CVS - Moneymaking Glade candle and moneymaking Clairol Living Color hair dye

Before you read any further, check out information about a great contest in which you can win free groceries for a year! (Plus you can print some great coupons for pasta after you enter.)

This got a bit more complicated than it needed to be thanks to one mistake I made, but I think in the end I did pretty well and that I managed to spend a *few* of my ECBs. I saw in the store that a storage card for my camera is on sale so I probably will go back and buy that with ECBs to get rid of the $15 one...

Anyway.

Transaction 1:

1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
1 Glade candle (4.9 oz.) - $6.99 [note that this is the middle size - the biggest size also seems to be free, but I liked the scent of this one best]
1 Glade candle (2 oz) - $3.29
1 Clairol Living Color hair dye - $4.99
2 tubs baby wipes - $4.48
1 travel pack of baby wipes - 99 cents

I used $4/$20 Readyfill, $3/Glade printable (thank you to awshucks at the iheartcvs community on livejournal for the tip on this one - it's at redplum.com, use zip code 77530), $4/Clairol, and apparently I handed over the $2/Renu CRT and it went through OOPS! (I bought that in transaction 2 so don't yell!) (Now I know why my total was so weird - I'll get back to this later - but it's really weird that it went through.) Then I used $10 in ECBs (I had to throw in the travel pack of baby wipes to avoid paying a lot OOP and to use that $10) and paid $1.59 OOP ($1.35 tax). Got back $8.99 PLUS the $1 ECB that CVS corporate promised me. I honestly was a bit confused as to how this all worked out but I just went with it.

Transaction 2:

2 bottles of Renu contact lens solution - $15.98

I used 2x$2/Renu printables, $3/$10 eye care Readyfill coupon. I had worked this out at home where my total would be $6.98 and it was $8.98 - now I know that's because I accidentally gave the $2 Renu CRT with the earlier transaction! I handed over exactly $8.98 in ECBs, paid 91 cents OOP (all tax) and got back $6. (So technically in this transaction I should've used $6.98 and gotten back $6. Weird!)

(I'm now debating returning the sensitive Renu after all - it doesn't remove protein deposits like the regular does, and that's one of the main reasons I like using Renu - I'd just exchange it 1:1 if they'll let me.)

Then I left the store (skipping the toothpaste deal because seriously I don't need more toothpaste), got in my car, and realized I hadn't used my free small Glade candle coupon! And really, I only got that small candle *because* it was going to be free. So I went back in, returned the candle, got a money card for $3.52, and then re-bought it with the free coupon (yay free candle). Paid 23 cents tax OOP.

So in the end I spent $18.98 in ECBs and got back $18.51 (including the money card, which includes tax so it gives me a bit of a boost). Not bad considering many of the things I got today weren't even ECB-generating or weren't free-after-ECB! And then I got the $1 from corporate, so I came out ahead! (I think - my math is a bit wonky...)



Total OOP: $37.18 ($21.71 tax)
Total merchandise: 20 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 4 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 3 tubs CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 8 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 4 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 4 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 3 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 2 travel packs CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel, 2 mini composition books, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Duo, 6 Red Cross first aid kits, 1 pair Phillips headphones, 4 packs of Carefree panty liners, 1 trial size Arm&Hammer toothpaste, 10 packs of Poise liners, 1 big Glade Fragrance Collection soy candle, 1 mini Glade Fragrance Collection soy candle, 1 Clairol Living Color hair dye, 2 bottles Renu (one sensitive, one regular).

Current ECB status: $56.73

CVS - Scenario for 8/30 and an update

First the update! CVS corporate emailed me and apologized and is giving me a $1 ECB to replace the one I lost. Hooray!

Second, my plans. I have all sorts of things I want/need this week and a $4/$20 I'd like to use. So I'm going to get some of the following, depending on what my store has in stock.

1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
1 Glade candle - $6.99 - I have a $2 printable coupon for this. I also have a feeling my store is going to be out of the candles, but I REALLY want one.
1 Clairol hair color - $4.99 - I have a $4 coupon for this, and I've been thinking it maybe time to dye my hair again.
2 boxes of baby wipes - they're on sale buy one, get one 50% off. We need these. We use cloth wipes too but sometimes we use the wet wipes for various things.
Possibly either the Aquafresh or Sensodyne toothpaste - I have a $1 coupon for each that would make them $1 after ECBs. The products look interesting and I really want to SPEND some of my bucks.

