My semi-extreme Walgreens trip

Wanted to share, step by step, how I spent under $4 for almost $70 worth of products yesterday.  And to vent a little,too!

So first ~ I made my list Saturday night from http://www.southernsavers.com/ .  I wrote a small CVS list on one side of the paper, Wags on the other.  I used two envelopes - one for each store.  Each envelope held the coupons I needed for that store.  CVS was nothing special, spent under $3, got probably $20 worth of items.  

Drove 2 miles to the Wags in a nearby town, and was dismayed to see a LINE out front!! That's a first!!
I hurried inside with my coupon box, list, and Wags envelope.  Here's what I got:

First transaction:

1 box of Crackerfuls - they had a shelf full of these, yay! Got these for our vacation later this week. On sale for $2, used  $1.50 off coupon, got $2 RR back
2 boxes of Ecotrin (1 for hubby, 1 for my Nana), on sale for 99 c with Wags ad, used 2 $1.50 off coupons
1 pkg Poise pads for Nana -  $5.99, used $5 mfr coupon, plus $1 store coupon
2 6 pks Scott Paper Towels - on sale $3.99, used 2 $1 off coupons - for my stockpile
2 pk Walgreens Sunscreen lip balm $1.99 ( no coupon, need for the beach later this week!)
2 Dixie Bowls $2.99 each -  B1G1,  used $1 off 2 coupon - for vacation
Icy Hot - on sale for 99 cents, used $1 off coupon got 99 c RR back  - for my daughter who has started running!
BC Powder 6 ct - on sale $1.50, got $1.50 RR back - for my husband
4 Right Guard Deodorants on sale B1G1, used 2 B1G1 coupons - for my stockpile - will send to my 2 stepsons in a care pkg later this year
4 packages of candy (need more items to use last week's RR to pay) $1 each for 3 of them, 89 cents for the 4th.  These will be for our vacation!

Paid $2.60 out of pocket after using $13 in RR from last week!

Let 2 people go ahead here - not fair to hold up the line for multiple transactions - couponing etiquette 101!

2nd transaction:
Ritz Crackerfuls - sale $2, used $1.50 coupon, got $2 RR back - for stockpile
Icy Hot 99 c on sale, used $1 off coupon - for my Nana
paid 59 cents out of pocket  
saved $4.99

3rd transaction:
Ritz Crackerfuls - sale $2, used $1.50 coupon, got $2 RR back - for vacation

Icy Hot 99 c on sale, used $1 off coupon - for my Mom
paid 59 cents out of pocket
saved $4.99

Let one person go ahead here.

4th transaction: 
Icy Hot  99c on sale, she adjusted coupon to 99 c (can't have overage)  - for my stockpile
paid .06 (tax)
saved $1.99

total spent out of pocket:
$3.84
total saved:
appx $68
RR for next week:
$21.50 (includes some leftover from last week's Advil purchases)

I'm really happy with what I spent, and what I have for next week!

Here's my vent:
To the woman who felt the need to empty the shelves completely of at least 20 - 30 bottles of the Right Guard body wash, and same with the deodorant - left only 10 or so of those - wow - you must have a stinky family.  Several of us (other shoppers) asked her if there were any left, and she laughed and said no.  Wow.
She also took several *hundred* of the BC powders, (took the entire cardboard display boxes off the shelf - wow!) I asked if I could get ONE 6 ct package, and she did give one up. She also took most of the Ecotrins after I got my 2, she just knocked them into her cart off the shelf. Grrr.

I asked the clerk for help in locating the Icy Hot, it was in a weird place.  I took two from the shelf, and when she found more in the back later during my trip, two more. They are small, and I'm sharing them!  Yep, Mrs. Extreme Couponer took the rest.  Such a great example of what not to be.  Then she did 8 transactions with huge lines behind her.  The cashiers were super-annoyed with all of the couponers after that, and it was not a fun trip.  There were other new couponers there and we were all chatting in line, sharing tips and coupons. That was nice, but the shelf-clearer was the main topic of conversation.  She took almost all of the sale items.  We were all annoyed - we all got there at the store's opening time, but still had a hard time getting the items we needed. (Several of them had the B1G1 Right Guard coupons and wanted the bodywash, like me, but couldn't get it) The BC was another hot product - they all had coupons for it (I didn't, darn it!) and they wanted a couple packs for free, but Mrs. Extreme wouldn't give it up. 

