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!!
