Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Walgreens

Got to Wags early this morning...by early I mean, before the employees, lol. (Gave me time to check on the Food Lion message board reports while I waited.)

I got the items I was looking for, that was SUPPOSED to have been earning me profit after coupons. But because I only had $3.00RRs, and was having to buy fillers, I realized I was spending $3RRs to get $3RRs back, so no  profit, and I was spending cash oop for stuff I didn't even really want, other than it was supposed to have been money-makers.

I guess other people would say I got pretty good deals today, all that stuff for a couple of dollars...but I wanted to make, not spend, money...so no good deal to me.

Food Lion

First store shop went great. Paid $0.92 including tax.

(4) Mayo
(1) Sandwich Mayo
= $10.00
-5.00 Promo
-2.00/2 x 2 Kraft Mayo
-1.00 Sandwich Mayo Publix q
= $0.00

(2) Smuckers
(3) Cool Whip
= $6.34
-5.00 Promo
-$1.67 Smuckers MQ IP
-.40/2 Cool Whip MQ 6/27(.20/2 doubled)
= +0.73 overage

$2.00 Strawberries
-1.00 Strawberries wyb Cool Whip
=1.00

$2.07 Capri Sun
-2.00 FLip
= $0.07

$2.99 4C Mix
$2.99 4C Mix
-4.79 BOGO Q
-1.00 MQ
= $0.19

Second store was already sold out of the Sandwich mayo which threw my deal off. I guess by tomorrow they'll be out of Cool Whip and Smuckers, and if it's like the triple-coupon sales, won't be no more in stick until next Wednesday. Blah.
Paid $0.88 including tax.

(4) Smuckers
(1) Cool Whip
(5) Mayo
Capri Sun
4C
Peach
Banana

*Forgot to mention, I got a $3/$25 OYNO Cat. YaY!

Forgot to show you my flowers.
As I was checking out, an employee came up carrying a large pot of bundles of flowers, and he pulls one out and hands it to me, saying Here you go, ma'am.  He gave some other ladies the other bundles. Cool! Usually I would have been the fourth lady back and not got any.


Rite Aid

Started out doing fine, doing three more Rite Aid shops. Then all of a sudden I got shot down, over the Stayfree Video Value coupons of all things. They wanted to quote "Policy". I said that my balance wouldn't go below zero, but they argued it was the item that couldn't go below zero.
I was told I could choose which coupon I wanted to use, the BOGO, or the video values. I said no, you can choose, a $40.00 sale, or nothing. They picked nothing. "Sorry"
They will be sorry when their sales figures come in and their numbers are less than other stores. And they can't tell me their sales won't be less, because they had stock of Stayfree and John Frieda when the other stores didn't. So, no they aren't selling the amounts the other stores are.

I know it's "Policy", and I'm okay with following policy, when it makes sense. In this case, it don't. Rite Aid gets reimbursed for all the coupons except the $5/$20-$25 coupon.
My totals before coupons are generally between $30.00 and $50.00 each, because I use the coupon overage to "buy" other stuff.
What matters if I pay cash, or the coupons pay for it?

Publix

Was driving past it anyway so I stopped in to see what they had and (hopefully) be able to use the last of my Schick razors before they expired on the 2nd. I got lucky and they had some, so I was able to get the three I needed.

The mayo was +.01 after MQ and yellow flyer PQ

The Better'n Eggs was +.50 after MQ, yellow flyer BOGO PQ, and Smart Savings $1.00 PQ.

Vitamins was +1.72 after MQ's and green flyer PQ.

Emerald snacks were free - $2/2 sale in yellow flyer - $1/1 MQ 6/27 SS (I think)

Was also able to use a $5/$20 Rite Aid coupon.

I didn't really need anything, and wanted to get on, had places to go, so I just got a $25.00 gift card, and paid $14-something...giving me $10-something overage to use later when I do need something.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Game at Walgreens

(Copied from post at SD)
There is a game with the purchase of the Reece's cups that are the employees suggestive sell item of the month.

If you purchase 3 in a transaction, you have a chance of winning WAGs giftcards! I won a $25 one last night. If you purchase multiples of 3 in a transaction..you actually get multiple plays...the contest play comes out of the Catalina....if you don't win, you get a .25 coupon on a bag of candy... wimpy consolation prize for sure.

so...help those cashiers out and possibly win some for yourself.


It runs through 7/31
The Reese's will be $.49 the week of the 11th.

http://www.hersheys.com/walgreens/

Walgreens

Once again, stopped in because I was driving by anyway. They didn't have any Socks or Blistex. Had one bottle of Flexitol, so I turned over a couple RR's on it just for the heck of it. If I'm lucky, I can turn it over on Crest and Noxema razors tomorrow or later this week.

