After my 5-month coupon hiatus, I have returned with a vengeance. Well... not really, it's not that extreme, but I did get a crazy good deal on Tide Pods this past week. Oh, and I snagged up some Listerine mouthwash for good measure... they were free with ExtraBucks. So here's last week's deal at my beloved CVS:
Day One, Store 1: [I went to 2 stores so I wouldn't clear shelves]
2 Listerine Mouthwash
$4.99 sale price
Used $5 off $10 Mouthwash CVS coupon
CVS promo: Spend $10, get $5 ExtraBucks
4 Tide Pods, 14ct
$3.94 sale price
used 4 $2/1 Tide Pods MC from 11/16 newspapers
used CVS email coupon "$5 off $15 in-store purchase"
Total OOP for Day 1 was $8
And gained $5 in ExtraBucks
Day 2, Store 2:
4 [more] Tide Pods, 14ct
$3.94 sale price
used another 4 $2/1 MC from 11/16 newspaper
Total OOP for Day 2 was $8.00
And gained a $10 CVS gift card: Spend $30 get $10 GC on select PG products
SavingStar:
SavingStar is an awesome website for couponers! There is currently a Spend $30, get $10 refund on select PG products.
Make sure you connect your CVS account first!
Received $10 Payout from SavingStar
In Review:
Spent $16 OOP
Received $5 ExtraBucks for Mouthwash
Received $10 CVS Gift Card for spending $30 on Tide Pods
Received $10 SavingStar Refund for spending $30 on PG products
So there's this new CVS that opened up last week and it's exactly on my way to work OR school, so I decided to go check it out. I happened to run into the king of cashiers there, he was the coolest dude I've ever had scan my purchases lol. I thought it was going to be difficult because it was a new store and this might be a guy who just learned how to be a cashier, but no. This guy knew all there was to know about coupons and was kind enough to explain how their system worked and even push through some rather unfriendly Almay coupons that beeped. Also, he had the deepest tenor voice and was about 6'8" or something enormous like that.
Anyway, here's what I bought using a complicated combination of CVS and manufacturer coupons:
Two Colgate Total Advantage Toothpaste, 7.6 oz
On Sale for 2 for $7.98, Buy 2 get $2 Extra Bucks
Used two $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste MC from SS 6/1
Two 3-Pack Listerine Breath Strips, $4.29 regular price
Buy one, get $2 Extra Bucks, limit 2
Used $3 off $15 Oral Care CVS Coupon
One Playtex Sport Tampons, 40ct.
One Sale for $7.99, Buy one get $3 Extra Bucks, limit 1
Used $3/1 Playtex MC from SS 5/18
One Tena Pads, 14ct
On Sale for $3.50, Buy one get $2.50 Extra Bucks
Used $1/1 Tena Product MC (coupons.com)
One CVS Thin Pantyliner, $1.27 regular price
Used $3 off $12 Tampons or Pads CVS Coupon
Two Almay One Coat Mascara, $8.29 regular price
BOGO 50% OFF
Used two $4/1 Almay Cosmetics Product from SS 6/1
Two Almay Shadow Softies Eye Shadow, $5.29 regular price
BOGO 50% OFF
Used two $4/1 Almay Cosmetics Products from SS 6/1
Used one $4 off $20 Beauty CVS Coupon
I also used one $10 off $40 CVS Coupon that was mailed to me last Thursday and I used $8.00 in Extra Bucks from last week.
My total before Extra Care savings and coupons was $60.44
After coupons were applied, the $8.00 Extra Bucks had to be decreased to $7.68 because it exceeded my total (which was perfectly ok with me).
My total Out of Pocket was $1.33, which was just tax and I received a total of $11.50 Extra Bucks.
So to figure out the MM: $11.50 EB - $8.00 EB - $1.33 OOP =$2.17 Money Maker!!!
Extra Bucks are $$ coupons given at CVS with the purchase of certain items every week, and they are used as cash at the register. I had a few that were about to expire this week, so I planned an "extreme couponing" trip to use them up. I also decided to put my extra CVS card/account (which is technically supposed to be my husband's) into play since it had not been used for a long time. I did these transactions in two different CVS stores so as to not clear the shelves (FYI: there was ample amounts of everything in both.)