When I got home, I told my husband that when it stops being a fun way to save money, I'll quit.  If I run into more of these obnoxious tv-wannabe Extreme couponers, I'll be quitting sooner rather than later.  At least til the tv show goes away and that kind of shopper goes back home.  I do this to build a SMALL stockpile (no more than 6 -8 of any item) for our family, not to get on tv, or to "win" at being the best shopper of the day.  I don't rush through the store knocking things off shelves into carts! I don't leave empty shelves - I'll go to another store before I do that!  I do my semi-extreme couponing to help stretch our budget, and to keep us supplied with quality products at rock-bottom prices when I find them.  Again, not years worth of products, but a few weeks or  months, tops.   

To hoard is to be greedy, and the hoarders out there are starting to really tick me off! Also - I'll consider that maybe she is donating it, but is it right to take all of a store's stock of something to donate?  I don't think so!  Before I quit my weekend drugstore shopping, I am going to find a new store to shop in.  The one in our area is becoming an extreme shopper's dream store, and I'm not going to go through another trip like this one.  It was stressful and not fun! 

But at the end of the day,  I did get a few items for our trip, a couple of items my Nana needs, and a few items to restock our stockpile (especially the 12 rolls of paper towels - we were down to 3 rolls I think!)  And I spent less than $4 to do so!  That's a great trip, in my book.  Yes,  I probably could have spent even less, but this made me HAPPY.  I don't care about getting it all for free, I just want to save big when  I can, where I can, while restocking our little stockpile.  

**And yes, if I don't like your comment, I will probably delete it.  This is *my* happy place on the web, and I don't have to keep comments that are snarky.  Why are you here if you don't like what I write?!**

 Y'all have a blessed Memorial Day. I'm remembering my Papa and my Grandaddy ~ both in heaven ~ who served our country and make me proud!! God Bless our military and their families for their service and sacrifice!! 

How about practically free Tylenol Precise Pain Relief?

Southernsavers.com had this coupon linked up for $5 off Tylenol Precise Pain Relief products, and she says they will be on sale starting May 8th for $5 at both Rite Aid & Walgreens ~ that equals FREE products! Or if you need it now, you can often find this for under $6.  Either way - print this coupon, then hit the backspace arrow 3x so you can get your 2nd copy and then file away for future use!

Coupon alert ~ Free Reach Dental Floss!

Coupons.com has a $1 off any Reach dental floss coupon up right now.  I've got a link to them in my sidebar down on the right ~ click it, then click the personal care link and find the Reach coupon.  Check the box in the coupon, then print.  Once it prints, don't forget to hit the back arrow and re-check the box and print it a second time!

Walgreens and CVS have this on sale all the time for $1! Kroger too! So print two, then watch for a good sale! : )

Two great drugstore deals this morning...

If you bought a paper (or more - I bought 8 today - so many great coupons!)  check out the smaller Smart Source (there are 2) insert.   Ours had Steak N Shake coupons on the back of it, and the last page before the back cover had a $2.25 off 1 Finish Quantum dishwasher detergent.    At Walgreen's this week, these are on sale for $3.49, plus you get $1.50 back in Register Rewards. (RRs)  I bought one today, but will be going back for more.   I got 20 gel pacs for $1.25 out of pocket, plus $1.50 RR! This is a great stockup price, so I'll be getting at least 7 more!!  I won't have to buy detergent for months - and that means the $ I'd spend on it can go towards something else we need.  Timing & bulk buying is how I save the most!
UPDATE:  I have gotten 5 boxes so far: Spent $1.45 inc tax per box, then they gave me the $1.50 in RR... My stores are now out of these, so I'll check back Friday or Saturday for the other 2 boxes I want!!

Remember that you have to do multiple transactions at Walgreen's to get your RR on each box of Finish.  And you can't use the Finish RR on the purchase of more Finish.  Well, you can, but they won't give you the RR on that purchase.  So get as many boxes as you have coupons, but ask for them to ring each box up individually, so you get the RR's each time. Save the RR's for upcoming sales at Wags, or do like I do - save them for Publix, as they accept them as competitors coupons!

