Walgreens, 5/30 -- saved 57%

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. A lot has happened since then. An end to a busier-than-normal school year, dealing with first-trimester pregnancy stuff, it's been crazy! I finally found a good time to try Walgreens again, though, and I'm glad. Here's what I got:

Transaction #1:
calcium supplement - $10
Used $5 coupon from the May booklet
Paid $5.38
Received $10 rr

Transaction #2:
Celsius green tea - 3.99
Got $3 rr

Icy hot - $.99
Got $.99 rr

Bc headache powder $1.50
Got $1.50 rr

Liquid makeup - sale price $3.59

Illy canned coffee - $2
Got $2 rr

1 triscuit
1 wheat thins
$2 each
I thought I would get $2 rr each back, but I guess these were part of the same promotion, so I only got $2 rr.

Used $10 rr from first transaction. Paid $6.08. Received $9.50 in rr.

Walgreens, 1/15

Found a good deal on Metamucil at Walgreens last week. (Sale ended)

3 Metamucil products, $9.99 each
Paid: $29.97 (because I couldn't seem to get any coupons!)
Received: $10 RR

Not bad! I could have used the $5 RR I already had, but didn't take it with me. Oh, well, now I have $15 RR to use this week on www.addictedtosaving.com 's GREAT scenarios.

I know this puts me WAY over my $10 limit for the week at Walgreens, but this is for a box we're sending far far away. I'm allowed to go over the limit for someone else's benefit!

CVS and Walgreens, 1/9 -- eighty3% savings!

Transaction 1, CVS:

1 Dove milk chocolate - $.eighty9

Used $.50 coupon that printed from the in-store kiosk

Paid: $.39

1 Reese's minis - $1.59

2 Gas-X Prevention - $6.29 each

Used 2 $4 printable coupons

Paid: $4.5eight

Used $5 ECB

Paid: $1.75

Received: $.eighty9 ECB for Dove and $1.59 for Reese's

Transaction 2, CVS:

2 Gas-X Prevention - $6.29 each

Used 2 $4 printable coupons

Paid: $4.5eight

Used $.eighty9 and $1.59 ECB

Paid: $2.10

Recieved: $10 ECB for Gas-X

Transaction 3, Walgreens:

2 Newspapers - $1.50 each

Go! Kids' gummy vitamins -- $5

Used $1, $1.50, and $3 RR

Paid: $2.73

Received: $5 RR for vitamins

Total OOP today for drugstores: $6.5eight

Total received: $5 RR from Walgreens and $10 ECB from CVS

Walgreens and CVS, 1/2

I took a picture of my little stash, but my jump drive literally fell apart in my hand as I plugged into the laptop. Seriously, it's in 3 pieces. I don't know if the little guy will recover. So, without a picture, here's how I did today:

Walgreens transaction #1:

1 Oscillo children's flu medicine -- $eight.99

Used $2 printable

Paid: $6.99

Received: $10 RR

Walgreens transaction #2:

1 Celcius green tea, 4 pk. - $3.99

1 Milkbone dog treats - $3.99

1 Crest toothpaste - $2

Used $.75 from the 12/26 P&G

Paid: $1.25

Received: $1 RR

1 Jet Dry - $3.49

Used $.75 printable coupon

Paid: $3.74

Received $1.50 RR

Used $10 RR

Total paid: $3.69

Walgreens total: $10.6eight ($.6eight over budget. :( )

Walgreens savings: $23.99

Percent Saved at Walgrens today: 69.1%

RR remaining: $5.50, plus a catalina coupon for free Breathe Right strips

CVS:

2 Listerine (1 ltr. each) -- $5 each

Used 2 $1.50 hangtags! (an unexpected surprise!)

Paid: $7.75

ECB Received: $5

CVS total: $7.75

CVS savings: $6.5eight

Percent Saved at CVS today: 45.9%

ECB remaining: $5

$10 Scenario for Walgreens, 1/2-1/eight

Transaction 1:

1 Oscillococcinum 6 pk -- $eight.99
Use $2 printable coupon
Pay $6.99
Receive $eight.99 RR

Transaction 2:

1 Celsius Green Tea 4 pk -- $3.99
1 Jet Dry -- $3.49
1 Crest toothpaste -- $2
1 Nivea Men Arctic Freeze -- $3.99
Use $.75/1 printable coupon for Jet Dry
Use $.75/1 from 12/26 P&G for Crest toothpaste
Use $1 printable for Nivea Men
Use $eight.99 RR
Pay: $1.9eight
Receive $eight RR ($3 for Celsius; $3 for Nivea; $1 for Crest; $1 for Jet Dry)

Total Spent: $eight.97
Total RR Remainin: $eight

What $10 Will Get You at Walgreens -- Week of 10/17

After last week's scenario, we had $13.50 Register Rewards. Let's see how far we can stretch these this week.

