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

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

Kellogg’s cereals were buy 1, get 1 free, so I bought some even though I had no coupons and no ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs) were generated.

Here’s my CVS loot for this week. I’m showing you this photo so you know I’m not making this up.

Items:
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal, reg. price $4.39, on sale for $3.99
Kellogg’s Apple Jacks cereal, reg. price $4.19, FREE
2 packages Kotex pads, total reg. price $13.68, on sale for 2/$11
3 packages Refills for Glade scented oil candles, total reg. price $10.57, on sale for $7.47 ($2.49 each)
Gillette shampoo, $5.99
Reeses candy, $1.49
Tic Tac, $.89
SUB-TOTAL = $30.83

Coupons:
Gillette manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
Glade refills manufacturer’s coupon, buy 2, get 1 free – $2.49
Kotex manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
Kotex manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
CVS coupon, $5/$30, – $5.00
used ECBs – $15.98

Total after savings = $4.36
Tax = $.21
Out of pocket expense = $4.57
New ECBs generated = $7.00 (Kotex $3, Gillette $1, Glade $3)

***
For $4.57, I brought home $41.20 worth of merchandise! Without the coupons, sales and ECBs, I would have stepped out of the store with only the Rice Krispies in hand. But stacking these deals together meant that I saved a whole bunch, and still have some free money to use next week.

The key with these deals is that you buy those items that you know you will use. This way, you’ll never have to pay full price for them again. You can track my CVS totals with me at the CVS Savings page on the sidebar to the right.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

This week, CVS has a special “Free after Extra Bucks” promo for their photo books. The photo books are hardcover 10-page books that are printed in the Kodak Digital Kiosks inside CVS stores. The current promos are:

4”x6” 10 pg. Hardcover Photo Book (holds 36 photos maximum) – regular price is between $5.99 and $7.99; on sale for $3.99, PLUS $3.99 in Extra Bucks

6”x8” 10 pg. Hardcover Photo Book (holds 54 photos maximum) – regular price is $12.99; on sale for $7.99, PLUS $7.99 in Extra Bucks

The Extra Bucks generated means that the photo books are essentially FREE!

There isn’t much that I plan to buy at CVS this week, other than these so here’s my transaction today:

Items:
photo books, 6×8, regular price $12.99; on sale at $7.99 X 2 = $15.98
candy bar = $1.29
Sub-total = $17.27

Coupons:
$3/$15 CVS coupon – $3.00
used Extra Bucks – $7.98

Total after savings = $6.29
Tax = $.30
Out of pocket expenses = $6.59
New ECB generated = $15.98

Click here to see my total CVS savings.

image used with permission via CVS Media Library

Post from: Keeping the Castle

This is my second week trying to find savings at CVS. My first week at CVS, I spent $30.23 and got $16.50 Extra Care Bucks (ECB). These ECBs started me out this week. Here’s what I got today:

Transaction #1:

Items:
Olay lotion, reg. price $10.99, on sale for $8.99
Olay body wash, reg. price $8.39, on sale for 5.99
Olay body wash, reg. price $6.99, on sale for 5.99
Sub-Total = $20.79

Coupons:
Olay manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
Olay manufacturer’s coupon – $1.00
Olay manufacturer’s coupon – $2.00
CVS coupon $4/$20 – $4.00
used Extra Care Bucks (ECB) – $12.50

Total after savings = $.47
Tax = $.27
Out of pocket expense = $0.74
New ECB generated = $10.00

Transaction #2:

Items:
Febreze fabric refresher, reg. price $5.99, on sale for $3.99 each, x 2 = $7.98
Febreze air effects, reg. price $3.29 each, on sale for 2/$5 = $5.00
Revlon hair brush, $4.99, x 2 = $9.98
Sub-Total = $22.96

Coupons:
Febreze coupon (buy 1 fabric refresher, get 1 free air effects) – $2.50
Febreze coupon (buy 1 fabric refresher, get 1 free air effects) – $2.50
CVS coupon $4/$20 – $4.00
used ECB – $12.00

Total after savings = 1.96
Tax = $.42
Out of pocket expense = $2.38
New ECB generated = $10.00

Transaction #3:

Items:
Dawn dish liquid, reg. price $1.69 each, on sale for 2 for $2.00
CVS pantiliners, $.99, x 2 = $1.98
Gilette venus razor, reg. price $11.99, on sale for $9.99
Cortaid cream, $3.99 x 2 = $7.98
Sub-Total = $21.95

Coupons:
Gilette manufacturer’s coupon – $2.00
CVS coupon $4/$20 – $4.00
used ECB – $12.00

Total after savings = $3.95
Tax = $.36
Out of pocket expense = $4.31
New ECB generated = $7.98

So, to sum it up, for this round of CVS shopping, I got $80.24 worth of merchandise. By combining store sales, manufacturer’s coupons and Extra Care Bucks, my total out of pocket expenses came out to $7.43. And I still have about $8 worth of ECB for next week. Not bad for just my second week of “CVSing”!

Of course, I still have to see what effect this will have on my regular grocery budget. I’ve bought items that will eventually be used (which is important too!). So I do expect to see a cut on my grocery bill over the next few weeks.

The CVS deals I got are going on this week, so you still have time to check them out for yourself. I got a lot of the manufacturer’s coupons from an insert on the Sunday newspaper. The insert was made available in many areas, from what I gather. Remember, you need to sign up for the CVS Extra Care card to make use of these deals. And for maximum savings, stack manufacturer’s coupons, store deals and ECBs!

image used with permission via CVS Media Library

Post from: Keeping the Castle

This week, I decided to see whether I can cut on my grocery budget with serious CVS savings.

Here’s my CVS transaction for today:

Vaseline lotion – 5.99 (+ 2 ECB)
Viva paper towels (8pk) – 6.99 (+ 2 ECB)
Coppertone sunscreen, Sport – 7.99
Coppertone sunscreen, Waterbabies – 11.49 (+ 10 ECB)

Coupons:
Coppertone manufacturer’s coupon -  1.00
CVS $3/$15 coupon – 1.00

Subtotal = 28.46
Tax = 1.77
Total out of pocket = 30.23

For this transaction, I received a total of 14 ECB, plus another 2.50 ECB for Spring spending. This means that for next week, I have 16.50 ECB to spend. This first week’s transaction should be the most I’ll spend at CVS from now on.

The whole idea behind CVS shopping is to roll over the ECB so I will spend as little out of pocket as possible. I will do this by using existing ECB to buy only items that generate additional ECB. Other tips for saving even more money at CVS are to:

* combine manufacturer’s coupons and extra CVS coupons with ECB

* buy only items that will be used eventually, like soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc.

Next week, I’ll check out the sales, and post my CVS transaction again. I want to track whether or not I’ll truly be able to save money using the CVS extra bucks program.

Post from: Keeping the Castle