At CVS this week, they have a great deal.  Buy any 2 Revlon make up items or tools, get $7 Extra Care Bucks. (ECBs) I had $2.50 in ECB already, and I bought 2 pairs of nail clippers at $3.29 each.  That put me at $4.10 plus tax out of pocket, and then I received $7 in ECB to use next time I shop - yay!  I will put these in my donate box so that when David's school does another health box for Haiti drive, I can drop these two nail clippers in and they will be used by folks who really need them!  The $7 can be used for upcoming CVS sales.  I also bought 3 packs of Extra gum for $2 total, and got $1 ECB back.  We love Extra so it was a regular purchase for me. 

What's your favorite sale in the Sunday ads today?

How I play the Drugstore Game

Every Sunday morning I make the rounds - maybe an 8 mile trip in all - to the three chains near us: CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. The game is to use the rewards they give me to spend as little as possible each week, while earning more rewards to use the next week!!

Here's the list of what I bought/paid and what I left with rewards wise:

CVS:

2 boxes of movie candy (D and I are using our PopTarts freebie movie tix today!) 99c each

1 marshmallow pop for D 99 cents

4 Revlon nail polishes $3.99 each

Double AJC papers - $3

Used 4 Revlon $1 off coupons
1 CVS store coupon for $7 off $15 Revlon purchase
used $5, 99 cents, $2 & $2 Extra Care Bucks from previous weeks
paid $1.04 out of pocket, received $1 ECB for using my own bag & scanning my green tag, and $12 ECB for the nail polish ($3 ECB for each one) So now I have $13 to spend next week for free!

Walgreen's -
3 Nivea Lipglosses - $1 each
1 EOS lip balm $3
4 small boxes Pepperidge Farm milano cookies 99 cents each (perfect for the kids lunches!)

used 4 60 cent Pepperidge Farm coupons
used 3 $1 off Nivea coupons

Paid $5, got $3 Register Rewards for the EOS balm. (I can use this RR at Publix as a competitor's coupon!)


Rite Aid

2 Glade cinnamon apple candles $2.50 each
2 bags Mellowcream pumpkins for my mantle jar $1 each

used 2 B1G1 glade candle coupons, which made both candles totally FREE!

paid $2.34, got $1 UP rewards for the candles - can use on my next visit

so I spent less than $9 for ALL THAT STUFF! LOVE playing the drugstore game!

I'll try to take a pic soon - can't find my camera charger right now!

How to get stores to pay you to shop!

One of my best savings tips is to shop where you will get paid back for shopping....for me, that means shopping at CVS, where they give you Extra Care Bucks, which are basically CVS cash. Also Walgreens has Register Rewards, which are given to you in the form of a catalina coupon. And Kroger has many catalina promotions too. Finally, Kohl's offers Kohl's Cash several times a year. Since yesterday, I've spent 88 cents, gotten 3 cents back at Kohl's, and here is what I got:

Double pack of Atlanta Journal Constitution - retail $3
2 Deli Kids Meals from Publix - $3.99 each
My Publix takes Kroger & Walgreens rewards/catalinas.
I used $7.50 in Kroger Catalinas
$2 in Walgreen's Register Rewards
$1 off 2 Deli Kids Meals coupon
total due: 80 cents

Then to CVS:

bought a tin of Cashews, $4.99
Bag of Werther's $3.49
2 Diet coke 2 liters, on sale 2 for $3
1 small bag m&m's 89 c

used
$10 CVS ECB
$1 off 2 cokes coupon
$1 off werther's
total due: 8 cents

Today at Kohl's :

B1G1 sale on my favorite For Every Body candles - regularly $9.99 each
bought 6 - 1 Lemon Meringue, 2 Birthday Cake, 2 Sea Glass, 1 Cinnamon Toast, total due $29.97, used $30 Kohl's cash from last weekend's back to school shopping
They paid me 3 cents - I paid nothing out of pocket! Receipt shows I saved $59.94!

All of these ECB, Register Rewards, and Catalinas were from items I would have purchased anyway - I just purchased them when they were featured with the rewards. It's all about timing! The Kohl's cash is the same way - I spent $165 for $189 worth of clothes for the kids, used a 15% off shopping pass, and got $30 in Kohl's cash back because I waited until that sale was in progress to get $10 Kohl's cash for every $50 spent!