2 Ricola cough drops (19-24 ct) -- $1 each
Use $1/2 from 10/17 SS (if our region gets it. Otherwise, we're out of luck here.)
Use $.50/1 from the Walgreens October coupon book found at the entrance to the store. (Will deduct $.50 each, or $1.)
You'll pay: FREE! for both!

Blistex medicated lip ointment (.21 oz) -- $2.59
You'll pay: $2.59
You'll receive: $2.59 in RR


Mucinex Nasal Spray (.75 oz.) -- $7.99
You'll pay: $7.99
You'll receive: $7.99 in RR


2 Nivea for Men body wash (up to 16.9 oz) -- 2 for $5
Use 2 $3/1 from 10/17 RP
You'll pay: FREE! for both! (Your cashier may have to adjust the value of the coupon down to avoid having overage. Many cashiers don't know that they can do this, but Walgreens' corporate coupon policy allows for it.)

2 Nivea for Women body wash (up to 16.9 oz) -- 2 for $5
Use $3/2 from 10/17 RP.
You'll pay: $2 for 2


2 Coffee-Mate (16 oz.) -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.69
Use 2 $1.50/1 printable coupons
You'll pay: FREE for both! (Again, your cashier may have to adjust the value of the coupon down to avoid overage. Wouldn't it be lucky if the register didn't beep, and you could keep all that overage?)

Dawn Hand Renewal -- $.99 w/ in-ad coupon
Use in-ad coupon to get the $.99 price
Use $.25/1 from eight/29 PG
You'll pay: $.74

Colgate Pro Clinical Toothpaste (4 oz) -- $3.99
Use $1/1 printable coupon
You'll pay: $2.99
You'll receive: $2 in RR

You'll need to buy some type of filler item because your item to coupon ratio is too high. I suggest the seasonal plastic tumblers that are eight for $1 with the in-ad coupon. You'll need at least 4, I think, to balance out the ratio. I don't know if these cups are Halloween-related, or fall-related, or what. I know that if they are Halloween, I would not buy them, and I'm not suggesting that you do. Even if I ended up spending more out of pocket, I'd spring for something less supportive of the occult!

Your total before taxes: $17.31 I assumed that you bought eight of the plastic tumblers.
Use your $13.50 in RR
You'll pay around $4!
You'll receive $12.5eight in RR!

I guess this low out of pocket makes up for last week's over-spending. :) I didn't look on any coupon website to verify if you could purchase the coupons needed, but I'm sure you would have fairly good luck at either mycouponhunter.com. This would add a couple bucks to your scenario and delay your shopping by a few days which may endanger the inventory availability. Even if you're shopping later in the week, I suggest that you print the coupons that you can right away so you don't risk them becoming unavailable by your shopping day.

I used couponingtodisney and couponkatarina to come up with my scenario today.

Happy shopping!

A $10 Walgreens Scenario for 10/10

We're starting with $7 in RR from last week. Here's how to make your $10 cash stretch this week. (I gathered information for this scenario from couponingtodisney and addictedtosaving.)

Hall's Refresh Lemon Raspberry Drops -- $1.00
Use $.75 coupon from October All You (or September All You)
OOP: $.25
RR Generated: $1.00

Crest Pro-Health toothpaste (4.2 oz.) -- $2.49
Use $1 coupon from 9/26 P&G
OOP: $1.49
RR Generated: $1.50

Noxema Disposable Razor (4-pk Triple or 4-blade) -- $3.99
Use $1 coupon from the 9/19 SS
OOP: $2.99
RR Generated: $3.00

Bayer Contour or Breeze 2 Blood Glucose System -- $14.99
Use $10 coupon from August eighth RP (Yep, my eight button still doesn't work.)
OOP: $4.99
RR Generated: $5.00

4 Mars candy -- $.49 w/in-ad coupon
Use in-ad coupon to make the candy bars $.49 each
Use 2 B1G1 coupons from the 9/26 RP
OOP: $.9eight! for all 4

3 Gillette body washes -- $9.99
Use 3 $2 coupons from the 9/26 P&G
OOP: $3.99
RR Generated: $3.00

2 Carefree pantyliners (22 pk) -- $.99 w/in-ad coupon
Use in-ad coupon to make each pkg $.99
Use $1/2 coupon from the 9/26 RP
OOP: $1.00

I confirmed on mycouponhunter.com that the coupons listed above are available. It will cost $1.94 to have these shipped to you. You'd have them in time to complete this scenario this week. Waiting those few days, though, do put you in jeopardy of not finding inventory you need. But, if you don't have the coupons listed, this may be your only shot! :)

Total: $15.69 plus tax
Use $7 RR from last week.
Add $1.94 for cost of coupons from mycouponhunter.com
Total OOP for this entire scenario: $17.63 plus tax.
Okay, so it's a little over the budget of $10, but I just couldn't leave any item out!


Total RR generated: $13.50!
Imagine all we can get next week with this amount!

