Kathy Zengolewicz

If you wait until the 23rd or 24th of December, you will have to fight crowds, you will have very little merchandise to choose from and you will wait in long, long lines. Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, not stress.

Now, shop when you think the stores will be less crowded, like in the early morning or late at night. Some stores are open 24 hours, if that’s the case you can probably shop at 3:00 am. If you shop in the middle of the night, who knows, maybe you can get everything done in one night. Wouldn’t that be great!

Make up a list of specific gifts for everyone and stick to that list. If you know what you are looking for, chances are it will be that much easier to find. Set a maximum price for each gift and stick to that, also. Try not to use a credit card. Those little plastic cards will get you into a financial bind. Try to work within your budget. If you can stick to the budget, you’ll be that much happier on December 26th.

If you are shopping online, make sure to check out this site: http://www.couponcabin.com and http://www.currentcodes.com/ Also, do a google search of “coupon codes” (without the quote marks) and you’ll find promotional codes for lots of terrific sites.

I hope these tips help with your shopping and keep your stress level down. Remember to stop, relax a little and enjoy the season.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

FREE ITEMS:

Revlon Nail Enamel, 0.5oz
Reg. = $4.79
Submit for Walgreens rebate ($4.79)

L’Oreal Advanced RevitaLift Clinical Action Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate, 1oz
Reg. 16.49
Sale = $12.37 (25% off)
Use 1.00/1 coupon (Redplum 8/3; SmartSouce 7/20)
Submit for Walgreens Rebate ($12.37)
FREE plus overage after rebate

Crest Pro-Health Whitening Toothpaste, 4.2 oz
Reg. =$3.79
Use coupon $0.75/1 (P&G insert 8/31)
Submit for Walgreens rebate ($3.79)
FREE plus overage after rebate

(2) Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Candle Refill, 1.5 oz
Sale = $1.99
Use B1G1 coupon (SmartSource 8/24)
Submit for Walgreens rebate ($1.00/1) x 2

Glade Candle, 4oz
Sale = $1.99
Use coupon 1.00/1 (SmartSource 9/14)
Submit for Walgreens rebate (1.00/1)

(2) Glade Plugins Scented Gel Warmer, 1 ct
Sale = $1.99
Use B1G1 coupon (SmartSource 9/14)
Submit for Walgreens rebate ($1.00/1) x 2

Powerade Drink, 32 oz
Regular = $1.69
$0.79 with Walgreens coupon (9/14)
Use coupon $1.00/1 (SmartSource 7/13)

Excedrin Tension or Express Gel Caps Pain Reliever, 20 ct
Sale = $3.99
Submit for Walgreens rebate ($3.99)

OTHER GOOD DEALS:

(2) Sun Light Dish Detergent, 12.6oz
Sale = $1.79 each
Use B1G1 Walgreens coupon (9/14) and (2) $0.25/1 coupons (SmartSource 4/20)
Final = $1.29 for two

(2) Purex Ultra Concentrate Laundry Detergent, 35-46 loads
B1G1 at $7.99
Use $1.00/2 (Smart Source 9/14)
Final = $3.50 each

(2) Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Warmer, 1 ct
Sale = $3.99
Use B1G1 coupon (SmartSource 8/24)
Submit for Walgreens rebate ($1.00/1) x 2
Final = $1.99 for 2 after rebates

Irish Spring Body Wash (18oz) or Bar Soap (8pk)
Sale = $3.99
Use Walgreens store coupon $2.00/1 (9/14)
Final = $1.99

Colgate MaxFresh or Total 2-in-1 Toothpaste, 4.6-6oz
Sale = $2.99
Use $0.75/1 coupon (SmartSource 9/7) and $2.00/1 Walgreens coupon (9/14)
Final = $0.24

Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap, 12oz
Sale = $2.99
Use Walgreens store coupon $2.00/1 (9/14)
Final = $0.99Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, 7.25 oz
$0.69 with Walgreens coupon (9/14)

Van Camp’s Pork and Beans, 15 oz
$0.39 with Walgreens coupon (9/14)

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Items:
1 Right Guard deodorant, reg. $3.29, sale $2.99
1 L’oreal cleanser cream, reg. $6.99, sale $5.99 (free after ECBs)

Coupons used:
1 Right Guard manu. coupon – $1.00
1 L’Oreal manu. coupon – $1.00
ECBs – $6.00

Out of pocket expenses (including tax) = $1.16
ECBs generated = $7.99 ($2.00 from Right Guard, $5.99 from L’Oreal)

I spent $1.16 cash for $10.28 worth of merchandise and got back $7.99 in ECBs to replace $6.00 ECBs used.