Another free bag of dog food, and (6) Dentyne for fillers/overage, with which I bought the Tuna snack. could have found something cheaper, but my son likes to take these to school with him.

Final total $0.56 + .66 tax = $1.22 oop
Spent $5.00 RR; Rec'd $5.00 RR

Taco Bell -
Got one of the Limeade Sparklers today. It was better than the Strawberry/Mango Margarita Fruitista.
The Limeade thing tasted like 7-Up with a Kick. I'm not sure how to describe it.

I saw they also offer a Strawberry/Strawberry Fruitista that might be good...better than mango.

Food Lion

Last day for Chocolatey milk, cheese, and pasta :-(
And possibly Manwich, not that I would know, since I got there only to discover I had no more Manwich coupons.

I did two transactions, being it was the last day of the coupons. I asked the cashier if it would be okay if I did it, since she was the only one working, I wanted to make sure she wouldn't pull the One Per limit on me. She didn't have any problem with it, though, and was happy with my good bargains.  I like the cashiers that are happy for/with you getting good deals. I don't understand the ones that get hateful when you get a good deal, I guess maybe they're jealous, but why? since they can easily do the same deals.

Final Total $0.94 + .03 tax = $0.97 oop (each)

Rite Aid

Same deals, different day. Finished getting the Coppertones for the Skincare rebate. I was shopping again today in the "short-ad" area, where the Coppertone wasn't on sale, but both stores I got it at matched the Atlanta Ad price.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Publix

I hadn't really intended to go into the first Publix I went into, but my car somehow drove me there anyway.
I was looking for Smart Savings coupon books, and if they had that, the Better'n Eggs, and Smart Balance milk (or rainchecks).
This store keeps coupon books and flyers behind the counter and gives them out one a time, so I was able to get a Smart coupon book.

Because of my feeble mind, I had forgotten that I had already cut out the $1/2 MQ for the Better'n Eggs the other day and had thrown them into my Publix coupon bag. So when I went to look for the coupons again, in the insert, I had thought we didn't get them.
Ok, I thought, well, with the $1.00 from the Smart coupon book and the Yellow Flyer BOGO coupon is taking off $2.50 instead of $2.00, that only leaves me paying $0.50/2, which isn't bad, and can be paid for with overage.
Trouble was, I went and looked for overage stuff first...no use in looking for the stuff to buy if there's no overage to pay for it with, right? So I had overage stuff, and then they didn't have any Better'n Eggs.
So, I bought a pack of ground beef with it.

They had a crapload of Hydro shaving gel today, so I got two. Had coupns for more, but didn't want to call attention to myself.

Also got one of the mayo's. I intended to save these to buy at another store, where I can use a $5/$20 RA q. Don't know why I bought this one today.

They didn't have any Smart milk, so I got rainchecks, but now that I'm thinking about it, I think I got too many rainchecks, so if anyone needs any extra I have at least one extra, and planned to get a couple more tomorrow, too.

Even with what little I got, I had a bit of trouble checking out. First she said I could only use one of the green flyer coupons for the Hydro. Then she said the razors were "on sale" for .99, and I had a $2.00 coupon, and she could only "give me" .99. I asked her when they stopped giving overage on manufacturer's coupons, and she said "We never have". So I knew right there she didn't know what she was talking about.

I told her she needed to call a manager over. She said okay, she would, then proceeded to continue scanning my coupons. I told her she might need to call the manager on over, because if they weren't giving overage, I wasn't buying anything. She said okay, but then continued on what she was doing.
Then I said she should take one of the shaving creams off and she was like why? you got two, didn't you? and was looking at my manufacturer's coupons. I said yes, but you won't let me use this one, showing her the green flyer coupon she had given back to me. Then she was like, yes you can, you can use two coupons, a Publix coupon, and a manufacturer's coupon. So she took and entered it...after she had just said I couldn't use but one per transaction!!

I had more q's than items so she had to get the manager then because the register got stuck. So the manager came and put in her code and started scanning the rest of my coupons, which was the $2.00 Shick coupons. The cashier asked her then if she needed to put those in at .99 and the manager told her "No". Not, "No, we always give the overage on manufacturer coupon because store gets reimbursed the full amount and we love our customers better than Walgreens or CVS does"...So a missed training opportunity.
Maybe I'll call the SM tomorrow and mention it to him. I haven't been a PITA to him in a good long while (since I found a better store to shop at anyway).