PS -- If you can spend just a little more, you can get 2 Right Guard Total 5 Defense deoderants, using this $3/2 printable coupon, for just $.99!

A $10 Walgreens Scenario for 10/3

So, what if you wanted to spend just $10 or less at Walgreens? How could you maximize your spending? Check out my scenario for the coming week (beginning 10/3):

EOS Lip Balm Summer Fruit or Honeysuckle Honeydew -- $3

Schick Hydro 3 or 5 Blade Razor System or Cartridges $7.99
Use $4/1 from the 10/3 SS

2 Nivea Lip Care $1 each
Use $2/2 printable coupon from here

2 Quakes Rice Snacks 3.03 oz., $.99
Use $1/2 printable coupon from here

Pay $7.97 plus tax on applicable items

RR Received:
$3 for the EOS lip balm
$4 for the Schick Hydro

So, basically, you could spend less than the shelf price of the razor, get those other goodies, and walk away with $7 to spend next week (or at Publix!)!

Saturday Savings, 8/21 -- Walgreens and Publix

Oh, it feels like such a long time since I did a real shopping trip! The Lord provided some grocery money for us this week, so we were blessed to be able to hunt for (and pay for!) some great deals. I disliked the way the cashier handled the coupons, but I'll go into that later.

See hotcouponworld.com to search by brand to find where to get the coupons I used.

Walgreens:

2 Head and Shoulders shampoos -- 2 for $8
Used B1G1 coupon from 7/11 SS
Used $3 RR
Paid: $1.60 for both, or just $.80 each!
Received $2 RR!

Publix:

4 Barilla whole grain pasta -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.43
Used 2 $1/2 printable coupons
Paid: $.86 for all 4, or just $.22 each!

2 Special K protein snack bars -- 2 for $7
Used $1/2 printable coupon
Paid: $6 for both, or $3 each!

2 Special K cereal -- $4.09 each
Used $1/2 printable coupon
Used $1/2 Target coupon
Paid: $6.18 or $3.09 each!

6 assorted Hamburger Helper -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.99
Used 2 $.75/3 from the 8/8 RP or GM
Used 2 $1/2 Target coupons
Paid: $2.47 for all 6, or just $.42 each!

2 Juicy Juice 8-pk fun size drinks -- $2.15 each
Used $1/2 from the 8/1 RP
Used 2 $1 Target coupons
Paid: $1.30 for both, or just $.65 each!
(That comes out to an average of $.08 per day for Dianna's drink for school snack!)

1 Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Granola Bar -- $3.39
Used $.50 from the 8/8 GM
Used $1 Target coupon
Paid: $1.89

1 Nature Valley Granola Thins -- $3.39
Used FREE Publix coupon from a recent insert
Used $.75 from the 8/8 GM
Paid: FREE! plus $.75 overage!

2 Pepperidge Farms crackers -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.49
Used 2 $1/1 printable coupons
Paid: $1.49 for both, or just $.75 each!

4 Athenos feta cheese -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.49
Used 2 BOGO coupons from Facebook
Paid: FREE for all 4!

2 Kid's Cuisine fish stick meals -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.39
Used 2 $1 printable coupons
Used $1/2 Publix coupon from one of the back-to-school fliers
Paid: FREE for both, plus $.61 overage!

2 Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookie mix -- 2 for $5
Used $1/2 printable coupon
Paid: $4 for both, or $2 each!

1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments -- $3.19
Used FREE Publix coupon from a recent insert
Used $1 coupon from the 8/8 GM
Paid: FREE! plus $1 overage!

12-pk Publix bottled water -- $3.67
Used $2 Publix coupon from Fuel for School booklet
Paid: $1.67

2 Peter Pan peanut butter -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.67
Used 2 $.60 from the 8/1 SS
Used $1/2 from one of the back-to-school Publix fliers or booklets
Paid: $.47 for both, or $.24 each!

Publix brand sandwich bags -- $1.69
Used $2 Publix coupon from Fuel for School booklet
Paid: FREE! plus $.31 overage!

2 U by Kotex liners -- 2 for $7
Used 2 $2 coupons from the Walgreens August savings booklet
Used 2 $1 printable coupons
Paid: $1 for both, or just $.50 each!

2 Excedrin Migraine 24-ct. -- $1.49
Used 2 $1 printable coupons
Paid: $.98 for both, or just $.49 each!

2 Planters peanuts -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.99
Used 2 $1 printable coupons (I can't seem to find where this one is from.)
Paid: $.99 for both, or just $.50 each!