That should bring me to $20.

THEN:

2 bottles of Renu - $7.99 x2 - I have a $2 CRT for the Sensitive Eyes and two $2 printable coupons for the Sensitive Eyes and two for the fresh lenses, plus $3/$12 eye care from the Readyfill booklet. This is my eye care solution of choice and I'm running low, though I still have a bunch of bottles of Complete eye solution that I got for free a while back too. This is all IF the Sensitive Eyes version is part of the sale. But even if it isn't, I'll probably go for it.

AND (Thanks to moneysavingmom.com)

1 Aquafresh, 1 Sensodyne, use two $1 printables and the $2/$10 oral care Readyfill coupon, get both for free. (Throw in a penny Arm&Hammer trial toothpaste if they have any left to get to 9.99.)

OTHER OPTIONS:
1 photobook - I still have my rain check for $7.99/$7.99.
I also still have a rain check for glue sticks (my Sunday store hasn't had them but the walking distance CVS has), as well as coupons for free small Glade candles (haven't yet seen these in any of my local stores), free Rice Krispies (my husband wants Cocoa Krispies though, and CVS doesn't have those that I've seen), and today I got free Lipton tea bags. All of these could be filler to get to $20.

Seriously, I think $30 in ECBs is manageable for me personally, and I have nearly $60! I may start buying toilet paper, paper towels, and more baby wipes or something. I also wanted a new memory card for my camera, so I might grab one of those. I have a $15+ ECB that I want to get rid of!

CVS - More free and money-making Poise liners

Quick dash into CVS to max out the Poise deal. No word from corporate yet on the adjusted ECB (I don't actually expect them to do anything).

Bought 4 packs of Poise liners.
Used 4x$2/Poise printables. Paid 56 cents OOP (all tax). Got back $2 ECBs. Yay!

(no picture - if you need to see what they look like, check my previous entry)

Total OOP: $34.45 ($19.22 tax)
Total merchandise: 19 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 4 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 8 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 4 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 4 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 3 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 1 travel pack CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel, 2 mini composition books, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Duo, 6 Red Cross first aid kits, 1 pair Phillips headphones, 4 packs of Carefree panty liners, 1 trial size Arm&Hammer toothpaste, 10 packs of Poise liners.

Current ECB status: $56.13

CVS - Trip two and three of the day, moneymaking Poise (but then a hard math lesson to learn)

I'm so annoyed right now - and I really have no right to be. I walked to the other CVS and they had a TON of Poise pads, but I didn't want to use a bunch of printables at once, so I used 2 printables and 2 of the beauty booklet Poise coupons.

I bought 4 packs of Poise liners - 2 of one size, 2 of another.

In my head, I had decided my total was going to be around $2 so I handed over the coupons and a $1.98 ECB - the smallest one I had. My total was 56 cents (all tax) and I got $2 back. Fine, right? Except after I left the store I looked at my receipt and realized the guy had adjusted my ECB to $1! Without asking! And it's really my fault for not doing the math right in my head but...argh. I hate losing money, even if it's not much. In any case, I broke even and I'll be going back later in the week to max out the deal. I really can't complain too much as I have over $50 in ECBs right now and am looking to pare down, if anything, and if I max out the deal I'll have $3 more...BUT ARGH.

ETA: Went to a different CVS and got 2 more packs of Poise. Totals below updated.

ETA2: Emailed CVS through the website, gave all details from my receipt and explained that it's not the 98 cents, it's that he adjusted without telling me.



Total OOP: $33.89 ($18.66 tax)
Total merchandise: 19 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 4 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 8 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 4 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 4 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 3 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 1 travel pack CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel, 2 mini composition books, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Duo, 6 Red Cross first aid kits, 1 pair Phillips headphones, 4 packs of Carefree panty liners, 1 trial size Arm&Hammer toothpaste, 6 packs of Poise liners.

Current ECB status: $54.13

CVS - Moneymaking Carefree panty liners, free notebooks, penny toothpaste, but no Poise

I had a grand plan for CVS today and it was foiled (partially). I wanted to get 10 packs of Poise - and my store didn't have any of the right size packages (and I looked all over). They also only had bundled Kotex panty liners (I was going to get them for filler). Plus I left my phone in the car and got nervous that my husband was going to call me (and had my hands full so couldn't run back outside).