Final Total -.30 + 1.04 tax = $0.74 from gift card

The next store I stopped in is in a ritzy-type neighborhood and there's not very many coupon shoppers that goes there. But enough couponers that bought up all the Smart milk, so I got a couple rainchecks on that.

They had alot of the Smart coupon books, I got like 6 coming in and 4 or 5 more going out. They still had plenty, plenty left. Also got a couple pages of the P&G stuff Publix coupons. It expires Wednesday; I don't know if there's any deals to be had using those q's or not. Also found some .55 off Kraft Salad dressing and .55 off Wishbone dressing.  Those will double at my Food Lions now.

This store had the Better'n Eggs, so this was when I ended up finding my MQ's in the bottom of my bag. That made me happy. Between them and the vitamins I got a package of cube steak and a banana for (almost) free.

I had forgotten to get a green flyer Vitamin coupon, which I didn't even realize until my transaction total came up to over $6.00!! EEEP!

Thing is, what I got, 2 things of vitamins, 2 things of Better'n Eggs, cube steak and a banana....MAYBE worth $6.00 BEFORE coupons. Certainly not AFTER.
But the lady in line behind me was all like, oh you did great!!  I said not so great, I forgot a coupon.

A freaking SIX DOLLAR coupon! My grand total was $6.68 including tax. Had I not forgot that big coupon, she would have seen what doing great really is.

I can't believe she thought $6.68 was good for what I had bought. But it was funny, and made me feel better about making a mistake (I don't make mistakes well).
I just paid and went and got a flyer and went to the customer service desk and she gave me six bucks, no problem.

Final Total $0.04 + .64 tax = $.68 from gift card (actually $6.68 from gift card, and $6.00 cash back)

Taco Bell

I just found these coupons today from the 6/06 RP insert. The top two coupons are for a FREE! Limeade Sparkler and Margarita Fruitista. The others are Buy Anything and Get One, or Buy One Get One. But the top ones are completely free. I don't know how I missed these. I can always use a FREE cold something to drink when I'm out running around.

I stopped in a TB today between Rite Aids and had both the Sparkler and Fruitista coupons, and asked which one was better. She was going to give me both, but I said no, only one please. So she gave me the Margarita Fruitista.
I didn't like it too much at first. Maybe I was supposed to stir it. After it melted and it started tasting more like strawberries it wasn't so bad.

There was a boy standing behind me waiting to ask for the prize he won by dropping a coin on the arm thing, so I asked him if he wanted a free Limeade Sparkler and held out the coupon. He was like, "Heck Yeah! You're the best!".  LOL, I was kind of surprised because most kids I know would have said, um, no thanks, to  using a coupon.

Walgreens

I stopped in at this Walgreens because I was driving past it anyway. I didn't really expect to find anything to buy, but turned out they had 3 pair of the socks! But no Blistex. I wanted to roll a socks RR into the Blistex, and then a Blistex back into the socks, but, wasn't meant to be.

Even though they had three pair of the socks, this is a store I don't visit often - in fact, rarely - because I've always had a bunch of trouble shopping there, and figured there was probably a good reason they even had socks left. So I only went for one pair of them.

Other than the socks RRs, all I had was $2.00 RRs from the OralB deal yesterday. So I got 6 packs of Dentyne gum for $1.01 overage.

I also got one bag of the dog food, and a jello as a filler because of .01 or .02 overage, blah.

Final total $0.18 + .07 tax - .08 tax = $0.17 oop
(The .07 tax that was charged was for non-food stuff, and the .08 tax that was credited was for food stuff. They used to charge no tax whatsoever, which I could never figure out how they did that. I've heard of stores just not charging tax...maybe...but paying me tax? I don't understand - but I ain't complaining!!!)

Hot much?
This was at 7:00 this evening - after it had already cooled down some.

Rite Aid

Shopped at three more Rite Aids, but did two transactions at two of them, for a total of five shops.

The first store didn't carry the sunglasses, so I got
$8.99 Coppertone
$2.19 TP
$0.00 TP BOGO Sale
$3.99 Carefree x 3
$0.00 Carefree x 3 BOGO Sale
$0.50 Candybar

-5.00/20.00 Vv q
-2.00 Coppertone in-ad q
-3.00 Coppertone Vv q
-1.00 Coppertone IP MQ
-3.99 Carefree BOGO MQ x 3

Final Total $0.17 + 1.67 tax = $1.84 from gift card

This next deal was a small money-maker, but hey, money is money, and free stuff is free stuff, right.
Before I left the house I was reminded that there were other $/$$ coupons in addition to the $5/$20, so I figured if I used a different one of those coupons, they wouldn't say anything if I did more than one trans at a store. I'm thinking they wouldn't have anyway, they were all good about just scanning everything I had today, but best to not test fate.

