20saver

In addition to my success at Goodwill this week, I also managed to grab a few deals at Kroger and Walgreens.

Kroger:
Wisk detergent on sale for $3.49 minus $1.50 coupon from paper minus $1.50 electronic coupon= $.49
2 boxes of Tampax $6.10 minus $.50 coupon from paper doubled to $1 minus B1G1F electronic coupon= $2.05 (could have been even better if I had another $.50 coupon)

Walgreens:
I got a $5 off a $20 or more purchase coupon emailed to me that was only good on Friday. I’m quickly running out of contact solution, so I figured I’d get some so I could use the $5/$20 coupon (I wasn’t thrilled with anything else on sale/FAR this week).

Twin pack of Walgreens brand contact solution $9.49
Duracell rechargable batteries on sale for $10.99 minus $2 coupon= $8.99
Minus $5/$20
Minus $2 (the cashier rang up my battery coupon twice by accident)
Total= $12.25
I used my gift card, so nothing out of pocket.

Anyone else having a hard time finding deals lately? It’s like a wasteland out there.

Walgreens has finally brought their rebate program up to speed with technology. You can now submit your rebates online similar to Rite Aid’s program. Once you set up an account, you can type in the information off of your receipts and request your rebate (either in the form of a gift card or check) straight from Walgreens’s website. Save an extra $.41 every month by using the simple online form!

For more information, check out Walgreens’s EasySaver page.

This week, I discovered some awesome clearance deals at Kroger and snatched up the last of the April rebates at Rite Aid and Walgreens.

We got the above for a mere $38.45. Some of the highlights include: 5 gourmet salad bowls for $1 a piece (these are normally about $6 or $7 each), 4 veggie snack packs for $1 a piece, 2 jars of organic papaya for $1 a piece (normally $4.60 each), a bag of prewashed, peeled shallots for $.50, and a package of fresh herbs for $.50. I love hunting for clearance items at Kroger!

I think Rite Aid wanted to get on women’s good sides this week: free chocolate, makeup, and hair care products!

Hershey’s Bliss $2.99
Pure Shine Curls $3.99
Jane mineral eye shadow $4.99
Oral B Cross Action toothbrush $3.19 minus $1 coupon (I swear this coupon was for $.75, but it rang up as $1 off)= $2.19
Total out of pocket= $14.84
I’ll be getting $15.26 back in Single Check Rebates

I finally went to Walgreens this afternoon to get the April EasySaver free after rebate items. I wanted to get the Duracell batteries that offered a $3 rebate as well, but they were all sold out. Maybe they’ll offer a Duracell deal next month too.

Aquafresh Advanced toothpaste $3.49 minus $2 coupon= $1.49
Soyjoy bar $1.39
Colgate toothbrush $3.99 minus $.75 coupon= $3.24
Jane mineral blush $4.99
Minus $10 Register Reward
Total= $1.76, paid by gift card
I’ll be getting $13.86 back in EasySaver rebates

After CVS, Walgreens is my second favorite pharmacy where I get great deals. Their rebate program, EasySaver, is less complicated (and usually less rewarding) than CVS’s because it functions more like traditional rebates.

Every month, Walgreens puts out a booklet called the EasySaver catalog. It can be found near the front of the store beside the weekly ad. In this catalog are store coupons that are good for the whole month (you can also find store coupons in the weekly ads) as well as a listing of all the rebates for the month. There are usually a good number of rebates every month that make the participating products free or almost free. Just like at CVS, you can use both manufacturer coupons and store coupons to get “overage,” or more money back than you actually spent, on these products.

To redeem your rebates, you must tally up all the purchases you made on their total earnings sheet, circle the products on your receipts, fill out the provided form, and mail everything off to the Walgreens rebate center. You have the option of getting your money back on a Walgreens gift card or receiving a check. If you choose the gift card, you will get a 10% bonus as well (example: if you’re getting back $10 in rebates, Walgreens will throw in a dollar and give you $11 back on the gift card). I always choose to reload my gift card because, hello, that’s free money! Also, if you choose to reload your gift card once you already have one, it will take a fraction of the time to get the money than if you asked for a check. 

You can “roll” your rebates similar to how you roll CVS ECBs if you use your giftcard to pay for the following month’s free after rebate products instead of spending any money out of pocket.

Walgreens also offers a separate program called Register Rewards (RR) that is similar to CVS’s ECBs. When you buy participating products, a coupon will spit out at the register entitling you to a specific amount off your next purchase at Walgreens. You can find these RRs in the weekly ad.

Another nice thing about Walgreens EasySaver program is that you can check the status of your rebates online at Walgreens website.

I hope this helps clarify how to get the most out of shopping at Walgreens. I highly recommend Walgreens 101 over at Money Saving Mom if you need further explanation.

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!

… until I got an email from Walgreen’s offering me a “$5 off a purchase of $20 or more” coupon that was only vaild today.

I didn’t bother to take a picture since it’s pretty boring, visually. I got:
3 bottles of Aveeno body wash (on sale for $5.59 each)
1 bottle of Aveeno face wash (on sale for $5.99)

Minus $5/$20 coupon
Minus $3.50 in manufacturer coupons
Minus $9 left on a gift card
$6.15 out of pocket
$10 back in Register Rewards

I’m waiting patiently for my March EasySaver rebates to be processed so I can use my Walgreen’s gift card to get all of the April EasySaver rebates. Hopefully next week.

P.S. A whole bunch of condoms have been clearanced down at Walgreen’s. Now, if only I could dig up some coupons…

Since CVS and Rite Aid were pretty dismal this week, I only visited Walgreen’s.

2 bottles of Head & Shoulders shampoo on sale for $9
2 4pks of Scott toilet paper $7.98, minus in ad coupon= $5, minus 2 $1 coupons= $3
1 toilet bowl brush on sale for $.99

Total out of pocket $13.29
Will be getting $5 ($4 for Head & Shoulders, $1 for toilet paper) back in EasySaver rebates
After rebates $8.29

I managed to grab the last two 4 packs of Scott as soon as I walked into Walgreen’s and held them closely while I got the rest of my items. After missing out on the Angel Soft deal last week, I wasn’t about to let this week’s Scott deal slip from my fingers! $.25 a roll? Yes, please!

I’m also really glad Head & Shoulders has been on sale a lot lately since it’s the only shampoo Jake uses. He’s all stocked up for a good couple of months now.

Walgreen’s was all out of the Angel Soft toilet paper I was planning on getting last week. Bummer, expect I found an even better deal this week!

Scott and Cottonelle 4 packs are on sale this week at Walgreen’s for 2 for $5, with the 7 day in ad coupon. The April EasySaver Catalog has a rebate for $1 back when you buy two Scott or Cottonelle 4 packs. Since the April EasySaver does not start until March 28th and the in ad coupon expires on the 29th, this deal will only be good on March 28th and 29th. With the in ad coupon and rebate, the cost is brought down to 2 for $4. But wait, it gets better!

There are coupons for $1 off Scott Extra Soft 4 pack or larger that were in the Sunday paper last week. If you don’t have two of these, you can print them off at coupons.com or the Scott website.

Now the price is brought down to 2 for $2 or $.25 a roll! Hot dog! Remember, this deal is only good March 28th and 29th!

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.