So I got:
4 packs of Carefree ultimate protection panty liners - $15.16
2 CVS composition books - $1.98 (in my store, the ones with stripes were marked as 99 cents but didn't ring up that way, so I got the standard composition book design instead)
1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
1 Arm & Hammer Advanced White trial size - 1 cent (in a special display in front of the store)
1 caramel, thrown in as last-minute filler - 33 cents

Then I thought in my tired/nervous haze that my 4/20 was a 5/25 so I thought I needed more filler and the cashier thought I was pretty funny but no, I was at like $19.something and he said that was close enough for it to work. Yay! (I was going to add Rice Krispies as filler and of course this week they're on sale so not worth enough for what I thought I needed in my head.) (Did you follow that? I'm not sure *I* follow that!)

Anyway, I used 4x$1/Carefree printables, $4/$20 (given after other coupons - yes, it works that way), and $11.98 in ECBs. I paid $1.10 OOP (all tax - my pre-tax total was zero after I bought the caramel) and got back $17.82! So a nice $5-ish profit on all that stuff.

But the problem is that I still want the Poise - partially because it's a moneymaker but more because I wanted to get it for a relative. And I have EIGHT printables - and let me assure you, most of the stores around here WILL give me a hard time for that many printables (I also have 4 coupons from the beauty booklet that I can use to get the liners for "just" free). So I'm going to have to make several trips (hoping the other store I go to has them in stock). Bleh.

ALSO I now have a $15.16 ECB. And a $10 one too. I may spend those next week in part on things we need vs. "free" things because I hate having large bucks.

But...profit, things I'll use...a free newspaper...it's all good, I guess. And I got an extra ReadyFill booklet last week when I filled some prescriptions, so I have a few more 4/20s to spend.

Oh and in happy Universe-helping-me news, I was at a thrift store yesterday and found the EXACT thing I was looking for - blank (unlined) index cards. I found a bag of three packages plus a glue stick for $1.60 - random and fabulous!



Total OOP: $33.05 ($17.82 tax)
Total merchandise: 19 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 4 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 8 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 4 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 4 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 3 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 1 travel pack CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel, 2 mini composition books, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Duo, 6 Red Cross first aid kits, 1 pair Phillips headphones, 4 packs of Carefree panty liners, 1 trial size Arm&Hammer toothpaste.

Current ECB status: $53.11

CVS - More free L'Oreal, free headphones, and...weirdness!

Before you go any further, you may be interested in reading an article I wrote for Examiner.com about how you can save money on fresh produce using Target store coupons!

Trip two of the day! (Check out trip one.) I walked to the other close CVS to use my $5/$25 and finish up the L'Oreal deal - and now I'm so confused as to how CVS is determining sales tax all over again!

I was going to get my free Rice Krispies as filler to get up to $25, but shockingly this store had the free-after-ECB headphones in stock! I think it had something to do with the fact that the headphones were locked up so people had to ask for them.

1 L'Oreal Skingenesis towelettes - $5.99
1 L'Oreal Revatalift Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair 24 Hr Eye Repair Duo - $14.99
1 Phillips headphones - $6.99

Used $5/$25, $5/L'Oreal Revitalift printable, $1/L'Oreal cleanser. The cashier said my total was $18-something. I had my husband and child with me, and there was a line behind me with only one cashier working, so I got flustered and forgot to ask what the pre-tax total was. This apparently worked to my advantage, OOP-wise, though! I handed over $17.98 in ECBs - all the $4 ECBs I'd gotten from the Softsoap that were expiring soon, plus a $1.98. I paid 60 cents OOP and was surprised - I thought it would be much higher. Well...my pre-tax total was NEGATIVE $1.01. This is the second time at that store that I've managed to get a negative total - I have NO idea why. (All my ECBs rang up as MFR COUPON on the receipt.) So my tax was $1.61 but I only paid 60 cents. I got back $16.99 in ECBs - I "lost" an ECB but I don't mind since I spent it on sales tax and paid so much less OOP! (My goal is low OOP and the number of ECBs I currently have is beginning to get unwieldy anyway.) I sort of wished I'd had another Ready Fill booklet, but this still was a great deal as far as I'm concerned!

