Sunday, March 20, 2011

Sticking It To The Budget

Last week and so far this week have been pretty good for deal hunting and I think I've done pretty darn good keeping it within budget. In fact I might even have leftover budget! Sorry husband, that does not mean you can buy Duke Nukem or whatever other video game you are drooling over today.

Thursday's score at CVS:
1 Facial Buff, 4 Purex 3-in-1, 2 Gain Dish Liquid, 2 Coke 2L, and 3 Coke 12pk (not shown). I spent $9.47 after coupons and ECB's, and received $5 ECB for next time. Apparently I saved $50.07, and $25.58 of that was coupons/ECB!


I also scored a $6 Physician's Formula coupon from the kiosk!

After that, I ran to Walgreen's to grab 4 Irish Spring deodorant that was free after coupons and RR for my brother-in-law-in-law, then I used the RR to buy 3 Kraft Deluxe that was on sale, and a bunch of Easter Candy. I think I spent $9. Why, oh why, does the candy have such a hold on me?


Saturday's Shopping Trip: Target deals for last week weren't very thrilling, but I had a small list and huge stack of expiring soon coupons so I just wandered around the store with husband in tow.

We got 2 Mountain Dew 12pks, 2 Tostitos Chips, 1 Dip, 1 Sierra Mist 2L, 1 Jug Apple Cider (clearance!), 2 TGIF Appetizers, 2 Up&Up ibuprofen, 2 Up&Up dryer sheets, 2 Dentyne Pure 3pks, 1 Shout Wipes Travel Size, 2 Scrubbing Bubbles cleaners, and 1 Clorox 2. This time I handed over my coupons one by one and made sure each one scanned.

Our total was $31.94 and the receipt says we saved $31.78, and since their receipts are completely illogically organized... lets just go with that - nearly 50% savings!


After we got home from Target I wanted to go back to CVS and exchange my highly overpriced, ill-thought-out purchase of Coke 12pks from earlier this week. I put together a quick list from the new ad and grabbed some coupons for some Midnight Shopping!

When I arrived and scanned my card I was pleasantly surprised with a $5 ECB from the magic coupon kiosk for my winter beauty spending, woohoo!

First I bought the Renu contact solution with a $5 coupon from coupons.com, and paid $8.58 on my FSA card and got $3 ECB. Since I plan ahead for contact supplies on my FSA card I don't count this as an out-of-pocket expense.

I'm proud of my next purchase because I mostly figured this deal out all by myself! I bought 12 Cottonelle Fresh Wipes on sale 3 for $4 and used 6 $1 off 2 printable coupons (or here for Firefox users). These are part of an ECB deal when you spend $15 on various household products you get a $5 ECB. I get confused sometimes and didn't think of using the $5 ECB I got from the kiosk! My total spent was $5.37, I saved $39.68, and got a $5 ECB.

If you don't have extra ECB to use, you can still print 6 of the coupons (you will need access to 3 computers) and get them for $0.83 each after coupons or $0.42 each after coupons and ECB!

My final transaction was for 2 Ritz Crackers, 2 Wheat Thins, 7 Coke 2L, 1 Dawn dish soap, 1 24pk Nestle Pure Life water, and 1 Physicians Formula eye shadow. I used the rest of my ECB's from the previous week, plus the $5 ECB from the last transaction, the $6 off Physicians Formula coupon I got Thursday, and a $5 off $25 coupon I got in my email. I didn't have enough to also use the $5 ECB from the kiosk so I just held onto it. I'm always shopping at CVS so it wont go to waste. My total spent was $3.09 and total savings of $42.28 plus I got a $5 ECB.

Grand total for CVS ended up being $8.46, saved $81.96, and walked out with $10 ECB.

Stuff You Don't Wanna Miss

In the spirit of sharing I wanted to throw together a quick list of some of the recent printable links and links to the coveted P&G coupon booklets. These all came from the various coupon blogs that I religiously read, links provided below. 


FREE P&G Coupon Books links from Clippin' with Carie, and yes you can request it once from each link!

Dawn P&G Organize in Style Coupon Book
Cascade P&G Organize in Style Coupon Book
Mr. Clean P&G Organize in Style Coupon Book
Febreze P&G Organize in Style Coupon Book
Swiffer P&G Organize in Style Coupon Book
Olay P&G Organize in Style Coupon Book

Mall/Retail Printable Coupons - My Favorites
Click here to read the whole article from Clippin' with Carie

AMC – Free popcorn with any drink purchase Exp 3/24
Bath & Body Works - FREE Travel Size Signature Item (up to $5) with ANY purchase. Exp 3/23
Mid Rivers Mall – Find Store Coupons HERE
Chesterfield Mall – Find Store Coupons HERE
West County Center – Find Store Coupons HERE


Restaurant Freebies/Coupons - My Favorites
Click here to read the whole article from STL Mommy!

Chili’s Free Chips & Queso
Del Taco Free Shrimp Taco with any purchase
Einstein Bros $4 Off Bagel Bucket
Hardees Free Carmel Crumb Biscuit with breakfast combo purchase
Texas Roadhouse Free Appetizer
T.G.I. Fridays Save 25% On Your Entire Purchase
Waffle House Free Waffle
White Castle Purchase a Saver Sack or Sack Meal for a free Fish Slider or Nibblers


Target Weekly Deals
There are so many, too many, to mention so click here to go read the coupon match-up from Totally Target.


All of the above mentioned blogs have tons of awesome information, if you havent subscribed to them or "Like"ed them on Facebook yet... what are you waiting for?!?!!?! Don't forget to "Like" me while you're there too!

Stay tuned for a special post coming soon - "Couponing For Dummies (like me)"!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Diaper-palooza!

Much to my disbelief my sister-in-law finally decided to come shopping with me. It was lots of fun to have her along, but I'm not sure her wallet agrees! 

First she wasn't buying anything, then it was maybe some knee-highs, then it was oh sure Ill get some lady products, then she wanted peeps but also had to get a nummy for her hubby and came back with no peeps and some weird egg laying chicken thing... and then while we were in the checkout line she spotted some popcorn that she had to run off and get.

That was the most ADD shopping I have ever seen in my life, very entertaining though.

I was a tiny bit more organized with my shopping trip. First, I bought the diapers in two separate transactions, spent $12.89 each (saved $8 each), so I could get two $3 Register Rewards.



Then I bought everything else, with coupons and my $6 in Register Rewards... and due to some last minute additions, forgetting a coupon, and a slight miscalculation I did spend $3.77 out of pocket... but still saved $32.20!
The Dawn smell in yellow is pretty yummy too, pineapple something!

What I Got
4 Jumbo Pack Pampers
4 Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste
1 Dawn Dish Soap
3 PediaCare Children's Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer
4 Knee-Highs
1 Pack Scrubby Sponge Things

What deals have you scored at Walgreen's recently?