1 candle coupon
- (2) B1G1 = $19.98
OOP = $18.40, received back 4 $4 OYNO Catalinas
Total cost = $2.40 (less than the price of the card)

For more great brags, visit MoneySavingMom's Super Savings Saturday or The "Cents"ible Sawyer's Drugstore Divas.

September Summary

September was a good month. I got $555.09 worth of products (that's the sale price - worth way more!) for $124.20 cash out of pocket. I will be getting back $114.33 in rebates, making my cost just $9.87.

My biggest "budget buster" this month was Walmart - I spent $35 there this month. But, about half of that was Christmas presents.

CVS gets the prize for getting the least of my money this month - I paid just $1.96 for almost $100 worth of (sale) merchandise.

Target ranks right up there with CVS this month - thanks to their awesome gift card deals lately, I spent under $5 there for $50+ worth of groceries.

Kraft Rebate - Walgreens

I'd been saving my free coupons from the August All You magazine (I have 3 copies) to see if I could work out a deal. I think I may have - I'll test it tomorrow. Here's my plan at Walgreens:

Get 2 Wheat Thins (or Crystal Light) @ $2.50 each
Buy 4 South Beach bars @ $2.50 each
Buy 2 boxes of Jello @ 3/$1
Total: $15.66 ($15 of which is the qualifying items for the rebate)

Coupons:
2 Free Wheat Thins from All You -$5
4 $2/1 South Beach Printable coupons (use 2 computers) -$4
(thanks to From Wags to Riches for the coupon link)
OOP: $2.66 + tax

Submit for $5 Kraft rebate, add to gift card to get $5.50 back.

Profit of $2.84 (less counting tax)

**** EDIT ***

I had read the price of the Jello wrong. They're actually 3/$3 or $1.19 each. I went ahead and did it since I was there and didn't have other coupons with me. Also, the Crystal Light is also $2.50 and can be used with or instead of Wheat Thins.

Mail Call

The following is from an email to a friend earlier today. I was uh - quite hyper. What a glorious thing a Rt. 44 Diet Dr. Pepper from Sonic is after a long hard day with no breaks. Seriously - I think I only got to use the restroom ONE time. And then I had basically less than 30 minutes for lunch.

Ok, the email:

I'm so excited. You wanna know why? Please don't laugh at me. I got the mail today. Yes, that's pretty much a non-event except that I do get lots of freebies (samples), coupons, and rebates. So it's actually more fun than what the mail used to consist of - just bills. So anyway, I got the mail. Oh, which reminds me, I got Leslie's wedding invitation today as well. I'm going to RSVP that I can't come. haha I'm so evil. Oh, yeah, so the EXCITING mail............ it was a coupon. But not just any coupon mind ya. It was a CVS coupon. And this little postcard sized coupon is the most amazing coupon I think I've seen from CVS. It's for 25% off the entire purchase. Not just one item. An ENTIRE PURCHASE. And if it's like their other coupons, it can be used before all the other coupons to take off the true 25% - not just the post coupon total. Considering my total before coupons is usually in the $40+ range, that will pack a nice punch. It's good Sept. 13-14 only. Oh I can't wait to use this little beauty. Getting the coupon was a perfect end to a long day. And I thought a student bringing me a Diet Dr. Pepper from Sonic's Happy Hour was an awesome end. Well the coupon tops that. It's one exciting day in this house!

I can't believe I just waxed eloquent for a whole paragraph about a coupon. But it's a thing of beauty I tell ya! It should be made of gold.

August Summary

I never got around to doing a July summary because I was gone about half of July due to my sister's wedding. I did a few deals while gone, but never got a chance to log them. I did however update my rebates.

August was a pretty good month for me. I spent more out of pocket than I'd have liked thanks to some awesome rebates at Walgreens this month and little to no rebates in the past few months which equals no gift card. :( Here's a breakdown though:

Kroger:
$69.74 worth of groceries for $31.94. Note that that $69.74 is taking the sale price before coupons. I never log the actual price.

CVS:
$122.57 worth of products for $11.84 cash out of pocket. I have $17.49 in ECB's remaining for September.

Walgreens:
$165.68 worth of products for $58.77 cash out of pocket plus $20.60 from gift cards. Will receive back $78.51 in Walgreens rebates, plus around $20 in manufacture's rebates.

RiteAid:
$32.43 worth of product for $27.98 cash, will get back $22.98 rebate from RiteAid

Grand totals:
$390.42 worth of product
Used $179.67 in regular manufacture's coupons
Spent $130.53 cash
Will be getting back around $122 in rebates
Total spent after rebates?? $8.53

I haven't been to Walmart all month! I was just cleaning off my desk and found some receipts from Walmart from back in Jan. before I discovered the joys of couponing. I was easily spending $80-100 in there twice a month. And that was just for ME. Heather was also spending around $100 a month. I now buy everything for both of us. Amazing.