Here's my couponing magic:
Card 1 (mine):
Received 20% off email coupon from CVS last Thursday
Two Colgate Total Rinse, 1 L $5.99 sale price (Buy one, get $3 Extra Bucks, limit 2)
Used two $2.00/1 Colgate Total Mouthwash (coupons.com)
One Crest Pro-Health, 1 L $3.99 sale price (Buy one, get $2 Extra Bucks, limit 2)
Used one $1.00/1 Crest Pro-Health Rinse (coupons.com)
Used $3.00 off $15.00 Toothpaste, Rinse, Toothbrush CVS coupon
Two Dove Chocolate Bars 3.3 oz, 2 for $3 sale price (Buy two, get $1 Extra Bucks, limit 1)
Used one $1.00/2 Dove Chocolate Bars (smartsource.com)
Three M&M's, $0.77 each, sale price
Used Buy 2, get 1 Free (smartsource.com)
Used $1.00 off $5.00 Candy CVS coupon
Two St. Ives Apricot Scrub, $4.49 reg price, BOGO 50% off (Buy two, get $3 Extra Bucks, limit 1)
Used two $1.00/1 St. Ives product from SS 5/18
Four Revlon Colorstay Shadowlinks Eye Shadows, $3.19 regular price (Revlon Spend $10 get $4 Extra Bucks)
Used one $2.00 off $10.00 Revlon CVS coupon
Used four $2.00/1 Revlon Eye Product (coupons.com)
I had $11.00 in Extra Bucks from previous weeks which I used to lower my Out of Pocket expenses.
My total before coupons was $49 something, almost $50. I used $30-something in coupons, $11 in Extra Bucks, and my out-of-pocket cost was $6.89 and I received $14.00 in Extra Bucks to use later.
Card 2 (husband's):
Received $4 off $20 purchase email coupon from CVS last Thursday
Two Colgate Total Rinse, 1 L $5.99 sale price (Buy one, get $3 Extra Bucks, limit 2)
Used two $2.00/1 Colgate Total Mouthwash (coupons.com)
One Crest Pro-Health, 1 L $3.99 sale price (Buy one, get $2 Extra Bucks, limit 2)
Used one $1.00/1 Crest Pro-Health Rinse (coupons.com)
Used $2.00 off $10.00 Toothpaste, Rinse, Toothbrush CVS coupon
Two Dove Chocolate Bars 3.3 oz, 2 for $3 sale price (Buy two, get $1 Extra Bucks, limit 1)
Used one $1.00/2 Dove Chocolate Bars (smartsource.com)
Three M&M's, $0.77 each, sale price
Used Buy 2, get 1 Free (smartsource.com)
Two Right Guard Xtreme Deodorants, $4.49 regular price, (Buy one, get one free)
Used $1.50 off $4.00 deodorant purchase CVS coupon
One Sunday newspaper $2.00 (I was so excited there were leftovers from the day before! I just couldn't help myself)
This card had not been used in a while, so I had no Extra Bucks to lower my Out of Pocket cost. The total before coupons was around $30. After coupons I paid just over $14and got back $9 in Extra Bucks to use later.
I am usually never OK with anything higher than $5 out of pocket, but since I hadn't couponed at CVS for quite some time I don't feel so guilty. I also walked away with a total of $23 Extra Bucks, which is more than the $21 I spent out of pocket, so to me, this is a great deal!
I don't often go out and coupon at multiple stores during one week, but there were just so many great deals everywhere this week I had to give it a try, especially when bringing my favorite money-saving apps into the mix. Here is what I've bought (so far...)
At Walgreens:
Bought 6 Snickers Bites (at two different stores) $3.99 regular price
On Sale for 2/$6
Used $1 off 2 Walgreens Coupon booklet
Used three $3 off 2 Snickers Bites (coupons.com)
Paid $1.00 each, or $6.50 total
These are so gloriously delicious that I'm not even the least bit ashamed of buying so many, or of hunting them down across 3 stores. This deal saved me over $18!
At CVS:
Bought 2 Nexxus Shampoo, $10.99 regular price. Spend $20 get $10 Extra Bucks.
Used $3 off $15 Hair Care CVS coupon
Used 20% Off Purchase CVS email coupon
Paid $14.50, got $10.00 Extra Bucks
Bought 2 Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Buy 2 get $2.00 Extra Bucks.
