Trip #1 to Shoppers

Last night, after the kids had gone to bed and my husband was here to hold the fortress, the siren call of the Shoppers double/triples became too strong for me to resist. I spent $25.36 (my total should have been $18.55 based on my calculations... maybe the cashier missed some coupons) on $94.76 worth of groceries.

Here's what I thought was worth buying:

Free Deals:

• Meow Mix 18 oz. @ $1.89
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/16 RP

Under 50 cents:

• Pringles Minis @ $2.19
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 12/14 P & G
  $.19 after coupon!
  
  
• Minute Rice @ $2.19
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 12/7 RP
  $.19 after coupon!
  
  
• Del Monte Sweet Peas 50% Less Salt @ $1.20
  
  • Coupon: $1/2 from the 11/16 RP
  $.20 per can after coupon!
  
  
• Hanover Black Beans @ $.89
  
  • Coupon: $1/3 from the 10/26 RP
  $.22 per can after coupon!
  
  
• Argo Cornstarch @ $1.59
  
  • Coupon: $.45/1 from the 11/2 SS and 12/7 SS
  $.24 after coupon!
  
  
• Betty Crocker Frosting @ $1.79
  
  • Coupon: $.50/1 from the 11/16 SS
    
  $.29 after coupon!
  
  
• Mazola Cooking Spray @ $2.29
  
  • $1/1 from the 11/9 SS
  $.29 after coupon!
  
  
• Hanover Red Beans @ $1.00
  
  • Coupon: $1/3 from the 10/26 RP
  $.33 per can after coupon!
  
  
• Green Giant Steamers @ $2.39
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/16 SS
  $.39 after coupon!

Between $.50 and $1:

• Chex Mix @ $2.19
  
  • Coupon: $.50/1 from the 12/7 SS
  $.69 after coupon!
  
  
• Motts Tots Juice @ $2.89
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 12/7 SS
  $.89 after coupon!
  
  
• Coffee Mate Creamer @ $1.89
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/2 RP
  $.89 per bottle after coupon!
  

Other:

• Jif Peanut Butter @ $2.59
  
  • Coupon: $1/2 from the 11/9 RP
  $1.59 per jar after coupon!
  
  
• Buitoni Whole Wheat Tortellini @ $3.99
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 12/7 SS
  $1.99 after coupon!
  

More Savings at Shoppers!

Check out this incredible run to Shoppers that fellow bargain-hunter Laurie did:

She bought $194.00 worth of goods and paid only $66.00! In total, she saved over $122 in coupons. When she finished checking out, her fellow shoppers (the ones waiting in line behind her and watching as that total ticked down) gave her a round of applause!

My Trip to Shoppers

I did my first Shoppers trip today for their double/triple coupons promotion ... my total before coupons was $88.96... after coupons it was $11.12. Here's a breakdown of what I thought was worth buying:

Free Deals:

• Tums Smoothie @ $1.49
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/16 SS
    
    
• Breyer's Yo Crunch Yogurt @ $.80
  • Coupon: $1/2 from the 10/26 RP

• Starkist Gourmet Seas @ $1.67
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 9/14 RP
    
    
• Ronzoni Spaghetti @ $1.67
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 8/24 SS and the 10/5 SS
    
    
• Oikos Organic Honey Yogurt @ $2
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 10/12 SS
    

For Under a Dollar:

• Juicy Juice Harvest Suprise @ $2.89
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 9/14 RP
  $.89 after coupon
  

• 2 Lipton Tea Bags @ $1.09
  
  • Coupon: $1/2 from the 10/5 RP or the 11/16 RP
  $.18 for two after coupon

• Rubbermaid Produce Saver @ $2.20
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/9 SS
  $.20 after coupon
  
  
• Nivea Chapstick @ $2.39
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 10/19 RP
  $.39 after coupon
  

• Campbells V8 Soup @ $2.89
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 9/14 SS
    
  $.89 for one after coupon
  
  
• 1 Scott Extra Soft Bath Tissue 4 pack @ $2.99
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/16 SS
  $.99 for one after coupon
  
  
• 1 Starkist Creations Pouch @ $2.19
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 10/12 RP
  $.19 after coupon
  
  
• 4 Thai Kitchen Noodle Bowls @ $1.59
  
  • Coupon: $.50/1 from the 9/28 RP
  $.09 after coupon
  
  
• Green Giant Steamers @ $2.39
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/16 SS and the 10/5 GM
  $.39 after coupon
  
  
• Mazola No Stick Spray @ $2.29
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/9 SS
    
  $.29 after coupon
  

Other Deals:

• Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese @ $1.25
  
  • Coupon: $1/3 from the 11/2 SS
    
  $1.75 for three after coupon
  
  
• Smart Balance Peanut Butter @ $3.18
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/2 RP
  $1.18 after coupon
  
  
• Snyders EatSmart Veggie Chips @ $3.49
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 EatSmart all natural snacks from the 9/28 SS
  $1.49 after coupon
  
  
• Quaker Simple Harvest Granola Bars @ $3.59
  
  • Coupon: $1/1 from the 11/9 SS
  $1.59 after coupon
  

My Kmart Super Double Run

Here's the result of my trip to Kmart:

To be donated:

• 7 bottles of Oust
• 6 bottles of Dove Shampoo
• 1 Herbal Essences
• 4 L'Oreal eyeshadows

For my family:

• 1 Cascade Complete
• 1 Celestial Seasonings
• 6 Cacao Reserve Chocolates

I think that couponing really is catching on because I had coupons ready to buy a fair amount more, but the shelves were cleaned out! For information about where I got the coupons for these items, see here (with the exception of the Cascade Complete - I used a coupon from a home mailer). I ended up having to make three transactions. I went with a friend, so she did the second. Then, the third was because I picked up the wrong L'Oreal item (remember, it's only eye and face products that are BOGO).

The best part about this trip, though, (besides having a great friend like Tracey who doesn't coupon at all, but could be convinced to run all over Kmart with my two kids in tow) was the OOP. On the first trasaction, I used the $5/$50 and was given a $1.29 gift card. For Tracey's transaction, her total was $1.39, so she only paid a dime. Then, on #3 (which was just the four L'Oreal eyeshadows), my total was -$2.72, so the cashier handed me $2.72 out of the register! I don't think that all store allow overages like that, but I surely wasn't going to complain!

Alhamdulilah (All praise is due to God), I never thought that by using coupons, I could walk out of a store with that much merchandise and more money than I had walking in!

Thanks Rite Aid!

This week's Rite Aid deals definitely have us ready for cold and flu season!

Fortunately, shopping the deals at Rite Aid is easy enough that I was able to send my husband with kids in tow! He went early Sunday morning and took the weekly circular. He reported that a lot of the things weren't marked, so he wouldn't have known that they were part of the promotion without the Rite Aid circular.

Once home, he gave me the receipt and I entered the info onto my Single Check Rebate account. Alhamdulilah, it all went through, so at the end of October, I'll be able to request my $100+ check!

Using CVS trips to help your own family

Personally, when I shop at CVS, I often have two intentions. I want to be able to buy things to give away to others who are less fortunate and also be able to buy things for my own family at lower costs. This weeks' deals provided a great opportunity to do both.

My first transaction was mostly items that I intend to donate.

I bought:

• L’Oreal Advanced RevitaLift anti-wrinkle serum @ $11.99
• Nivea for Men body wash @ $4.99
• Adidas any 2.8 oz. anti-perspirant @ $4.99
• Balloon for Daughter (Dad let go of the free one from Trader Joe's!) @ $3.50
  

Subtotal: $25.47

I paid with:

• Manufacturer coupons: (total = $5)
  
  • 1 $3/1 L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift anti-wrinkle serum
    
  • 1 $1/1 Nivea body wash
    
  • 1 $1/1 Adidas anti-perspirant
    

• CVS coupons: (total = $4)
  
  • 1 $4/$20 (email coupon)
    

• ECBs: (total = $13)
  

OOP: $3.47 + taxes

Got back: $20.98 ECBs

• L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift anti-wrinkle serum = 11.99 ECBs
• Nivea body wash = 4.99 ECBs
• Adidas anti-perspirant @ 4 ECBs

So, this worked perfectly for building into my second transaction (which was solely for my own family). Here's transaction #2:

I bought:

• 2 Cottonelle toilet paper 12-pack @ 6.49
• 1 Huggies mega-pack diapers @15
  

Subtotal: $27.98

I paid with:

• Coupons:
  
  • $1/2 Cottonelle (from the 9/21 RP)
  • $1.50/1 Huggies (from a home mailer)
• CVS Coupons:
  
  • $2/10 from here
• ECBs - $20.98 from transaction #1

OOP: $2.50 + taxes

Got back: $10 ECB from the Kimberly Clark deal.

So, for the day, I spent a total of $5.97 (+ taxes) OOP and ended up with $10 in ECBs ($3 less than I started with).

If you consider the loss in ECBs money spent, that means that I spent $8.97 for everything. I like to think that I spent $8.97 for the diapers (which would be an excellent deal) got everything else for free!

CVS's Generous BOGO Policy

CVS allows you to use 2 coupons on BOGO deals – one for each item, even though one is already free. Not all companies allow that (e.g. Harris Teeter does not), so it’s good to know the policy before you go.