Saturday deals!

I finally got over to Walgreens today to work the Kellogg's deal that is all the rage right now. I was out of town half of July and hadn't been doing much shopping while gone. I also didn't get my Sunday papers until I got back and I spent most of this week getting my coupons back in order (along with teacher in-service). So I finally made it over today. I was worried they'd be sold out, but amazing enough, I got everything I wanted/needed for the deal!

2 boxes Frosted Flakes @ $2.50 each
2 boxes of Special K @ $2.50 each
2 boxes of Rice Krispie Treats @ $2 each
2 pacakges of cookies @ $2 each
2 boxes of Pop Tarts @ $2 each
2 Glade candles @ $1.99 each

I used the following coupons:
$1/2 Frosted Flakes
$1/2 Special K
$1/2 Rice Krispie Treats
$1/2 cookies
$1/2 Pop Tarts
(2) $1/1 Glade candle

Total spent $21.12 ($4.39 on rebate gift card, $16.73 cash)

I should have received 2 $5 RR's for the Kellogg's stuff, but only received one. The manager gave me $5.39 back in cash for the 2nd one. He "returned" 2 boxes of cereal so gave me tax back as well. I love this new manager!! I'll then submit the 2 candles for $1/1 rebates from Walgreens, and then send in for the $10 Kellogg rebate.

$21.12 - $5 RR - $5.39 cash - $2.20 (plus the 10%) candle rebate - $10 Kellogg rebate = -$1.47!!!

I guess MoneySavingMom is not doing Super Savings Saturday. But it is still DrugstoreDivas at The "Cent"sible Sawyer today!

Deals and more deals!

I did all my shopping today. Usually I space them out during the week - especially during the school year when I can make a quick stop on the way home from school. But today was pay day, so I had to at least get my paycheck and go to the bank. We headed to our nearest CVS which is 25 miles away. I needed to roll most of my ECB's before I head out of town next week since they would have all expired while I was gone for two weeks. I was mostly successful I think - and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Mainly because the coupons matched the sales so well that I had to spend very little ECB's to begin with! So I threw in some random stuff to use some ECB's. It's fun to splurge sometimes. :)

First up - CVS. I did the bulk at one store, and then went to the 2nd store just because. I got everything I wanted at the first store and without any $/$$ coupons just did one transaction. Everything is pictured in one picture:

Store 1:
3 Pringles @ $1 ea
4 Dawn @ $1 ea
2 Febreze @ $3.99 ea
2 Febreze Air Effects @ $2.50 ea
1 Playtex @ $4.99
1 Diet Dr. Pepper (consumed :)) @ $1.39
1 Pepsi (consumed :)) @ $1.39
1 Secret Clinical Strength @ $9.99
1 CVS lotion @ $1.49
1 CVS Paper towels 3 pack @ $1.99
1 CVS Pen Spray hand sanitzer @ $1.79
2 Buddy Bars @ 99 cents ea
1 Starburst @ $1.99 (as a treat for my sister who patiently puts up with my deal shopping)

Total before coupons = $46.98

Coupons:
1 Pringles @ 30 cents
4 Dawn @ 50 cents ea - $2
2 Febreze @ 50 cents ea - $1
1 Platex @ $1
1 $2 CVS skin care coupon for lotion
1 $1 3 pack CVS paper towel
1 FREE pen spray @ $1.79
1 FREE Secret @ $9.99 (got for sending in 4 receipts for buying the clincial strength)
1 Buddy Soap @ $1.98 ($2/2 - adjusted down to $1.98 by cashier)
2 Buy 1 Febreze, Get 1 Air Effects FREE, cashier did the $3.99 price twice instead of $2.50 - I'll let them know when I go back next time - $7.98 instead of $5

Total after coupons = $17.94
ECB's used = $17.94
Paid TAX ONLY on a gift card I received from mypoints.com = $1.70

ECB's received back:
$5 Febreze
$2 Dawn
$2 Secret
$1 Pringles
$3 Playtex
= $13

Store #2

2 CVS facial cleansing wipes @ $2.99 ea
1 package of straws @ $1 (just because :))
= $6.98

Used 2 $2 skin care coupons
Paid $2.50 ECB's
Paid the last 8 cents on my gift card
Paid 43 cents OOP

Received $2 ECB's for the wipes

SO - $53.96 worth of product (sale prices!) for 43 cents of my money! Spent $20.44 in ECB's and received back $15

On to RiteAid (not near as exciting!)

