Shopping Trip

CVS purchase: $.48

Walgreens purchase: $0

Target purchase: $.28

An entire afternoon to shop by myself: Priceless

Yep. It was a good day. After carefully planning my shopping outing this afternoon (with only a few minor setbacks involving computers and printers NOT cooperating...sigh), I dropped the boys off at Grandma Ehret's house and hit CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, and Aldi in a matter of 4 hours. (Oh...and found time to sit still for half an hour in the Target Starbucks enjoying a caramel macchiato. Love those gift cards!)

Tonight I will just share my CVS purchase. The others will have to wait. It was actually a very slow week at CVS, but that's Ok. Slow and simple is a good way to start for all you CVS virgins. (That was for you, Natalie!)

Here's what I got:

Transaction #1:

1 Crest Pro-Health: $2.49 with $1 off coupon/Earned $3.49 ECBs
1 Maybelline Instant Age Rewind *YES!*: $4.99 with $3 coupon/Earned $5 ECBs
1 York Peppermint Patty: (and yes...that wrapper is empty...yum) $.89

Transaction #2:

2 Johnson's Buddies Soaps: $.19 ea. with 2 $1 off coupons
1 bottle of Vitamin D: $2.99/Earned $2.99 ECBs

I used $8 in ECBs that I already had on the first transaction and then used $3.49 ECBs from the Crest Pro-Health on the second transaction.

TOTAL OOP (out of pocket): $.48
TOTAL ECBs to use next time: $7.99

Come back on Sunday when I will share my plan for your CVS steal deal of the week!

Here it is!

It's the moment you've all been waiting for! As promised in a previous post, I have something exciting to share!

Oh I'm sorry...did you think I meant this exciting news? Nope. Not yet. (Am I the only one laughing here? Please don't hate, you'll find out soon!) Actually, the 'something exciting' I am referring to is a response to a question I've been getting for months now.

If you want to know how to become a CVSer, I've got the goods today. And as I always say, It's gonna change your life!

I'm actually not kidding about that. If you don't believe me, ask my mom. She would be the first to tell you that she never thought that becoming a couponer was in her dna, until I started teaching her about CVS. She's nearing retirement age, folks, (Is that ok to share, mom?) and has never used coupons or followed ads until about two months ago. Now she calls me each week feeling hyper (her words) about the deals that she scored.

Since joining the world of the drugstore game (Walgreens and Rite Aid also have great deals), I estimate that I've saved my family over a thousand dollars. Crazy, huh? And the better I get at the game, the more money I am saving.

If you’d like to join the game, I’m going to give you the simplest tutorial I know how and then leave it up to you to bring on the questions.

Here goes!

The CVS ExtraCare Program provides shoppers with something called Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). These are ‘coupons’ that print out at the end of your receipt after you purchase certain items. The coupons are a dollar amount that can be used on your next purchase at CVS.

Weekly and monthly, CVS promotes products by offering a certain amount of ECBs if you buy them. My goal when I shop at CVS is to figure out how I can get the most ECBs for the least amount of money. This means buying items that either offer a high amount of ECBs or items that I have a coupon for or BOTH, which is the ultimate deal.

(For example, CVS has toothpaste this week for $3.49 that will earn you $3.49 in ECBs, PLUS I have a $1.00 off coupon. So, I will spend only $2.49, but get $3.49 back. That’s good stuff.)

When you earn your first ECBs you may feel that you have a coupon burning a whole in your pocket and you should use it right away. Actually, the best idea is to save your ECBs so that you can use them when there is a new week with new deals and new coupons. Again, the goal is to figure out how you can get the most ECBs for the least amount of money. And now you have a coupon that will make it that much easier to do so!

What made learning this game possible for me is that there is a whole world of resources available online. There are numerous web-sites dedicated to helping you figure out the best deals and the coupons that you can use with them. Stick with me and I will introduce you to these sites and help walk you through them.

Here’s what you need to do to get started:

1) Sign up for a CVS Extra Care Card. You can do so online, but I suggest just signing up in the store so that you can start using your card right away.

2) Start saving your Sunday coupons. If you don’t get a Sunday paper, it’s time to start! For tips on the easiest way to organize your coupons, go here.

3) Plan your shopping trip in advance. Check my blog each Sunday for the upcoming week’s best deals. Look through the store flyer to see if there are any deals that you don’t want to miss.

4) Take a carefully planned list and the store flyer with you, so you can be sure you are getting the exact items that are advertised.

5) If at all possible, take NO children with you! You will end up feeling stressed and rushed and paying more than you intended. (Besides, the CVS carts are about the size of my kitchen sink. No, I’m serious.)

Ok, let the savings begin!

(Check back later today for my CVS deals this week. I'm heading to the store this afternoon...without children!)

