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Why I hate private label diapers

Lately I have been getting my daughter's pull ups for free or almost free at Rite Aid and Walgreens. They just aren't as good as Huggies Pull Ups. They aren't constructed the same way, and they don't have the same material on the inside. Are Huggies really $3-4 more expensive per pack in the way that they are made? I really don't think so. As a clothing buyer, I can tell you that the pants in my store are made in the same factories as pants for the Gap, Ann Taylor, and other well known stores. My private label pants have the same materials, trims, and workmanship as those other stores. So why can't the private label training pants / diapers be more like Huggies? They would make a killing! Every mother in America hates buying diapers. They are expensive, smelly, and add to landfills. But for Moms like me, that work full time and have 3 children, they are my only option. I need cheap diapers that work!

When I put a private label pull up on my daughter at night, there is a 50/50 chance that it will leak by morning. I'd say with Huggies pull ups, there is about a 10% chance of leaking overnight. The private label pull ups are cut smaller and are less absorbent. If my daughter's pull up leaks, the sheets and blankets get wet, her pj's get wet, and she wakes up crying in the middle of the night. Not good! Then the next day we have cranky mommy and cranky 2 yr old.

My daughter has even asked me to only buy pull ups with the princesses on them. The Huggies pull ups have Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Snow White and other assorted Disney characters. Cinderella is my daughter's favorite. The generic princesses from Walgreen's just aren't the same and she is not fooled!

Today I went to Walgreens where Huggies Pull Ups are on sale for $9.99 a pack. I bought 2 and used 2 internet coupons for $2 off per pack. Not bad at $7.99 per pack, but not free! Yesterday at CVS.com there was an ad for Pampers diapers and pull ups on sale for $8.99, and get $5 in ECB's back. Unfortunately my blogger friends who went and tried this deal did not get the $5 ECBs in the store, and today that page is gone from the CVS web site. Too bad, as that would have been a great deal. I think CVS needs to get their act together.

So goodbye private label diapers! We are done! Now I really need to focus on potty training.....

Dollar Tree / Private Label Sunscreen

Yesterday I went to the Dollar Tree looking for cheap pool and beach toys. They had some great stuff! I got a Little Mermaid swim ring and beach ball, Finding Nemo swim ring and beach ball, a water football for the pool, plastic cups with red, white, and blue stars, pack of 4 diving sticks, a Softsoap pump, and some shaving cream. The diving sticks ended up in the bathtub last night and were a big hit.

They also had quite a bit of private label sunscreen. I didn't buy any of it because I recently got a great deal on brand name sunscreen at Rite Aid and CVS. And I have to wonder, is private label sunscreen as good as Neutrogen, Banana Boat or Coppertone? Will it protect my children from getting a sunburn? I don't think that's a risk I am willing to take. Now probably it is made all in the same factories as the name brand, and it's probably all the same stuff, but what if its not? That's not a chance I want to take with my children's health.

Brusters Ice Cream

Click this link to get some $.99 kid sundaes at Brusters!

My kids love Brusters, but it can get expensive for all 5 of us to go out for ice cream.

Old Navy coupon crazy

Sometime today, Old Navy's website http://www.oldnavyweekly.com/ will reload a bunch of great coupons. Some of them will be $75 off $100 purchase! They have been doing this for the past couple of weeks. You have to click around the site to find the coupons, and the good ones go fast. Some of my mommie blogger friends have been staying up all night to try to be the first ones to get the good coupons. As of 7:27am the site has not been reloaded. Now you would have to offer me more than $75 to stay up all night!

Food Lion Private brand super sale!

My husband writes a private label blog --- you can click on the link on the right and check it out. He recently posted how you can save up to $10 at Food Lion by buying their private label products. Here's his post copied below:

Yesterday, Food Lion (my former employer) began a Private Brand sales promotion called the “Food Lion Private Brand Super Sale.” The sale will run from May 27 through June 23. Shoppers who purchase a minimum of 4 (maximum of 40) Food Lion Brand Products in one shopping visit. (All Food Lion Brand items are eligible except fresh meat, produce and random weight Deli/Bakery items) will receive up to $10 in Food Lion Coupons at checkout. Coupons are redeemable on your next shopping order.