2 Herbal Essence Shampoos @ $2.50 ea
1 Infusium @ $4.99
2 Oral B toothbrushes @ $5.99 ea
1 Venus Vibrance @ $7.99
= $23.97

Coupons:
1 Herbal Essence $3/2
1 Infusium - $3
B1G1 Oral B - $5.99
1 Venus - $2
=$18.07 OOP (with tax)

Rebates:
Herbal Essence $2
Infusium $1.99
Venus $5
Oral B $4
= $12.99 total rebates for a cost of $5.08 for everything pictured

Final stop - Walgreens (I also call this my PMS special - the irony of pads and chocolate hit me after I got home :))


2 Stayfree @ $2.50 ea
1 Herberts Loaded candy bar @ 99 cents
2 M&M's @ $2.00 ea
= $10.99

Coupons:
1 Stayfree @ $1
B1G1 Stayfree @ $2.50
1 Walgreens IVC M&M @ $1
2 M&M @ 75 cents each

Paid $2.59 on my rebate gift card, $2.10 cash. I'll receive back $1.09 (99 cents + 10%) for the candy bar.

Summary:

$88.92 worth of stuff
for $20.60 OOP today
but will get back $14.08
making it $6.52 OOP

I did spend about $13 in gas today though.

For more great deals, check out SuperSavingsSaturday, CVS Superstars, and Drugstore Divas!

June Summary

In June, I got $623.82 worth of stuff for just $104.41 after rebates ($170ish before). I spent more at Wal-Mart this month than I have in a long time - $81 worth (for $117 worth of merchandise) - but it was mostly household/wedding (my sister Eunice's) stuff that you really can't get cheaper and is not an every month type of thing. (And I have at least $6 worth to return.)

So, remove WM, and I got $506 worth of stuff (personal care items, groceries, etc.) for just $23 after rebates ($89 before rebates).

I saved $210 in regular coupons (newspapers, printable), $7.85 in doubled coupons at Kroger, and $5.50 in ecoupons at Kroger.

Since I started using coupons, I've started buying the bulk of our groceries and other needs. I used to have Heather (my sister who lives with me) buy her own food, shampoo, etc. and take turns buying things like laundry soap, TP, etc. (Much like a roommate situation.) Now I "buy" most of the stuff we use - she only buys the occasional TV dinners for lunches or any other special snacks she wants. Before coupons, I was easily spending at least $100 a month at WM for just my stuff - Heather was spending at least $50 a month. I think most months we were both spending quite a bit more than that. Before coupons, Heather used to run out of money by the last week of the month - which meant I had to buy anything she needed and buy hers if we ate out. Now she usually has close to $100 left over at the end of the month! So she's getting to buy more fun stuff now. I spend at most $25 a week at Kroger on groceries. I sometimes get some groceries at CVS or Walgreens as well as the bulk of our cleaning supplies, paper products, and things like shampoo, body wash, etc. Of course we also have a nice stockpile so we can just "shop" at home when we run out of something.

Now if we'd just quit eating out so often I could send more money to debt. ;) Little by little. (And with it being summer we want to get out of the house so we go shopping and then eat out. So our eating out has gone up lately. I justify it because I saved so much money at the store. haha Once schools resumes and I get back on a normal schedule, I think we'll stop eating out so much.)

I'm also updating my refunds on the right........ check it out! :)

Great week for sales!

I'm a bit early posting this, but it's Super Savings Saturday at Moneysavingmom, and CVS Superstars and Drugstore Divas (both at The "Cents"ible Sawyer).

I had a great week this week - and will likely do a bit more on Saturday after babysitting all day.

Sunday, I traveled 25 or so miles to visit a new CVS store that opened, and also shopped at the other store in that city.

Store #1

Transaction #!


2 Smart Rinse @ $3.49 each
1 CVS after shave gel @ $2.59
2 Oral-B toothbrushes @ $6.99 each

Used
1 $1 Smart Rinse coupon
1 $2 CVS Beauty coupon
$19 ECB's
Paid $1.73 OOP
Received $6.98, $13.98, $1 ECB's back

Transaction #2

3 Colgate Total @ $2.99 each (they were marked $2.49 at this store even though the ad said $2.99 - I didn't catch the mistake until I got home)
2 Brut Deodorant @ $3.19 each
1 CVS swab @ $3.19

Used:
3 $1.50 Colgate coupons
1 $1 Brut coupon
1 $2 CVS beauty coupon
(I also had a 55 cent Brut coupon that somehow got missed)
$6.98 ECB's
Paid $4.73 on a gift card I got from MyPoints
Received back $6, $6, $2 ECB's

Store #2

Transaction #1
2 Colgate Total @ $2.99 each
1 CVS Swab
CVS Quart sized baggies @ $2.49
CVS Snack sized baggies @ $0.89 (B1G1 50% off)

