Finally,we can drink Coke!

We’ve been really thirsty lately around my house! I refuse to buy soda for more than $2 a 12 pack.. and lately the prices seem to just get larger as the packs are reduced to 8 packs!

Thankfully, CVS and the ECB program are coming to my rescue. I’ll be getting my 12 packs for only $1 each!!!

Here’s my plan for today.. broken down into 3 transactions.

Transaction #1

2 Adidas Action 3 deodorant 3.99 x2=7.98 EARN 6 ECB  (-2 $1 off coupons from a recent insert and -4 ECB’s on hand from last week) = 1.98 cash needed.

Transaction #2

3 Kellogg’s Cereal $10 EARN 5 ECB (– 3 $1 off PRINTABLE coupons, – 6 ECB’s from Transaction #1)= 1.00 cash needed

Transaction #3

5 Coke 12 packs $20 EARN 10 ECB (– 5 $1 off My coke Rewards coupons, – 5 ECB from Transaction #2) = 10.00 cash needed

I will be spending $12.98 in cash.. yeah, I know seems kinda high…

but leaving the store with 10 ECB= 2.98 OOP for all of that!

UPDATE: I ended up only doing 2 transactions.. the Coke first and then the rest. Ended up with 11 ECB’s. 🙂

Rolled $4ECB

My favorite Razors helped me roll 4ECB’s.

Here’s my CVS Scenario:

1 Schick Intuition PLus Razor 8.99

-4 coupon (recent insert)

_4 ECB from last week

Subtotal: .99 plus tax= 1.34

EARN 4 ECB’s.

Basically I got 2 razor “refills” for $1

Gotta love CVS. 🙂

fooled by the small print

I must be a bit out of practice.. I went into CVS today for just a few items that I saw in this weeks ad without checking out other bloggers or Hot Coupon World first….

I THOUGHT I was going to get 2 ECB’s for buying my gallon of milk… but I totally missed the whole section below it in the ad that states that you need to ALSO buy 4 boxes of cereal. 😦

Here’s what my ad said:

Milk 2.79

2 Extra Care Bucks

=.79

“It’s like getting your mild for .79!

Then down below it, there’s a sale on cereal 4/$10 and THEN a statement about the 2 ECB’s WHEN YOU BUY BOTH in small print.

Well, I am a bit annoyed about this… it was VERY misleading if you ask me!

Anyway…

The Crest Pro Health deal worked just fine

I bought 2 Crest Pro Health for 2.88 each used a .75 off coupon and a $1 off coupon…and earned $4 ECB’s =.01 OOP for both!!!

I also picked up a raincheck for the FREE after ECB’s Edge Shave Gel.

List in Hand….

At Publix today I’ve prepared my shopping list online again.

Shopping List

Bakery

Muffins, 4-Count Using FLIP $2/$5 Bakery coupon Lender’s Bagels Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1 Sourdough Round French Bread Using FLIP Bakery Coupon from above

Produce

Florida Grape Tomatoes Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1
Using $2/$5 FLIP Produce Coupon

Trop50 Orange Juice Beverage .Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1 -$1 recent insert

Florida Strawberries3 FOR $5.00
Part of my Produce deal for the FLIP

Grocery

Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1
$1/3 IP- Get 6 boxes.. use 2 q’s=  .66 a box!

Classico Pasta Sauce2 FOR $4.00 $1/2 IP				2.00
Knorr Sides Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1 75/2 recent insert coupon Dole Fruit, Gel, or Parfait Bowls Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1 $1/2 IP Del Monte Fresh Cut Vegetables  79¢ .75 off 50% less salt = .04 each!	–			0.79

Keebler Cookies Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1

Entenmann’s Little Bites .Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1

Chef Boyardee.89¢

Dairy

Yoplait Yogurt Buy 1 Get 1 FREE1
–1.50 IP (print 2!) = both FREE!

Meat

Whole Chicken
79¢ lb

And of course, I’ll use a CVS $10/50 or $5/30 leftover in my binder from the past. (My Publix honors expired $/$ competitor q’s)

Next I’ll run by CVS for:

(I live in a limited area with a smaller weekly ad)

2 Gallons of Milk $3 each= 6.00 (I will earn 2 ECB’s)

2 bottles of Dawn dish soap= $2 ( I will earn 1 ECB)

Coupons used:

$1 dawn from home mailer

.50 dawn recent insert

5 ECB from last week

Spend 1.50 Earn 3 ECB.

(Yes, I know I’m “losing ECB’s here, but I’m happy with spending them for milk!!!)

Then I’ll skip by Walgreens and pick up:

Pepsi 12 packs…

They are on sale 3/$10.92  and there’s a Walgreens Flyer q for B3G1. So I’m going to pick up 5.