1 head of cauliflower -- $2
no coupon
Paid: $2

Tax was $.66

Total Paid: $32.59
Total Saved: $82.39
Total Percent of Savings: 71.6%

Okay, here's what I didn't like about the way the cashier dealt with the coupons. I offered them to her at the beginning of the transaction because I know that some cashiers like to see them up front. She immediately began separating them into stacks that didn't make sense at all to me. I had put all the coupons for a particular product together in my stack, but the products were in no particular order. She had at least one stack where she placed all the coupons for particular items together, but then she had other stacks of store coupons only or manufacturer coupons only, even if it meant that she split up coupons for the same product. It was crazy to me.
Then, she would scan some items, then ring some coupons. She went back and forth. She rang up some Barilla (not all), rang up 1 coupon, rang up Special K bars, then coupon, then coupon for special k cereal, then the cereal, then 21 more items, then 3 coupons, then item, coupon, item, coupon, etc. It didn't really seem to have any rhyme or reason. When she was done scanning the items, she still had a stack or two of coupons to scan. I am 100% sure that she moved two stacks that had not been scanned in front of her, then picked up one stack, scanned them, and placed them on the stack that she had not scanned. She then placed them all in the scanned stack before moving on to the last stack. I tried to tell her that there were some that she missed, but she didn't seem to get it. I paid at least $3 more than I should have, maybe up to $6 more.
I may be a crazy person for letting that bother me, but I spent the time to print and/or clip those coupons, and some of the items I purchased only because I had coupons for them. So, I'm irritated that April at the Bayou store handled it that way.
I learned a lesson though. I watched a Follow Me Monday video from hiptosave.com a while back, in which Collin answered a reader's question about how to make sure that all her coupons got scanned. Colin gave several ideas, but the easiest and least obtrusive one she gave was to simply count the number of coupons you have. If your receipt doesn't match that number, you could go to Customer Service to work it out. (They could pull the cashier's coupons and find which ones were missed.) It could be a bit of a hassle to get through, but I would be willing to go through that hassle since I already invested the time to prepare the list. In my description above, I counted 40 coupons. On my receipt, only 36 are listed.
I know that was a long rant, but it is frustrating!

Anyway, I still got some great deals. I'm thrilled with the Hamburger Helper -- Dianna says I make FAMOUS hamburger helper. (That means she likes it a lot. :) ) My favorite deal was the 2 boxes of Nature Valley for $1.14. Together with the juice boxes, I have 3 weeks worth of snacks for Dianna at school for just $.16 per day!

Walgreens, 8/8

Dianna was my assistant again -- this time she took the picture. She's such a sweetie. I like her more and more all the time. :)

Heard about this deal at Walgreens; had to try it out for myself.

Secret deoderant -- on clearance for $2.29
Paid: $2.47 after tax
Received a $3 RR!


That's a pretty normal deal on deoderant, and I plan to take that $3 RR to Publix. With careful planning, coupons, BOGOS, and general craftiness, I can get up to $7 or $8 with that $3 RR!

Walgreens, 7/13 -- 72% savings

Boy, it has been a long time since I've been to Walgreens! I didn't have any RR going in, and I didn't leave with any, either. I got some pretty great deals, though.

I saved $56.57
Here's what I got for $21.81

6 packs of papermate mechanical pencils
Used in-ad coupon
Paid: $2.34 for all 6, or $.39 each pack!

6 packs of lined 3x5 index cards
Used in-ad coupon
Paid: $2.34 for all 6, or $.39 each!

2 Crayola markers
Paid: $1.98 for both, or $.99 each!

4-pk Expo white erase markers
Paid: $1.99!

2 Elmer's jumbo glue sticks
Paid: $1.98 for both, or $.99 each!

4 pairs pantyhose
Paid: $1.40 for all 4, or $.35 each!

4 pairs of little girl's tights
Paid: $1.68 for all 4, or $.42 each!

2 3-pk men's socks
Paid: $2.58 for both packs, or $1.29 each!

2 packs Scuncii elastic hair bands
Used in-ad coupon
Paid: $1.99 for both, or $1.00 each!

16 2-pocket folders with prongs
Used in-ad coupon
Paid: $2.00 for all 16, or $.13 each!

This is a great time to stock up for the school year!

How-To for Walgreens and Publix, 6/16

Get ready, get set, GO SHOPPING! The deals in this trip are SO easy to re-create since I used printed coupons and store coupons almost exclusively. The Walgreens deal is good through the end of June, and the Publix sales just started today (6/16) and run through next Tuesday (6/22).

Don't know which Publix to get the coupons from? I HATE trying to find new coupon booklets at Publix; it seems like they are always out when I finally get there. That's why I like the Mobile Highway store. Most coupon booklets are kept at Customer Service, and each customer is limited to 4 copies of each booklet. That usually ensures that there will still be some left by the time I get off work and get to the store. :)

Here are the links to those awesome internet printable coupons!

Tony's frozen pizza ($1 each)
Starbucks icecream (BOGO @ $3.91 -- print and use 2 coupons!)
Eggo waffles (BOGO @ $2.69 -- Don't forget to look for the $1 / 2 blinkie!)
Bailey's creamer (BOGO @ $2.09 -- print and use 2 coupons!)
Combat ant/roach killer ($3.69 each! Don't forget the Yellow Advantage Flier coupon!)
GE Lighting coupon (Don't forget the Target printable found here! You'll need 2 Target printables!)