Used
2 $1.50 Colgate coupons
1 $2 CVS beauty coupon
$7 ECB's
Paid $0.80 on gift card
Received $4, $2 ECB's

Transaction #2
1 CVS after shave gel @ $2.59
Used 1 $2 CVS beauty coupon
Paid $0.63 on gift card
Received $1 ECB

After visiting friends, church, etc., we went back to store #1 to complete some deals

Transaction #1

1 CVS Aftershave @ $2.59
1 Oral B toothbrushes @ $6.99

Used
1 $2 CVS beauty coupon
$6 ECB
Paid $1.69 OOP (this store kept having problems with gift cards or I'd have not spent any money at all that day)
Received $6.99, $1 ECB

Transaction #2
1 Oral B toothbrush @ $6.99
Used $6.99 ECB
No OOP
Received $6.99 ECB

Summary - spent $3.42 in cash, $6.16 on gift card, $45.97 ECB's; earned a total of $57.94. I have $30.97 in ECB's left, and $3.86 on the gift card.

Tuesday was my Kroger day.

2 Lipton/Knorr Pasta/Rice side dishes @ $1 each
1 Hunt's Ketchup @ $1
2 Betty Crocker Brownie mixes @ $2 each
1 Betty Crocker Warm Delights cookie @ $1.99
3 bags of Kroger shredded cheese @ $1.77 each
1 Kraft cheese slices @ $3.89
3 J&J Buddy Bars @ $0.99 each
1 Excedrin Back & Body @ $1.99
2 Suave bodywash @ $2.09 each
1 gallon milk (not pictured) @ $3.57
10 Pizza Rolls @ $1 each
1 Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets @ $2.19
4 Oscar Mayer hot dogs @ $1.50 each
1 loaf of bread @ $1
1 package hot dog buns @ $1

Coupons used:
(Forgot to use a $5/50 coupon!)
1 $0.60/2 Pasta/rice doubled to $1.20
1 $0.75/2 Pasta/rice ecoupon
1 $0.20 ketchup doubled to $0.40
1 $1/2 brownie mix
1 $0.50 brownie mix ecoupon
1 $0.55 Warm Delights doubled to $1.10
(should have also gotten a 50 cent ecoupon - Shortcuts will be giving me $1 credit next time)
1 $3.89 Kraft cheese - for buying 3+ OM products
1 $3/3 J&J Buddy bars
1 $2 Excedrin
1 $0.50 Suave bodywash doubled to $1.00
1 $0.50 Suave ecoupon
(I also had a B1G1 free coupon for the Suave but it didn't get scanned - I will probably return them)
7 $0.55 Pizza roll "doubled" to $1 each
1 $2.19 chicken nuggets (free coupon for sending in 10 UPC's)
2 $1/2 hot dog
Received $3 credit for buying 10 pizza rolls

Paid $23.26 OOP
Received back $1 coupon for next order for buying Excedrin, will also send in for $1.99 rebate

And finally, Walgreens was Friday:

1 Calcium chews @ $5.99
1 Water filter @ $6.99
5 boxes of Lipton tea @2.50 each
2 jars of Ragu sauce @ 1.67 each
1 Dixie plate @ $3.79
1 Dixie bowl @ $3.79 (Dixie was B1G1 after coupon in ad
1 knee high @ $0.34 after coupon in ad

Coupons used:
1 $0.50/2 Ragu
2 $0.75/2 Lipton
2 $5 RR
$5/20 coupon

Spent $18.30 on rebate gift card
Received back $5 RR, $3/2 Dixie coupon
Will receive back $14.28 in rebates on gift card

I then went to another Walgreens and got 2 more Dixie plates using my $3/2 coupon. I spent $0.52 cash after draining my gift card and got back another $3/2 coupon. I'll likely get some more paper plates on Saturday.

All told I spent $27.20 this week on everything!

Works for me Wednesday - Remembering to pay bills!

I have gmail and thus use a lot of Google's other services. I love the reader to keep track of all the blogs I read, etc. A few months ago, I decided to give the calendar a whirl. I now use that to keep track of my bills. When I get one in the mail, I go to my calendar and create an event for the day it's due. I've got it set to email me a reminder a few days before it's due so that I can get online and pay it. I did set my calendar to be private and protected, but even if it wasn't, I don't include things like account number. I just abbreviate who it is and the amount.

Now if I just would remember to ALWAYS log my bills I'd be in good shape. ;)

Works-for-me Wednesday - Making Cookies

I learned this tip from a friend, and I love it! Last time I had to make cookies for a cookout, I made a double batch of chocolate chip/M&M cookies. I chilled the dough and then rolled it into balls. I stuck the balls on a cookie sheet and placed them in the freezer. Once they were frozen, I put them in a baggie and stored them in the freezer. Now whenever my sister and I want a couple of cookies, I can take out a couple and bake them in my toaster oven. (I have already baked some from a frozen state and they did just fine.) That's a lot cheaper than buying the pre-formed cookie dough at the store and we can control portion size at the same time. (Not to mention the fact that I'm not heating up the whole house to cook them!) That's what works for me!