$5.99 Venus Tropical Disp Razors
$5.49 Clearsil pad/wipes things
$6.49 Veet
$3.99 Carefree
$0.00 Carefree BOGO Sale
$0.99 Yoohoo drinks

-5.00/20.00 Vv q
-2.00 Venus MQ 6/06 PG (I think)
-3.00 Clearasil in-ad q
-3.00 Clearasil Vv q
-3.00 Veet in-ad q
-3.00 Veet Vv q
-3.99 Carefree

Final total -.04 + 1.04 tax = $1.00 from gift card
Got $2.00 +UP for Venus = $1.00 profit (and all that stuff free)

There were other MQs for the Clearasil, and possibly the Veet, that I didn't have, so if you have those q's, you could get more free, maybe some SCR item or another +UP item (not Venus).

The other shop I did at this store I got the sunglasses and used the overage to buy the last two Banana Boat sticks I needed to complete a skincare deal (I might do that again, I have two more days, lol), and another Coppertone, and a couple more packs of TP. Can't have enough TP.

Final Total $0.15 + 1.69 tax = $1.84 from gift card

At the last store, I don't know what happened, I seemed to have went suddenly brain-dead or something. I have a hard time with numbers and figures anyway, so I have to write down everything and use a calculator to add/subtract....but when the numbers quit adding up even when I'm doing that, well, I just don't know what to think.

The first order I bought the sunglasses, a Coppertone, and got the Venus razors with the rest of the overage. Still had a $1.04 left, so I got a couple bags of the lifesavers on sale for .99 each, and I had a $1.00/2 coupon.
At first I tried getting away with getting gummy-sour lifesavers, because we like gummy-sour candy, and not hard lifesavers or mints. But the stupid coupon beeped "Matching item not found" or some such, which made the lady read the coupon and she decided I had got the wrong thing. So I went back andgot the hard candies, and the coupon still beeped as item not found. So she typed it in manually then.
After I was done, I asked to do an exchange on the lifesavers and she told me "No".

Final total -.06 + 1.95 tax = $1.89 from gift card
Rec'd $2.00 +UP Venus = $0.11 profit


Well it took me until now to realize what happened with the last order. I added, added, and re-added, and it didn't make a bit of sense.
I see now my $3.00/2 John Frieda tearpad coupon only rang as $1.00 instead. How stupid is that??

Oh well. I still made a profit, can't complain too much. But I'll be watching this one more closely next time!

Final total $2.50 + 1.61 tax = $4.11 from gift card
Rec'd $10.00 +UP = $5.89 profit

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Rite Aid, One More Time

Slid in the door 20 minutes before closing time, lol.

Tonight's plan was to use the overage to buy the Crest Whitestrips at $22.99, get $10.00 +UP, but they were out of those.

I'm afraid I'll find that same problem at any of those Rite Aid's on that side of town. This side of town didn't get the wrap-around sale paper. Usually I can take sale paper along and get them to match the prices, but it being a +UP sale, I don't know if it will give me the reward, and for sure none of these people know what to do if it don't!

I bought milk, bread, tp, and coffee with the overage from the sunglasses and Stayfree. The carefrees was free. I still have a slew of those coupons to spend by Wednesday... think they are multiplying, like the Motrin ones did last week.

Walgreens, Again

So I went to check out the Oral B deal, and found out two things; (1) the Socks RR was working, and (2) the Oral B deal ends today. 7:30 at night I jump in my car and drive back to my regular Wags stores.
(I did call first. The one I shop at most, that was holding my socks, said Nope, call back Tuesday. So called the one across towna nd they said Yep, and yep they had some in stock. She didn't say it was only two pairs.)

At the first store I used $5.00 Flexitol RRs to buy (2) Oral B TBs, and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips on clearance for $0.82.
I also bought (5) bags of Purina One dog/cat food at $1.99 each. In this week's 6/27 SS (or RP?) there is a $2.00 off Any Size Any Variety. I told the cashier she would either have to charge me $2.00, or enter the coupon for $1.99.  But she scanned them and they all worked. Don't know why.
At the other Walgreens, they all didn't work, the last one beeped, so she entered it for $1.94.

Also bought (3) Dentyne's
Sale $1.98/3
-1.00 MQ from ? insert
- .99 IVE from July booklet
= +.01 overage
(I could have bought 6 and got $1.01 overage, but it was late and I was in a big hurry and didn't want to have to figure out what to spend the $1.01 on. Sad, I know)

Anyway, got the $2.00 and $3.00 RRs for the OralB, and then I bought the Socks with the $3.00 RR.

