Thursday, April 26, 2012

Shopping week 4/22

It's been a hard week- but I did manage to get to CVS and pick up what I was wanting.

$12- 4 mt dew 12 packs $4 each (buy 3 get $2 ECB)
$2.50 Belvita cookies
-$1 mq
-$1 magic machine cvs q off belvita
$2.99 gallon milk (get $1 ECB)
$3.99 Kotex U tampons (get $2 ECB)
-$1 mq
$3.99 Always Radiant tampons (get $1 ECB)
-$2 mq (from box of previous)
$6 revlon lipgloss
-$1 mq
$6 revlon lipgloss (earn $4 ECB wyb $10 revlon)
-$1 mq
-$5 magic machine cvs q wyb 2 revlon
$2.97 3 american greeting cards $.99 each (earn $3 ECB wyb 3)
$6.29 Physicians Formula concealer (earn $7 ECB wyb 1)
-$3 magic coupon machine cvs q wyb any physicians formula

$47.63 total (without tax)
-$15 product coupons
-$17 ECB from last week

$15.63 cash spent (without tax)
$20 in ECB for next week

I still haven't been to Walgreens- and may just skip it this week.  But I still have $17 in items to purchase to finish out my Proctor and Gamble rebate that has to be dated by 4/28/12- so I know I will have to go somewhere in the next couple of days.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Shopping 4/15 week

This is gonna be a quick summary without pictures- but I for one was happy with the sales at the drugstores this week:

Walgreens:

Goody hair ties & scrunchies $1.99, earn a $1 RR
Pepsi Next 16 oz bottle $.99, earn a $.99 RR  FREE
Purex b12g1 $5.99, $1 mq's- made it just $2 a bottle
Simalasan allergy relieve nasal spray $6, earn a $6 RR  FREE
Nasal Ease Allergy Reliever $9, earn a $9 RR  FREE
(certain areas of the country got $5 mq's for this making it a money maker- we don't live in one of them)
(but I'll take any allergy meds I can get for free- 4 out of 5 in our house have allergies)
Aquafresh Kids Toothpaste $2, $1 mq's and $1 wags book store q's, FREE

I transferred a prescription and earned a $25 giftcard (walgreens.com- you can too!) so all total I spent $25.18 in 3 transactions (had to have 3 sodas for my 3 kids- I couldn't bear the arguing), but after my free gift card I spent just $.18!!!!!  PLUS I left with $19.97 in RR for next week.

CVS:
Starburst or Skittles 4/$2, earn a $1 ECB wyb 4 (makes them $.25 each)
Kraft homestyle mac & cheese 2/$6, $1 mq's, earn a $3 ECB wyb 2 (makes them $1 each)
Colgate Total Advanced $2.99, $1 mq's, earn a $2 ECB    FREE
Depend Real Fit $3.99, $1.00 mq's, $2 cvs q's (from their website), earn a $2 ECB    $1 Money Maker
Tampax Radiant Tampons $7.49, $1 mq's, earn a $2 ECB (makes them $4.49- using toward rebate)
Neosporin Daily Moisture body wash $10.49, $3 mq, earn a $5 ECB (makes it $2.49- we have some serious excema in this house yall)
Physicians formula tinted moisturizer $13.49- I was a lucky one last week and got a $15 off any Physicians Formula skin care q from the red magic machine- woo hoo!

I spent a total of $5.49 after all coupons and extra care bucks I rolls from last week- total savings of $53.23.  Plus I earned $17 in ECB for next week.

Target:
Used tons of target q's along with manufacturer q's and saved a ton of cash----
(you can print 2 of each target q at target.com- if you aren't doing this, you should be)
4 Method dish soap $2.69, $1 tq and $1 mq- $.69 each
2 Mossimo girls tank tops $6, used a $3 tq- $3 each
2 Merona womans tank tops $6, used a $3 tq- $3 each
Lifesavers gummies bag $1.89, $.75 tq and $1 mq- $.14
2 Belvita breakfast cookies $2.99, $1 tq and $1 mq- $.99 (these are yummy!)
2 Gold Peak iced tea $1, $.75 mq- $.25 each
2 Indoor flood light bulbs 2 pack $13, $2 tq and $1 mq- $10 per 2 pack
Tums refreshermints $2.36, $.75 tq and $1.50 mq- $.11
Plus various other items we needed like fabric softener, etc.

Total I spent $49.06 and I saved $47.50 in coupons alone!!!!  In addition, I saved $32.47 in sale prices which includes a few 90% off easter items.

March Spending totals

I never have posted my March spending.  Mainly because I totally didn't hit my goal of $350.

And I have felt guilty about it.

But this morning I got to thinking, and I'm over that guilt.  The reality is that some months there are good sales and things to stock up on- extra birthdays and Easter baskets to be filled- and the totals are up a bit higher than they should be.  It just is what it is.

My totals for March were:

$586.17 spent
$1113.42 saved through store sales and coupons
65% savings

That spent amount is everything except gas and going out to eat.  It's our clothing (if any was purchased), our dog food, our groceries, our birthday gifts, our easter basket candies and toys, our deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, butter, milk and coffee.  It's all of it.

So I think that being able to save 65% on average is not bad- pretty good in fact.  It takes a lot of time and effort to save 90-100% on various items in order to bring that average savings up for items that hardly ever, if ever, have coupons (meat, milk, produce, etc.).  And yes- I went $200 over my goal, I was surprised as well at how much I spent.  But March spread out over 5 weeks this year and who cares anyway right?

On to April.  Which is now half over!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Gotta love that

Last night, two of my children began talking to me and their opening line was "Hey mom, we're outta........".  THAT is why I love this couponing- somehow it saves me time when I am the most short on it.  Instead of having to make a list and stopping at the store today, I just grabbed an extra shampoo and toothpaste from the shelf and we were back in business.

