glossary

Some definitions:
for CVS:
ECB = Extra Care Bucks. These are coupons good for $$ off your next purchase at CVS. They do expire after about 2 weeks, so use them quickly!
CRT = Cash Register Tape. Sometimes other coupons will print on your cash register tape, in addition to your ECB's. I have been getting $5 off $15 purchase alot lately.
for Walgreens (aka WAGS):
FAR = Free after rebate. Every month WAGS has items that are free, you just have to either send in your receipts, or enter them online at walgreens.com. Get these items early in the month, as they will sell out quickly.
ESR= Easy Saver Rebate. These are items that you can get a couple dollars' rebates on, in addition to the FAR's items.
Easy Saver Catalog= found at the entrance to WAGS. A new one comes out every month. This lists the FAR items and the ESR items for that month. This catalog also has coupons that are good on certain items for the whole month.
ManQ = manufacturer's coupons. Found in the Sunday paper or on the internet.

My advice is to start small. Try the $5 CVS challenge on moneysavingmom.com or dealseekingmom.com (2 of my favorite blogs!) Don't try really complicated transactions at first or you may get overwhelmed. Also, don't try to get EVERY deal. It is impossible. Unless you have no job, no kids, and nothing else going on in your life. Find deals on items your family uses and maximize them.

For example we drink alot of Diet Coke. I take my lunch to work every day, and I pack 1 can of diet coke. Right now at CVS they have diet coke 3 12 packs for $11. If you spend $15 on Diet Coke, you get $5 in ECB's. This is a pretty good deal, but only if you plan on drinking Diet Coke or Coke. You can then take that $5 ECB, and get the items that are free after ECB's for the next week.

My WAGS trip today

I received my gift card yesterday in the mail! Yea! Finally! It had $36.91 on it from my September Easy Saver Rebates. I have another gift card on the way with around $19 of October Easy Saver Rebates.

I went back to my Walgreens near work and looked for more diapers! But they were out of the size my DD needed. However they did have some of the pull ups type. Since DD is potty training (she's 2) I figured I would get some of these and see how they do. In her size there was one "premium" and one "regular" left. So I got both. I asked if there were more diapers in the back and they were out. I guess I could've gotten a raincheck, but I didn't. Today for some reason I got the 2 packs for $6.99. Yesterday I got the 2 packs of diapers for $4.99. For some reason today the pharmacy coupon only took off $2, and yesterday it took off $4. Maybe because they were 2 different sku's?

I also bought the Almay FAR mascara, and an Almay lip gloss, since they were B1G1F. I had 2 /$1 off coupons for these. I got 2 rolls of tape for $.99, a bottle of WAGS water for $1.19, Duracell batteries for $5.99 ($.75 off coupon from paper), and got a Cover Girl eyeshadow and eye pencil. The Cover Girl products were $5.49 and $5.29, I had 2/$1 off coupons, and got $2.65 off since they were B1G1 50%off.

So for everything, it was $28.20, paid for with my Gift Card. Not bad, I guess. But not as good as the $7 transaction yesterday! Oh and I will get $6.99 back for the FAR mascara. So I guess I will really have ended up paying $21.21. That sounds better.

This WAGS was out of the FAR L'Oreal moisturizer. I will probably have to go to the WAGS near my house for that one. It would be great if there was a $5/20 this weekend and I could use it on that! I also have a $1 off coupon from the paper for that as well, so I could make $6 on it, if this all works out.

Today's Walgreens Visit

Today I got some super good deals at Walgreens, maybe my best deal yet! This is what I got:

2 packs of Walgreens brand diapers, on sale B1G1Free = $8.99-$2.00 coupon book from the pharmacy - $2.00 discount when you buy 2 packs of diapers = $4.99 for 2 packs!

2 boxes of Celestial Seasonings Tea, on sale 2 for $3.00 - $1.00 coupon from Sunday paper - $1.00 coupon from Easy Saver Catalog= $1.00 for 2 boxes!

Schick Quattro razors, bought 2 @ $5.99 each= $11.98 - $5.99 b1g1f coupon from Sunday paper insert - $2.00 coupon from Sunday paper insert - $3.00 coupon from ESC - $3.00 coupon from ESC = -$2.01 overage for 2 packs !

Hefty 1 zip quart size bags, bought 2 @ $3.29 = $6.58 - $3.29 B1G1F ESC coupon, -$1.00 coupon from Sunday paper= $2.29 for 2 boxes!

total out of pocket = $6.27 +tax = $7.80

total regular price value of all this stuff = $39.54!

I am STILL waiting for my WAGS gift card from the September rebates. Hopefully it will come this week and I can buy the FAR items with it!

Free Coffee sample

Click here for a free sample of Dunkin Donuts coffee!

Halloween Candy

Well since it's the day before Halloween, I figured that I had better go ahead and buy candy. Actually I bought some candy earlier in the month... but between me, my husband, and my 3 children, that candy is long gone! So my strategy for today was to buy candy that I don't like. I got to CVS and realized that there really is NO candy that I don't like, so I settled for candy that is non-chocolate.

This is what I bought:
1 32oz bag of Nerds, Sweet tarts, and Laffy Taffy @ $5.99
2 44oz bags of Skittles and Starburts @7.99 each = $15.98
Total = $21.97
-$4.00 off $20 purchase CVS coupon (sent via email to Extra Care cardholders)
-$4.00 ECB's
-$10.00 ECB's
plus tax =
$4.26 out of pocket for 3 big bags of candy!

I really didn't like using my $10 ecb's on this, but I was going to have to buy candy somewhere. We get TONS of trick or treaters in our neighborhood, so I didn't want to run out of candy. Actually, I hope I got enough!

So next week I will be starting from scratch at CVS!

Hello!

Welcome to all CVS and Walgreens fans out there! I am joining the ranks of the many Mom's who have discovered that you can get free / cheap stuff at CVS and Walgreen's by paying attention to coupons in the Sunday paper and shopping the weekly sale items.

Since I am new at this, I will be starting off slowly. I really only shop weekly at CVS and Walgreen's, but if I see good deals elsewhere (like Rite Aid!) I will be sure to mention them.

Yesterday I went to CVS, and got the following:
1 Playschool wipes $3.99, less $2.00 coupon from Sunday paper
1 pack Bic razors on sale $5.89 (ad said $5.99, but whatever!), less $2.00 coupon from paper
1 diet Coke $1.49 (I was thirsty and needed a filler!)
I used $6 in ECB's from last week
Total out of pocket = $1.61
AND I got back $4.00 in ECB's for the razors!

I am waiting for my Walgreen's gift card to arrive in the mail, so I am trying to hold off on Walgreen's until then.