Running Totals
Total merchandise = $523.53
Total out of pocket expenses = $201.90
Total savings = $321.63 (61%)

Post from: Keeping the Castle

It’s a good week to shop at CVS. With the right coupons, some of the deals will end up as moneymakers. Here are my deal scenarios:

Transaction #1

Items:
2 x Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste 4oz., reg. $3.49 each, sale $2.99 x 2 = $5.98
2 x Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara, reg. $6.49 each, sale $5.99 x 2 = $11.98
1 Covergirl Wetslicks AmazeMint, $5.99

Coupons used:
Covergirl manu. coupon – $1.00
Colgate manu. coupon – $1.00
Colgate manu. printable coupon, available here – $1.50
Neutrogena $3/2 manu. coupon – $3.00
ECBs – $16.98

Out of pocket expenses (including tax) = $0.89
Total Savings (sale + coupons + ECBs) = $29.48
New ECBs generated = $15.99 ($6 for Neutrogena, $4 for Colgate, $5.99 for CoverGirl)

Transaction #2

Items:
6 x Suave body wash, 12oz, reg. $2.79 each, sale $2.00 x 6 = $12.00

Coupons used:
Suave B1G1 manu. coupon – $2.00
Suave $2/3 manu. coupon – $2.00
Suave $1/2 manu. coupon – $1.00
ECBs – $6.49

Out of pocket expenses (including tax) = $0.87
Total savings (sale + coupons + ECBs) = $16.23
New ECBs generated = $4.00

***
For this CVS round, I bought $47.47 worth of merchandise for $1.76! This is one of my best trips to CVS  yet. And I still have more than $20 worth of ECBs to use next time.

Running Totals at CVS:
Total merchandise = $486.64
Total out of pocket expenses = $188.44
Total savings = $298.20 (61%)

image used with permission via CVS Media Library

Post from: Keeping the Castle

What?!? Two CVS posts in a row!!?!

Well, this week’s CVS deals are too good to have to wait till later. It’s a week for making some money with ECBs and coupons, as you can see in my transaction today:

2 Stayfree products, reg. $6.69 each, on sale for 2/$9.00
1 Kotex Lightdays, 16 ct., $1.49
2 Zipfizz energy drinks, $5.99 each, $11.98 for 2

Coupons used:
1 Kotex manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
Stayfree Buy 1 Get 1 free manufacturer’s coupon – $4.50
ECBs – $5.00

Total merchandise = $26.85
Total out-of-pocket = $12.30
Savings = $14.55
New ECBs generated = $18.47 ($5 for Stayfree, $1.49 for Kotex, $11.98 for Zipfizz)

Money Saving Mom has a list of other possible deal scenarios at CVS this week.

***
If you’re wondering what the Zipfizz is, it’s a dry mixture that is mixed with water. It was the perfect time to try it out for the first time today, which is cooking day. Yeah, I needed that extra energy to cook several dishes. Though I’m not too fond of the taste (Pink Lemonade flavor), it gave a good boost even with just a few sips.

image used with permission via CVS Media Library

Post from: Keeping the Castle

However, at the end of the week, I found we needed some ibuprofen and so I did a quick stop to get the following:

Bandaid Ultra strips, $4.49
Neosporin ointment, $5.79
CVS brand ibuprofen, $7.49
CVS brand acetaminophen, $4.79

Coupons:
Bandaid manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
Neosporin manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
CVS coupon ($2.50 off $12.00 CVS brand) – $2.50

Total out of pocket (OOP) = $19.26
New ECBs generated = $5.00

My new running total for CVS is now

Total merchandise = $438.93
Total out of pocket expenses = $186.68
Total savings = $253.25 (58%)

***
I’m hoping that I can do something good with the new $5 I now have. Real CVS pros are able to ‘grow’ the ECBs they have, to essentially get their OOP as low to zero as possible.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been stacking coupons and sales at other stores. Here are some of the good deals I got this past week:

At Walmart:

Glade scented oil plug-ins, $3.97 (bought 2)
Used 2 coupons for $4.00 off, making the plug-ins free!

At my local grocery store:

Dove conditioner, reg. $3.99, on sale for $3.00 (bought 2)
Used 2 coupons for $2.00 off, final price $1.00 each

***

Remember that the key with maximizing savings with coupons is to use them when the product is on sale. This is called ’stacking’ in couponing lingo. Sometimes products end up being free or almost free with this strategy.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

While I believe the sales at CVS and Rite-Aid stores are pretty much the same across the U.S., I can’t guarantee that. So do check the flyers for stores in your area to be sure of these prices.