4 Products = $1.00
6 Products = $1.50
8 Products = $2.00
10 Products = $2.50
20 Products = $5.00
40 Products = $10.00

This could be an exciting introduction to Food Lion Brand products for customers that are accustomed to the loyalty card based promotions. Many of which have become staples of the Food Lion promotional mix.

Triple coupons at Harris Teeter!

I love it when I saved more than I spent! Today I saved $44.71 in coupons, and spent $39.47 out of pocket. You can only triple 20 coupons per day. In today's trip I bought mostly cleaning products and paper products. I got free (after coupon) Mentos gum and Dawn diswashing liquid. Most of my other items were between $.25 - $1.99 each after the triple coupons.

Where are you Neutrogena $1.99 sunscreen??

IF you can find $1.99 Neutrogena Sunscreen at your local CVS this week, you can make $6.00. The current promo is buy 2 Neutrogena suncare products, get $10 ECB's. Most of these products are around $10, but there is a smaller size for $1.99 that is producing the ECB's as well. I looked at my CVS yesterday and couldn't find them, but Erika at iheartcvs.com did! see the link to her site at the right. I guess she doesn't shop with 3 kids screaming for candy!

Rite Aid Rocks 5.25.09

I transferred another prescription to Rite Aid today, and got another $25 gift card. I had both of my girls in tow, so we bought
2 Rite aid private label brand pull ups @ 2 for $15.00 (my daughter loved the Dragon Tales print on these) NOTE: these run small, so buy a size up.
2 Banana Boat spray sunscreen, B1G1 free, $10.29
1 extra bubble gum, for Olivia, $.64
1 M&M's mini tube,for Sarah,$1.49
1 York Mint tin, for me! on sale $.99
I used $1.00 off coupon for the sunscreen, from the paper.
total $29.43
less $25.00 gift card
$4.43 OP

Not bad!

In this week's Sunday paper the Rite Aid flyer had 2 coupons for $25 gift cards with transfers, and Target's flyer had a coupon for a $10 gift card with a transfer. This is free money! It is painless (relatively) and FREE!

CVS 5/24/09

I went to CVS today and got some pretty good deals. I hadn't been in awhile, due to being away on business and just being pretty busy at work. I like to go to CVS on my lunch hour, and lately I have been working through lunch. My husband and 2 girls went with me. My husband wanted to check out the new private label pet food. He writes a blog on private label. You can click the link at the right and check it out. Here's what we bought:

Transaction #1:
Coppertone sunscreen $8.99 (we needed this, since we were out!)
Revlon nail polish $3.99, used $1.00 off coupon from paper
Playtex sport tampons, $3.99, used $1.00 off internet coupon
Sponge Bob Bandaids, $2.99, used $.50 off from paper
Clearasil facewash, $3.99
Speedstick ProSkin, $3.99
Used $3 off $15 from emailed CVS coupon
Total: $24.25
Received ECB's:
$2 for bandaids
$2 for coppertone
$3 for Playtex
$3 for Revlon nail polish
$3.99 for Speed stick
Total ECB's = $13.99

Transaction #2:
12 Pack Cottonelle Toilet paper $5.49, used $.50 off coupon from paper
Cascade gel $2.99, used $1 off coupon from mailer
2 Planters Cashews $5.49 B1G1 free, used $1.00 off internet coupon
2 Sobe life water $1.59 B1G1 free, tried to use catalina from Food Lion, but cashier refused it
2 Oreos $4.59 B1G1 free
Always infinity $5.69, used $4 off coupon that was about to expire from paper
1 Hershey Bar $.89 for my daughter

Used $13.99 ECB's from above transaction
Total = $2.48

total #1+#2 = $26.73
Value of all products at regular prices = $82.98

I think I will switch to a new CVS card. On transaction #2, I got NO coupons or anything on my receipt!
From my receipt tape: year to date savings: $988.69, Spring 2009 spending $169.22

I am really trying to buy things my family needs and not stockpile stuff. I have enough toothpaste to last through a nuclear winter!

I was also intrigued by the Neutrogena sunscreen deal, buy 2, get $10 ecb's. They are priced around $10 each, so it's like B1G1free. I also need some vitamins, and they are on sale B1G1 free. I will need Pull Ups by the end of the week, and they are on sale as well. We always need something at our house!

