Day 51 - Trip 1 - Last Trip of 2008?

I believe this will be my last trip for 2008. I'm heading out on vacation and probably won't be going to CVS in the next few days. It's been a GREAT year - lots of fun, lots of savings. Can't wait for 2009!

So. Today. I almost skipped CVS entirely because there was only going to be the P&G coupons in the paper - which I don't desperately need - and they don't do double papers on holiday weekends. There weren't any deals that I was really excited about either. But then I saw that the Blade coupon worked on the Blade energy drink, and I figured hey, I'll get $1 overage for that, so I might as well go. And my husband said he wanted a hair care product, and I really feel like $50 in ECBs is too much for me to keep track of (I still have a few big ones that I need to split up or use) so I decided to get that for him too. I checked www.couponmom.com and pulled all coupons for hair care products figuring I'd buy the cheapest for him (of course he doesn't mention what he needs on a week when there are amazing sales/ECBs, but what can ya do, right?).

1 Blade Energy Drink - $1
1 Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste - $2.99
1 regular Sunday paper - $2
1 Dove hair care - $4.99
3 J&J First Aid kits - $2.97
1 small bag of CVS cough drops as filler - 50 cents

Used $2/Blade, $1 CRT for Cogate, $1.50 Dove coupon, and $3/2 J&J printable. Used $6.98 ECBs (adjusted down from $6.99) and 12 cents for the sales tax. Got back $2 for the Colgate (so overall, a $4.99 ECB "loss" - but it went toward the Dove and the newspaper - and the newspaper has coupons sooooo....)

The cashier was confused at first by the Blade coupon - "You didn't get this product, ma'am." And I smiled and said "Oh, no, it's the energy drink." And she apologized profusely when I showed her - and then the coupon went through beep-free and I got the $1 overage, woohoo! (Part of me is tempted to go back and do this deal again but A) I don't want to press my luck, B) I don't really need another $1 at CVS right now and C) Nobody in my household drinks that stuff and I have nobody to give it to! Not sure what I'm going to do with it...)



HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE! See you in 2009!

Total OOP: $80.51
Total merchandise: 5 boxes of Excedrin, 5 boxes of CVS pain relief, 3 rolls of CVS TP, 5 12 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 1 diabetes monitor (donated), 1 EOB gift bag, 2 EOB lip butters, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 5 18 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 7 Colgate toothbrushes, 3 Aquafresh toothpastes, 1 pair of CVS pantyhose, 4 Johnsons Buddies soaps, 6 travel tissue packs, 1 Dawn dish detergent, 17 double Sunday papers, 2 regular Sunday papers, 3 Tums Quik Paks, 3 boxes of CVS Loratadine, 1 spray sunblock [returned], 1 small tube sunblock, 2 boxes of cereal, 8 Colgate toothpastes, 1 box of 3 Intuition razor refills, 4 Adidas deodorants, 4 Brut deodorants, 5 Dove deodorants, 3 boxes of CVS band aids, 2 packs of CVS cotton swabs, 3 Listerine Smart Rinses, 6 bottles Powerade, 3 Nivea shave gels, 1 Benefiber, 1 bottle Dove shampoo, 1 bottle Dove conditioner, 2 tubes Nutritioniste cleanser, 4 bottles Dove body wash, 2 Oral B power toothbrushes, 2 sets of 2 Oral B power replacement heads, 1 bottle Palmolive Oxy, 16 SoyJoy bars, 3 boxes of Breathe Right strips, 5 boxes of cookies, 2-pack of Oral B toothbrushes, 24-pack Gold Emblem bottled water, 1 tube Physician's Formula mascara, 1 small jar CVS petroleum jelly, 3 photobooks, 2 packs of CVS panty liners, 8 tubs of baby wipes, 4 travel packs of baby wipes, 2 packs of makeup removing wipes, 4 packs of Trident gum, 1 pack of Thank You notes, 1 tube of Banana Boat sunblock, 2 travel-size bottles of Renu, 5 12oz bottles of Renu, 4 bags of Lifesavers, 4 big bags of M&Ms, 2 small bags of M&Ms, 2 bottles infant Advil, 1 bag of 30 CVS cough drops, 2 travel-sized bags of CVS cough drops, 3 bottles of Pert, 1 CVS ibuprofen, 2 bags Dove chocolate, 4 packs of Stayfree pads, 1 pack of Kotex lightdays pads, 4 Suave bodywashes, 2 Covergirl Wetslicks lipglosses, 2 Dawn hand renewal, 1 L'Oreal Genesis face wipes, 2 Chex Mix bags, 3 Revlon Color Stay nail polishes, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift cream, 1 box 30 Breathe Right Strips, 1 Nivea for Men bodywash, 1 bottle Crest Pro-Health rinse, 1 bottle CoverGirl clean foundation, 2 boxes of 3 Wellpatches, 1 large bottle Vitamin Water, 3 Bic Soleil razor + refills, 4 boxes Soleil refills, 2 packs of Always Infinity pads, 2 pumpkin pails, 2 bags of Brachs candy, 2 Funlights, 1 Just for Men haircolor, 2 2-packs of toothbrushes, 2 Excedrin Express Gels, 1 CVS-brand Vitamin D, 1 pack Bic Comfort Razors, 2 bags M&Ms fun size, 1 Nova Max glucose monitor, 5 greeting cards, 1 bottle Smart Water, 1 bottle Garnier shampoo, 2 Crest toothpastes, 2 Glade plug in fans, 2 Glade oil refills, 1 L'Oreal Age-Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer, 2 L'Oreal lip glosses, 1 Garnier face wipes, 3 Sally Hansen nail polishes, 1 Aussie shampoo, 1 Aussie conditioner, 3 bottles of Gatorade G2, 1 Schick Quattro, 3 Maybelline mineral makeups, 1 Covergirl smoothing powder, 1 Covergirl smoothing liquid, 1 universal remote control, 1 Johnson's lotion, 2 bottles All Small&Mighty Free&Clear, 1 Cascade Action Pacs, 1 Hershey bar, 1 single-serving CVS water, 1 3-pack Rolaids, 2 bottles Complete contact lens solution, 2 tubes Maybelline lipstick, 1 Essence of Beauty bag with EOB products, 5 bottles Listerine, 1 pack of Benefiber sticks, 1 8-pack Zantac, 2 L'Oreal HIP metallic eye shadows, 2 boxes J&J Band Aids, 1 pack Halls Naturals, 3 J&J First Aid kits, 1 Blade energy drink, 1 Dove mousse.