So I made a really fun (for me, at least) video of all the goodies I got at Walgreens and Publix, but I couldn't get it to load. I don't know what I'm doing. So, I have to go the old-fashioned route and write everything out for you.

Go to Walgreens first.

Get 3 Neutrogena products. Look for the basic cleansing bar (I don't know the real name for it, but it's well under $3 each right now.). It's part of the Neutrogena 25% off sale. Plus, you may be able to use the $1 off coupon from the 6/13 Smart Source. You need 3 items, so get 3 bars of soap. Use 3 coupons if you have that many.
The soap wasn't in stock when I was there, so I got 3 of the Neutrogena lip moisturizers. They are not part of the 25% off sale, but they are part of the Register Reward deal. There is a coupon for $1 off sun care products in the 6/13 SS. I didn't bring that coupon, so I don't know if it would work or not. It's worth a shot; I justify it because the lip moisturizer has an spf of 15. Sounds like sun care to me!
Anyway, get three items, each less than $3. You'll pay right around $9 and get back $10 in RR.

Here's how I did:

3 Neutrogena lip moisturizers -- $2.89 each
Used $6 RR
Paid: $2.67
RR generated: $10
Don't get too attached to that RR. You're going to part with it very soon.

On to Publix!

You'll need the Yellow Advantage flier and the Summer Savings booklet. Both of these were available at Customer Service at the Mobile Hwy store.

4 Tony's Party Time Crispy Crust pizzas -- $1 each, on sale
Use 2 $1/2 printable coupons
Pay: $2.00 for all 4, or $.50 each!

2 Starbucks ice cream -- 2 for $3.91
Use 2 printable coupons (I got $1 and $.75; you might get both $1 or both $.75.)
Pay: $2.16 for both, or $1.08 each!
This could vary by $.25 more or less, depending on what coupons you get.

2 Eggo waffles -- 2 for $2.69
Use 2 $1 internet printables (I could only use one. The price I am using below refers to your savings. I paid $.69 for both boxes.)
Use $1/2 blinkie found right in front of the waffles in the freezer section
Pay: FREE! plus $.31 overage!

2 Athenos feta cheese -- $2.49 and $3.99
no coupon
Pay: $5.48 for both, or an average of $2.74 each

2 Bailey's coffee creamer -- 2 for $2.09
Use 2 $1 internet printables
Use 2 $.55 coupons from the Yellow Advantage flier
Pay: FREE! plus $1.01 overage!

2 Gatorade recover -- $1 each, on sale
Use $1/2 coupon from Publix Summer Savings booklet
Pay: $1 for both, or $.50 each!

1 lb. (approx) tomatoes -- $.79/lb.
I paid $.88

2 Salad Expressions bagged mixed greens -- 2 for $3.79
use 2 $1 blinkies found right in front of the product (when you buy Salad Expressions and Athenos feta cheese)
Pay: $1.79 for both, or $.90 each!

1 Combat Quick Kill ant killer -- $3.69
Use $2 internet printable
Use $3 Yellow Advantage flier coupon
Pay: FREE! plus $1.31 overage!

2 4-pk. GE Reveal lightbulbs -- 2 for $3.49
Use 2 $1.50 Target internet printable coupons
Use $1/2 manufacturer internet coupon
Pay: FREE! plus $.51 overage!

Look for Brandi the cashier. If you can find her, go to her. She's amazing. It would probably make her day to know that random customers are praising her behind her back.

Use your $10 Walgreens Register Reward.

Pay: less than $3! (I spent $2.92)
Save: more than $50! (I saved $54.42)

Obviously, your results may differ from mine. Some things to think about:

1. Try to print more than 1 Eggo coupon. I only could print one, so I must have printed it previously. The more you print the more you save!

2. Try to get 2 (or more) of the Combat coupons, too. Each one you "buy" with your set of coupons, you get another $1 in overage!

3. Publix won't give you change back for your overage. Make sure you have enough to cover it. I like to use the overage to buy produce and meat, so if you have a bit of overage think, "Grapes or chicken?" :)

Whether you have good results or bad, I hope you'll comment here and let me know how your trip went!

My Disappointing Trip to CVS and Walgreens

As always, my early morning Sunday Shopping deals rely on getting certain coupons in our local paper. I peruse my favorite blogs (find links to the right of my posts) and decide what I'm going after. I make my list, and get set to leave the house early. This morning, I left around 6:30. I bought my 3 papers at Wal-Mart. I used up a gift card that had only $1.50 on it, then paid $1.70 for my papers.

In the Walmart parking lot, I looked through the inserts for the 3 or 4 coupons I needed to make today's deals work. Do you know, we didn't get a single one? grr. I try not to get frustrated because I was going after items that I don't need and another deal will come along before too long. But I can't help getting a little worked up. I wanted those items because of the ECB and RR they would generate.