Personal Care items are by far the easiest and most common things to pick up for free or dang near.  Therefore there are extras of almost everything at our fingertips.  Deodorant, shampoo, shaving cream, razors, pads, tampons............
Dear heavens I can't believe I am opening this up for the entire world to see.  But THAT is the super awesome shelf I bought when the local CVS closed and I have rearranged my bedroom closet to house it.  I moved all of our personal care type items there and I (occassionally) go in to just look at it.

It makes me happy.  Of course not all of that was purchased at once, the key to a happy stockpile is to build it slowly.  When a sale hits, pick up 2 or 3 of whatever it is.  Then all of a sudden you are shopping for shelving units.  Either way it works for me.

 A few weeks ago when my entire family was over it was nice to take my neices and nephews into 'my closet' and let them take whatever it was they needed.  And I still had PLENTY left over when they were done.

I've fallen a bit off my weekly couponing.  Lack luster sales and not much time have stripped me of the energy to hit the stores.  But soon I will catch up my coupon clipping and be back at it.

Pinkie promise.  The convenience is too much of a benefit to give up.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

You can't go wrong!

I didn't buy anything at Walgreens this week.  I know- right? Just nothing I saw that I wanted to run in for.

But Marsh has a pretty good deal going- so if you are local and have Marsh Supermarkets- you might want to stock up on your baking goods.  Lots of items are included in their spend $10 get a $4 My Marsh coupon (good on your next shopping order).  Here's what I bought (three transactions- you can only earn 1 my marsh coupon per order)

#1:
$6.99 200 splenda packet
$1.99 Betty Crocker icing
$1.25 Betty Crocker cake mix
-$.75 mq wyb BC cake mix and icing
-$2 mq splenda
$7.48, earned a $4 my marsh coupon

#2:
$2.58 gold medal flour
$7.35 6 betty crocker brownie mix b1 at $2.45 get 1 free
$.75 jello pudding
-$.75 mq wyb 2 BC brownie mix
-$.75 mq wyb 2 BC brownie mix
-$.75 mq wyb 2 BC brownie mix
$8.43, earned a $4 my marsh coupon

#3:
$3 2 Kraft Mini Marshmallows at $1.50 each (we're making rice crispy treats)
$7.50 10 jellos at $.75 each (we're making jello eggs)
-$1 mq save $.50 wyb 2 jello (doubled)
-$1 mq save $.50 wyb 2 jello (doubled)
-$1 mq save $.50 wyb 2 jello (doubled)
-$1 mq save $.50 wyb 2 jello (doubled)
-$1 mq save $.50 wyb 2 jello (doubled)
-$1 mq save $.50 wyb 2 kraft marshmallows (doubled)
$4.50- earned a $4 my marsh coupon

Yes- it is a lot of trouble to ring three orders.  I try to go at not busy times, make sure no one is in line behind me, and ask the cashier if it is okay before doing so.  This week- it is worth it.  Also included is sugar, powerdered and brown sugar and a few other items.  You might check it out!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

CVS 4-2-12

$18.31 (plus tax) cash spent- earned $20.99 in extra care bucks plus submitted for a $10 rebate- BOOYA!

Lately I have been feeling a little down, especially about sale shopping and couponing.  So it felt great to actually get a good deal and feel happy about it!

$6- 2 m&m's 2/$6
-$1 magic coupn machine cvs coupon wyb 2 m&m's
-$1 mq wyb 2 m&m's
$3 dove chocolate
$5.99 revlon nail polish
-$3 magic coupon machine cvs coupon wyb dove & revlon nail polish
$2 4 milky way bunnys $.50 each
-$.25 magic coupon machine cvs coupon wyb 2 mars bunnies
-$2 2 $1 mq's wyb 2 mars easter items
$8.99 Complete contact lens solution
$18.99 zyrtec
-$4 zyrtec mq
$6.99 allegra
-$6.99 allegra mq (adjusted down from $7)
-$5 magic coupon machine cvs coupon wyb $25 in allergy meds
$7.96- 4 kelloggs corn flakes at $1.99 each
-$4 mq wyb 4 kelloggs cereals (printed from internet- gone)
$7.96- 4 rice crispies at $1.99 each
-$4 mq wyb 4 kelloggs cereals (printed from internet- gone)
$1.49 Paas easter egg kit
$9.19 schick hydro power razor (rain check from 2 weeks ago)
-$4 schick mq
$8.99 Revlon lipgloss
-$3 magic coupon machine cvs coupon wyb any revlon make up
-$2 revlon face product mq
-$2 magic coupon machine cvs coupon wyb $10 in easter stuff (printing this week- go get yours!)
-$4 extra care buck from last week
-$3 extra care buck from last week
-$10 extra care buck (from my winter spending- printed that day- yay!)
-$10 cvs gift card from new prescription last week (used meijer coupon- they matched it)(I'm counting this as a coupon)

Total before coupons- $87.55
Total after coupons- $18.31  plus tax
Extra care bucks earned, $20.99- $8.99 for contact solution, $7 wyb $15 in revlon makeup, $2 wyb 2 m&m's, $4 schick razor (rain check from 2 weeks ago).

PLUS- there is a $10 rebate wyb 10 boxes of certain Kelloggs cereals.  I submitted one similar to this last Fall- and they are doing it again!  The nice thing about this rebate is they don't require the receipts, only the UPC's from the boxes- which is easy peasy to keep track of.  I wasn't going to go for it since there aren't a lot of cereals my kids actually eat on the list- but when I got these 8 boxes for $1 each and I already had 2 smart start in the cabinet- I decided it was worth it.  I will keep a box of each of these and throw the rest into the food bank box.  (rice crispy treats and corn flake crusted chicken are in our future!!!!)