Wordless Wednesday (a.k.a A Reason to Show Cute Pictures of My Children)

The Secret is Out...or will be

Some of my best ideas come in the middle of the night.

Although my 7 month old continues to sleep well, my 3 year old still needs potty breaks in the wee hours occasionally. (I SOOOO did not mean that as a pun!)

So, last night as I lay in bed after putting him back to bed, I started thinking about this little secret of ours. Some of you have been asking about it. I've been trying to figure out how we should tell you.
Then it hit me. A CONTEST!! Why not have a little fun?

So, here's the scoop. (Oh...and speaking of scoops, if you live near a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop, stop by TODAY--March 24--only with a non-perishable item and you can get a scoop for only $1!)

At some point in the next 7 days, I will write a post, outing our little secret.

If YOU are the first commenter on that post, I have a $5 Target gift card with your name on it.

Now, isn't that fun? Just keep coming back...maybe it will be YOU! (hint: if you want a bit of an edge in this contest, become a follower or subscribe to this blog!)

Besides, aren't you just dying to find out?! (And seriously, I'm not pregnant, folks...)

Swagbucks Love

It has now been a week since I signed up for Swagbucks.

Update: I am only 2 swagbucks away from my first gift card!!!

It has been so much fun to watch my numbers grow with very little effort on my part. I have searched the web several times, but most of my points have come from a few people who signed up last week when I posted about this new online search engine. As they earn swagbucks, so do I!

Here are a few tips:

• Sign up here. It only takes a minute and no credit card is required.
  

• Once you are signed up, be sure to download the toolbar and start earning bucks right away. You'll automatically receive 3 swagbucks just for signing up!
  

• Then, click on 'Promote' to find banners and links to post on your blog.
  

• If you don't have a blog, you can simply click on 'Promote' and send out an e-mail to your friends to invite them to join you in this fun new way to earn free money.

Seriously, this is so much fun. Join the Swagbucks craze with me. Hey, everybody's doing it! (This is what we call positive peer pressure. =)

Money-Saving Monday: The Health and Beauty Edition

It's been interesting to see how the deals I find each week all seem to follow a certain pattern. This week, I'm gonna help you stay healthy, strong and beautiful for a looong time.
(← Ok, maybe not that long, but at least for a few weeks...)

1) Go here to find out how you can get up to $28.00 of Attune Probiotic Granola Bars for FREE.

2) If you know someone with diabetes, or if you simply like healthy cereal, or FREE cereal, check this out. Go here to print two $5/1 coupons per computer (hit the back button after it prints the first time.) You can also call 1-877-879-4857 (it's an automated call) to receive a free $5/1 coupon for Glucerna cereal. Most stores have this cereal for around $4.50 a box, so you should be able to get three FREE.

And...if you live near a Kroger (unfortunately, I do not), the word is that if you buy two boxes of this cereal at Kroger stores, a $2.50 off your next purchase coupon is printing. SCORE!
Tkanks, Money Saving Mom!

3) Herbal Essence has a new promotion out when you buy specially marked products, they will pay for a haircut for you. Go here to find out the scoop!
Thanks, Faithful Provisions!




4) Want some free mascara? The April issue of my favorite magazine, All You, has a coupon for a free Rimmel mascara, up to a $6.47 value. All You magazine is only carried in Walmart stores at a price of $2.24. So, you can buy one magazine and still get a great deal. OR you can find out how you can get a 2 year subscription for $19.95 $17.99 here. This magazine is loaded with coupons, so you can easily pay yourself back if you use them!

I should add that the mascara coupon says 'only in Walmart stores'. However, I took mine to Walgreen's and was able to use it because it is a manufacturer's coupon. Just to be safe, you may want to purchase it at Walmart though.

5) Finally, to finish off the 'healthy living' theme, I recommend heading to CVS and buying the following items:

• 100 ct. CVS brand Vitamin D 400. It is priced at $2.99 and until the end of the month, you will get $2.99 in extrabucks back.
• Crest Pro-Health Enamel Care. This week only, you pay $3.49 and will get $3.49 back in extrabucks. AND if you happened to save your coupons from last week, you can use the $1.00 off Crest coupon from the 3/15 Procter and Gamble insert. You'll pay only $2.49 and get 3.49 back!
  
• Stay tuned for more information about how to become a CVSer. If you have not joined the CVS craze, I promise it's gonna change your life!

Happy Monday!

Gotta share this HOT coupon...

MARCH 21-22 ONLY: Use this coupon to get a FREE Thomas and Friends wooden train at Toys R Us. (Coupon states it can be used for Thomas the Tank Engine, Lights and Sound Percy, Sir Handel, and Peter Sam.)

These go FAST so hurry!

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Update: Sorry if you missed this coupon! If you want to be sure to not to miss any offers in the future, why not sign up in a feed reader or become a follower of this blog?