20saver

So, I didn’t get the job I was interviewed for two weeks ago. Instead of moping, I’m going to recount all the excellent deals I got this week.

First off, I got a free pair of Jockey’s Ultimates undies at Macy’s. I also got a free Krispy Kreme doughnut today.

I went to two bakery outlets (Pepperidge Farm and Wonder Bread) and got two loaves of bread, a box of crackers, a bag of mini bagels, and a box of frozen garlic bread for about $9.

CVS and Rite Aid proved to be pretty good, especially compared to the past couple of weeks.

At CVS, I got:
2 bags of Chex Mix for $2 minus 2 $1 coupons= FREE
2 bottles of Dawn dish soap $2 minus $.25 coupon = $1.75
1 two pack of Oral B toothbrushes $6.99
1 package of CVS Qtips $3.19
1 birthday card $2.29
Minus $10 ECB
Total with tax $4.49
I got $9.99 back in ECBs.

The first Rite Aid I went to was being closed down in a few days, so I left and went to my usual Rite Aid and got:
2 bottles of Head and Shoulders shampoo $8 minus B1G1F coupon that cashier rung up for full price of $5.49 instead of $4= $2.51
1 bottle Pantene Pro V Beautiful Lengths conditioner $3 minus $1.50 coupon= $1.50
Total with tax $4.16
I’ll be getting $5.50 back in rebates.

Now, if only getting a full time job were as easy as saving money…

I wasn’t going to go drug store shopping this week, that is until two CVS deals were pointed out to me: Smart Start cereal and Hawaiian Tropic sun care.

The cereal was on sale for 2 for $5 and there’s a $3 off 2 printable coupon available at smartsource.com, making it a dollar a box. We’ve been in need of some cereal for quite a few weeks so I figured I should jump on it.

At first the Hawaiian Tropic sun care ECB deal didn’t seem very appealing: buy 2 products and get $10 back in ECBs. Well, one bottle costs at least $10 and I don’t need any sunscreen. Then I found out that Hawaiian Tropic makes lip balm for $1.99 and the lip balm is included in the sale. I searched high and low around the sun care section, seasonal section, and lip balm section without any luck. On a whim, I scanned the clearance section. Two little hangers were full of these lip balms for $.99. I grabbed two that didn’t have the clearance stickers covering up the UPC and prayed to the coupon gods while I was being rung up. As I figured, they rang up full price, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to press my luck. While the cashier was bagging them, he noticed the clearance tags on the front of the packages and adjusted the price down without so much as a peep from me. So, I bought two lip balms for $2 and got $10 back in ECBs. I’ll also be getting another $10 next week for participating in the latest CVS Advisor Panel survey.

I think you can say that, with $20 EBCs in tow, I’m officially back in the CVS game.

Once again I’m going to skip taking a picture since I didn’t get too much and I already put everything away. Hopefully next week will prove to be more photogenic.

I dropped by Rite Aid earlier this week to get two items that had rebates that were only good until Tuesday. I really love Citre Shine products, so even though I didn’t have any coupons, I didn’t want to pass this one up!

Citre Shine conditioner $3.99
Charles Worthington Big Waves shampoo $4.99
Total with tax $9.43
I’ll be getting $8.98 pack in Single Check Rebates

As I posted about a few days ago, CVS had some Burt’s Bees products half price so I scooped up a whole bunch to give as gifts. We were also in need of some laundry detergent so I took advantage of the All BOGO.

2 bottles of All detergent $6.49 minus one $1.50 coupon and one $1 coupon= $3.99
2 Mother’s Day cards $5.48
Burt’s Bees baby soap $2.49
Burt’s Bees baby lotion $4.49
Burt’s Bees diaper ointment $3.74
Burt’s Bees hand care kit $6.49
Burt’s Bees trial sized kit $7.49
Minus $3.50 in ECBs and $1 CRT
Total with tax $31.28
I didn’t get any ECBs back nor do I have any left so I’ll be starting fresh this weekend.

CVS emailed me a $4/$20 that’s only good until Sunday so I plan to head out and get the monthly ECB deals for May before then.

I absolutely love Burt’s Bees products and was ecstatic to find a nice pile of them on CVS’s clearance shelf this afternoon. I picked up some baby products for Jake’s niece as well as two packs of trial items to give as gifts in the near future. Everything I saw in the clearance section was 50% off. Burt’s Bees is so rarely on sale that to find these half off blew me away.

If you love Burt’s Bees as much as I do, drop by your local CVS and comb through the clearance shelf before all the half priced goodness is gone!

As you’ve probably figured out over the past month, I am a big fan of CVS because of their awesome deals. But you may not follow how I get such great deals at CVS. I’ve finally found the time to sit down and explain how in the world I get so much for so little at a seemingly overpriced pharmacy.