$.31 Scoop Night tonight

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Spotlight/31CentScoopNight.aspx?cid=3538424&jid=14802245&mc=XX&eid=1804406&cmpid=email_ext_000018_1

$.31 Scoop Night tonight from 5p-10p 4/29/09
From the Baskin Robbins Website:

Join us for 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins®
and help us honor America’s firefighters with a $100,000
donation to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
National Junior Firefighter Program.

Participating stores will reduce prices of small ice cream
scoops to 31 cents*. At some locations, you may also have
an opportunity to make a donation to local fire charities.

I'd say you better get there early! Last time they had a free scoop night I took my family and the line was out the door and around the building.

earn double extra bucks on prescriptions

In the 4/26 CVS circular there is a coupon to get $2 in Extra Bucks for every prescription you get filled at CVS. You can also go to iheartcvs.com and get the coupon there. Normally you get $1 in Extra Bucks for every prescription. This offer is good through June 16, 2009.

Now if they would just come out with a transfer coupon again...

Get money for your old cell phones!

Recently I cam across a web site called ibuyphones.com. I had heard about these sites that will buy back your used cell phones. I switched over to the iphone last summer and had a LG Chocolate sitting in my drawer. I looked up the model number on the website, and they offered me $25 for this cell phone! They will even send you a box if you need one. I printed a shipping label off their website, and I didn't even have to pay postage!

I deleted all my contact info and pictures off of the cell phone, then packed it up and mailed it off. I admit I was a bit skeptical whether or not I would receive any money for it. Then yesterday, about 5 weeks later, I received a check for $25! Awesome! Their website says even if they don't offer you any money for it, you can still send it to them and they will recycle it for you.

How many old cell phones do YOU have in that junk drawer?

Free Earth Day tote today at Walgreens!

http://www.walgreens.com/dmi/onlineoffers/default.html?ec=hn1016rs_getcoupon
Click here for a Walgreen's coupon for a FREE reusable tote, today only, 4/22/09

It also gives a 15% discount off certain items and 20% off Walgreens brand items! I think that Walgreen's brand diapers are on sale this week, and combined with the 20% off coupon would make a great deal!

Free ice cream and iced cofffe today 4.21.09

http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/feature/free-cone-day/
Free Ben and Jerry's ice cream today! 4/21/09 go here for details.

Also Dunkin Donuts is selling iced coffee for $.50 today, with all proceeds going to Homes for our Troops https://www.dunkindonuts.com/IcedCoffeeDay/?cid=2302067&jid=15179536&mc=XX&eid=771506&cmpid=email_ext_000017 No coupons needed! I noticed that you can follow Duncan Donuts on Facebook and Twitter

tresemme deals at CVS 4.20.09

Well I thought I didn't have any ECB's so I did these 3 transactions starting from scratch:

#1 Edge infused shave gel, $2.89 + tax = $3.10, received $2.89 in ECB's, PLUS a CRT that was $3.00 off any 2 hair products! Bonus!

#2 Tresemme tamer spray (2). and tresemme antifrizz cream, 3/$10 + tax = $10.73. Used 3 $1 off coupons printed online for any Tresemme product, also used $2.89 in ECB's from first transaction. Total OP =$1.41, received $5.00 ECB's from Tresemme (buy $15, get $5 ECB's)

#3 Pure Protein bars (3) which were buy 2, get 1 free; 1 diet coke. Used $5.00 in ECB's from #2, total OP = $.07!

Total OP = $4.58

See iheartcvs.com to print Tresemme coupons! I think that you can print as many as you want, and you can do the Tresemme deal 4 times! I plan to go back for at least one more set of products.

Kmart has joined in as well!

Kmart has a new coupon out that will give you a $10 gift card for any transferred prescription. I personally do not like the Kmart store that is near my work, but hey, for $10 it might be worth a trip!
Here's the link to the coupon http://kmart.shoplocal.com/kmart/Default.aspx?action=printcircularpage&pagenumber=1&imageurl=http://akimages.crossmediaservices.com/dyn_rppi/670.0.80.0/kmart/large/090315_DNK_01_r7_dwBzA.jpg&dates=Sunday,%20Mar%2015th%20-%20Saturday,%20Mar%2021st&storeid=2421306 It ends 4/11, which is this Saturday, so hurry and use it!

Kmart also runs triple coupons occasionally. I have never tried that out, basically because I really just don't like the store near me.