Super Savings Saturday

This is a late addition to MoneySavingMom's Super Savings Saturday. I had family here visiting and just didn't have time to post this until tonight. I also did not get pictures, but here is a summary of what I got this week.

My big savings was at Target. Through several transactions I ended up with:
6 Fushion Razors @ $7.99 each minus $4 coupons. $47.94-$24=$23.94 + earned $30 in gift cards
6 Venus Razors* @ $9.44 each minus $2 coupons. $56.64-$12=$44.64 + earned $30 in gift cards
Total OOP - $18.58 and I still have one $10 gift card remaining for a total cost of $8.58 for 12 razors.

*For the Venus razors, I was able to get 2 different varieties of gift packs. I got 2 packages that included a travel size shaving gel, a razor cap for traveling, and a sample of Olay Quench lotion. The other 4 packs included a nice travel bag and full sized shaving gel.

I also made a fast Walgreens trip:
10 Satin Care shaving gel @ $2 each (buy $20 get $5 RR back)
4 bottles of pop (2 liters) @ 89 cents each
1 Walgreens cold medicine @ $3.99

Minus:
$1 Satin Care gel x 10 (IVC)
$1 Satin Care gel x 10 (mfg)

Spent $8ish OOP, received $5 RR, will get $3.99 rebate for cold medicine

Works for Me Wednesday - Toaster Oven

A couple of years ago, I bought a Sunbeam toaster oven from Wal-Mart for $20. My initial goal in getting it was to make toasted sandwiches/subs similar to Subway. Since then though, I have found so many uses for it! Since I live alone with my sister, we don't need to cook for a whole family. I will often cook dinner for both of us in the toaster oven. We also use it to reheat leftovers (esp. good for restaurant leftovers!) since it's just as fast as the microwave and tastes much better. It's also great for cooking small quantities of cookies, breads, etc. Since my sister is slightly disabled, I love the fact that she can use it while I'm gone without me worrying about it like I might with the big oven. In the summertime, I love that we're not heating up the whole house to cook for two in the oven. Did you know there are even whole cookbooks devoted to toaster oven cooking?? Check out your local library.

The toaster oven gets used almost daily in my house and has been a great $20 investment. It works for us!

Walgreens $5/$20 Coupon

Initially I was bummed when I heard that Walgreens had issued the $5/$20 coupon since I had already been there this week. It would have really come in handy then. But then I got to thinking, and I think I have a deal worked out that will still save me major money.

3 Airwick Freshmatic Mini - $5.99 each
2 packages Wrigley's Gum - B1G1 at $2.49 each (filler item)
Total: $20.46

Coupons:
-$5/$20
- (3) $4 Airwick coupons (printable from airwick.com)
- $1 gum coupon

Total: $2.46

I might tweak this when I get there.

Edit: Well due to stock levels and coupon to item ratio, I did tweak it and the following deal:

1 Airwick Mini Freshmatic - $5.99
1 Airwick Freshmatic Ultra - $5.99
Kids Orajel Mouthwash - $4.99
2 Wetwipes - $1.50 each after in-ad coupon
Calculator - $1
Total: $20.97

Coupons:
-$5/20
-$8.00 (2 Airwick $4 coupons)
-$1.50 (2 75 cent Wet Wipes coupons)
Pretax total - $6.47
With tax paid - $7.95
Rebate on Orajel - $5.49 ($4.99 + 10% on gift card)

Final cost - $2.46

April Savings

For the first time, I tallied up my totals for the month. This is JUST the drug stores - Walgreens, RiteAid, CVS. Some of my numbers may be slightly off, but it should be close.

All total, I should have spent $646.85 based on the SALE price and no coupons.
After using gift cards, ECB's, coupons, and register rewards, I actually spent $96.40 of my money.
Using the rebate programs that Walgreens and RiteAid have, I will be getting back $102.50
I still have $35.46 in ECB's to use at CVS and $10 in register rewards to use at Walgreens (with $10 more expected in the mail due to a register glitch).

This month, I earned about $124 in register rewards at Walgreens and $143.38 in ECB's at CVS.

Not a bad month! :)

(Rebates have been adjusted on the right hand side. WOW!)

Today I'm participating for the first time in "Cents"ible Sawyer's CVS Superstars. Plus it's Super Savings Saturday at MoneySavingMom!