Current ECB status: $44.80

SwagBucks!

Just another way to earn some gift certificates - SwagBucks! I search about 10 times a day and usually earn between 1-5 bucks. I've only been doing this for a month and have already earned $10 in Amazon gift certificates - and since I recently broke my digital camera, I really could use more!

Click and sign up - it's easy!

My other card

I went to my favorite CVS and got:

10 digital prints
1 J&J First Aid Kit
1 Lumene Men's Shaving Gel
1 Crest Pro Health Rinse
1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips

Used Free 10 prints CRT, $1/any J&J First Aid Item from the Diabetes Book (I have another one...somewhere...if I can find it I'll do this again this weekend), $3 off any Lumene from the email I was sent, $3/Breathe Right CRT. Used a bunch of ECBs, spent about $1.30 and got back $2 for the Crest rinse (I prefer this to Listerine, even though I now have a ton of Listerine - I've already given away and/or donated some of that though). I don't use this card as often so I'd rather not have a ton of ECBs to worry about - instead, got things we needed!

Happy Holidays!

Day 50 - Trip 3

I made one last attempt to find the Arm and Hammer at one more store and failed miserably. Oh well - but that was actually one of the few things I really WANTED from this sale. Anyway, I wanted to get more Listerine but quickly discovered the store was mostly swept clean of ECB items - no Benefiber, almost all the Listerine gone, etc. (I forgot to look for the Thermacare but I really don't think they had any.) So. I found two Vanilla Mint Listerines left in the section and took them to get with my other card, grabbed a Zantac, and got ready to leave.

And then I spied a TON of Listerines in a totally random section of the store. These were marked with a tag that says "Merchandise in Diabetes/Home Diagnostics Set Only - Remove Label Upon Placement" and had a separate bar code sticker (I'm assuming these are related to the Diabetes book...maybe?). I scanned them at the scanner to make sure - and they came up at sale price! So I gave four to my husband (this experiment card *is* his card after all) and handed him an $11.98 ECB to use. For the first time in ages, this confused the cashier. "You didn't spend enough before tax," he said. So I stepped over and said "Yes, it's just 2 cents, go ahead and adjust it." The cashier looked like a rabbit caught in headlights, and I started to explain, but he got another cashier who fixed it in seconds.

So. With this card, I got 4 Listerines, paid zero OOP, and lost 2 cents of ECBs in the process, which is fine with me. With my other card I got 2 Listerines and a Zantac, paid 7 cents, and got back $1 more than I handed over (so I more than made up for the ECBs I 'spent' on things I needed earlier in the day). I *think* I am now done with this sale, although I am kind of tempted to walk back to one store tomorrow to max out the Benefiber on my other card and to look one last time for some Arm and Hammer...

No picture - imagine 4 bottles of Cool Mint Listerine.

