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My parents recently received a letter from CVS inviting them to come meet the pharmacist and it had a coupon in it good for a free $5 gift card so I snagged that from them and used it today, along with the $3/$15 coupon I got from Facebook so I had a good trip today.  We actually use this Xtra laundry detergent in our carpet cleaner – it works great and it is MUCH cheaper than buying regular carpet cleaning solution so I was happy to see that my store had some in stock.  Today I bought $33.59 worth of stuff for $3.40, or 90% off.  Here are the deals:

Get $3.79 ECB wyb Thermacare Lower Back and Hip Heat Wrap 1 ct $3.79 (Limit 1)

Xtra Laundry Detergent $1.99 (Limit 5)

Get $4 ECB wyb Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothbrush or toothpaste 4 oz $4.99 Limit 2
-$.75/1 Colgate Optic White, Total Advanced, or Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste, Any 4.0 oz or larger 02-12-12 SS (I used 2 of these)
-$.75/1 Colgate adult or kids manual toothbrush excluding Plus & Extra Clean SS 2/26
-$.75/1 Colgate toothpaste 4oz+ SS 2/26
Final Price:  $0.25 each

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

It was a pretty small trip to CVS again this week!  I can’t get to the store on Sunday so I end up missing out on many of the great deals, but my dad has been asking for more of the Tylenol Precise cream so I’m happy that I was able to get him some today.  Oh well, maybe next week there will either be some better deals or more stuff in stock at the store.  Today I bought $8.49 worth of stuff for $0.49, or 94% off.  Here are the deals:

Get $2 ECBs  Tylenol Precise Pain Relieving Heat Patch (3 ct.) or Cream(2.5 oz.) – $7.49 (Limit 1)
-$5/1 Precise Product from Tylenol, exp. 2/26/12 (RP 02/19/12) (I used this one)
-$2/1 Precise Product from Tylenol, exp. 5/1/12 (RP 02/19/12)
Final price: As low as $0.49 each

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

I had hoped to grab some of the new Maybelline airbrush makeup and some of the individual M&Ms that are on sale, but my store was out of both so it turned into a much smaller trip than I had planned.  That’s okay because I really dig the Nivea lip balm and I’m sure I didn’t need any more chocolate.  Today I bought $13.71 worth of goodies for $1.95, or 86% off.  Here are the deals:

Get $3 ECB wyb $10 of Nivea products (limit 1)

Nivea Lotion 13.5oz, gel 8.4oz or cream 6.8oz – $6.88
Nivea Body Wash 16.9oz or Body Scrub 12oz – $4
Nivea Lip Care – 2/$5

Available coupons:
-$1.50/1 Nivea body lotion 8.4floz-16.9floz from 2/12 RP
-$1.50/1 Nivea body wash for women 8.4oz-16.9oz from 2/12 RP
-$1.50/1 Nivea body wash for men 8.4oz-16.9oz from 2/12 RP
-$3/2 Nivea lip care products .17oz stick – .35oz tube from 2/12 RP

Bought (4) Nivea Lip Care for $10.00
Used (2) $3/2 Nivea lip care products .17oz stick – .35oz tube from 2/12 RP
Pay $4, get back $3 ECB
Final Price:  $0.25 each

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

I had heard that the Irish Spring Legendary deodorant was on clearance at other CVS stores but it wasn’t marked at my store so I did a price check and sure enough, they were on clearance for 75% off which marked them down to 99 cents each and I had $1 off coupons – score!  Use the red magic coupon/scanner machine at your store to check the prices if they’re not marked.  I really didn’t need the Purex just yet, but $1.99 is such a great price (no coupon needed) that I just couldn’t pass up on grabbing a couple.  After all, I don’t think our washing machine ever stops – well, maybe while we’re sleeping.  Today I bought $49.56 worth of products for $8.03, or 84% off.  Here are the deals:

Get $6 ECBs wyb Zarabees Children’s Cough Syrup (4 oz.), $6 (Limit 1)

Get $2 ECBs wyb 2 Hershey’s Bliss (8.6-9.6 oz.) for 2/$6, (Limit 1)
- $1/1 from February All You magazine (I used 1 of these)
Final price:  $1.50 each

Purex Laundry Detergent (25-33 loads) $1.99

Irish Spring Legenday Classic, $3.99 – 75% or $0.99
-$1/1 Irish Spring Deodorant - 01-29-12 SS. Exp 2/18/12
Final Price:  All 4 for FREE!