It's also CentsAble Shopper Show and Tell at BeCentsAble - where you can win a $10 CVS gift card! That'd be awesome! :)



















Last weekend I was in Pensacola, FL where they practically have a CVS on every corner. I was able to take advantage of a lot of the deals that I just haven't been able to get here. Everything in the above picture was bought using a $10 gift card from MyPoints (I'd love to send you a referral if you are interested in joining). I still have 8 cents left on it, and still have around $40 in ECB's! Also included in those deals and not pictured were my 10 bags of M&M's and one more deodorant and CVS Q-tips. Here's a run down on what I got:

2 Arm & Hammer laundry soap
3 CVS Q-tips (part of the Essence of Beauty (EOB) ECB deal)
9 EOB gift bags
2 EOB facial pads
1 EOB facial pouf
3 different blood testers
2 Alavert
5 Softsoap Spa 18 oz
2 Lady Speed Stick (on clearance for $1.65 and I had $1 off coupon - came in handy since I forgot all my toiletries when I went)
1 Men's Speed Stick
1 Secret Clinical Strength (not the best deal, but I got it for my sister)
3 EOB toe separators (they did not work for the ECB deal - oh well it was only $3 - spent with ECB's of course!)
1 double pack of Noxema razors (will get a refund back on them)
2 Benefiber chewables
1 Aloe Vera gel (to treat our sunburn from the beach :))
1 infant syringe - to give Benadryl to our dog with!
10 bags of M&M's (14 oz)
















Today I took advantage of the overlap deals at Walgreens. I got 6 softsoaps and used the coupon in the April and May EasySaver catalog - making them free and I'll get a $10 rebate on them!! The 4 Aveeno lotion generated a $10 register reward, plus I used 4 $1 off coupons which means I spent $6.52 on them - profit of $3.48. The laundry soap was on sale for $2.50, plus I used a $1 off coupon. Not pictured, but I also got a 12 double pack Northern toilet paper on sale for $5.99 and I used a $1 off coupon. My total for the day was just over $16, paid with gift card, got back $10 RR for next time, and will get $10 back in rebates.

Super Savings Saturday

It's Super Savings Saturday again at MoneySavingMom!

I haven't posted in a while, but I've been getting some good deals lately at Walgreens. I've taken advantage of several recent RR deals as well. This week, I made several runs to Walgreens which is easy with them being on every street corner here practically! :)

Day 1 - 3 stores:
















3 stores, 6 total transactions

Store 1:
1st transaction:
2 Aluminum Foil with Walgreens coupon for 75 cents each
1 Shaving Gel on clearance for $1.89
4 Aveeno lotion for $2.63 each
1 Venus Disposable razors for $6
6 packs of gum - 3 for $2 with Walgreens coupon
Total before coupons and tax $23.91

Coupons (mfg):
4 B1G1 Gum coupons at $1.19 each ($4.76 total)
2 Alumunium Foil coupons at 75 cents each ($1.50 total) - made it FREE
1 Razor coupon at $2
1 Shaving Gel coupon at 55 cents
Total mfg coupons - $8.81

Also used 2 $3 RR's

Grand total $11 plus earned $13 in RR's, paid with gift card, no OOP

Transaction 2
1 Venus Disposable razors for $6
3 packs of gum - 3 for $2 with Walgreens coupon
Total before coupons and tax - $8

Coupons:
1 Razor coupon for $2
1 Walgreens IVC coupon for 99 cents off 3 packs of gum
Total coupons $2.99

Also used a $3 and $2 RR

Grand total $2.75, earned $3 in RR's, paid with gift card

Store #2
Transaction 1:
4 Aveeno lotions at $2.63 each
Used 2 $3 RR's
Grand total $5.49, earned $10 in RR's, paid $2.06 on gift card, $3.43 OOP

Transaction 2:
1 Wal-Zyr Tabs at $3.99
1 Crest White Strips at $19.99
Used $5 coupon for the white strips
Used $10 RR
Grand total $11.20, earned $10 in RR's, will receive $3.99 in rebates. Paid $6.57 on gift card, $4.63 OOP

Transaction 3:
1 Wal-Zyr Tabs at $3.99
1 Crest White Strips at $19.99
Used $5 coupon for the white strips
Used $10 RR
Grand total $11.20, earned $10 in RR's, will receive $3.99 in rebates. Paid $6.57 on gift card, $4.63 OOP

Store #3
4 Aveeno lotions
Used $10 RR
Grand total $1.49 paid OOP, earned $10 RR (which did NOT print - will have to mail in for it)

Day 2 - 1 store, 1 transaction

















2 Airwick Mini B1G1 at $9.99
(Used 2 $4 coupons)
1 Aquafresh Toothpaste at $2
(Used 1 $2 coupon)
1 Wal-itin allergy medicine at $6.99
4 Aveeno lotion at $2.63 each
Used $5/20 Walgreens coupon
Used $10 RR
$32ish before coupons, OOP $6.77
Earned $10 RR
Will receive $6.99 Wal-itin rebate and $2 toothpaste rebate

Yes, I'm still saving!

I have still been shopping the sales and such the past few weeks. Things have just been so crazy that I've not had time to take pictures or post about it. But I have managed to get some good deals! Today I bought $25 worth of stuff (sale prices) at Walgreens for $12 after coupons, received back a $5 register reward good on my next trip, and used my rebate gift card to pay for it! So I actually didn't pay a cent today!

I also went to RiteAid to get some last March rebate stuff, used my Feb. rebate check to buy it, and they gave me back the difference. So again, I did not pay a cent.

Super Savings Saturday

What will $4.22 buy you while STILL expecting a $19.98 rebate??

See for yourself:



That's:

8 Olay Ribbon body washes
3 Olay Botanical body washes
1 Olay in shower lotion
2 Zest body washes
2 Old Spice Hair & Bodywash
3 Aussie shampoos
1 Aussie conditioner
2 Herbal Essence shampoos
1 Herbal Essence conditioner
2 Venus Embrace razors
2 Zest bar soaps
2 Ivory bar soaps
2 Visine allergy eye drops
2 travel size Pantene (1 shampoo, 1 conditioner)
4 travel size Herbal Essence (2 shampoo, 2 conditioner)
1 Secret deodorant

After coupons, total spent was $90.22 with $86 in instant register rewards to be used on future orders
Plus rebates on the razors for $19.98 (1 for Heather and 1 for me)

My best deals? Visine was on sale for $2.99 each - I had $2 off coupons. The bar soap was 2/$4 with $4 back in register rewards. Plus I had coupons. The travel size Pantene and Herbal Essence were like the full size things - buy 6 and get $12 in register rewards back. But they were $1.29 each and 99 cents each!! So I spent $6 on them and got back $12. Oh, and the RAZORS! $9.99 sale price - $4 coupon - $5 register reward + $9.99 rebate = $10.98 PROFIT on each one of them!

I didn't even take pictures of the deals we got on candy and toothbrushes (the irony of the combination does not escape me ). Suffice it to say, it was also a great deal and I now have plenty of candy for cooking and rewards at school. I'm glad candy freezes well!

Oh, I did buy two Sunday papers last week to get plenty of coupons for this weeks' sale. So I guess you could say all that cost me $8. Still a FANTASTIC deal.

Head over to Money Saving Mom's blog for more Super Savings Saturday!

Office Max - Rectractable Sharpies

If you missed out on last week's $2 Sharpie deal (12 pack retractable markers), Office Max is offering them for $5 this week.

Super Savings Saturday

This is my first time participating in Money Saving Mom's Super Savings Saturday. I just started this blog recently to track my savings. I've only been doing this about a month and am thrilled with the results so far!

This week, I shopped at Walgreens, Target, Office Max, Rite Aid, and Kroger.

Walgreens:
















Before coupon total $51
After coupon total (OOP) $27.85
Expected Walgreens rebate at the end of the month $20.97 + 10% on gift card = $23.07
Rebate from Purell for $2.99
Final total $1.79

Target:















Before coupon total $51 something
After coupons $23 something
No rebates, but the Sinsilk was on clearance and I had coupons. I spent a total of about 50 cents on all the Sunsilk. I paid 99 cents each for the wisp candles (normally $9.99 each!) and $11 on the shower cleaner (normally $20ish). I figured retail price before their sales on all this should have been around $120!!!!

Office Max:















Office Max had a coupon to get the 12 pack of retractable Sharpie markers for just $2 (limit 2). These retail for $20ish! My store was out of the 12 packs, so they let me have 3 8 packs for $4 plus tax. I'm a teacher, so I'll take a pack into school - I'm sure they'll come in handy!

Rite Aid:



Before coupons around $15
After coupons $8.93
Rebates from Rite Aid for $5.48
Final total after rebate $3.45

Kroger:



Total before coupons $18ish
After coupon total $10.94
(The chicken was on sale for $1 each. I had 8 coupons for $1 off - so basically most of the chicken was free. Plus I can send in the 10 UPC codes and get a coupon for another free one.)

Feb. Walgreens Summary

Tomorrow marks the end of the Feb. rebate time at Walgreens.

Here's how I did... I spent $82.81 this month. BUT, I should be getting back a refund of $47.24, plus I have a $5 register reward. So, in all I spent just $30.57 this month!