When I got to the other Walgreens, where my Socks were being held, I used the $2.00 OralB and $3.00 Socks RRs to roll on the Flexitol (and had to buy a cheap jello for filler).

Then I used my $5.00 Flexitol RR to buy OralB and a Wags soda as a filler.
Also bought (6) more bags of cat food - all the coupons I had left - but they didn't have the dog food, so I still have (6) coupons for the dog food.

As I was shopping, the manager (whom I don't like) pointed (at my socks) and said the RR's for those still ain't printing. I said they are at (the other) store. She said well, she had just tried, and as of 10 minutes ago, they weren't. I asked if she needed to reset her system or anything, because they were reporting on the internet that the RR's were working as of five pm this afternoon. She said they didn't have to do anything, it was Corporate handled all that. I said, oh well, I guess we'll see, and she told me to be sure and do them one at a time to avoid all those voids. Huh?

I used the $3.00 from the OralB's I had just bought, and from the Blistex I had bought earlier in the day.
RR's printed out with no problemo.

Rite Aid

Rite Aid was good to me today. I think I did (6) stores. I used to do a couple transactions at the same store, but since I stopped shopping at Rite Aid for awhile, and now I mostly don't know the people working there, I haven't attempted it. I probably will soon, though, since I don't seem to be having any trouble using multiple Vv coupons in a transaction.

The main deal I did all day was the sunglasses deal.
$12.99 Stylescience
$4.99 Stylescience 50% off (reg. 9.99)
-10.00 Vv Stylescience
-10.00 Vv Stylescience
-1.00 Summer Seasonal Wellness q (one store didn't let me use it, but the others did)
-5.00/20.00 Vv coupon
= +$8.02 overage

I usually coupled the deal with the Stayfree pads
$3.99 Stayfree
$0.00 Stayfree BOGO sale
-3.99 BOGO Q 6/27
-1.00 Stayfree Vv
-1.00 Stayfree Vv
= +2.00 overage

Those items together put me over the $20.00 to be able to use the $5/$20 coupon, and together gave me $10.02 overage to spend on other stuff.

The Banana Boat Sun stuff is BOGO this week. There is some After Sun stuff that's 6.99, but the rest of it is 9.99 or more. I ended up finding some like face/nose sticks for $4.99.  If you can't find them with the other sunblock stuff, check the lip balm area.
I only carried along (8) $1.00 Vv coupons, planning to buy the $6.99 stuff so that's all I could get today, but since they cost cheaper than I'd planned, I have to get three more and then I qualify for the $25.00 gift card Skincare SCR.
I could only use the Vv coupons, and not any MQs because the MQ states for 4oz or more, but since I paid for them with overage, they were all free anyhow.
Gift card will be $25.00 Profit

I also did two John Frieda deals.
$20.00/4 JF Sheer Blonde
-2.00 x 4 MQ (insert?)
-1.00 x 4 Vv q's Sheer Blonde
-1.00/10.00 Hair Care wellness q
= $2.00 (paid with overage = $0.00)
Rec'd $10.00 +UP x 2
$20.00 Profit

$5.99 Venus Disp. Razors
-2.00 MQ from Rouge magazine
= $3.99 (paid with overage = $0.00)
$2.00 SCR #54 = $2.00 Profit

$2.59 Oral B Vivid TB
-1.00 MQ Rouge Magazine
= $1.59 (paid with overage = $0.00)
Rec'd $2.00 +UP = $2.00 Profit

Also got Carefree Ultra free with BOGO sale and using BOGO q's from ? insert

Also got MnMs free or almost free.

Otherwise I used my overage to buy case of water, gallon of milk (wanted to buy 3 gallons, but every store was out until the last one!), pretzels, coffee, yoohoos, pack of Ritz Crackers (trying to get my total up when it went under, but it didn't help because I hadn't paid attention and didn't realize the toilet paper was BOGO!), and toilet paper.  Good time to stock up using overage, two for the price of one.

Sunglasses coupons expire Wendesday 6/30.

Walgreens

Walgreens was a total disaster for me today. I rolled out of bed a little after 7am and made it to the store when they were opening the doors.
For my first deal, I was buying the socks, Flexitol, blistex, and dentynes. And maybe something else I can't remember.

First off, she rang up the Flexitol like three times, then she voided it three times. I told her she needed to ring it up again, but she told me it was right.
Well, we get to the end of the transaction, and lo and behold, I can't use my $6.00 RR because the total was down to $1.00-something. So, no, the Flexitol wasn't rang up.