Off to CVS to get the one item I still wanted to try for:

1 Covergirl Lipslicks AmazeMINT lip gloss -- $4.99
TRIED to use a $2 catalina coupon I got at Walgreens (It had the Walgreens logo on it but stated "manufacturer's coupon"). The register beeped, and the manager wouldn't accept the coupon.
Used a $2.97 ECB
Paid: $2.40
ECB generated: $3

Paid: $2.40
Saved: $3.97
Percent savings: 62%

Then to Walgreens for the 2 items I wanted:

3 Neutrogena bar soaps -- NOPE! OUT OF STOCK!!
grr.

1 Nivea for Men body wash -- $5.99
Used $3 coupon from 5/2 RP
Paid: $2.99
RR generated: $6

3 pkgs. Walgreens foam plates -- $.99 each w/in-ad coupon
Paid: $2.97 for all 3

1 Butterfinger bar -- $.39
yum. helps with the coupon frustration.
Paid: $.39

Used $5 RR

Paid: $2.06
Saved: $9.64
Percent savings:82%

Saturday Savings, 6/12 -- Walgreens

Fun at Walgreens today. I tried to think through my transactions to see if I could come up with a cheaper way of going about my purchases. I definitely struggle with that. And if anything goes wrong in my transactions, I get flustered and completely lose my place.

Here's how I did today:

Transaction 1

3 assorted John Frieda products -- 3 for $15
Used 3 $2 coupons I bought from thecouponclippers (click button at top right of blog for their site)
Paid: $10.13 after tax
RR generated: $5

Total spent: $10.13
Total saved: $11.37
Percent savings: 53%
Total RR generated: $5

Transaction 2

1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor -- $9.89
Used $4 coupon from 6/6 PG
Paid: $5.89
RR generated: $5

1 bag Walgreens gummy worms -- $.39
no coupon
Paid: $.39

Used $5 RR from previous transaction

Total paid: $2.06
Total saved: $12.70
Percent savings: 87%

Transaction 3

3 Bayer Aspirin products -- $.99 each with in-ad coupon
Used 3 $1 coupon purchased from thecouponclippers
Paid: FREE for all 3!

1 bag Walgreens orange slices -- $.39
no coupon
Paid: $.39

3 John Frieda Root Awakening products -- 3 for $15
Used 3 $3 coupons purchased from thecouponclippers
Paid: $6
RR generated: $5

Used $5 RR from previous transaction

Total paid: $2.52
Total saved: $29.37
Percent savings: 92%
Total RR generated: $5

Transaction 4

3 John Frieda Root Awakening products -- 3 for $15
Used 3 $3 coupons purchased from thecouponclippers
Paid: $6 for all 3, or $2 each!
RR generated: $5

2 assorted Walgreens candies -- $.39 each
no coupons
Paid: $.78 for both, or $.39 each

Total paid: $7.97
Total savings: $14.97
Percent savings: 65%
Total RR generated: $5

TOTALS:

Total paid: $22.68
Total saved: $68.41
Total percent savings: 75%
Total RR remaining: $10

Walgreens, 6/8

I really like the Walgreens on University and Nine Mile. I've gone in there later in the evening several times (including tonight, 9:07 pm), and the cashier Kellen (a guy) has been so knowledgeable and helpful.

2 Bengay pain reliever and massage -- $4.99 (marked up to $5 to make the coupon work)

Used $5 printable

Paid: FREE!

1 bag Walgreen's candy -- $.39

no coupon

Paid: $.39

Paid: $.42!

Saved: $10.60

Percent saved: 96%

Sunday Shopping, 5/23 -- Walgreens

Probably my best stop today!

2 Oscar Meyer hotdogs -- B1G1 -- 2 for $2.99
Used FREE coupon I received in my Kraft Summer Sample Pack
Paid: FREE for both!

Goody ouchless barrette -- $2.99
no coupon
Paid: $2.99
RR generated: $3

Hawaiian punch sugar free drink mix -- $1
no coupon
Paid: $1

6 Hunt's tomato sauce -- $.25 each
no coupon
Paid: $.25 each, or $1.50 for all 6!

Used $4.50 RR

Paid: $1.29

RR Generated: $3

Saturday Savings, 5/8

Monster shopping trip today. After our tradition of breakfast at Chick-fil-a, we went to Target, Publix, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart (in that order).

Target was a disappointment. I went in looking for the 8 oz. version of Gillette body wash, reported on some of my favorite blogs to be less than $2. With the $4/2 coupon from a recent paper, this would have made 2 for free. I was also looking for the budget pack of Venus razors, reported (again on some favorite blogs) to be $4.99. With the $2 off coupon, plus the $5 Target gift card wyb 2 coupon I received in the mail, I was looking at spending $12 oop for 2 body washes and 4 razors. Then I would receive back $10 in Target gift cards. The 8 oz. Gillette does not exist at my Target, apparently, and the only razors I found were not budget friendly. I left Target without spending a thing.