Next week there are two good moneymakers with printable coupons (Poise and Carefree). Unfortunately when I was printing one of the coupons, I messed up my printer, so I'm one shy of what I want to have (4 Carefree, 4 Poise). Then again, I don't know if I *NEED* so many moneymakers next week! Anyway, I'm on a quest for one more printable Carefree coupon by next Sunday...



Total OOP: $31.95 ($16.72 tax)
Total merchandise: 18 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 4 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 8 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 4 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 2 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 2 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 1 travel pack CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel, 2 mini composition books, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Duo, 6 Red Cross first aid kits, 1 pair Phillips headphones.

Current ECB status: $47.95

CVS - Free school supplies, free L'Oreal products, moneymakers!

Before you go any further, you may be interested in reading an article I wrote for Examiner.com about how you can save money on fresh produce using Target store coupons!

CVS was SO much fun today! I was planning on using my $5/$25 printed coupon and then the scanner gave me a $6/$36 - I'll take that extra dollar! And I was pretty sure I'd hit $36 before tax - turns out I hit $37-ish. Nice!

1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
2 10-packs of pens - $1.98
2 packs filler paper - $1.98
1 L'Oreal facial wipes - $5.99
1 L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair - $14.99
2 mini composition notebooks - $3.98
6 Red Cross first aid kits - $5.94

Total before tax: $37.45

Used $6/$36, $4/$20 facial care (from ReadyFill booklet - didn't beep!), 5x$1/Red Cross product (since I had one coupon fewer than items I bought, none of these beeped either), $5/L'Oreal printable, $1/L'Oreal from newspaper. Used $15.95 in ECBs (including a bunch that were going to expire soon). Paid $2.24 ($1.74 in tax - this time ALL my ECBs rang up as manufacturer coupons). Got back $23.94 in ECBs! Huge profit!

AND my receipt says the L'Oreal deal isn't complete (I thought it was limit one - apparently it's limit two and I didn't pay attention, oops) AND that it's simply buy $20, get $10 back (vs. the indication that you HAVE to buy specific products in the ad). I think I am going to go back and get more of this stuff, throw in the free Rice Krispies, and use my $5/$25 before it expires!

(Looks like I didn't even get the Revitalift product the promotion requires - the coupon worked on it too...but now I really want the duo thing, so I WILL go back to max out the deal. Won't be able to get the free cosmetic bag though, oh well.)



Total OOP: $31.35 ($16.12 tax)
Total merchandise: 18 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 3 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 8 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 4 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 2 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 2 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 1 travel pack CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel, 2 mini composition books, 1 L'Oreal Revitalift deep set wrinkle repair, 6 Red Cross first aid kits.

Current ECB status: $48.94

CVS - Scenario/plans for August 16

OK here's what I think I'm going to do.

Option 1:

1 L'Oreal wrinkle cream $14.99
1 L'Oreal cleansing wipes - $5.99

Then some or all of the following:

6 Red Cross travel kits - $5.94
1 Phillips headphones - $6.99 (and you KNOW they'll be out of these, right? but I can try!)
2 school boxes - $3.98
2 filler paper - $1.98
2 mini composition books - $3.98
2 packs of pens - $1.98
2 packs of glue sticks [with rain check] - $1.98 [I think?]

I'll use $5/L'Oreal printable, $1/L'Oreal from 8/2/09 RedPlum, $5/$25 printable, 5x$1/Red Cross. The L'Oreal will be free after ECBs and I should make a profit on the Red Cross travel kits.

Then I'll save the free Rice Krispies and the photo book rain check for the following week, when I'll use my last $4/$20 (ReadyFill coupon) (I'm hoping I can combine the rain check $7.99/$7.99 Photobook with the BOGO sale - my favorite cashier wasn't sure but I'll ask again tomorrow.)

OR! Option 2:

If my store has every single freebie, including the free headphones, I may skip the L'Oreal (I don't need it but I do like the towelettes so...), get the free Rice Krispies and some of the other stuff listed above, and still use the $5/$25 for a bigger profit.

The way I see it, I have LOTS of ways to get to $25, and I can still hold on to my photo book rain check!

CVS - Moneymaking Revlon makeup, free candy, stuff I needed!