Total OOP: $80.39
Total merchandise: 5 boxes of Excedrin, 5 boxes of CVS pain relief, 3 rolls of CVS TP, 5 12 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 1 diabetes monitor (donated), 1 EOB gift bag, 2 EOB lip butters, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 5 18 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 7 Colgate toothbrushes, 3 Aquafresh toothpastes, 1 pair of CVS pantyhose, 4 Johnsons Buddies soaps, 6 travel tissue packs, 1 Dawn dish detergent, 17 double Sunday papers, 1 regular Sunday paper, 3 Tums Quik Paks, 3 boxes of CVS Loratadine, 1 spray sunblock [returned], 1 small tube sunblock, 2 boxes of cereal, 7 Colgate toothpastes, 1 box of 3 Intuition razor refills, 4 Adidas deodorants, 4 Brut deodorants, 5 Dove deodorants, 3 boxes of CVS band aids, 2 packs of CVS cotton swabs, 3 Listerine Smart Rinses, 6 bottles Powerade, 3 Nivea shave gels, 1 Benefiber, 1 bottle Dove shampoo, 1 bottle Dove conditioner, 2 tubes Nutritioniste cleanser, 4 bottles Dove body wash, 2 Oral B power toothbrushes, 2 sets of 2 Oral B power replacement heads, 1 bottle Palmolive Oxy, 16 SoyJoy bars, 3 boxes of Breathe Right strips, 5 boxes of cookies, 2-pack of Oral B toothbrushes, 24-pack Gold Emblem bottled water, 1 tube Physician's Formula mascara, 1 small jar CVS petroleum jelly, 3 photobooks, 2 packs of CVS panty liners, 8 tubs of baby wipes, 4 travel packs of baby wipes, 2 packs of makeup removing wipes, 4 packs of Trident gum, 1 pack of Thank You notes, 1 tube of Banana Boat sunblock, 2 travel-size bottles of Renu, 5 12oz bottles of Renu, 4 bags of Lifesavers, 4 big bags of M&Ms, 2 small bags of M&Ms, 2 bottles infant Advil, 1 bag of 30 CVS cough drops, 1 travel-sized bag of CVS cough drops, 3 bottles of Pert, 1 CVS ibuprofen, 2 bags Dove chocolate, 4 packs of Stayfree pads, 1 pack of Kotex lightdays pads, 4 Suave bodywashes, 2 Covergirl Wetslicks lipglosses, 2 Dawn hand renewal, 1 L'Oreal Genesis face wipes, 2 Chex Mix bags, 3 Revlon Color Stay nail polishes, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift cream, 1 box 30 Breathe Right Strips, 1 Nivea for Men bodywash, 1 bottle Crest Pro-Health rinse, 1 bottle CoverGirl clean foundation, 2 boxes of 3 Wellpatches, 1 large bottle Vitamin Water, 3 Bic Soleil razor + refills, 4 boxes Soleil refills, 2 packs of Always Infinity pads, 2 pumpkin pails, 2 bags of Brachs candy, 2 Funlights, 1 Just for Men haircolor, 2 2-packs of toothbrushes, 2 Excedrin Express Gels, 1 CVS-brand Vitamin D, 1 pack Bic Comfort Razors, 2 bags M&Ms fun size, 1 Nova Max glucose monitor, 5 greeting cards, 1 bottle Smart Water, 1 bottle Garnier shampoo, 2 Crest toothpastes, 2 Glade plug in fans, 2 Glade oil refills, 1 L'Oreal Age-Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer, 2 L'Oreal lip glosses, 1 Garnier face wipes, 3 Sally Hansen nail polishes, 1 Aussie shampoo, 1 Aussie conditioner, 3 bottles of Gatorade G2, 1 Schick Quattro, 3 Maybelline mineral makeups, 1 Covergirl smoothing powder, 1 Covergirl smoothing liquid, 1 universal remote control, 1 Johnson's lotion, 2 bottles All Small&Mighty Free&Clear, 1 Cascade Action Pacs, 1 Hershey bar, 1 single-serving CVS water, 1 3-pack Rolaids, 2 bottles Complete contact lens solution, 2 tubes Maybelline lipstick, 1 Essence of Beauty bag with EOB products, 5 bottles Listerine, 1 pack of Benefiber sticks, 1 8-pack Zantac, 2 L'Oreal HIP metallic eye shadows, 2 boxes J&J Band Aids, 1 pack Halls Naturals.

Current ECB status: $49.79

Day 50 - Trip 2 (My Other Card)

So I went walking to the other local store and they told me that one person bought all of the Arm & Hammer stuff. I guess I can't blame her - I might've done that too... But it did throw off the scenario I had in my head. So I thought fast - and then I wandered by the pharmacy and they had ONE diabetes booklet left! I grabbed it and ripped out the $1/Listerine coupon and voila....awesomeness...

1 Listerine - $2.99
1 EAS bar - $1.69
1 Excedrin - $3.99
2 Sally Hansen nail polishes - $11.98
1 L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow - $6.99

Used $1/Listerine, $2/Excedrin blinkie, $1/Excedrin CRT, $3/2 Sally Hansen, $2/L'Oreal. Paid with $18.57 ECBs and 49 cents (42 cents tax!). Got back $27.64! $9 profit! Then went back two more times and got two more Listerines with the $2.99 and paid zero OOP for both and still have the $2.99. I can get two more on this card and four more on my other card if I so desire, and I am going to try ONE MORE store for the Arm & Hammer. (Also haven't seen the Thermacare anywhere.)

Day 50 - Trip 1

Wow, this is probably my best profit day yet - and I don't think I'm done.

1 Listerine - $2.99
1 Zantac - $4.99
2 Band Aids - $1.98
1 Halls - $2.59
1 Excedrin - $3.99
1 Crest toothpaste - $2.99
2 Sally Hansen nail polishes - $11.98
2 L'Oreal eye shadows (MAKE SURE you get the metallic! the regular HIP ones are different!) - $13.98
1 Benefiber - $7.29

Total of over $50 in merchandise.

Used $1/Listerine from diabetes book (I only ever found one book, wish I'd found more because yes, this coupon works), $1/Zantac, 2x$1/Johnson's First Aid (these beeped but went through), 50 cents/Halls, $1/Excedrin CRT, $2/Excedrin from blinkie machine, $1/Crest, $3-off-2/Sally Hansen, 2x$2/L'Oreal (these didn't even beep), $2/Benefiber. $34.55 in ECBs. Paid $1.51 - 78 cents tax. Got back $49.81! Profit of about $13!