Publix gave me a better experience. Since learning that Publix (at least the one I most like to shop at) accepts Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks, I've been very eager to try using more of those there. I used a Register Reward there recently with success, so today I had a $5 off $40 CVS coupon and $8 in Register Rewards to try. I didn't take a picture, but here's the rundown:

6 boxes of Ziploc bags -- 2 for $4
Used 3 B1G1 Free coupons from 4/11 SS
Paid: $1 each, or $6 for all 6 boxes!

2 Betty Crocker cake mixes -- 2 for $1.95
AND 2 Betty Crocker frostings -- 2 for $3
Used 2 $.75 wyb both mix and frosting from 3/28 SS (also from 5/2 SS)
Paid: $.86 each, or $3.45 for all 4 items!

1 small carton Egg Beaters -- $1.67
Used $1 coupon from April All You
Paid: $.67!

2 Eight O'Clock coffees -- 2 for $5.09
Used 2 $.75 coupons from April All You
Paid: $1.80 each, or $3.59 for both!

2 Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake cookies -- 2 for $3.09
Used $1/2 from 3/28 SS
Paid: $1.05 each, or $2.09 for both!

2 General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals -- 2 for $3.59
Used $1/2 coupon from 5/2 SS
Paid: $1.30 each, or $2.59 for both!

4 lb. Boston Butt roast -- $8.68
no coupon

American Express $50 card -- $50, plus $4.95 activation fee
Paid: $54.95
Got back $10 Publix card for free!

BP $50 gas card -- $50
Used $10 coupon from the ad
Paid: $40

Used my $5/$40 CVS coupon, and $8 in Register Rewards.

Total after store sales, but before coupons: $155.31
Total after coupons: $110.04
Total savings: $62.99
Percent savings: 36% (eh, not good)

I love that I spent $110 and received all those groceries PLUS $50 in gas, $50 on American Express gift card, and $10 in Publix gift card. It's like buying those 3 cards, then getting all the grocery stuff for FREE!!

Walgreens

Good visit here, too.

4 Nivea Men's body washes -- $3.99 (not included in the 20% off sale, apparently)
Used 4 $3 coupons from the 5/2 RP (I think?)
Paid: $1 each, or $4 for all 4!
Received: $5 RR

1 Ramen noodles -- $.39
no coupon

Used $2 Register Rewards

Total oop: $3.55
Received back $5!

CVS was another bust. All out of stock of Nivea. That's what I get for waiting until Saturday to shop.

Wal-Mart
I was a little nervous about this stop after my rough couponing experiences lately. All went well, though.

6 Benadryl anti-itch sticks -- $2.28 each
Used 3 $5/2 coupons from 4/11 RP
FREE! plus slight overage!

Mango nectar -- $.98
no coupon

Agave Nectar -- $3.48

Thanks to the slight overage on the Benadryl, I only paid $3.14 for all this!

Total oop today: $119.87
Total saved: $95.99
Percent savings: 44%

One Trip, 4 Stores, a Handful of Deals, 4/18

I left the house at 6:15 this morning -- yes, that's right, 6:15 AM on a Sunday morning -- so I could get to Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, and Target before getting the family to Sunday School at 9:00!

Here's how it went:

1st stop: Wal-Mart
Since I have a new-found aversion to Wal-Mart, I made this trip as short as I could. Is it just me, or is there no such thing as a short trip to Wal-Mart? Took me 30 minutes! They only had one cashier, and the line was pretty long.
I bought 3 newspapers, after inspecting them for a certain coupon. We didn't get the coupon I was hoping for, or I would have bought 9 today!
Paid: $3.20

2nd stop: CVS
Didn't get much here, either.

I bought 2 Thermacare shoulder and neck wraps at $2.49 each and a green bag tag for $.99.
Paid: $6.05.
I used gift cards I got for doing surveys on-line. I didn't pay anything out of pocket.

3rd stop: Walgreens, 2 transactions

1st trans:

Nature Made vitamin D -- $5
Used $2 printable coupon
Paid: $3
RR generated: $5

3 Walgreens reusable shopping bags -- 3 for $1 with in-ad coupon
Paid: $1

Used $2.50 in RR that I had from a previous transaction.
Paid: $1.72

2nd transaction:

U by Kotex -- $3.49
I had a $1 printed coupon, but it was for CVS only (how did I miss that?) and I didn't bring any other coupons with me.
Paid: $3.49
RR generated: $2.49

2 Bayer low dose 32 ct. -- $2.99 each
Used $3/1 coupon in the ad to deduct $6.
This coupon has actually been recalled by the stores now. I'm glad I'm got there early, because with some fancy footwork, the cashier pushed them through for $.01 each.
Paid: $.02 for both
RR generated: $3

Colgate total toothpaste -- $2.99
Used $1 coupon from April's All You
Paid: $1.99
RR generated: $2

Paid: $6.58
RR generated: $7.50

I have $12.50 RR left over for next week! I hope to find more grocery items next week.