CVS Pharmacy

Good Deals:

selected General Mills cereals, 2/$5
Bic Soleil Razor cartridges, 4ct, $4.99
Centrum original or silver vitamins (varied reg. price), $6.99
Oreo Cookies 18oz, 2/$5
Wrigley’s multipack gum, 8-10/pk, 4/$4
Kodak FunSaver camera, $3.99
Energizer Max AAA Alkaline batteries, 4/pk, $2.99
Bic Velocity pens, 2/$5
Bic Mark-It markers, $3.99
Huggies Diapers Jumbo pack, $8.99
L’Oreal Visible Lift Foundation, $9.99

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Deals:
Betty Crocker Bowl Appetit
Kraft Mac and Cheese dinner
Planters Delux Mixed Nuts
Pilot G2 pens
Backpacks
Avery retractable hilighters
assorted notebooks (except licensed)
Avery 1″ binders
CVS Brand dandruff shampoo
CVS Brand Hand sanitizer
Soft & Dri Pulse deodorant
Right Guard Extreme deodorant
Brut deodorant
Colgate Wave or SpongeBob toothbrush
Reach Clean Burst Waxed Floss
Covergirl TruShine Lipcolor

Rite Aid Phamacy

Good Deals:

Hunt’s pudding snack, 4/pk, $.99
SunMaid raisins, $.99
Mott’s Applesauce, 24oz, $.99
Kellogg’s cereals, 2/$5
Oust Air sanitizer, 2/$5
Herbal Essences Shampoo, or Conditioner, 2/$5
Caress or Lever Body Wash, 2/$5
Finesse shampoo or conditioner, 2/$6
Rite-Aid diapers, mega pack, 2/$20
Speed Stick 24/7 Deodorant, 2/$5
Lysol basin, tub and tile cleaner, $1.99
Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, $1.99
Dawn dishwashing liquid, $.99
select Tylenol or Motrin, 20-24ct., 2/$5
Mead wireless notebook, 60 sheets, $.33
Mead One-subject notebook, 70 sheets, 6/$.96
Elmer’s school glue, 4oz, $.33
Bic Mark-It retractable marker or Grip permanent markers, 2/$1
Crayola crayons, 24ct., 2/$1

Buy One Get One Free Deals:

L’Oreal Voluminous eyeliner
Ban Deodorant
Brut Deodorant
Right Guard Extreme deodorant
Dry Idea Roll-on
All Laundry Detergent, 50 oz

Post from: Keeping the Castle

The savvy CVS shoppers I know make it a point to visit and shop there at least once a week. Last week, there weren’t many deals, except for candy. So that’s what I stocked up on to generate a decent amount of Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). Here’s a summary of last week’s transactions:

Transaction 1 from last week

Items:
several bags of assorted candy and chocolates, reg. price $24 , on sale for $17.50
3 x Kotex products, reg. price $11.97, on sale for 3/$7.50
2 x Tom of Maine’s deodorant, reg. price $10.98, on sale for 2/$5.98
1 pack Scott paper towels, reg. price $9.99, on sale for $4.99
1 pack Pampers diapers, reg. price $17.99, on sale for $12.99
2 x Maxwell instant coffee, reg. price $7.89, on sale buy 1 get 1 free
1 bag marshmallows, $1.29
SUB-TOTAL = $58.14

Coupons:
2 Kotex manufacturer coupons ($1 each) – $2.00
1 Kotex manufacturer coupon – $.75
1 Pampers coupon – $1.00
used ECBs – $7.00

Total after savings = 47.39
Tax = $1.47
Out of pocket expense = $48.86
New ECBs generated = $5.00 (candy)

Transaction 2 from last week

Items:
4 x Johnson and Johnson allergy medicines, reg. price $6.49 each, on sale for $5 each = $20
3 CVS brand medicines, $15.47 total
SUB-TOTAL = $35.47

Coupons:
1 CVS brand coupon ($2.50/$12.50) – $2.50

Out of pocket = $34.95
New ECBs generated = $10.00 (for Johnson and Johnson products)

For the first transaction, I miscalculated and ended up being $2.50 short of getting another $5 in ECBs so I went back for another trip:

Transaction 3 from last week

Items:
more bags of candy and chocolate, reg. price$51, on sale for $35.50
2 x Crest toothpaste, reg. price $5.58, on sale 2 for $3.98
1 pack Bandaids, reg. price $3.29, on sale for $2.99
1 CVS brand medicine, $4.79
SUB-TOTAL = $47.26

Coupons:
2 x Crest coupons ($1 each) – $2.00
ECBs used – $15.00

Total out of pocket after savings = $30.26
New ECBs generated = $22.00 ($20 from candy + $2 from Bandaid)

****

My out of pocket expenses were a little high last week, but I got medicines and candy that we always buy anyway. And I now have enough candy to last us until Halloween! The ECBs I have left from last week were put to good use yesterday.