I also used my other card to get some things we needed - I got a 3-pack of CVS paper towels, Hyland's Teething Tablets, 1 Complete (finished up the deal on that card), 1 L'Oreal eye shadow, and 1 Halls. I used $2/Complete, 50 cents Halls, and $2/L'Oreal (still have one more coupon and can get one more!). Paid 84 cents (35 cents tax) and $21.56 in ECBs, got back $18.57. :)



Total OOP: $80.39
Total merchandise: 5 boxes of Excedrin, 5 boxes of CVS pain relief, 3 rolls of CVS TP, 5 12 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 1 diabetes monitor (donated), 1 EOB gift bag, 2 EOB lip butters, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 5 18 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 7 Colgate toothbrushes, 3 Aquafresh toothpastes, 1 pair of CVS pantyhose, 4 Johnsons Buddies soaps, 6 travel tissue packs, 1 Dawn dish detergent, 17 double Sunday papers, 1 regular Sunday paper, 3 Tums Quik Paks, 3 boxes of CVS Loratadine, 1 spray sunblock [returned], 1 small tube sunblock, 2 boxes of cereal, 7 Colgate toothpastes, 1 box of 3 Intuition razor refills, 4 Adidas deodorants, 4 Brut deodorants, 5 Dove deodorants, 3 boxes of CVS band aids, 2 packs of CVS cotton swabs, 3 Listerine Smart Rinses, 6 bottles Powerade, 3 Nivea shave gels, 1 Benefiber, 1 bottle Dove shampoo, 1 bottle Dove conditioner, 2 tubes Nutritioniste cleanser, 4 bottles Dove body wash, 2 Oral B power toothbrushes, 2 sets of 2 Oral B power replacement heads, 1 bottle Palmolive Oxy, 16 SoyJoy bars, 3 boxes of Breathe Right strips, 5 boxes of cookies, 2-pack of Oral B toothbrushes, 24-pack Gold Emblem bottled water, 1 tube Physician's Formula mascara, 1 small jar CVS petroleum jelly, 3 photobooks, 2 packs of CVS panty liners, 8 tubs of baby wipes, 4 travel packs of baby wipes, 2 packs of makeup removing wipes, 4 packs of Trident gum, 1 pack of Thank You notes, 1 tube of Banana Boat sunblock, 2 travel-size bottles of Renu, 5 12oz bottles of Renu, 4 bags of Lifesavers, 4 big bags of M&Ms, 2 small bags of M&Ms, 2 bottles infant Advil, 1 bag of 30 CVS cough drops, 1 travel-sized bag of CVS cough drops, 3 bottles of Pert, 1 CVS ibuprofen, 2 bags Dove chocolate, 4 packs of Stayfree pads, 1 pack of Kotex lightdays pads, 4 Suave bodywashes, 2 Covergirl Wetslicks lipglosses, 2 Dawn hand renewal, 1 L'Oreal Genesis face wipes, 2 Chex Mix bags, 3 Revlon Color Stay nail polishes, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift cream, 1 box 30 Breathe Right Strips, 1 Nivea for Men bodywash, 1 bottle Crest Pro-Health rinse, 1 bottle CoverGirl clean foundation, 2 boxes of 3 Wellpatches, 1 large bottle Vitamin Water, 3 Bic Soleil razor + refills, 4 boxes Soleil refills, 2 packs of Always Infinity pads, 2 pumpkin pails, 2 bags of Brachs candy, 2 Funlights, 1 Just for Men haircolor, 2 2-packs of toothbrushes, 2 Excedrin Express Gels, 1 CVS-brand Vitamin D, 1 pack Bic Comfort Razors, 2 bags M&Ms fun size, 1 Nova Max glucose monitor, 5 greeting cards, 1 bottle Smart Water, 1 bottle Garnier shampoo, 2 Crest toothpastes, 2 Glade plug in fans, 2 Glade oil refills, 1 L'Oreal Age-Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer, 2 L'Oreal lip glosses, 1 Garnier face wipes, 3 Sally Hansen nail polishes, 1 Aussie shampoo, 1 Aussie conditioner, 3 bottles of Gatorade G2, 1 Schick Quattro, 3 Maybelline mineral makeups, 1 Covergirl smoothing powder, 1 Covergirl smoothing liquid, 1 universal remote control, 1 Johnson's lotion, 2 bottles All Small&Mighty Free&Clear, 1 Cascade Action Pacs, 1 Hershey bar, 1 single-serving CVS water, 1 3-pack Rolaids, 2 bottles Complete contact lens solution, 2 tubes Maybelline lipstick, 1 Essence of Beauty bag with EOB products, 1 bottle Listerine, 1 pack of Benefiber sticks, 1 8-pack Zantac, 2 L'Oreal HIP metallic eye shadows, 2 boxes J&J Band Aids, 1 pack Halls Naturals.

Current ECB status: $49.81

Giving Publix Some Love

My main grocery store is actually Publix. I run to Kroger when there are super deals - or when I need some more free toilet paper - but Publix is where I do the bulk of my shopping. I actually developed loyalty to Publix when they carried a Greenwise line of Morningstar-Farms-esque products. Unfortunately they've since discontinued that line but my loyalty remains. They don't require you to have a card at Publix, but I do uPromise so I have one scanned anyway...

There are some really good deals at Publix that I wanted to share - all were discovered courtesy of www.couponmom.com - the best site I've found for coupon matchups (and it's FREE). All specifics can be found there, I just wanted to show you some deals.

Betty Crocker boxed potatoes are 10 cents after coupon - I bought some of the sweet potato version to donate.
Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix is 35 cents after coupon. I may donate some of this...or keep it for myself to bake for my friends. Yum brownies!
Boxes of Frosted Flakes are $1 after coupon - not the healthiest cereal, but not awful. (Hey, I eat it!)
New York Texas Toast croutons are 20 cents after coupon. I'd never buy croutons but for 20 cents, hey, why not?
Hormel Chili (I didn't get this) is 25 cents after coupon - another great item to donate (I couldn't find it in the store or I would've gotten it to add to my donation pile).
Domino light brown sugar is 19 cents a box after coupon.
Fresh Express salad is on sale 2/$4. I found coupons at Kroger a few weeks ago for 75 cents off Fresh Express, and then in the Publix Advantage Buy circular is a store coupon for $2 off produce when you buy 2 Fresh Express salads.

Also, if you are near a Publix and you have a baby, I highly recommend signing up for their Baby Club. Every few months I get coupons that are excellent - $1 off any deli item, $1 off any produce item, $1 off any dairy item... There are also usually some coupons I'd never use, of course, and I don't really find the magazine to be particularly helpful, but it's totally worthwhile and I can honestly say that while Publix knows I am a parent now, I haven't noticed any uptick in junk mail at all. I also have signed up for all of the Publix magazines (you can subscribe at publix.com) because the ones that are delivered to your home have better coupons than the ones you can pick up in the store. Again, I haven't noticed any increase in junk mail as a result of this, and I have gotten very valuable coupons.

And there you have it! Hooray for Publix!

Tomorrow I will be hitting CVS but I'm not as excited (or stressed) as I was for Black Friday. The deals are fun, but my main goal is just to roll some of my bucks and get a few things for free. And I don't have to buy the paper this week (or next) but I do need paper towels...so that may be where any profit/overage will go.

Kroger!

I went back with my 7 Catalinas and one other coupon and got:
1 avocado
1 quart of organic milk
1 can of organic black beans
1 package of Morningstar Farms crumble
2 boxes of whole wheat pasta
1 jar of salsa
1 4-pack of Cottonelle toilet paper

I used the Catalinas (I made sure to have a 1:1 ratio of coupons to items but I did get only things I needed and I'm not sure if I *had* to do that anyway) and 50 cents off the Cottonelle, which was doubled (making it free) and then I also had a 50 cent coupon from Shortcuts so I got overage there! And I paid a whopping $6 and change. PLUS I got a Catalina for 75 cents off two Morningstar Farms items, and I buy those anyway and they're pricey so yay! That expires in February so I might hold onto it in case of a sale between now and then.

Scenario for CVS - December 21

This is assuming the store I go to has everything in stock. Which I doubt will happen, to be honest, but let's just see.

Listerene - $2.99 -$1 coupon from diabetes booklet
Sally Hansen x2 - $11.98 -2/$3 from CVS beauty booklet
Arm and Hammer - $2.99 -$1 printable
L'Orealx2 - $13.98 -2x $2 coupon*
Excedrin - $3.99 -$2 from Kroger blinkie
Halls - $2.59 -50 cent coupon
Benefiber - $7.29 -$2 coupon
EAS Advantage Bar - $1.69, no coupon

$34, get back 47.50.

*This may not work after all - the coupon does say "any makeup" but that may not include eyeshadow (seems like they mean foundation/powder/blush). I might try it or just buy the eyeshadow outright since it is pretty. I also just printed two more Arm and Hammer coupons so I might use those, and I have one $1/Crest coupon so I might use that too. It will kind of be a "whatever they have, I'll get" kind of day.

Reminder: No coupons this week! No paper to buy!

Day 49 - Trip 1

First, I was going to get the ear rinse to roll some bucks. But as I drove, I thought, I just don't need that, and most of my bucks are rolled, and next week there are some fun freebies...

Then the scanner gave me a $5/EOB tote bag coupon, and I saw the spring bags were on sale for $7.49, and I thought hey, I can spend some bucks for a change. (The bag will likely either become a gift or a toy for my daughter - either way, money well spent I think!) (Could I have combined that scanner coupon with one of the CVS Beauty Booklet EOB coupons? I didn't need to, as you'll see, but I wonder...)

1 double paper - $2.50
1 Dove body wash - $4.50
1 EOB bag - $7.49

Used $1.50 Dove newspaper coupon, $2/any bodywash CRT, $5 EOB bag CRT, $5.98 ECBs. Paid a penny, got back nothing!



Total OOP: $78.88
Total merchandise: 5 boxes of Excedrin, 5 boxes of CVS pain relief, 3 rolls of CVS TP, 5 12 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 1 diabetes monitor (donated), 1 EOB gift bag, 2 EOB lip butters, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 5 18 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 7 Colgate toothbrushes, 3 Aquafresh toothpastes, 1 pair of CVS pantyhose, 4 Johnsons Buddies soaps, 6 travel tissue packs, 1 Dawn dish detergent, 17 double Sunday papers, 1 regular Sunday paper, 3 Tums Quik Paks, 3 boxes of CVS Loratadine, 1 spray sunblock [returned], 1 small tube sunblock, 2 boxes of cereal, 7 Colgate toothpastes, 1 box of 3 Intuition razor refills, 4 Adidas deodorants, 4 Brut deodorants, 5 Dove deodorants, 3 boxes of CVS band aids, 2 packs of CVS cotton swabs, 3 Listerine Smart Rinses, 6 bottles Powerade, 3 Nivea shave gels, 1 Benefiber, 1 bottle Dove shampoo, 1 bottle Dove conditioner, 2 tubes Nutritioniste cleanser, 4 bottles Dove body wash, 2 Oral B power toothbrushes, 2 sets of 2 Oral B power replacement heads, 1 bottle Palmolive Oxy, 16 SoyJoy bars, 3 boxes of Breathe Right strips, 5 boxes of cookies, 2-pack of Oral B toothbrushes, 24-pack Gold Emblem bottled water, 1 tube Physician's Formula mascara, 1 small jar CVS petroleum jelly, 3 photobooks, 2 packs of CVS panty liners, 8 tubs of baby wipes, 4 travel packs of baby wipes, 2 packs of makeup removing wipes, 4 packs of Trident gum, 1 pack of Thank You notes, 1 tube of Banana Boat sunblock, 2 travel-size bottles of Renu, 5 12oz bottles of Renu, 4 bags of Lifesavers, 4 big bags of M&Ms, 2 small bags of M&Ms, 2 bottles infant Advil, 1 bag of 30 CVS cough drops, 1 travel-sized bag of CVS cough drops, 3 bottles of Pert, 1 CVS ibuprofen, 2 bags Dove chocolate, 4 packs of Stayfree pads, 1 pack of Kotex lightdays pads, 4 Suave bodywashes, 2 Covergirl Wetslicks lipglosses, 2 Dawn hand renewal, 1 L'Oreal Genesis face wipes, 2 Chex Mix bags, 3 Revlon Color Stay nail polishes, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift cream, 1 box 30 Breathe Right Strips, 1 Nivea for Men bodywash, 1 bottle Crest Pro-Health rinse, 1 bottle CoverGirl clean foundation, 2 boxes of 3 Wellpatches, 1 large bottle Vitamin Water, 3 Bic Soleil razor + refills, 4 boxes Soleil refills, 2 packs of Always Infinity pads, 2 pumpkin pails, 2 bags of Brachs candy, 2 Funlights, 1 Just for Men haircolor, 2 2-packs of toothbrushes, 1 Excedrin Express Gels, 1 CVS-brand Vitamin D, 1 pack Bic Comfort Razors, 2 bags M&Ms fun size, 1 Nova Max glucose monitor, 5 greeting cards, 1 bottle Smart Water, 1 bottle Garnier shampoo, 1 Crest toothpaste, 2 Glade plug in fans, 2 Glade oil refills, 1 L'Oreal Age-Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer, 2 L'Oreal lip glosses, 1 Garnier face wipes, 1 Sally Hansen nail polish, 1 Aussie shampoo, 1 Aussie conditioner, 3 bottles of Gatorade G2, 1 Schick Quattro, 3 Maybelline mineral makeups, 1 Covergirl smoothing powder, 1 Covergirl smoothing liquid, 1 universal remote control, 1 Johnson's lotion, 2 bottles All Small&Mighty Free&Clear, 1 Cascade Action Pacs, 1 Hershey bar, 1 single-serving CVS water, 1 3-pack Rolaids, 2 bottles Complete contact lens solution, 2 tubes Maybelline lipstick, 1 Essence of Beauty bag with EOB products.

Current ECB status: $34.55

Day 48 - Trip 1

2 tubes of Maybelline lipstick - $6.69 (BOGO)
1 bottle of Complete - $8.99
-$2/Complete, -2 x $4/Maybelline, -$5.69 ECB. Paid 69 cents tax (final pre-tax total was negative one penny, tax was 70 cents). Got back $8.99. Profit that brought me to an ECB total that is *OVER* what I ended up with after Black Friday! I still have some ECBs to roll but plan to do some of the freebies (but not all, I don't think) during Christmas/Hanukkah week).

No picture, sorry!

PS I also hit Publix and saved $44.37 while spending $33.54 and getting things we needed, including diapers (I use cloth 99% of the time and eco-friendly disposables the other 1%), frozen veggies, spaghetti sauce, fancy refrigerated salad dressing, salad, beans, ice cream, and more. And the penny item was a substitution - an $8 platter of holiday cookies! Nice!