Then, my Socks RR didn't print out. I was like, hold it! but she just bulldozed on ahead, ringing up my next transaction.

The manager came to try to help with the RR I didn't get on the first transaction (this was just after 8am, no one was aware yet that the Socks RR's weren't working), but the chick was already done with my second transaction.
So since I didn't get my $3 Socks RR, I had to pay $3 oop, which ticked me off.

But it turned out okay because I had gotten a $3 Blistex RR on the first transaction, which I kept after the manager voided out the first transaction and gave me my coupons and money back, so that evened out my loss. I guess.

The manager went and tried to check on the computer to see if she could find out the problem, but there was nothing in her email, and all she could get was the thing where you mail it in and request your RR to be sent 6-8 weeks later. No thanks!

I wanted her to give me the cash, or even the credit on a gift card, but she wouldn't. I told her I drove almost 30 miles to get there and couldn't just keep running back down there everyday, and by the time I get to come back they will be all gone. So she put my socks in a basket and put my name and phone number on them, to hold until I can get back to get them after the RRs start working.

I rolled the remaining $6.00 RR on another thing of Felxitol and Blitex, buying (6) Dentynes to get $1.01 overage to get my total down.

Transaction 1: +$3.00 Blistex RR
Transaction 2: -5.00 RR -3.58 Cash + $3.00 Blistex RR + $5.00 Flexitol RR
Transaction 3: -5.00 RR - .35 Cash + $5.00 Flexitol RR
Transaction 4: -6.00 RR - 1.65 Cash + $5.00 Flexitol RR + $3.00 Blistex RR

Final Total: $2.42 cost (Sucks, but would have been fine if I had been able to get the socks, they were the only thing I really even wanted)

So then, later, I was shopping in another town, and checked the forums to see maybe the socks RR's had gotten fixed yet..and saw the OralB hidden (or mistaken) deal. Except I apparently didn't see the whole deal, and mine didn't work out. So I'm going to take that back...tomorrow I guess.
I will read up the deal before I try it again.

Otherwise, when I walked in the store, I was only going to try the OralB deal, but as I walked past the cashier I asked if their RR's were printing for the socks, and she said no, but the manager will put it on a gift card if you want to do that.
If I want to do that?? Does a bear sh... Uh, yeah, I want to do that.

So I got a pair of the socks for $0.21 tax.

She would only let me do it once, though, even though I complained that I have to drive so far to come there, and the other Wags I visits lets me do four transactions, one for each member in my family.
They are always worried about the "other customers" not getting anything. That always makes me feel low when they say that, like I'm not valued as a customer.
Alot of people go in every day of the week. I go once a week, usually. I don't think four transactions is asking too much.

BTW, it's not true my other Wags limits me to four, I just made that up to try to get her to go along with it.
I do usually limit myself to four, though, because there is another Wags three minutes away that I also visit, so between the two stores I usually get plenty.

Food Lion

Made two Food Lion shops today. The second Food Lion was higher priced than the first one I visited.
First store, pasta was $1.15, chocolatey milk was $1.29. Manwich $1.00 each, and cheese $2.00.
Total $0.94 + .08 tax = $1.02 oop

At the other store, the pasta was $1.25, and the chocolatey milk was $1.69! Manwich and cheese the same, though.
Total $1.44 + .09 tax = $1.53 oop

Can't complain too much! Still a good price for all I got.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Next - Rite Aid

For some reason that I can't now recall, I had been thinking there wasn't going to be that much good deals at Rite Aid next week...boy was I wrong!

This is a copy of my notes, what I'll be shopping for, but there are even more other deals that I just didn't have the coupons for.

John Frieda (Sheer Blonde Regular retail $6.49-$6.99).
I found $2/1 coupons on the Brunette and blonde stuff
John Frieda Hair Care Product $2 (8/21/10) SS 6/6/10
4 Blonde stuff $20.00
- 5.00 $5/20 or $5/25 vv
-8.00 (4) mfq coupons $2/1 Brunette and blonde stuff
-4.00 (4) Vv coupons Sheer Blonde
-1.00 (1) /$10 Haircare Wellness q
Total: $2.00
Get back $10.00 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) +Up Reward
$8.00 MM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crest 3D "Vivid" White Strips $22.99
- $10 MQ 6/27RP
- $5/20
-$1/10 Oral Care Wellness CRT
Total $6.99
Get $10 Up+ Reward
= $3.01 MM

Stayfree Maxi pads 16-24ct - sale BOGO
- BOGO MQ (up to $4.49) 6/27 RP (exp 8/31)
= 2 FREE!
Time to use up the last of the Stayfree coupons.
$2.00/1 Stayfree product, any - 03-28-10 RP, exp 6/30/2010
The 16 to 24 count are BOGO. They're priced $3.99, so use (2) $2/1 (adjusting the second one by 0.01).