4th stop: Target

Silk soymilk -- $2.69
Used $.75 coupon from 4/11 SS
Paid: $1.94 from gift card.
Got a free Target reusable shopping bag. It's cute!

Out of pocket today, I spent around $10!

Walgreens -- Thursday, 4/1

Well, I live in the land of a Walgreen's on every other corner (maybe that's the whole country; I don't know). I visited several Walgreens over the past couple of days looking for those great free-after-register-rewards items and just couldn't find them. I went a little farther out of my way than usual last night (Thursday) and found most of what I was looking for. The trade off is that the manager wouldn't allow 2 of the important coupons to go through.

I did 3 transactions. Here's how they went:

Transaction #1:

1 14-day Dulcolax -- $10 sale price
$4 printable coupon
Paid: $6
RR generated: $10

5 Bumblebee chunk light tuna in water -- $.69 each with in-ad coupon
no coupon
Paid: $3.45

Used $5 in RR.
Paid: $4.45

Total savings on transaction #1: $14.49

Transaction #2:

12 pack Cottonelle -- $5 sale price
Used $1 coupon I received in the mail.
Used $1 coupon from the April Savings Booklet
Paid: $3

7 Betty Crocker Warm Delights -- $1 each sale price
Used 7 $.75 coupons
Paid: $.25 each or $1.75 for all 7!

5 Royal (jello-type) Gelatin -- 5 for $1 with in-ad coupon
Tried using $1/5 blinkie coupon I picked up at Publix a while back.
The manager wouldn't allow the coupon to be used since I was getting sugar free gelatin. The coupon says, "any" item on it, but the picture does not include sugar free, so it was a no-go. I told the cashier that I had used the coupon at several Walgreens. (Seriously, I have like 20 of these.) She said that some managers allow it and some don't. I went ahead and got the gelatin -- it wasn't worth voiding them when there were already people waiting behind me -- but I did get the coupon back to use at a more coupon-friendly store.
Paid: $1 for all 5

Air Wick Imotion compact -- $3.99 sale price
Tried using $4 coupon and the manager wouldn't allow it to be adjusted to match the price of the item. grr. I should have known that would have happened. They were the only store I've been to that still had those in stock. Nobody wants to buy those things if they have to pay for it. I did void that out of the transaction. Oh, well. Every Walgreens in town will report 100% sales on their inventory of these, and this store will sell almost none. Their loss.
Paid: $0

Dove shampoo -- $4
no coupon
Paid: $4
RR generated: $4

6 Super bubbles -- 3 for $1 with in-ad coupon
Paid: $2 for all 6!

Used $10 RR
Paid: $2.83

Total savings for transaction #2: $33.72

Transaction #3:

14-day Dulcolax -- $10 sale price
Used $5 coupon I got in the mail
Paid: $5
RR generated: $10

2 Cadbury Eggs -- 2 for $1

Used $4 RR
Paid: $2.08

Total savings for transaction #3: $11.99
*****
Total spent: $9.36
Total saved: $60.20
And I came away with at least $10 RR! (I have $16 altogether, and I don't know how much I had left over from before.)

Walgreens -- Thursday, 4/1

Can't find the little USB thingy to put my pictures on my posts. So for now, no pictures. If I find it, I'll get the pictures I took of my shopping uploaded.

Two transactions this morning at two different stores. I was hunting for a few items that I think I probably won't find at this point in the week. Both stores I went to were completely out of the Dulcolax, Simply Saline, and Air Wick that I could have gotten for free this week.

Transaction 1:

5 Royal brand sugar-free jello-type mix -- 5/$1 with in-ad coupon
Used $1 blinkie coupon I got at Publix several weeks ago now.
Paid: FREE! for all 5

Dove Conditioner -- $4
no coupon
Paid: $4
RR generated: $4

Simply Saline -- $9.99, adjusted to $7
no coupon
Paid: $7
No RR generated, which caused me to question the deal. I had the wrong type of Simply Saline, so I returned it and got my $7 back.

Walgreens one-a-day vitamins, 100 ct. -- $3, sale price
no coupon
Paid: $3
RR generated: $3

Used $11 in RR.
Paid oop: $3.30
(Then got $7 back from the Simply Saline.)
RR generated: $7.

Second transaction:

5 Royal brand sugar-free jello-type mix -- 5/$1 with in-ad coupon
Used $1 blinkie coupon I got at Publix several weeks ago now.
Paid: FREE! for all 5
(Anybody need jello? I have a ton that I've gotten free over the last couple of weeks!)

Walgreens brand one-a-day vitamins, 100 ct. -- $3, sale price
no coupon
Paid: $3

Paid oop: $3
RR generated: $3

Totals:
Paid oop: $6.30
RR generated: $10
Got $7 back in cash for return. That's like getting everything for free, plus $.70 in my pocket and $10 RR or next time!