Why 5? Because in addition to the Walgreens Coupon I’ve printed out 2 of the Diet Pepsi B2G1 coupons!

Buy 3 get 1= 4 rung up at register

those 4 are good towards 2 more free!

total money= 8.42 for 5 12 packs!

(i’ll be using my gift card so this will be free to me)

UPDATE! Receipts now in hand too!

Publix: Savings- 139.94  Spent 84.09!!!

CVS- Spent 8 ECB NO CASH… earned 3 ECB back  and will be drinking FREE MILK all week!

Walgreens: also mixed in a Flintstone Vitamin stacking deal ($2 off in this week’s ad, $1 recent insert, and $1 off Walgreens Coloring Book!) Spent a total of 16.07.. all on my gift card from January’s rebates!

CVS Plan 2/9/09

I haven’t been to CVS in awhile now! To be honest, the deals haven’t been that great lately, and I’m about to expire a 10ECB so… here’s my plan for today.

4- 12 packs Coke (2 day coupon) $11

4 boxes Wheat Thins $4

1- Gillette Fusion Razor  $7.99

Subtotal: 22.99

Coupons:

$4.00 My coke Rewards coupons (4x$1)

$4.00 Wheat thins ($2/2 x2 found at Publix)

$4.00 Gillete Fusion Razor recent insert

New Subtotal: 10.99

Pay with 10 ECB and .99 plus tax.

Earn 4 ECB

I am in the cherry picker stages, so I really don’t buy things I don’t need. My stockpile is already full most things!

I will also keep my eye out for the following deals:

Mylanta Ultimate Strength Cherry ringing up at 3.65  (use $2 q here) Earn $3 ECB= 1.35 moneymaker! Learn more Here

CVS cotton rounds makeup remover pads 25 ct. (upc 0 50428 08619 3) .99 Buy 2 Earn $2ECB= .02 moneymaker! Learn more Here (this deal is even better if you have a CVS skincare coupons!)

UPDATE:

Actual Purchase today:

4 Coke 12 packs

2 Wheat Thins

1 Gillete Fusion Gamer Razor

1 Mylanta Ultimate cherry

Subtotal: 24.74

Coupons & ECB spent:  24.74

tax: .37 OOP

EARNED: 7 ECB

Saving while sick

I haven’t updated any of my savings posts lately because I’ve been fighting a bad head cold for the past few weeks. No serious shopping going on lately for me!

I must say though, I’ve been very grateful for all the boxes of Kleenex and coughdrops and medicines that I’ve stockpiled since last summer!

I have a few things I plan to run out and get at Walgreens and CVS this week though…

Walgreens

.33 Reusable shopping bag! Great price with in ad coupon!

Pop Tarts 2/$3 – $1/2 coupon in recent insert= $1 each! (My kids LOVE poptarts!)

Milk $2.99

Therma Care Heat Wrap Trial size $2.49  (Get 2.49 Rebate) = FREE

I still have over $20 on my gift card, so I will be bringing all of this home for free. 🙂

CVS

Johnson & Johnson Adhesive Pads with Neosporin $4.98

Johnson & Johnson Travel First Aid Kit .99

-$3/2 Johnson & Johnson

Earn 3 ECB for the Adhesive Pads

Total: Pay 2.97 Earn 3= Profit of 3 cents

Excedrin 10ct. $2.49 Get 2.49 ECB= Free

Zicam Nasal swab free samples on an endcap near pharmacy. (I’ve been grabbing one everytime I go in.. it worked for my hubby and daughter to prevent them from staying sick with the cold I’ve been stuck with. I however, didn’t use it and wish I had!)

Understanding CVS

CVS shopping is not just a simple “running to the store” thing anymore! CVS shopping has become a whole “game” to play that can be quite confusing sometimes. So let me try to explain it here for all the beginners out there!