Well, it all starts with a little piece of plastic called an Extra Care Card that you can conveniently attach to your key ring. It only takes a few minutes to sign up for a card and you can even give them your phone number if you forget to bring your card with you (like I did a few days ago). You must get and use your Extra Care Card in order to participate in their rebate program called Extra Care Rewards or Extra Care Bucks (ECBs).

CVS’s ECBs are unique in that you do not have to mail in any receipts or UPCs in order to get your money back. The ECBs automatically print out at the bottom of your receipt when you buy participating products. You use them like coupons to get money off your next purchase at CVS. Be careful: they can only be redeemed at CVS and they do expire (typically 2 weeks from date of purchase).

CVS runs ECB deals both monthly and weekly. There is a booklet that comes out every month called the Extra Value Book that has all of the monthly offers. You can find it near the front of the store next to the weekly ad. The weekly ad is usually sprinkled with deals that are only good for that week and occasionally feature some of the monthly deals.

What’s so great about these ECB deals is that there are usually some that offer certain products for free (the wording is usually “it’s like getting it free after extra bucks”). You will get an ECB that is equal to the price of the product (before tax) when you purchase it. There are also some deals that make the products almost free or at a greatly reduced price. The deals get even better if you have any manufacturer coupons and or any cash register tape coupons (CRTs) for the products. CRTs also print out at the bottom of your receipt from time to time and are for a certain amount off of a particular product. They are completely random, as far as I can tell, and are only redeemable at CVS.

One more type of coupon that CVS offers can also be found at the bottom of your receipt, from an email offer sent to you from CVS, or occasionally a newspaper ad. These coupons offer a set amount off of a purchase of a certain amount. Example: $2 off a purchase of $10 or more. Shorthand, they look like this: $2/$10, $4/$20, etc.

All of these things (ECBs, manufacturer coupons, CRTs, and $/$) can be used together to create some fantastic deals. I have a feeling a hypothetical example would be helpful here:

Say CVS has body wash on sale for $5 and they are offering $5 back in ECBs for purchasing it. They also have lotion on sale for $5 and are offering $5 back in ECBs for purchasing it. You have a $2/$10, two $1 manufacturer coupons, and a $2 CRT for the body wash.

Body wash $5
Lotion $5
Total= $10
Minus $2/$10= $8
Minus 2 $1 coupons= $6
Minus $2 CRT= $4
You would pay $4 out of pocket (plus tax) and get 2 $5 ECBs for a total of $10 back in ECBs. You just “made” $6. You would then go on to use your $10 ECBs off your next purchase.

The best way to use ECBs is to keep “rolling” them everytime you make a purchase. When you roll your ECBs, you use your ECBs to get even more ECBs. For example: You want to buy 2 more body washes and you have two more $1 off coupons. You would also like to buy a $3 bag of candy that you have a $1 manufacturer coupon for and it offers $2 back in ECBs.
2 body washes $10
Bag of candy $3
Total= $13
Minus 3 $1 manufacturer coupons= $10
Use your $10 in ECBs from before and get back $12 in ECBs.

Of course, there are times when you can’t roll your ECBs because the stars haven’t aligned and you don’t have the right coupons or you don’t like a certain week’s ECB deals. In that case, I say use your ECBs on items that you need that week (like milk, bread, etc.) and get on board the next deal that rolls around that works for you.

I hope this has clarified how to get the most out of shopping at CVS. I highly recommend CVS 101 over at Money Saving Mom if you would like further explanation.

Please note: You cannot use multiple manufacturer coupons on one product. You can, however, use one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon (or CRT, in this case) on one product.

Sign up for the email newsletters for stores that you frequently patronize. You will receive notices of special sales and coupons that aren’t released to the wider public. You can also create an account on many of their websites to receive even more offers.

I am currently signed up for the CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid’s newsletters. I also have an account with Rite Aid and received 5 pages of exclusive coupons for doing so. I plan on scouting out a few more stores’ websites to see if they offer newsletters and or accounts.

Don’t forget: you can always unsubscribe if you don’t find them useful!

What a good week for some great deals on groceries! Kroger was having an amazing “buy 10 items get $5 back instantly” sale on specified items. I just so happened to have a nice stack of coupons to go along with the sale and went not once, but twice this week to cash in on the deals.

Earlier this week, we got the above for $94.45. My receipt says that I saved 48% for a total of $85.79 off my bill.

We were needing some orange juice and I remembered that Minute Maid OJ was included in the sale. I stopped in after work today and got the above for $20.28. I saved 54% for a total of $23.68 off my bill.