In this transaction, I used 2 $4/1 MQs (manufacturer’s coupons) on the BOGO razors, which were on sale for $8.79. That means I got 2 packages of razors for 79 cents total (reg. price would have been $17.58).

This is excellent for two reasons: 1) you get nice razors almost for free, and 2) it increases your total (without using ECBs), which is good if you’re planning to use a $/$$ offer (I had a $5/$25 CRT). BOGO deals are great if you have enough coupons because they have no offer limit, while ECB deals do.

NOTE: Schick Quattro razor refills will be BOGO for the week of September 21 – 27, so those same coupons may be good again, depending on the starting price.

On this trip, I bought two packages of razors, 2 tubes of deodorant and 1 bottle of contact solution for 16 cents total. Sorry there’s no pic, I already delivered some of it to my distribution avenue.

The breakdown:

• 2 Schick Quattro women’s disposable razors (3 ct) @ $8.79 (on sale + BOGO)
• 1 Complete Moisture Plus contact solution @ $10.49
• 1 Right Guard deodorant @ $2.99 (reg. $4.49)
• 1 Soft & Dri deodorant @ $2.99 (reg. $4.49)

Subtotal: $25.26 (after subtracting the $8.79 for the free razor pack)

I paid with:

Manufacturer coupons: (total = $11.75)

• 2 $4/1 Schick Quattro
• 1 $2/1 Complete contact solution
• 1 $1/1 Right Guard
• 1 $.75/1 Soft & Dri

CVS coupons:

• 1 $5/$25 CRT (cash register tape)

ECBs: $9

Total OOP: $.16

Total saved: $37.84

Got back $6 ECBs

• 2 deodorants @ 2 ECBs each = 4 ECBs
• 1 Complete contact solution = 2 ECBs

In summary, I spent $0.16 OOP and $9 in ECBS to get $37.05 worth of products and $6 ECBs.

CVS Run Sept. 7

I decided to make a quick CVS run this morning after buying some extra coupon inserts (um…I mean newspapers) to take advantage of the Sunday/Monday only CVS deals. I got 4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner, 3 bottles of nail polish, 1 tube of face scrub and 1 travel pack of cotton swabs, all for $2.38 total. I also grew my ECBs by $3, so it was a great transaction overall.

The breakdown:

I bought:

• 2 Herbal Essences conditioners @ $2.49 (reg. $4.69)
• 2 Aussie shampoo & conditioner @ $2.49 (reg. $4.49)
• 3 Revlon nail enamels @ $3.99 (reg. $4.99)
• 1 L’Oreal Skin Genesis face cleanser @ $5.99 (reg. $7.99)
• 1 CVS 50 count cotton swabs @ $.99

Subtotal: $28.91

I paid with:

• Manufacturer coupons: (total = $7)
  
  • 2 $2/1 Herbal Essences
  • 1 $2/1 Aussie
  • 1 $1/1 L’Oreal

• CVS coupons: (total = $5.99)
  
  • 1 $5/$25 CRT (cash register tape)
  • 1 $.99 (email offer)

• ECBs: (total = $13.99)
  
  • $8
  • $5.99

Total OOP (out of pocket): $2.38 (includes tax)

Total saved: $40.38

Got back: $16.99 ECBs

• 3 Revlon nail enamel @ 3 ECBs each = 9 ECBs
• 1 L’Oreal face cleanser = 5.99 ECBs
• 2 Herbal Essences conditioners @ 1 EBC each = 2 ECBs

In summary, I spent $2.38 OOP and $13.99 in ECBS to get $42.76 worth of products and $16.99

ECBs.

Spreadsheet form:

Example of Savings

Here is a sample CVS trip, to give you an idea about how this all works. This is what I bought:

The Breakdown:

• 2 CoverGirl Wetslicks @ $5.99
• 1 Goodys 6-pack Headache Powder @ $1.79
• 3 Suave Body Washes @ $2

Subtotal: $19.77

I paid with:

• Manufacturer coupons: (total = $10.99)
  
  • 1 BOGO CoverGirl Lipcolor
  • 1 $1/1 CoverGirl Lipcolor
  • 2 $2/1 Suave Body Wash
    

• CVS coupons: (total = $2)
  
  • 1 $2/10
    

• ECBs: (total = $6)
  
  • $6

Total OOP (out of pocket): $1.38 (includes tax)

Total saved: $21.36

Got back $7.99 ECBs:

• $5.99 for the CoverGirl Lipcolor
• $2 for the 3 Suave Body Washes

In summary, I spent $1.38 OOP and $6 in ECBS to get $21.36 worth of products and $7.99 ECBs.

Spreadsheet form: