CVS purchases

(Picture to come)

This week was great for me at CVS! i hope to get back there again on my way home from work (and maybe again tomorrow if I get a chance to get to a printer to print off a couple more Qs)

Here's what I got the other day:

2 Purex laundry detergent - $11.98
4 Sobe Life Waters (VERY tasty!) - $4.00
1 Orapik - $2.79 (filler to make it equal my ECBs)
Quart of milk - $1.80 (is quart the right word?? I'm Canadian, we have liters!!!)
box of Fig Newtons (husband LOVES these and we never get because they're "extra") $.99
Dial 3 pack $1.99
Total : $23.55

Qs used:
$3/$5
2 BOGO Sobe
$1 Dial
and Purex was on BOGO

Total after sale and Qs - $11.56
Used $5.58ECB and $6.00 ECB (rounded down 2 cents)
OOP = ZERO
ECB received = $2/Sobe, $1/Dial, $2.79/Orapik

Transaction 2
KY Yours and Mine (haven't tried it yet...) $19.99
Qs used
$5.00 off
$3/$15
Total = $11.99
Used $10ECB and $2ECB
OOP = ZERO
ECBs received = $10

Total OOP = ZERO
ECBs spent = $23.58
ECBs earned = $15.79

Total "out" = $7.79 in ECB

I don't mind losing some ECBs because I know I can raise them back up. I like the feeling of nothing out of pocket -- becuase essentially, I haven't really put ANYTHING significant into CVS.... In the month that I've been doing it, I would imagine I have not spent more than $3. YIPPEE!!!

When life doesn't hand you lemons...

...Use True Lemons instead! 

 

Yesterday in my mailbox, I got my long awaited for True Lemon/Lime/Orange water additives!!  I haven't had a chance to try them, but you bet I will!!! 

 

Request your True Lemon sample today so you can taste the difference for yourself!! What a refreshing drink that will be in the heat of moving day tomorrow!!!

 

I'll be sure to post after I try it to let you know how GREAT it was!!  (And by doing that and sending them the link to my blog, they'll send me even more samples!!! YAY TRUE LEMON!!!)

 

It's closing day!!!!!

...and it's pouring rain!!!

Closing day on our house is TODAY!!! YAHOO!!!!  That means we move tomorrow (and lose the apartment as of Monday. Here's to hoping the 50% chance of rain for tomorrow holds off because we have to do it anyway... we'll just probably lose most of our help!!!

Here are some things that I will NOT miss about the apartment:

1- No more squeaky floors! (house has cement floors, no squeaking!)
2- No more worrying about scaring the downstairs neighbour to death by
dropping something (she's really sensitive -- we really may have scared her
to death!) --
3- No more stairs to the doorway! (house is completely one story living)
4- No more parking under a tree and being constantly speckled with
"helicopters" and bird doo! (house has a garage)
5- No more road being flooded when it rains (while this was amusing, it will
be nice to know we can get out -- even in the rain!)
6- No more laundry in the kitchen! (house has a laundry room with a door and
everything! no more dust in my kitchen appliances!)
7- No more running toilet every 20 minutes! (the apartment toilet needs new inards but we never had them come to do it)
8- No more having to remember to touch the dial on the dishwasher when it gets to the rinse cycle (at the apartment, the dishwasher is broken. It stops at Rinse and you have to nudge the button.  They are replacing it as soon as we're gone -- could have been a couple weeks ago, but we didn't want the hassle. We just ran it when we were home to "help it along"
7- I wish I could say no more ugly couch, but we've had to put buying a new
one on hold indefinitely. It'll come -- in its time.

We're pretty excited about the move (can you tell???)

If all goes well... CVS May 11

If all goes well, I plan on going to CVS tomorrow and making 2 transactions. As long as everything is in stock (which my CVS is very good at.. it's been rare that I haven't been able to find something, and usually only at the end of the week), here's what I plan to do:


Trans 1:

Schick Intuition Razor - $9.99
4 Colgate Toothpastes - $2.99
2 Colgate 360 Toothbrushes - $3.99 (they didn't have any of these on the shelves today, so we'll see...)
Pulsar Oral B toothbrush - $4.99
Freestyle Monitor - $10.00
Total: $44.92
Coupons Used:
- $3/15
- $4.00 Intuition
- 2 $1.50 Colgate TP
- 2 $1.00 Colgate TP
- $1/2 360 TB
- $1.o0 Pulsar TB
- $9.99 Freestyle (this coupon came from the SmartSource insert today, May 11)
Total after coupons: $20.93
Use 20.95 ECB
OOP = ZERO
Get $6.00 for Intuition, $8.00 for Colgate TP, $7.98 for Colgate 360s, $10 for Freestyle

Trans 2
Colgate toothpaste - 2.99
Crest Rinse - 5.99
2 Pro health Crest toothpaste - 7.98
Crest Glide - 3.49
Jolly Rancher - 1.50
Freestyle Monitor - $10.00
Total = $31.95
Coupons used:
- $1.00 Colgate TP
- $3.00 Rinse & Crest TP
- $1.00 Crest TP
- $1.00 Glide
- $9.99 Freestyle (this coupon comes from the SmartSource insert which a co-worker will bring me to work tomorrow!)
Total after coupons = $15.96
use $15.98 ECB
OOP = ZERO
Get $2.00 for Colgate and $10.00 for Crest/Oral B, $10.00 for Freestyle

So if all goes well (cross fingers X), I will:
purchase $76.87 (based on sale prices),
use $36.93 in ECB,
spend nothing out of pocket,
and get $53.98 ECB back :)

So after all is said and done, I'll be out nothing and up $17.05 in ECB!!!