By the looks of it, we should be set with groceries for awhile and can give Kroger a rest. I hear that the sale is continuing next week though…

I got the two deodorants in the picture from CVS for $.31 after coupons and ECBs. I got $3 in ECBs back, plus $.50 in Extra Bucks Rewards. I was hoping to get the Softsoap Spa bodywash too, but they were all out. I’ll stick it on my list for next week.

Rite Aid had some steals this week:
Neutrogena Triple Moisture $6 (free after double rebate)
Real Solutions shampoo $4.50 (free after double rebate)
2 packs of Stayfree pads $9 ($5 after double rebate)
Softsoap body wash $2.99 (free after rebate)
Lifestyles condoms $5 (free after double rebate)

Minus $3.50 in coupons
Total out of pocket: $25.36
Will be getting back $22.49 back from Single Check Rebates
 

Rite Aid:

I hadn’t been to a Rite Aid in quite awhile, but I’m sure glad I decided to stop in this week! 

Hershey’s Bliss chocolates $2.99
Salon Selectives shampoo $3.49
2 bottles Head & Shoulders shampoo $8, minus $1 coupon= $7

Minus $5 gift certificate
Total out of pocket $8.47
I’ll be getting $9.48 back in rebates

CVS & Walgreen’s:

At CVS I got:

Lady Speed Stick $1.99, minus $.75 coupon= $1.24
Maybelline Superstay lip gloss $8.99, minus $2 coupon= $6.99
Oral-B Cross Action toothbrush $4.99
CVS Hand Sanitizer Spray $1.79, minus $1.79 coupon= FREE
Organix shampoo $6.99
Cadbury Mini Eggs $1.50 (for filler)

Minus $3/$15 beauty items coupon
Minus $17.98 in ECBs
Total out of pocket $.87
I got $14.98 in ECBs back, plus I’m going to send away for the try me free Organix rebate and get $6.99 back too.
 

Walgreen’s was all out of the Angel Soft toilet paper I had planned on getting, but I still made out pretty well:

Nature Made Liquid Softgel multivitamin $8, minus $1 coupon= $7
Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew lotion $12.99, minus $1 coupon= $11.99
Viactiv Flavor Glides multivitamin clearanced down to $2.19, minus $2 Easy Saver coupon= $.19

Minus $4 Register Reward
Minus $6.67 off my gift card
Total out of pocket $9.67
I’ll be getting $20.99 back in rebates

Jake and I are getting low on toilet paper. I really don’t want to wait another week to buy more since I’m not sure if we have enough to get us through another full week. Luckily, every store I regularly patronize has a sale on TP this week.

I pulled out my coupons and found I have a coupon for every brand on sale- something that doesn’t happen often. When matching up sales with coupons, it’s important to remember (and include it in the calculations) which stores double coupons and where their cut offs are. Here’s my coupon line up:

$.25 off any Charmin
$.25 off 4pk or larger Cottonelle
$.50 off 6 pk or larger Angel Soft
$1 off any Scott Extra Soft 4pk or larger
$1 off any Scott 12pk, 2 6pks, 3 4pks, or 12 single rolls

I also broke out my calculator. In order to get the best deal when comparing prices, you have to configure what the price per unit is- in this case, it’s per roll. Usually for food, it’s per ounce. I crunched the numbers and here’s what I found:

Rite Aid has Charmin 8pk on sale for $4.99-$.25 coupon= $4.74/8 rolls= $.60/roll
Rite Aid also has Scott Extra Soft 4pk on sale for $2.99-$1 coupon= $1.99/4 rolls= $.50/roll
CVS has Scott 12pk on sale for $6.49-$1 coupon= $5.49/12 rolls= $.46/roll
Walgreen’s has Angel Soft 12pk on sale, with in-ad coupon, for $4.99-$.50 coupon= $4.49/12 rolls= $.37/roll
Kroger has Angel Soft 12pk on sale for $5.99-$1 ($.50 coupon doubled)= $4.99/12 rolls= $.42/roll
Food Lion has Cottonelle 12 pk on sale for $6.49-$.25 coupon= $6.24/12 rolls= $.52/roll
Food Lion also has Scott 12pk on sale for $6.49-$1 coupon= $5.49/12 rolls= $.46/roll
Ukrop’s (a local grocery store chain) has Charmin 12pk on sale for $6.59-$.25 coupon= $6.34/12 rolls= $.53/roll

Looks like Walgreen’s is our winner! $.37 a roll isn’t really a steal for TP, but it will do in a pinch. I have a $4 Register Reward from a few weeks ago that I will also use in my order to make the price even lower.

It can be tempting to just grab whatever appears to be the least expensive, in this case, the Scott 4 pack, but chances are, it isn’t the best deal you can get. It just goes to show that it always pays to crunch the numbers.