Sale price 2 for $5.00
Used two $0.50 off 1 (coupons.com)
Paid $4.00, got $2.00 Extra Bucks
Bought 1 Skintimate Shave Gel, $3.79 regular price. Buy one, get $2.00 Extra Bucks.
Used $1.00 off 1 printable coupon
Used 20% Off Purchase CVS email coupon
Paid $2.04, got $2.00 Extra Bucks
Bought 1 Paper Towel Roll, $0.79 sale price
Used $0.79 off CVS coupon
Free
Total at CVS was somewhere around $20, but I used $7.00 in Extra Bucks from last week, so my Out of Pocket was around $14. Then I received $14.00 in Extra Bucks, which in my mind is as good as free.
At Walmart:
Bought 4 P3 Power Protein Packs, $1.00 each
Used two $1.00 off 1 printables
Used two $0.75 off 1 printables
Paid $0.50 for all
Bought a bunch of bananas, 0.48 cents/lb (around 3lbs.)
Paid about $1.30
Submitted for $0.50 rebate with Checkout 51
Bought one VO5 Shampoo and one VO5 Conditioner
$1.98 each regular price
Used two $1.00 off 1 printable
Paid $1.96, submitted for $0.75 each rebate at iBotta, plus received $0.50 bonus credit for submitting both in one receipt. Got $2.00 credit total, which makes these free!
Bought one box of Fiber One Fruit Snack, $2.00 regular price
Used $0.50/1 coupons.com printable
Submitted for $0.75 iBotta rebate
Submitted for $0.75 Checkout 51 rebate
Free after rebates!
I love these adult version of Lunchables, they're great for a mid-afternoon snack! Plus the child in me loves bringing Fruit Snacks to work. Total at Walmart was around $7.00 for $13.00 worth of product, plus I got $4.00 in rebates.
At Target:
Bought 6 cans of Iams cat food, $0.59 regular price
Used 5% Off Cartwheel
Used two $2.00 off 3 Iams wet cat food (coupons.com)
Free, plus $0.64 overage
Bought 1 gal. Market Pantry white milk, $3.19 regular price
Used 5% Off Cartwheel
Submitted for $0.50 iBotta rebate plus $0.50 bonus
Submitted for $0.50 Checkout 51 rebate
$1.53 after rebates
Bought Post Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Engergy, $2.55 price cut
Used $1.00 off Target printable
Used $1.00 off manufacturer coupon
Paid $0.55
Gained a new favorite cereal
7th Generation Dishwasher Gel, $3.49 sale price
Used $1.00 off Target printable
Used $1.00 off manufacturer coupon
Used 10% off Cartwheel
Submitted for $1.00 credit at iBotta
Submitted for $1.10 credit at Jingit
$0.96 Money Maker after rebates!
One Up and Up Multi-Surface Wipes, $1.92 sale price
Used $1.00 off Target Mobile Coupon
Submitted for $1.00 credit at Jingit
$0.08 Money Maker after rebate!
One Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, $2.99 regular price
Used $1.50 printable
Used $1.00 off Target Mobile Coupon
Paid $0.50
Wheew! What a week! I almost gave up on typing all that out. My total in rebates was $7.85 using various apps (iBotta, Checkout 51, and Jingit). It's challenging to really find a total for money saved vs. money spent because of the Extra Bucks and rebates, but I'm confident this was a week well spent screening couponing websites, punching numbers in my calculator, and draining my iphone's battery more than once. It's all worth it! Now I'm off to find some more cat food coupons (I donate these) and make some sugar cookies stuffed with Snickers Bites!
Today I did a CVS shopping trip and was so pleased with the results that I tacked the receipt up on the wall for a few hours. My total was supposed to be $54.38 and all I paid out of pocket was $1.66 after coupons and Extra Bucks. I was amazed that I somehow ended paying less than the price of the newspaper ($2) I was there to buy. All in all, one of my best purchases, plus I walked away with $14 in Extra Bucks (store credits) for next time!
I now have: 3 bottles of Purex laundry detergent, 2 Bengay tubes, 3 Carmex lip balms, 3 packets of mini Hershey's, 2 Colgate Total toothpastes, and 1 Softsoap hand soap. Yay for stockpiling!
