5/2/09 Last Minaute Trip

Ok So I hadn't been to all the drug stores in a while. Walgreens had what looked like some killer deals this week, so I decided to make a last min. run yesterday before the sales changed again. I had a list of things I needed that were not on sale. I figured I could get a few things for free and use the register rewards to buy what I needed. My total should have been about 6 dollars after coupons and register rewards. As it was my total was about 28 dollars. That really isn't too bad though considering that I got $71.00 worth of merchandise. Here is how my Walgreens trip went...

Transaction 1:

2 Got 2 Be stylers @ 2 for $10.00

used 2 printable $2/1 Got 2 Be MQ

total $6.78 with tax
recieved $5.00 RR

Transaction 2:

Rembrant tooth paste $5.99
vitamin water $1.39
vitamin water $1.39
Vitamin water $1.22
{these were supose to be on sale according to the sign. I just noticed that they didn't ring up}

used 3 $1.00/1 vitamin water MQ
$5.00 RR from transaction 1

total $2.76
received $6.00 RR

Transaction 3:

2 Got 2 be stylers @ 2/$10.00
single subject notebook $1.29

Used 2 printable $2/1 Got 2 Be MQ
$6.00 RR from transaction 2

Total: $2.16
received $5.00 RR

Transaction 3:

Gilette shave gel $3.29
Visine A/C $4.79
Old Spice aftershave $8.99
Hot Shot ant spray $4.59
Walgreens Freezer bags $1.79
filler paper $1.79

Used: 80 cent in ad visine coupon
$3.00 visine MQ
$1.00 Gilette MQ
$1.50 Hot Shot MQ
$5.00 RR from transaction 3

Total $15.52

I was really disappointed. They were out of the Bayer glucose monitors that had the $5 RR. I was going to use those RR to buy everything else and donate the monitors to the legion. Also, the manager would not let me use my ecotrin coupons because the coupon was for more than the sale price of the item. I suggested he could adjust it down, but he kept insisting he could not. I would have gotten $6 more dollars in RRs for that as well as $15.00 in RRs for the monitors. He seemed rather annoyed with the whole coupon thing, and I couldn't find quite a few of the things I had planned to buy. All in all it makes me think maybe Walgreens isn't worth it. CVS is much more coupon friendly. So... here is how I did at CVS...

CVS transaction 1:

6 3m hooks. on sale 2/$5

USED:
4 $1.50/1 3m coupons
2 $2.50/1 3m coupons

Total: $5.16
received $5.00 ECBs
$1.50 ECBs

Transaction 2:

2 All laundry soap B1/G1 $7.49
1 4ct. Drumstick ice cream on sale $3.00

USED:
2 $1.00/1 All MQ
$1.00 ECB {from a couple weeks ago}
$1.50 ECB {from previous transaction}
$5.00 ECB {from prvious transaction}

Total: 99 cents

Rite Aid

2 electrosol dishwasher soap $4.49 each on sale

USED:
2 $2.50/1 MQ

Total: $4.68

submitted for ESR $1.50 each rebate
I will get $3.00 back making the total $1.68 for 2

Today at CVS. I think I did much better this time :}

Transaction#1

2 ear rinse 7.99 each
1 CVS chewable asprin 1.99
1 bodyheat heat wrap 3.99

used $1.00 off peelie from heat wrap
Total due: 20.96
Used medical flex account {so no out of pocket}

recieved :
1.99 ECB
7.99 ECB
7.99 ECB
3.00 ECB
_______
20.97 ECB

Transaction 2:

Gillete Gamer razor 7.99
pampers easy ups 9.99
Charmin TP 16 ct. 9.99
Dawn dish soap .99
Madagascar 2 4.99 {after 15$ off for buying $20 in select products}

used :
.50 dawn mq
4.00 gellet mq
2.00 pampers mq

1.99 ECB
3.00 ECB
5.00 ECB {from last week}
15.98 ECB

OOP $1.48
recieved:
4.00 ECB


Transaction 3:

6 hour energy 4.99

used:
4.00 ECB

OOP: 99cents
Recieved:
4.99 ECB

Transaction 4

3 johnson and johnson travel first aid kits 99 cents each
used:
$3 on 2 printable J+J first aid coupon {adjusted down to 2.97}

OOP: $ 0
I still have those $4.99 ECBs for next week. I told you I did better... :}

My first attempt at CVS...

2/3/09
I needed to go to the dentist on Wednesday afternoon so I decided to try out the CVS thing since I was up town anyway. {first I stopped at rite aid and bought the Bayer glucose monitors that I had a coupon for so I can donate them next week} For those of you unfamiliar with CVS they offer something called extra care bucks or ECB's. When you purchase something on the ECB list, the reciept prints a coupon for a certain amount of credit towards your next CVS purchase. This is what I did...

I needed cortizone cream and was going to buy it anyway, CVS just happened to offer $1 back in ECB's for it. I also had a manufacturer coupon {mq} for $1 off.
For my first transaction I bought:

Cortizone 10 on sale at $4.99
used $1 off mq
out of pocket {OOP} $3.99 {used health car flex plan debit}
recieved $1 ECB

transaction# 2
Excedrine 10 ct. {travle vial} $2.49
paid $1 ECB from transaction 1
OOP: $1.49 {from flex acct.}
recieved $2.49 ECB

transaction#3
2 jergins natural lotions on sale $7.99 each
used 2 $3.00 off mq's
used $2.49 ECBs
OOP :$7.49
Recieved $5.00 ECB

transaction#4
4 Glade candles on sale 4 for $10
used 2 $1.50/2 mq's {looked at the coupon wrong, thought I could use 4 of them...goofed}
used $5.00 ECBs from trans#3
OOP: $2.00
Recieved $5.00 ECB

so
$5.48 out of health account
$9.49 OOP
have $5.00 left for next time.

I know I could have done better. Like I said, this was a first attempt. I am sure I will get the hang of it eventually. I had planned on doing one other deal to get $10 ECBs, but the item was out of stock. I did get a rain check for next week though.
Good luck to all of you on your savings adventures!

Remember, even if you don't need something that you can get for free, someone else might. Donate your extra deals to charity!