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

This was my last shopping trip for the month and I was trying to keep the total down as much as possible, but I also had some ECBs that are expiring this week so I went ahead and grabbed some more shampoo and Valentine’s for the kids.  The M&Ms are for me (so don’t tell the kids) and there’s just not much else in the world that is better than free Cadbury Creme Eggs so I couldn’t pass those up either!  Today I bought $50.79 worth of goodies for $13.08, or 74% off.  I paid using $16.25 ECBs from previous weeks so I actually came out ahead a little.  Here are the deals:

American Greetings Cards (psa 99¢), Buy 3 and Earn $3 in ECBs (Limit 1)
-B2G1 American Greetings Greeting Card Printable Coupon
Final Price: 99¢ Money Maker x2

Hershey’s Cadbury Creme Egg, Milk Chocolate Bunny, Reese’s Single Egg, or Cadbury Mini Eggs 87¢, Earn 87¢ in ECBS (Limit 1)
-Buy 3 Cadbury Egg Singles and get any 4th Cadbury Egg Single Free x2/3/12 CVS Q Printer
Final Price:  3 of the 5 were FREE! (or 35¢ each)

Valentine M&M’s $2.50, Buy 2 and Earn $1 in ECBs (Limit 1)
-$1/1 M&M Brand Pretzel Chocolate Candies 9.9oz+ printable (I used 2 of these)
-$1/2 Mars Valentine’s Day products, exp. 02/14/12 (RP 01/29/12)
-$1/1 M&M’s Brand Product, exp. 2/20/12 (ALL YOU Feb ’12)
Final Price:  $1 each

Purchase $15 of John Frieda Products, Get $5 ECB (Limit 1)
John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Color $12
-$3/1 John Frieda Precision Foam Colour 12/04/2011 SS Insert (exp 02/01/2012)
John Frieda Hair Collection $5
-$3/2 John Frieda Products, Excludes Trail, Travel, Brushes, Applicances, and Hair Color Products
-$3/2 John Frieda Sheer Blond, Brilliant Brunette, or Radient Red Products (I used this one)
-$2/1 John Frieda Full Repair from sample package x.7/31/12 (and this one)
Final Price:  $5 total or $1.67 each

Wonka Fun Dip Classroom Exchange Kits $2.50
-$1/1 Wonka Fun Dip, Pixy Stix, Nerds Card/Candy Kit printable (I used 2 of these)
Final price: $1.50 after coupon

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

I skipped my usual trip to CVS last week so this week I had some ECBs that I had to use up.  I decided to go ahead and stock up on Listerine and batteries since I had ECBs to burn and we can always use these things.  Today I bought $22.48 worth of stuff for $8.48, or 62% off.  I used $9.74 ECBs to pay so I actually came out ahead $1.26 which is great for my Boost Your Budget numbers this month!  Here are the deals:

$5 ECB WYB $10 any Listerine or Reach Items starting at $1.99 Limit 2
(excludes clearance items)
-$1 off Listerine whitening rinse product, 16 oz +, SS 1/08
-$1 off Listerine Smart Rinse or Agent Cool Blue 500 mL or Reach kids toothbrush, SS 1/08
-$1 off Listerine Total Care or Restoring 1 L or Advanced 1 L +, SS 1/08
-$1 off Listerine smart rinse or agent cool blue products, September Parents magazine
-$1 off Listerine Smart Rinse or Agent Cool Blue product, October Family Circle magazine
-$1 off Listerine Smart Rinse or Agent Cool Blue product, October Lucky magazine
-$1 off Listerine Smart Rinse or Agent Cool Blue product, October Better Homes & Gardens magazine
-$1 off Listerine Antiseptic or Total Care Anticavity Mouthwash 500 mL + or Restoring Anticavity Mouthwash 1 L + printable
-$1 off Listerine Kids product, (sign in) printable
-$1 off Listerine Whitening Vibrant White, Plus Restoring, or Pre-Brush rinse, (sign up) printable
-$1 off Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash printable
-$1 off Listerine mouthwash, 1 L + printable (I used 2 of these)
-.50/1 Listerine Antiseptic or Zero mouthwash, 1 L +, SS 1/08
-$2/2 Reach toothbrushes, excl Crystal Clean printable
-Free Mail-in Rebate $46.50 in Savings booklet WYB $50 in Viactiv, o.b., Lubriderm, Aveeno, Splenda, Listerine, Neosporin, OneTouch, RoC, Desitin, Stayfree, Clean & Clear, Lactaid, Neutrogena, Rogaine, Bengay, Johnson & Johnson, Johnson’s, Rembrandt, Band_aid, K-Y, Visine, Carefree or Reach products by 3/08, excl trial size
Final Price:  $10.98 – $2 qs – $5 ECBs = $3.98 or $1.99 each

Duracell AAA, AA 4 pk, C, D 2 pk, 9-volt 1 pk $2.99
-$1.50 Duracell Coppertop, Ultra Power, Ultra Photo Lithium or Specialty Batteries from 12/11 RP (I used 2 of these)
-$.75 Duracell Coppertop, Ultra Power, Ultra Photo Lithium or Specialty Batteries from 1/1 P&G
Final Price: $1.49

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

Hot diggity!  I got out of CVS for just over a buck today – actually I used $2 ECBs from last week to pay so I really came out almost a dollar ahead but I always like to show these shops as if I started with nothing to give you a better snapshot of the deals.  Today I bought $30.71 worth of stuff for $1.06, or 97% off!  Here are the deals:

75¢ ECB WYB Mars Chocolate Singles, 1.08-2.15 oz, 75¢ Limit 1 (makes it FREE)

$2 ECB WYB GE Energy Smart Bulb, 1 pk., $2.99 Limit 1
-$1 off General Electric Energy Smart or Halogen light bulbs, October All You magazine (I used 2 of these)
Final Price: FREE!