• First of all you need to get a CVS Extra Care Card. You can pick one up at the counter at your next visit.
• After you get your card, go here and sign up online to keep track of your Extra Care Account. Once you sign up, they will send you occasional emails with coupons! I think the typical first coupon email from CVS is a $4/20 and can come in very handy in making some of your early purchase. The $/# coupons are highly sought after and are usually “card specific”
• Do a “dry run” walk around CVS once to get to know your store better. Look for the Price Checker Machine… and scan your CVS Extra Care Card while you’re there. It will print out coupons specifically for YOU! Look up towards the front of the store for the monthly ECB booklet. It’s a flyer slightly smaller than the weekly flyer.. but it has more pages. Look in the back of the store for any pharmacy booklets that mention “Savings Inside”  for coupons on many different CVS items or medicine items. Occasionally CVS will also put out a Beauty Handbook FULL of coupons on both name brand items and CVS only items. All these coupons are coded as CVS coupons and CAN BE STACKED with regular manufactor coupons!
• Educate yourself with other websites when you are planning your CVS trip. Hot Coupon World Forums has some wonderfully talented people sharing their scenarios for a few weeks in advance! This site is positively crucial to helping people learn to play at CVS! Moneysavingmom, iheartcvs , and Keeping the Kingdom First are also great places to get educated! Follow along on their challenges and scenarios and be thankful that there are so many ladies out there that enjoy helping others!! 🙂
• Now that you are learning, it’s time to PLAN your trip! Using the examples of others, look through the weekly ad and your own coupon stash and find a match up!  Look for items that are on sale to combine with your coupon. In the beginning, you may be thinking that you don’t “need” toothpaste yet… but try to remember that someday you will! It costs WAY more to buy it simply because you’re out of it than it does to buy it in advance when it’s at it’s cheapest price.
• Know your rules as you plan.

1. Buy One Get One Sales– You can use a coupon for the one you buy AND for the one that’s Free! For instance, if deodorant is on sale for $3 and BOGO, and you happen to have a coupon on that deodorant for $1.50 off. USE TWO of those coupons and both are now FREE!  Here’s the math for those that need to see it…. 1st one $3.00 + 2nd one 0.00= $3.00 Coupons 1st one -1.50 2nd one -1.50= -3.00  $3-$3=0
2. Buy One Get One Coupons– You can use a Buy One Get One Coupon ON a Buy One Get One Sale and they will both be FREE! How? CVS rings up both items at regular price. CVS then deducts the 2nd one as part of their sale. You hand them the coupon, they look at the screen and see what you paid.. and they enter that price (as a negative amount)
3. Understand why coupons are good for CVS. CVS EARN’s the value of your coupon PLUS 8 cents on every one they turn into the manufacture! They profit from our coupon use!!!
4. Overage– if CVS has a sale on an item for $1 and you have a coupon for $1.50… you can use that “overage” to plan the rest of your purchase. You can’t get “money back”.. but you CAN add that into the cost of another item making that item cheaper. I’ve used overage to purchase items that are hard to find coupons for.

• Work with your ECB’s. ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks) are like cash in your pocket. When you purchase an item in the beginning, try to purchase items that generate ECB’s. As you become more comfortable with CVS’ing, you will learn to “Roll” your ECB’s and find that real money isn’t coming out of your pocket anymore.  The first time you buy something that generates ECB’s it might seem like you’re buying something for too much. But once you have that ECB in your hand, you can then use it to buy MORE ECB items.  It’s easier to show you than to tell you about this…. recently I rolled 5ECB’s like this:
  2- Colgate MaxFresh w/ Mouthwash beads- on Sale 2.99 each Get 2 ECB’s each.

  1- CVS Kids antibacterial spray- on Sale 1.99 Get 1 ECB

  1- Reese’s peanutbutter cup- on sale .50 (this was a filler.. my total was 3 cents short!! )

  Total before tax/q’s= 8.47

  q’s used: $8

  -$1 (used 2)  Maxfresh-CVS Beauty Handbook

  – $1 CVS product- CVS Beauty Handbook

  – $5 ECB on hand from last week

  Total Paid OOP .51 and earned $5 ECB’s right back.   Can you see how I actually got all of those products for free??? That’s how ECB’s work. 🙂

• Utilize Rainchecks! Don’t be shy about asking for a raincheck. If CVS is out of an item they have on sale, or marked with an ECB promotion… ask for a raincheck!!! You can always pick it up later and still get the great deal. Some CVS’s will also honor your expired coupon IF they can’t restock before your coupon expires! Don’t ever be afraid to ask!
• Get to know your managers, and if you’re having trouble.. contact Customer Service! CVS is a customer first type of company and they readily handle problems via phone or email.
• Sign up to be a CVS advisor! Go here and sign up to help them by doing surveys. I’ve been an “advisor” for about a month or so and they’ve asked me to do 2 survey’s. I earned 10 ECB’s just for comparing my CVS ad with my Walgreens ad one Sunday! I also earned 2 ECB’s for offering to do another survey but then discovering I didn’t qualify to do it. This is a win win situation and it’s a FREE way to earn ECB’s!

Hopefully some of this will help you get started with CVS! The first time you begin to “get” CVS’ing it will be exhilarating! I still get a little shaky when I start handing over my ECB’s and walk out of the store with a bag full of stuff for little to no cash at all! Good luck and Happy Shopping!

Please, feel free to leave me questions here!