Hey, before you read the post, you may want to check out an article I wrote for Examiner about how to save money on produce by using coupons!

So as I mentioned in my scenario post for this week, I saw several posts around the Internet saying that the $5/$25 from the survey on CVS.com was beeping and saying it wasn't valid until August 10. I decided that rather than deal with that, I'd save the coupon for next week (it expires 8/22) and use one of my 4/20 coupons from the ReadyFill booklet instead.

1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
4 Twix bars - $2
1 Axe shampoo with bonus hair gel stuff - $4.99 (on sale this week, which worked to my disadvantage in a way, funnily enough)
1 Revlon mineral mousse makeup - $9.99
1 travel pack of baby wipes (that we needed) - 99 cents
1 Milky Way Dark coupon (thrown in at the last minute as filler, wouldn't have worked with the coupons) - 50 cents

Used 4/20, $2/Revlon from August Glamour magazine, 2x$1/2 candy bar coupons, free Axe coupon from Maxim magazine (I do not like this magazine but Blender went under and I had a free subscription to that and I got Maxim as a replacement - yay for the coupon, at least!). I used a $7.99 ECB that rang up as a "CVS MFR COUPON" (if you're looking for a pattern - it was from a photobook, I think?) and that was adjusted down to $7.98 (my total was around $7.50 and I couldn't come up with an ECB combination that was closer to that than $7.99 so I threw in the candy bar) (and there goes my theory that if the ECB rings up as a manufacturer coupon, it won't need to be adjusted!). I paid 92 cents (all tax) and got back $9.99 - so $2 profit and the paper, candy bar, and baby wipes were all "free" because they were paid for by the 4/20.



NOTE: My store's employees gave me a heads up that the 6x8 photobooks will be BOGO the week of 8/23. I had been planning on using my raincheck next week to combine with the 5/25, but I may instead save the raincheck for the following week (when the 5/25 will have expired), depending on what kinds of scenarios I can cook up. I still have the free Rice Krispies coupon ($4.49), a raincheck for 2 packs of glue sticks ($1.98), and a coupon for 5 free prints ($1.49), and I know there are more free school supplies next week, though my store is often out of them. I also could splurge (haha) and use the 5/25 next week to get things we need like toilet paper and paper towels (I probably will since I have so many ECBs right now).

[Just for me: all the free stuff = $18.91. If I get it all plus the paper, Rice Krispies, and glue sticks, I'll pass $25 with ease - $27.88 - and can use the photobook raincheck the following week. If the store is out of something, I can use the free photos as filler plus TP and paper towels.]

Update: A friend gave me another $1/2 candy coupon, so I went back and got two more candy bars. All info below is updated to reflect that, but since I spent 2 cents and didn't involve any ECBs, it wasn't worth making a new post...

Total OOP: $29.20 ($14.38 tax)
Total merchandise: 17 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 2 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 6 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 2 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 2 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 2 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum, 1 Revlon mineral mousse, 1 travel pack CVS baby wipes, 6 Twix bars, 1 Milky Way dark bar, 1 Axe shampoo/bonus hair gel.

Current ECB status: $40.95

CVS - Scenario for 8/9/09

Here's my plan...

1 Revlon makeup - $9.99
4 candy bars - $2
1 6x8 photobook - $7.99
1 double paper - $2.50
2 glue stick packs - $1.98
Axe shampoo or Rice Krispies

$2/Revlon coupon from Glamour magazine, 2x2/$1 candy coupons, free Axe coupon from Maxim magazine [assuming CVS carries this line] or free Rice Krispies coupon sent to me from Vocalpoint, $5/$25 from cvs.com, rainchecks for photobook and glue sticks. I'll get back $9.99, $7.99 and $1.98. This all hinges on my store having photobooks and glue sticks in stock, of course. I also have a $4/$20 from the ReadyFill booklet if I can only reach $20.

Oh and couponmom.com says that in the 8/9 Sunday paper's Smartsource there will be a coupon for $6 off an Air Wick product that will be on sale for $5.99. I don't need nor really want this thing (I prefer tarts/candles to any air freshening spray...) but if I need to get it for filler, I'll buy the paper first with ECBs and then get the coupon...

ETA: I was told that the 5/25 beeps and says it's invalid until the 10th, so I'll just use a 4/20 and save the photobook for next week, I think.

Publix Week at Examiner - Articles about Publix all week!

As I've mentioned before, I'm the Atlanta Budget Grocery Examiner at Examiner.com. I cover both local and national deals and offer tips and tricks for using coupons. I wanted to let you know that this week I'm going to be covering a bunch of deals at Publix!

Check out what this week's Publix penny item is (good on August 3, 2009)
Learn about a new coupon booklet available at Publix (full of manufacturer coupons that you can use at stores like Kroger and CVS!)

Later this week I'll be covering a new contest that Publix is featuring.

In addition, I'm working on a series called "Coupons 101" that features basic information that can help you use coupons all across the country. Here are some of the articles in the series:

How to read coupon lingo
How to use coupons to save money on produce - fresh, frozen, and canned
How to use printable Internet coupons to save money

Writing for Examiner.com is a lot of fun, and I've made some money writing my articles too. If you're interested in learning more about becoming an Examiner in your area of expertise and getting paid to write about what you love, please let me know.

And if you sign up at Examiner.com, please use me (Marla Blair, the Atlanta Budget Grocery Examiner) as your referrer. I'd greatly appreciate it! Click here to view a video that shows you how.

I've joined Paperback Swap

I have far too many books, as you can see on my other blog, but I finally started adding books to my PB Swap bookshelf (I joined in 2005, actually, but then put off listing anything...). Please join, add me as a buddy, request my books, and so on! It's a great, thrifty way to get the books you really want to read and to clear out your house of the ones you don't!

CVS - Moneymaking Softsoap Bodywash, Free Blink Tears, Free School Supplies

Once again, I invite you to check out an Examiner article I wrote - it is a discussion of how to use printable coupons to save money.

Well, my store was out of a lot of the school supplies, but on the bright side, the limit on the Softsoap is at least three so I was able to get two!

Transaction one:

2 Stayfree pads - $10
1 bottle Softsoap Serum - $4.99
1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
1 caramel - 33 cents

Used $2/Softsoap, BOGO Stayfree, $10.87 ECBs. Paid 59 cents OOP (all tax, and somehow my pre-tax total was negative 5 cents even though I handed everything over in my usual order). Got back $9 and a coupon for a free small mouthwash.

Transaction two:

1 pack of pens - 99 cents
2 one-subject notebooks - $1.98
1 scissors - $2.99
1 Softsoap Serum - $4.99
1 mouthwash - $2.59

Used free mouthwash ($2.59), $2/Softsoap, $8.91 ECBs. Got back $9.96.

Transaction three:

1 Blink tears - $7.99.
Used $3/Blink tears (pulled out of paper after I bought it), $5 ECBs (adjusted down to $4.99). Paid 56 cents tax, got back $7.99.

Then I went to the pharmacy and talked to the really nice pharmacist and scored the new coupon booklet that includes TWO $4/$20s good all month! (Plus a bunch of specific coupons.) And I got a raincheck for the glue sticks that are free after ECBs but decided I have enough of everything else to need other rainchecks. (I have a raincheck for the photo book too, and that may come in handy with this 4/20!)

So it was a nice moneymaking day, and I am considering going to another store to max out the Softsoap (my store had TONS).

UPDATE: I went to another CVS and got another Softsoap. I used $2.97 in ECBs and a $2 coupon, paid 30 cents OOP, got back $4 AND my receipt still doesn't say offer limit reached, which leads me to believe the limit is 5. I am going to print out one more coupon (and possibly use a different computer to get another as well) and go back tomorrow, I think. The list below is updated with the new amounts. :)

SECOND UPDATE: I went back to the CVS I went to in the morning, bought two more bottles, one at a time. Although both CVS stores are in the same county and the sales tax is the same percentage, I paid a few cents more in tax at this store and I have NO idea why. I was caught a penny short, but my awesome cashier spotted me and I ran to the car and gave it to him. So I maxed out this great deal - hooray!



