Friday Finds, 1/22 -- CVS and Target

I bought more than I expected to tonight, but I felt like I got such great deals! I did 3 transactions at CVS and just one at Target.

In my first transaction, I bought:

6 12-packs of Diet Mt. Dew, 3 for $10

2 bags of Wonka gummies, 2 for $4

5 Dawn with Olay Hand Renewal, $.96 each

3 Dawn Botanicals, $.96 each

1 6-ct. box of Soy Joy

1 bag Stacy's pita chips

Total: $43.06

Used 2 $1 Wonka printable coupons

5 $.50 Dawn with Olay Hand Renewal coupons from the 12/27 P&G

3 $.25 Dawn coupons from the 12/27 P&G

FREE coupon for Stacy's Pita chips for becoming a fan on Facebook

$4 ECB

$5 gift card from Lightspeed Panel (a survey site through which you earn points to trade for gift cards. I've gotten the $5 CVS and a $5 Macaroni Grill gift certificate in about a month and a half.)

Paid $25.81

Received $17 ECB's and a coupon for $1 off lotion

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2nd CVS transaction:

1 box of Soy Joy -- $6.00

1 trial size lotion -- $1.29

Total: $7.39

Used $6 ECB

Used $1 coupon off lotion

Paid: $.39

Received $6 ECB

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3rd CVS transaction

1 box of Soy Joy -- $6.00

Total: $6.00

Used $6 ECB

Paid: $0.00!

Received $6 ECB

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So, over all, I spent about $26 at CVS. I left with $17 ECB for next week. And I got roughly $54 worth of stuff.

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Then, to Target!

I bought:

5 trial size Tide detergents -- $.97 each

Used 5 $1 Tide detergent coupons from the 12/27 P&G

FREE!

*****

4 trial size Sensodyne toothpaste -- $.96 each

Used 4 $1 Sensodyne coupons from the 1/3 RP

FREE!
*****

2 trial size ReNu contact solution -- $1.52 each

Used 2 $2 ReNu printable coupons

FREE!

*****

2 Starkist Tuna packets -- $1.49 and $1.89

Used 2 $1 printable coupons

$.49 + $.89 = $1.38

*****

35 count bottled water, Target brand -- $3.59

No coupon used

*****

Before coupons: $19 something.

After coupons: $5.51

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A pet peeve:

Why doesn't Target allow the consumer to get the full value of the coupons? It bugs me that I lose the overage at Target. Wal-Mart allows the overage. grr. I could have paid closer to $4.35 if they allowed it. I don't get it because Target is going to turn around and submit the coupons to the manufacturers and be reimbursed for the full amount. It just really gets me that they are getting their money back, plus pennies each time. As if they needed another way to collect pennies. You know what? It's really okay, because free is free. I have all that stuff that I didn't have to pay for. And if it bothers me too much, I can just go over to Wal-Mart where it's not a problem.