Then I use the rewards for either more things we need, or as I did in all of the above trips, I splurged on lunches for the kids' first day at school, snacks, and those heavenly candles! I'll use 3 for gifts, and 3 for myself! LOVE them! So shop smartly by watching the sale ads for items you need that will give you rewards or catalinas back, and then use them wisely (or for splurging!) to stretch that grocery budget!

If you have any questions on how I coupon, please email me or leave a comment! I will do my best to answer any questions! And if you are in the metro Atlanta area, I do teach classes on my "semi-extreme" couponing!

Some tips for couponing this week!

There is a print out coupon on either smart source or coupons.com for Taco Bell dinners ( at the grocery - includes dinner kits, taco shells, sauces, etc) that is for $1 off. Use that with the BOGO Publix sale - you get 2 for $2.69 - $1 coupon = 85 c each.

Marie Callender dinners are BOGO for $2.99 ~ use a $1 off coupon (I am pretty sure it is from All You magazine, this month), you get two for under a buck each - I got two of the Pasta Al Dente dinners.

Hunt's catsup is bogo for $1.39 - buy one, use 20 c off mfr coupon from the paper a few weeks ago = 29 c catsup!

Stayfree Pads are $2.85 e - use Publix BOGO coupon plus two $1.00 off coupons = 43 cents each
these are a great thing to donate to a women's shelter!

Kraft Cheese is 2 for $4 ~ there is a blinkie coupon (I got mine at Kroger this week) for $1 off 2 = $1.50 per bag

AT CVS: If you have any Extra Care Bucks to "play" with - get the Ban deodorant for $2.99, use $1 off coupon. Get back $2 ECB. Also buy 3 Power Bars (two flavors for this deal - peanut butter or cranberry oatmeal) for 99 cents each, get $2.97 ECB back. If you haven't bought a green bag tag - you should go ahead and get one for 99 cents. Attach to your own reusable bag, or just keep on your keychain and place your purchases in your purse after you pay - you earn $1 for every 4 visits that the tag is scanned!! It's an easy moneymaker - especially if you go to CVS often. We have 3 or 4 within a 5 mile radius, so I can pop in often and I always have them scan the tag!

Walgreens - Ecotrin is on sale for $2, and there was a coupon a few weeks back for $2 off. I only found 1, so I bought 1, paid 12 cents tax, and got $2 in Register Rewards. Bought a 2nd bottle, paid 12 cents plus the Register Rewards. I am planning on giving one to a new friend who takes low dose aspirin, and one to my mom if she does. If not, we'll find a place to donate it. The RR did not roll over (meaning if you pay with a RR from Ecotrin, it won't print another $2 RR for you) on this deal, unfortunately. But if you had a bunch of the $2 coupons, you could walk away wth a bunch of $2 register rewards (just make sure to do seperate transactions ie - buy one box, get the RR, buy the 2nd, get RR, buy 3rd, get RR) if you by them all together, they will only print one $2 RR. My Publix takes RR as a competitor's coupon so I save them to use at Publix!


At Kroger: One tip I can share about finding HEALTHY, good food for cheap involves Kroger. I prefer to go either super early, or in the early evening. I always make a beeline for the produce department and look for items with the orange/yellow markdown tags! Today I got: a bag of salad with cabbage nd carrots for 79 cents, 2 iceberg wedge salads with bacon/bleu cheese dressing for $1.99, a pack of 5 bags of Chiquita apple slices with cinnamon dip for $2.19 (and used a $1 off coupon!) Also the bakery had a wonderful loaf of garlic bread for $1.29 - with salad, that was a perfect dinner! I also picked up a pack of premium hamburger rolls that had been 2.49, but were marked down to 55 cents. If we don't use them by tomorrow (I've got chicken burgers in the freezer that would be perfect with these!), then I'll freeze them for later. Kroger often marks down their organic dairy products in an open refrigerator chest near the milk cases. We've gotten Silk milk for under $1, organic sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and more - all for under $1. They also mark down tofu items, veggie hot dogs, etc. Many of these can be frozen to use later.