Do you shop Kmart?

Transferring prescriptions to save money

Lately I have been transferring our family's prescriptions around to get $25 gift cards. Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target, and occasionally CVS put these offers out. You can find them on their websites, or in the Sunday paper flyers. Most limit these offers to once every 6 months. At Rite Aid if you have more than one prescription, you can get more than one gift card usually.

After you get this $25 gift card, the trick is to use it towards something you really need (like diapers) that is on sale and that you have a coupon match up. Last week I got a $15 off $75 CRT at CVS, and I used my $25 gift card to get up to that $75 level. Another trick with CVS is to use the gift card to purchase items that generate ECB's. That way you can keep getting free stuff! Same idea with Walgreen's register rewards and easy saver rebates (although I hear ESR's are being discontinued). Or use your $25 in grocery items. CVS and Walgreens run great deals on milk, snacks, sodas, soups, cereals, ect.

Some places clearly are annoyed with transferring the prescriptions. It takes more time, they have to call the other pharmacy, ect. I have found it's best to drop it off and tell them that you will be back at a later time to pick it up. It is a bit more trouble for you, but it will be worth $25! And who couldn't use an extra $25 per month!

CVS trip 2.16.09; $44.60 worth of stuff for $3.60

Today I started with zero ECB's. I did 3 transactions back to back as follows:

1. 2 Neutragena Soap - orginal formula @ $2.99 each
Total OP = $6.41
Received $10 in ECB's!

2. 6 ct rolls of Scott paper towels $4.99 (Sun/Mon only),
2 CVS Calcium $6.19 (B1G1 for 1 cent)
2 J&J Red Cross pads with Neosporin @ $4.99 each
Used $1 off Scott towels from last weeks newspaper coupons
$2 off Scott towels from CRT
$3 off 2 J&J first aid products from Smartsource.com
$1 off J&J product from last weeks coupons
Used $10 in ECB's from Trans. #1 above
Total OP = $4.83
Received $6.00 in ECB's for J&J pads

3. 2 CVS cotton rounds 25ct @ $.99 each
1 Revlon emory boards $3.29
Used 2x $1 off any CVS beauty purchase
$1 off any Revlon tool from newspaper
$2 off any Revlon tool from CVS CRT
total OP = $.36
Received $2 ECBS for cotton rounds

Total OP all 3 transactions = $11.60 - $8 ECBs going forward = $3.60
Total value of all products = $44.60 at regular price

In retrospect, I should've bought the cotton rounds in the first transaction, and then used the $2 ECB towards trans #2 but oh well. Then my final total would have been around $1.60. I tend to mess up when doing more than one transaction at a a time.

I might take my $8 of ECBS and go buy pull ups that are on sale for $8.99 this week!

$5 off $20 coupon for Rite Aid this weekend

Today 2/13 and tomorrow 2/14 only you can use this coupon to get $5 off a $20 purchase at Rite Aid. http://content.riteaid.com/ca/customer_appreciation_week2_SCR.pdf

This coupon came in my email this morning, I think because I registered at Riteaid.com. I gotta hand it to Rite Aid, they are really trying! I submitted my Single Check Rebate this week and it was really easy. It is similar to Walgreen's rebate program, in that you can only submit receipts once for the whole month. With Rite Aid, your only option is to receive your rebate in the form of a check. Different from Walgreen's, where you can get a check OR get a gift card. And if you get the gift card at WAGS you get an extra 10% tacked on to it. When I bought pull ups last week at Rite Aid, the cashier explained to me that when I received my rebate check, I could bring it in to any Rite Aid and apply it towards a purchase. That sounded easy enough, and might appeal to someone without a bank account, or someone who didn't want to make another trip to the bank.

So now I just have to figure out what to buy with this coupon! Valentine's Day candy? Maybe some more pull ups? By the way, my 2 year old daughter LOVED the Rite Aid brand pull ups because they had the Dragon Tales characters on them. The Huggies Pull ups have the Disney princesses, and usually those are her favorite. The Rite Aid brand pull ups are similar in quality to the Walgreen's pull ups. It would seem that they were made at the same factory. The only thing that I didn't like was that I inadvertantly ripped a few of them apart when putting them on my daughter. The material is just thinner and is not attached very well on the sides. I guess sometimes you do get what you pay for.....