The Carefree Ultra 14-16 on the BOGO....you are in luck if you're like me and have a lot of the Carefree Ultra Protection Product Buy 1 Get 1 14-16 ct Free up to $3.99 from 3/28RP to get FREE FREE...we just have to use them by 6/30.

M&M's bogo
-FREE pretzel m&m's Q in most sunday papers
=2 FREE

Clearasil Skin Care Lowest online price: $4.49 (several different kinds)
- $1.50 MQ SS 5/9
- $3 In-Ad Q
-$2/1 MQ HERE [e-centives.com] Sign up and then you can print it.
-$3/1 June VV Q
= potential Free

Tresemme Fresh Start or Naturals $3.99
- $2 May VV (Expires 6/30)
- $1 IP Q HERE [facebook.com]
= $0.99 oop, $1 +UP reward = FREE (thx amn8421)

$2 +UP wyb Venus Disposable Razors at $5.99
-$2 SCR #54 wyb (1)
-$2 off Venus, Embrace, or Daisy Razor, PG 6/06
(FREE after rebate!)

Veet Cream $5.49
-$3 off Veet in ad coupon
-$3 off Veet Hair Removal printable
-$3 off Veet Product, (Rite Aid Coupon), printable
(makes it FREE)

Crest Prohealth 2.99
-SCR #131 up to 2.99
-.50 MQ P&G 6/6 OR $1.00/1 MQ 6/27RP
=Free/MM

*Style Science or Foster Grant Sunglasses (Regular Retail 12.99 or higher)
- $5 SCR 40
- $10 May VV Style Science (valid till June 30)

Someone posted this deal for the sunglasses which I was interested in because I've decided to do an AnySoldier.com box and thought sunglasses might be a good thing to send for the soldiers.

At first glance I was thinking, okay, I'll use my 20% off wellness card, a $1/$10 Summer wellness coupon(?), coupled with some of the free things this week, and use a $5/$20 coupon, making the glasses free; MM after SCR.

But, looking through the sale ad this week, I see ALL sunglasses are on sale BOGO50%.
This throws my math off. Do I still get 20% off the first pair?

I need to investigate this further...

EDIT TO ADD: Apparently you don't get the discount off the first pair. You get the better of the deal, 20% off or the BOGO50%.

ANOTHER ADD:
Banana Boat Suncare Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Buy 2 Banana Boat Sport Performance Sunscreens 3 oz. $6.99 each (based on on-line price)
Use 2 $1/1 coupons from the 6/27 SS
Use the $1/1 June Video Values coupon found here
Final Cost $2 each!*
*This purchase can be applied towards the Skin Care 2010 Rebate #555 (Buy $25 of participating products, get a $10 Rite Aid gift card; Buy $50 of participating products, get a $25 Rite Aid gift card.)

*If I can pull it off, I plan to buy 4 at a time:
$6.99 x 4 = $27.96
-13.98 BOGO sale
-4.00 (4) $1/1 MQ 6/27SS
-4.00 (4) June Vv q
-5.00/$20 or $5/$25
= $0.98 oop (Be nice if I could use the $1/$10 Summer Seasonal Wllenoes Q, too!)
Do (2) times; cost $1.96 oop (or free if I can use the wellness coupons)
Submit for $25.00 gift card wyb $50.00 worth.

Coppertone Sun Care Products $8.99
Use the $1/1 coupon found here
Use the $2/1 in-ad coupon
Use the $3/1 June Video Values coupon found here
Final Cost $2.99!*
*This purchase can be applied towards the Skin Care 2010 Rebate #555 (Buy $25 of participating products, get a $10 Rite Aid gift card; Buy $50 of participating products, get a $25 Rite Aid gift card.)

*Same as Banana Boat deal, only buying (3) at a time.
$8.99 x 3 = $26.97
-3.00 (3)$1/1 IP MQ
-6.00 (3) $2/1 in-ad q
-9.00 (3) $3/1 June Vv q
-5.00/20.00
= $3.97 oop (or $2.97 if I can use $1/$10 summer seasonal wellness q)
Submit for $25.00 gift card wyb $50.00 worth

Next - Walgreens

I have (3) RR's expiring tomorrow that need rolling over. Luckily for me, there are some things for rolling tomorrow, and then later in the week, starting Wednesday, a four day sale, for "rolling them up"....that is, money-makers.