Here's a breakdown of what I got for $30.57:

• BurtsBees chapstick (2 pack) - paid regular price since I needed it
• 2 Garnier Fructis shampoos
  
• 4 packages of Stayfree pads
• 2 bottles of Softsoap Spa radiant body wash (oh so heavenly smelling!!)
• 2 Glade candles
• 1 Campbells Soup at Hand
• 2 Gillette Venus Embrace razors (I LOVE Venus razors - so was thrilled to get them free!)
• 4 Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner
• 1 Olay body wash (also heavenly smelling)
• 3 tubes Aquafresh toothpaste
• 1 bag of Skittles
  
• 1 Tylenol Extra Strength
• 2 Diffusers - non sale item - bought them just because - but they were a good price (2/$5)
• 2 bags of Twizzlers licorice (YUM!! )
• 8 boxes of Puffs (4 are Puffs Plus with lotion, 4 are just regular Puffs)
• 3 pairs of pantyhose (for Heather)
• 1 Gillette Fusion Phenom razor (it's a men's razor, but was free after coupons and I figured Dad or the boys could use it...)

I think that's it. Not bad for $30, huh????

According to my receipts, at the register (before rebates), I saved a total of $73.10. That was due to sales and coupons (both Walgreens coupons and manufacturer's coupons). My manufacturer's coupons alone saved me $37.75. And that's just my Walgreens shopping!!!!!!

(BTW, if you take out my TWO unplanned/spontaneous purchases (BurtsBees and diffusers), I would have spent just $19.11 after rebates! That is another thing that is saving me money this month - LIST shopping! Even at the grocery store, I've purchased very few spontaneous items.)

Walgreens Sales

Oh my goodness - I am having SO MUCH FUN clipping coupons, printing coupons, shopping the ads, and saving so much money!!!


Today I stopped at Walgreens for more goodies! :)



What did that cost me? $9 after a $4 rebate. The Scrubbing Bubbles cans will end up costing me just 50 cents a can, one of the tubes of toothpaste was free, the others were just 99 cents each, the razor was free (without a rebate - just with coupons!), the body wash was just $1.34, and the Skittles were $1.

I don't think I"ll ever pay retail again! And I like the idea of shopping other places instead of always just WM. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a WM basher or hater. But these stores are closer, Kroger doubles coupons, gives gas discounts, and things will count towards my Upromise account to pay my school loans down! So all in all, it's a win win for me!

1st Walgreens Adventure

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately about saving money with tips on couponing, sales, etc. One big thing that people who do this all the time is shop at Walgreens and/or CVS. We don't have a CVS here, but Walgreens is on every street corner practically. Every month, they have different rebates - many of them free after rebate. Since I live in TN, I can even submit my refunds online. In addition, you can use coupons, and most stores (from what I understand) will allow you to "stack" coupons (use a store coupon PLUS a manufacturer's coupon).

So here is what I got last night and today:



I spent a total of $31.89.

Seem like a lot?

Well, I will be getting back $20.47 in rebates. Plus, if you do it on gift card instead of check, you get 10% extra. I plan on doing that, so my rebate will be $22.52. (I plan on doing this again in the future at Walgreens, so getting a gift card for 10% extra makes perfect sense. Next month I can use the card instead of my money to buy things before rebates.)

So, grand total spent for all of the above? $9.37

Here's how it panned out:

• Shampoo was free after rebate. It was $3.99, so I'll get a $3.99 rebate on it. In addition, I had a $1 off coupon that I used.
• The pads? Oh how I LOVE this deal!!!! They were on sale for 2/$5. I had coupons to get $2 off 1 package. I printed off 4 coupons (the max allowed) - so I spent 50 CENTS a package!!!
• The body soap (that smells HEAVENLY BTW) was also free after rebate and sold for $4.49. In addition, I had a coupon for 75 cents off.
• The candles were on sale for $2.50 each with a $1 rebate (each) on them. In addition, I had a $2 off for 2 coupon. Final cost on these will be 50 cents each!!
• The razor was $9.99 and free after rebate. Sadly, I could not find a coupon for it. But regardless, I'll take a free razor any day - and I LOVE Venus razors.
• The soup was on sale for 99 cents and I had a coupon for $2, but they didn't take it. I should have had them take the soup off. Oh well.
• I paid full price ($5.49) for the Burts Bees chap stick because I needed some more and LOVE Burts Bees even if it is a bit pricey. So if you take the Burts Bees out, I really only spent $3.37 for everything up there!!!!

They have many other things on rebate with some things free like men's deodorant, contact solution, etc. The rebated items go until the 23rd. But the sale prices end today. (I must try to figure out a way to print more pad coupons off......... if I can, it'd so be worth the trip back out since they're just down the street.)

I also made a Dollar Tree run today - I am in love with that place too!! :) Spent just over $12 there and got some good deals (as usual).