Pay close attention to this one, because there is still time left to duplicate these deals this week:

This week’s Transaction 1:

Items:
2 x Dawn dishwashing liquid, reg. price $1.99 each, on sale for $.88 = $1.76 for 2
2 x Crest toothpaste, reg. price $3.29 each, on sale for $2.49 = $4.98 for 2
2 x Oral B toothbrushes, reg. price $3.49 each, on sale for $2.49 = $4.98 for 2
2 x Covergirl make-up, reg. price $8.99, on sale buy 1 get 1 free = $8.99
2 x Sure deodorant, reg. price $2.69, on sale B1G1 = $2.69
2 x Magic tape, reg. price $2.79, on sale B1G1 = $2.79
2 x pencil pouches, reg. price $3.99, on sale B1G1 = $3.99
2 x erasers, reg. price $1.79, on sale B1G1 = $1.79
1 instant energy drink, $4.99
2 x large bottles of Pert plus shampoo, $5.99, special manager’s price B1G1 = $5.99
1 greeting card = $3.99
SUB-TOTAL = $46.94

Coupons:
2 x Sure manu. coupons ($1 each) – $2.00 (final cost $.35 each)
1 Covergirl manu. coupon (buy 1, get 1 free) – $8.99 (final cost, both free!)
2 x Pert Plus manu. coupons ($2 each) – $4.00 (final cost $1.00 each)
2 x Oral B manu. coupons ($1 each) – $2.00 (final cost $1.49 plus $1.50 ECB each)
2 x Crest manu. coupons ($1 each) – $2.00 (final cost $1.49 plus $1.50 ECB each)
2 x Dawn manu. coupons ($1/2) – $1.00 (final cost $.38 each)
used ECBs – $20.00

Total out of pocket after savings = $8.26
New ECBs generated = $10.99 (from energy drink, Crest and Oral B purchases)
Rebate amount = $5.00 (school supplies + Pert/Sure)

After rebate, the total for this transaction is … $3.26!!!

It would have been even lower than this, but I’d forgotten I had another $2 in ECBs tucked away. I could still use that $2 coupon next time, so it’s OK.

I also had a little bonus from the very nice manager of the store. You see, the Pert Plus shampoos were the big ones, instead of the smaller bottles advertised in the CVS flyers. They’d run out of the small bottles. But the manager told me I could substitute something else for them. So I got the big Pert bottles for 1/2 off each. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the $3 coupons I had for these, but had the $2 ones for the small bottles. Can you imagine if I had those $3 coupons? My total would have been $1.26! But the manager was really nice, so again it’s OK. The deal he gave me only makes me love my local CVS even more.

You still have time to do this deal at your CVS store. Tips: I was able to stack the B1G1 sale for the Covergirl make-up with the manufacturer’s coupon, essentially making both items free. If you have a coupon for the $5 worth of school supplies with a $5 Pert/Sure purchase, be sure to use those too.

If you want to follow the progress of my CVS experiment, I keep track of everything at the CVS Savings page on the right.

UPDATE (8-8-08):

I made a second visit to CVS this week, and it turned out to be my best run yet!

This week’s Transaction #2:

Items:
2 x CoverGirl make-up, reg. price $7.99 each, on sale B1G1 = $7.99 for  2
2 x CVS envelopes, reg. price $1.69 each, on sale B1G1 = $1.69 for 2
SUB-TOTAL = $9.68

Coupons:
2 x CoverGirl manu. coupons ($1 each) – $2.00
1 Covergirl manu. coupon (buy 1, get 1 free) – $7.99

Total after savings = -$0.31
Tax = $.58
Total out of pocket = $0.27

Yes, that’s 27 cents for four items! The coupons paid for part of my tax. I didn’t even use ECBs for this one. If you have these coupons, try this scenario at your store. Some stores may not allow you to use the $1 off and B1G1 coupons together, but it’s worth a try.

image used with permission via CVS Media Library

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Most of these lists also include any coupons that you can stack with the store sales. Here are some of the sale lists I’ve been able to find:

Walgreens August freebies list at Money Saving Mom; scanned pages of the flyer here

CVS Weekly Deals listed at Coupon Cravings

Preview of CVS ExtraCare Savings for August at Keeping the Kingdom First

Cheap school supplies at Staples, also at Keeping the Kingdom First

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Everything is more expensive these days. It is harder and harder to stretch a budget and still check off every item on the grocery list. There are ways to cut down on food bills, and still have healthy food for the family.

Today’s food editor Phil Lempert has listed ideas to “fill your grocery cart without busting your budget”. He has suggestions that can be applied to just about anything from the grocery. In addition, he also talks about 10 staple items that you can save money on. These items are milk, eggs, pasta, bread, cereal, rice, produce, fish, meat and beans. I specially like his tip for saving on pasta sauce by making your own from canned crushed tomatoes, herbs and olive oil.

These 10 items are really all you need for good nutrition and you can save money on them by following Phil’s tips. You can find his suggestions at MSNBC.

Creative Commons image by ralphbijker on Flickr

Post from: Keeping the Castle