Total OOP: $78.87
Total merchandise: 5 boxes of Excedrin, 5 boxes of CVS pain relief, 3 rolls of CVS TP, 5 12 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 1 diabetes monitor (donated), 1 EOB gift bag, 2 EOB lip butters, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 5 18 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 7 Colgate toothbrushes, 3 Aquafresh toothpastes, 1 pair of CVS pantyhose, 4 Johnsons Buddies soaps, 6 travel tissue packs, 1 Dawn dish detergent, 16 double Sunday papers, 1 regular Sunday paper, 3 Tums Quik Paks, 3 boxes of CVS Loratadine, 1 spray sunblock [returned], 1 small tube sunblock, 2 boxes of cereal, 7 Colgate toothpastes, 1 box of 3 Intuition razor refills, 4 Adidas deodorants, 4 Brut deodorants, 5 Dove deodorants, 3 boxes of CVS band aids, 2 packs of CVS cotton swabs, 3 Listerine Smart Rinses, 6 bottles Powerade, 3 Nivea shave gels, 1 Benefiber, 1 bottle Dove shampoo, 1 bottle Dove conditioner, 2 tubes Nutritioniste cleanser, 3 bottles Dove body wash, 2 Oral B power toothbrushes, 2 sets of 2 Oral B power replacement heads, 1 bottle Palmolive Oxy, 16 SoyJoy bars, 3 boxes of Breathe Right strips, 5 boxes of cookies, 2-pack of Oral B toothbrushes, 24-pack Gold Emblem bottled water, 1 tube Physician's Formula mascara, 1 small jar CVS petroleum jelly, 3 photobooks, 2 packs of CVS panty liners, 8 tubs of baby wipes, 4 travel packs of baby wipes, 2 packs of makeup removing wipes, 4 packs of Trident gum, 1 pack of Thank You notes, 1 tube of Banana Boat sunblock, 2 travel-size bottles of Renu, 5 12oz bottles of Renu, 4 bags of Lifesavers, 4 big bags of M&Ms, 2 small bags of M&Ms, 2 bottles infant Advil, 1 bag of 30 CVS cough drops, 1 travel-sized bag of CVS cough drops, 3 bottles of Pert, 1 CVS ibuprofen, 2 bags Dove chocolate, 4 packs of Stayfree pads, 1 pack of Kotex lightdays pads, 4 Suave bodywashes, 2 Covergirl Wetslicks lipglosses, 2 Dawn hand renewal, 1 L'Oreal Genesis face wipes, 2 Chex Mix bags, 3 Revlon Color Stay nail polishes, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift cream, 1 box 30 Breathe Right Strips, 1 Nivea for Men bodywash, 1 bottle Crest Pro-Health rinse, 1 bottle CoverGirl clean foundation, 2 boxes of 3 Wellpatches, 1 large bottle Vitamin Water, 3 Bic Soleil razor + refills, 4 boxes Soleil refills, 2 packs of Always Infinity pads, 2 pumpkin pails, 2 bags of Brachs candy, 2 Funlights, 1 Just for Men haircolor, 2 2-packs of toothbrushes, 1 Excedrin Express Gels, 1 CVS-brand Vitamin D, 1 pack Bic Comfort Razors, 2 bags M&Ms fun size, 1 Nova Max glucose monitor, 5 greeting cards, 1 bottle Smart Water, 1 bottle Garnier shampoo, 1 Crest toothpaste, 2 Glade plug in fans, 2 Glade oil refills, 1 L'Oreal Age-Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer, 2 L'Oreal lip glosses, 1 Garnier face wipes, 1 Sally Hansen nail polish, 1 Aussie shampoo, 1 Aussie conditioner, 3 bottles of Gatorade G2, 1 Schick Quattro, 3 Maybelline mineral makeups, 1 Covergirl smoothing powder, 1 Covergirl smoothing liquid, 1 universal remote control, 1 Johnson's lotion, 2 bottles All Small&Mighty Free&Clear, 1 Cascade Action Pacs, 1 Hershey bar, 1 single-serving CVS water, 1 3-pack Rolaids, 2 bottles Complete contact lens solution, 2 tubes Maybelline lipstick.

Current ECB status: $40.53

Back to Kroger!

Oh I *LOOOVE* this deal!

Transaction 1:
1 3-pack of Fleischmann's yeast. It's $1. I used a 45 cent coupon, doubled. I paid 11 cents. I got back a 50 cent Catalina.

Transaction 2:
5 3-packs of yeast.
1 box of Kroger brand baking soda (we were low on this - we use it for everything from baking to cloth diaper laundry)

I used 5 yeast coupons (4 40 cent and 1 45 cent) and the Catalina. I figured I'd need one item per coupon, so that's why I threw in the baking soda, which is only 59 cents anyway. In the end I paid 55 cents and got back FIVE 50 cent Catalinas. That's $5 in free groceries!

I have 3 more yeast coupons to use later in the week. I also read about free Life Savers - I have the coupons but am not sure if the sale is in my region, so I have to go check. Anyway, I'm pleased. I'm either going to get organic milk, tofu, or Morningstar Farms stuff with the Catalinas. Or, you know, roll them into more and more yeast first.... (at on-sale-with-no-coupon price this week, I could buy one yeast per Catalina and get the Catalina back...).

YAY!

Kroger!

I went to Kroger and got 2 tubs of Daisy sour cream for free ($10/10, I had two 50 cent coupons), 2 4-packs of Cottonelle for free (cellfire + shortcuts + 2 newspaper coupons), and 1 3-pack of Fleischmans Yeast for 20 cents.

The yeast spat out a 50 cent Catalina.

I went back and got a double paper - and the Catalina DOUBLED. Is that standard? So I got the double paper for $1.47 and in it are two more $4 coupons for Maybelline that will net me two free lipsticks AND about $1.50 in overage at CVS! Woohoo!

I think I'm going back for more yeast. I've been planning on using my bread machine more anyway, but if I'm going to spend 20 cents and get back 50 cents (doubled to $1?) it's sure worth it!

Day 47 - Trip 2 - My Other Card

Again with the random dollar - though this time I managed to hand over the ECB...

2 Maybelline lipsticks (neither in my preferred color but I think these will work) - $6.69 for both due to BOGO
1 Complete - $8.99
1 Powerade - $1.59
1 Pert - $2.50
2 travel baby wipe packs - $1.98

Used $2/Complete, $2/Pert, 2x $4/Maybelline (OVERAGE!). I thought I was under $7.99. But then my total was more than that, so I handed over an $8.99. Still owed over $1 so I handed over the $1 ECB. But then my total was negative 24 cents plus tax, so I wound up paying only 50 cents. I'm still kind of confused as to how all this math played out but typing it out, it...sort of makes some sort of sense. So I paid 50 cents tax and got back an $8.99 and a $1.59, so I made a profit when all was said and done. Weird.

My Rolaids coupons, for whatever it's worth, didn't match the products on the shelves. Now I'm not sure if they matched this morning either and the register just accepted them or if I had a different coupon or what. Who knows.