Total OOP: $28.26 ($13.44 tax)
Total merchandise: 16 double Sunday papers, 3 single Sunday papers, 4 boxes Throat Coolers, 1 Garnier 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, 8 packs of Stayfree maxi pads, 1 box of sheer Band Aids, 4 boxes of Soy Joy bars, 20 Soy Joy bars, 1 pack of Nutra Trim gum, 6 bottles Dawn, 4 travel packs of tissues, 7 greeting cards, 2 boxes 5 ct. allergy meds, 2 3-packs of CVS brand paper towels, 1 box of CVS cold medicine (Dayquil-ish), 1 Gillette shampoo, 1 Gillette conditioner, 1 Gillette shampoo+conditioner, 1 box of 30 Breathe Right strips, 4 Gillette Gamer razors, 2 L'Oreal towelettes, 1 KY product, 1 CVS toilet paper, 1 10-count Excedrin, 1 chewable aspirin, 2 Johnson's Buddies soaps, 1 20 oz. Dr. Pepper, 2 small CVS mouthwashes, 10 25-count CVS cotton rounds, 4 small boxes of Wheat Thins, 1 Boost Kid Essentials, 2 Cascade Action Pacs, 2 bags of Halls cough drops, 2 Energy Shots 2 pack, 5 Colgate toothpastes, 1 small box Breathe Right strips, 5 bottles Suave body wash, 2 bottles Herbal Essences shampoo, 2 bottles Herbal Essences conditioner, 1 Snickers heart candy, 2 bottles Mylanta Mint, 1 Fruitopia shampoo, 2 Venus Spa Breeze razors, 1 Renuzit Tri-Scent starter kit, 1 box 10-count Carnation Instant Breakfast, 2 single-serving Pringles, 1 bottle Vaseline lotion, 1 tube Crest toothpaste, 1 bottle Irish Spring body wash, 5 Dry Idea roll on deodorants, 1 Colgate Max White, 3 Colgate Max Fresh, 1 Crest Pro-Health Enamel, 2 Hylands teething tablets, 2 Skintimate shave gels, 1 pack Juicyfruit gum, 1 Softsoap coconut scrub, 2 Colgate sensitive toothpastes, 1 Zantrex 2-pack, 1 Adidas deodorant, 3 Contour monitors, 1 Bayer quick-release aspirin, 1 tub CVS-brand baby wipes, 2 bags Purina dog treats, 1 box of Playtex tampons, 2 boxes of Hello Kitty bandaids, 1 Clearasil face wash, 3 Speed Stick pro deodorants, 1 diet Dr. Pepper, 2 Gillette Fusion razors, 3 Powerades, 2 Thermacare wraps, 2 packs CVS panty liners, 3 boxes Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal, 2 rolls CVS tape, 2 bottles school glue, 6 10-packs of pens, 2 rulers, 3 scissors, 4 1-subject notebooks, 3 Dove chocolate bars, 1 Bayer Breeze2 monitor, 5 photobooks, 1 photo DVD, 2 small packs of almonds, 2 packs of filler paper, 2 vinyl binders, 2 small memo pads, 3 bubble mailers, 2 composition books, 2 packs of Pilot pens, 2 caramels, 2 packs of sticky notes, 3 boxes Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, 1 Blink Tears, 5 bottles Softsoap Serum.

Current ECB status: $38.95

CVS - Scenario for August 2, 2009

I think either this week or next is the last of the fun freebie weeks. So far my favorite store has been good about having about 80-90% of the freebies in stock. It's tax-free weekend here in Georgia and all the school supplies I buy should be tax free (which won't matter MUCH but should keep my final total low). So here's what I plan on doing:

Transaction one (because I need a coupon from the paper for a later transaction):
2 packs of Stayfree - $10
1 double Sunday paper - $2.50
1 SoftSoap - $4.99

Use BOGO Stayfree coupon and $2 Softsoap coupon. Pay $11.49 plus tax, get back $9.

[I just did the math and I can get to $11.87 with ECBs, so I'll have to find a 30-ish cent filler. A caramel, probably...]

Transaction two (only the tax-free stuff):
2 folders - 98 cents
2 notebooks - $1.98
2 packs of glue sticks - $1.98
2 pairs of scissors - $5.98
2 packs of pens or pencils - $1.98
MAYBE 2 rulers - $1.98 (I don't need these at all, but I could donate them I'm sure)
MAYBE one of each of the protractor/compass - $3
MAYBE 2 book covers - $1.98

All free and no tax, so pay with ECBs and should have no OOP.

Final transaction:
Blink Tears - $7.99
Use $3 coupon from Sunday paper, pay $4.99 get back $7.99.

I should wind up with 50 cents more than I started with. :)