Slim-Fast Shakes 2/$9
-B1G1 Free Slim Fast Shakes, 4 pk wyb Slim Fast Shakes, 4 pk 01/01/2012 SS Insert (exp 01/15/2012) (I used this one)
-$2/1 Slim Fast Shakes or Bars (from CVS Scanner machine last week) (and this one)
Final Price:  $2.50 total or $1.25 each 4 pk

**Note – I didn’t realize until I got home that the cashier took off $6.49 for the B1G1 coupon instead of the $4.50 sale price so my #s were a little better than they should have been.

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

This month I am participating in the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge and I’ve pledged to spend as little as possible and shop mostly from my own stockpile, however I will still be shopping but only for the free or best deals.  I’ve probably got enough toothpaste in the stockpile to last for the rest of this decade, but I couldn’t pass it up today since they paid me to buy it!  I also loved getting paid to buy the Nivea lip care, now I’ve just got to hide them from my girls.  Although I didn’t “need” the Planters nuts, the Nut-rition energy mix is my favorite so I had to get some at this price.  Today I bought $38.58 worth of goodies for $5.33, or 86% off.  Here are the deals:

$1 ECB wyb 2 Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts, 8.75 oz, Whole Cashews, 8.5 oz, or Nut-rition, 8.75 to 10.25 oz, 2/$8
-$1/1 Planters NUT-rition Product (IE), 8.75-9.75 oz (I used 2 of these)
Final Price:  $2.50 each

Get $5 ECB wyb $10 Nivea products Limit 1 Nivea Lip Care $2.50 Nivea Body Wash 16.9 oz or Body Scrub 12 oz $4.88 Nivea Lotion 13.5 oz, gel 8.4 oz or cream 6.8 oz $6.88
-$1.00 off any Nivea Lip Product
-$1/1 Nivea body wash for men or women 8.4floz-16.9floz 1/1/12 RP
-$2/1 Nivea Good-Bye Cellulite gel-cream, serum or Q10 Firming lotion 8.4floz-13.5floz 1/1/12 RP
-$3/2 Nivea lip care products .17oz stick or .35oz tube 1/1/12 RP (I used 2 of these)
-$5/2 Nivea body lotions excluding Q10 Firming 8.4floz-16.9floz 1/1/12 RP
Final Price:  $1 Money Maker!

Ivory bar soap 3 pk $0.99
-$0.35/1 Ivory Bar or Body Wash or Safeguard Bar or Liquid Hand Soap 1/1/12 PG (I used 2 of these)
Final Price:  $0.64 or $0.21 per bar!

Colgate Max 6 oz, Total Advanced 4-4.2 oz or 360 degree toothbrush $2.74 = $1 Ecb (limit 2)
-$1/1 Total Advanced coupon found in the Dec. issue of All You mag. (I used this one)
-$1/1 Colgate Toothpaste from CVS Coupon Machine last (and this one)
Final Price:  $0.26 Money Maker!

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

This was such a small trip to CVS today that I wouldn’t have even stopped if I wasn’t already next door to the store.  I’ve got issues with spring allergies so I’m happy that I did get to swing by and pick these up!  Today I bought $7.56 worth of stuff for a profit of $1.43, or 119% off!  (Note:  If you’re in a state that doesn’t charge tax on medications then it would be a $2 profit)  Here’s the deal:

Get $5.99 ECB wyb Zyrtec 24-hr tablets 5ct. $5.99 (Limit 1)
-$2/1 Zyrtec product
Final Price= $2 Money Maker

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.

When I checked out with all these M&Ms today the cashier asked me if I was making something out of them.  You should have seen her face when I said ”no, my plan is to eat them all myself!”  After that look I had to tell her that I would share with other people at home, but only if they’re good.  Fortunately for me, they’re not being very good today!  And fortunately for hubby, these are all plain since the store was out of my favorite peanut M&Ms, so I’ll make sure he gets some (as soon as he starts acting right)!  Today I bought $25.09 worth of goodies for $6.73, or 73% off after coupons and $3 ECBs from last week.  Here are the deals:

Get $2 ECB Decorative Band-Aid Bandages $2.99 (Limit 1)

Holiday M&M’s $2.50
-$1/2 Mars Holiday Candy from 11/13 Red Plum insert (I used 2 of these)
-$1/2 Mars Candy CVS coupon from the red coupon printer (and 1 of these)
Final price:  $1.75 each bag

New to couponing? Check out our Couponing 101 page and learn how to save a little or A LOT! Also visit our Strategic Shopping page to learn how a few small, painless changes in the way you shop can result in HUGE savings!  Find any coupon in our new coupon database, order coupons you need, and you can download the FREE coupon toolbar here.