Anyway, in the end I rolled a bunch of stuff this week and feel good about getting more Complete later in the month. I have 2 coupons left and may use my other household computers to get more...heh.

Day 47 - Trip 1

Hmm. I did this all on the fly and my math was off as you'll see, leading to an unnecessarily (for the "game") high OOP that could've been avoided.

1 Powerade - $1.59
1 Complete contact lens solution (my store has it in stock, yay!) - $8.99
1 Rolaids 3 pack - $2.49
1 Pert Plus - $2.50
1 double paper - $2.50

Used $1/Rolaids (I have one more of these coupons, I think), $2/Complete (definitely have at least one more of these), $2/Pert (and one more of these!), $8.99 ECB, $2.98 ECB. And then my total was $1.45. And I thought wow, that's pretty high - and somehow when I did my quick math I underestimated by $1 - and, well, I *had* a $1 ECB I could've used. Oh well, I will use it another time, but I hate when that happens!

Anyway, I am considering copying this deal with my other card and instead of the newspaper, getting some more lipstick with the BOGO Maybelline sale + coupons. I don't mind using up ECBs (though there's a lot of freebies coming out the week of Christmas/Hanukkah, hooray!), but amusingly, since I paid cash today and didn't hand over the $1, I actually came out with more bucks on this card. Ha.



Total OOP: $78.18
Total merchandise: 5 boxes of Excedrin, 5 boxes of CVS pain relief, 3 rolls of CVS TP, 5 12 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 1 diabetes monitor (donated), 1 EOB gift bag, 2 EOB lip butters, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 5 18 oz. Softsoap SPA bodywashes, 7 Colgate toothbrushes, 3 Aquafresh toothpastes, 1 pair of CVS pantyhose, 4 Johnsons Buddies soaps, 6 travel tissue packs, 1 Dawn dish detergent, 16 double Sunday papers, 1 regular Sunday paper, 3 Tums Quik Paks, 3 boxes of CVS Loratadine, 1 spray sunblock [returned], 1 small tube sunblock, 2 boxes of cereal, 7 Colgate toothpastes, 1 box of 3 Intuition razor refills, 4 Adidas deodorants, 4 Brut deodorants, 5 Dove deodorants, 3 boxes of CVS band aids, 2 packs of CVS cotton swabs, 3 Listerine Smart Rinses, 6 bottles Powerade, 3 Nivea shave gels, 1 Benefiber, 1 bottle Dove shampoo, 1 bottle Dove conditioner, 2 tubes Nutritioniste cleanser, 3 bottles Dove body wash, 2 Oral B power toothbrushes, 2 sets of 2 Oral B power replacement heads, 1 bottle Palmolive Oxy, 16 SoyJoy bars, 3 boxes of Breathe Right strips, 5 boxes of cookies, 2-pack of Oral B toothbrushes, 24-pack Gold Emblem bottled water, 1 tube Physician's Formula mascara, 1 small jar CVS petroleum jelly, 3 photobooks, 2 packs of CVS panty liners, 8 tubs of baby wipes, 4 travel packs of baby wipes, 2 packs of makeup removing wipes, 4 packs of Trident gum, 1 pack of Thank You notes, 1 tube of Banana Boat sunblock, 2 travel-size bottles of Renu, 5 12oz bottles of Renu, 4 bags of Lifesavers, 4 big bags of M&Ms, 2 small bags of M&Ms, 2 bottles infant Advil, 1 bag of 30 CVS cough drops, 1 travel-sized bag of CVS cough drops, 3 bottles of Pert, 1 CVS ibuprofen, 2 bags Dove chocolate, 4 packs of Stayfree pads, 1 pack of Kotex lightdays pads, 4 Suave bodywashes, 2 Covergirl Wetslicks lipglosses, 2 Dawn hand renewal, 1 L'Oreal Genesis face wipes, 2 Chex Mix bags, 3 Revlon Color Stay nail polishes, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift cream, 1 box 30 Breathe Right Strips, 1 Nivea for Men bodywash, 1 bottle Crest Pro-Health rinse, 1 bottle CoverGirl clean foundation, 2 boxes of 3 Wellpatches, 1 large bottle Vitamin Water, 3 Bic Soleil razor + refills, 4 boxes Soleil refills, 2 packs of Always Infinity pads, 2 pumpkin pails, 2 bags of Brachs candy, 2 Funlights, 1 Just for Men haircolor, 2 2-packs of toothbrushes, 1 Excedrin Express Gels, 1 CVS-brand Vitamin D, 1 pack Bic Comfort Razors, 2 bags M&Ms fun size, 1 Nova Max glucose monitor, 5 greeting cards, 1 bottle Smart Water, 1 bottle Garnier shampoo, 1 Crest toothpaste, 2 Glade plug in fans, 2 Glade oil refills, 1 L'Oreal Age-Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer, 2 L'Oreal lip glosses, 1 Garnier face wipes, 1 Sally Hansen nail polish, 1 Aussie shampoo, 1 Aussie conditioner, 3 bottles of Gatorade G2, 1 Schick Quattro, 3 Maybelline mineral makeups, 1 Covergirl smoothing powder, 1 Covergirl smoothing liquid, 1 universal remote control, 1 Johnson's lotion, 2 bottles All Small&Mighty Free&Clear, 1 Cascade Action Pacs, 1 Hershey bar, 1 single-serving CVS water, 1 3-pack Rolaids, 1 bottle Complete contact lens solution.

Current ECB status: $37.23