I believe this game may be an instance of "having your cake and eating it too!!!!"

CVS May 4-10

Today was the first time I ventured to CVS this week. It's been a busy week because my DH has been away and it is my job to finish packing the house to move next week! Plus, who wants to have extra stuff to have to move next week?!

That said, here's my scenario for this week :)

Store #1
I went, and they didn't have the 360 Colgate toothbrushes, so I had to do quick in my head adjustments. I messed up and paid more than I should have :( But here goes.

2 Orapik Travelers - $2.79
1 Venus razon - $9.99
Total: $15.57
Coupons:
- $3/$15
- $4 Venus
Total after Qs: $7.57
I accidentally paid with too many ECBs, (I gave her what I would have given her with the toothbrush), so I was overpaid by $1.42. I grabbed the Breathsaver mints that are on sale. That put me to $.08 but I had given her TWO packs (because it was buy 2 get $2. So I had to pay $1.58. I should have just bought the one Breathsaver and gotten the other in another transaction... Oops.)
So, Total OOP: $1.52
Got: $5.58/Orapik, $5.00/Venus

Store 2:
I was a little disappointed in myself so I went to the other CVS on the other side of town to try to make it up to myself :) They didn't have the toothbrushes either, but I got the CVS one instead and it worked out for me.

Here's what I got:
2 Kiss nail glues - $3.98
1 CVS toothbrush - $2.99
Adidas Deodorant: $4.99
Total: $11.96
Coupons used:
- $4.99 Adidas
- 7.99 ECB
= TOTAL OOP - $0.00!!
Got: $4.99/Adidas, $5.00/Kiss nails, $2.00/toothbrush

Store 1 on left = $1.52, Store 2 on right = $0.00

Much better. I felt much more accomplished after this deal!! All in all, it wasn't so bad I guess. I still came out with a bigger increase in ECBs than I spent in real cash. I spent about $17 ECB and made $22.57 in return. so I guess it's ok that I spent $.158!

Moral Dilemma

Ok, so last Thursday, I was walking through a local grocery store and passed a table where our local newspaper was being offered.  I usually to go a store on Sunday to pick up the paper anyway, so decided to find out what this guy had to say...

 

It was a pretty good deal. The paper costs $1.00 in the store and he was offering (just the Sunday) paper for $3.96 a month, delivered to my house. So I could get it right away on Sunday, AND save a whole whopping penny per paper!  Plus, because it was an in-store subscription, they were throwing in a $10 store gift card for signing up that day.  So I signed up, got the giftcard, and used it to buy my groceries that day. 

 

Now here's the kicker. That is the local paper.  There is a bigger paper that costs $1.75 --- and has more coupons.  I usually would pick this one up on the days that I knew the P&G would be in it for example. But it was more and I didn't get it regularly, I just did without the Redplum (the paper I usually got only carries the SmartSource).   BUT yesterday in the mail, I received a flyer offering slashed prices for a year subscription to the bigger paper.  75% off!!! The total price (paid up front) is TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS for the bigger paper.  Do the math -- the smaller paper with less coupons comes to $47.52!

 

Ugh -- so my dilemma is --- should I call the paper that I just signed up with and cancel my subscription?? It will look like I signed up for the gift cert and then bailed on them... I didn't!!! At the time, it was a good deal!  Should I let it go for a month and then cancel it (so they at least get their $3.96 out of me....)  Where can I draw the line to get a good deal for my family but not rip off the smaller paper either?!?

 

Thanks for the advice.  I have grown to really appreciate my new online community of friends!  (That's you!!)

 

Grocery Gathering - Get it now!!

Ever wondered how you can chop your grocery bill to fit into an already tight budget? Are you looking for "just another $10 a week" to make ends meet?? The Grocery Gathering (hosted by www.becentsable.blogspot.com) is the place for you!!

Each week, many bloggers put together their efforts and create what we affectionately refer to as "The Grocery Gathering." Click here and by transported to a world just for you!!! Have only a couple store options in your town? Check out the list of stores they cover, you'd be surprised how vast the choices are!

Check it out -- follow their links for coupons and sale alerts galore... and get ready to save money!

CVS treasures

WOW! This has been my CVS week!

 

I'm not going to break it down, I'm just going to tell you what I bought and how much I paid.  If I have time later, I will break it down a little further.

 

- 8 EOB gift bags (meant to go back go finish off the deal, but a meeting went late and I didn't get to the store until after it was closed on the last day of the month :(

- 4 Soleil 4-pack of razor refills

- 1 24/7 Speed Stick (that my husband won't wear because it's anti-perspirant, not deodorant...)

- 2 packs Twizzlers (for my dear husband)

- 1 Colgate toothbrush

- 3 Aquafresh toothpastes

- 1 Butterfinger bar

- 1 Snickers bar

- Just for Men gray hair color

- Tums Quikpak

- Lifesavers gummies roll

- 4 packs post-it notes

- 2 command hooks

- 2 Palmolive dishsoap

- 1 sucker

 

This was based on two trips to the store.  Three transactions on the second trip.  After coupons and ECB's, I paid OOP, 54 cents!! But, get this. On the last transaction, the girl made a mistake so the manager had to come over and refund everything. By the time it was all said and done, I ended up walking out of the store with a GIFT CARD for $2.36!  I told the lady that I didn't want the giftcard because I hadn't even spent that much, but she said that's the way the register wanted to do the refund, so it was mine!  I'm still not really sure how it worked out that way, but HEY!  I tried to give it back and she said no, so BONUS!!  That should cover the few penny overages for a few months!!!   Actually, I'm pretty sure that ALMOST gives me back any money I have put towards CVS purchases since I started a month ago!  :D