Visit one of the coupon sites like Southern Savers or Hip2Save for all the deals.
These are the ones I'm particularly looking at:
(Starting Sunday 6/27)
Free after RR items

$3 RR wyb Blistex Lip Balm Smoothies 3pack,$2.99

$3 RR wyb Airplus Aloe Infused Socks for Her, $3

$5 RR wyb Flexitol Blistop, $5

Other Deals
Dentyne gum, 3/.98 w/ coupon in July Wags in-store booklet
$1 off any Dentyne SS 6/13 exp 8/30
You will be able to use 1 MQ w/no beep b/c the 3/$.98 price is had by use of the IVC. Sale price is 3/$1.98.
If you are buying in multiples of 3, you can use more MQs. For instance, if you buy 6 packs for $3.98 (before IVC), you can
use 3 MQs with no beeps, leaving you with a balance of $.98, then use the IVC, putting you ahead $1.01.

Dental care, J&J floss, Listerine mouthwash 3.2oz, Reach Crystal TB, .99 w/ in-ad ivc
BOGO take off original price before coupon give overage??
(if so, look for:
$5 RR wyb Gillette Fusion ProGlide $9.89 Monthly Deal)

Royal jello 5/1.00 w/coupon
-$1/5 Blinkie
= Free/5

(Starting Wednesday 6/30)
$3 RR wyb NOXZEMA TRIPLE BLADE DISP RAZOR 4 PK $3.99
Noxema Spa Shave 4 Blade Shaver 4 pack, Super Smooth Triple Blade Shaver 4 pack, etc. $2 (9/30/10) V 5/23/10

$3 RR wyb CREST EXTRA WHITE PLUS SCOPE OUTLAST T/P 5.8OZ OR 2 PK ORAL B ADVANTAGE

TOOTHBRUSH $3.00
Crest Toothpaste, 4oz or larger or liquid Gel - Save $0.75 on any 1 Redplum 6/27
$1/1 Crest toothpaste 4.0oz+ or liquid gel (excludes cavity, baking soda & tartar) 6/27 RP (exp 7/31/10)
$1/1 Crest paste 4.0oz+ 6/27 RP (exp 7/31/10)
$1/1 Oral-B Advantage 6/27 RP (exp 7/31/10)

$3 RR wyb CELSIUS GREEN TEA 4PK 12OZ $3.99
Celsius 4-pack $2 IP (+1.01)

$2 RR wyb EFFERDENT DENTURE CLEAnSER TABLETS 40 PK $2.99
Efferdent, 40 ct+ or Effergrip Product $1 (7/31/10) SS 5/2/10

EDIT TO ADD: Wait for Thursday 7/01 to buy the Reach TBs, they will be startng a RR deal to make it big money-maker!!!
(ONLY VALID 7/1-7/24)
Reach Toothbrushes Buy 2 = $1 RR, Buy 3 = $2 RR, Buy 4 = $4 RR

Food Lion, Rite Aid

Wow, I had a bit of good luck today!
I was headed out to buy my newspapers and asked my husband for the $10 I knew he had, planning to stop by the ATM and get him some more money out on the way back (paper sales and bank are on opposite sides of the road, and traffic is a nightmare down there). But he reminded me he was going to the City BBQ my son is volunteering at with the Fire Dept. today and he might need his money there.
So, change of plan, I decided instead of fighting traffic to get to bank and back over to paper sales, I'd detour around and go to Food Lion first. I could do my shop and use my debit card to get cash back, and skip the bank altogether.
Even better, as I was leaving Food Lion, there sitting right at the edge of the parking lot was a Paper Seller!! Woohoo! I didn't even have to go to the Evil City at all afterall!
Food Lion Final Total $1.02
(The pasta went up to $1.15 from $1.09)
Bought Motrin @ $3.00 - $3.00 MQ
Bought Milk @ $2.99 and Pork Rinds $0.50 - $3.00 +UP from Motrin
Rite Aid Final Total $0.80 from gift card

Food Lion

Was headed to bed but decided to check and see what coupons were going to be in this weekends paper to see if I need to go out and get any tomorrow (because I'd prefer to never get in a car again, after the long-ass ride we had today)....anyway, yeah, they look good, so I better go.

So while I'm out I figure I better check out Food Lion's sale and see if I need to make any shops while I'm out. I'm tired, and maybe overlooked something, but as far as I can see it's still cheap Manwich, cheap/free Pasta, and free Cheese this week.

Now Next Week 6/30 is a different story....so get ready!!
You can see the ad preview here: http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/food-lion/69333-food-lion-ad-6-30-7-6-a.html

There will be a "Sweet Deal", buy 5 get $5, and Cool Whip will be 2/$2, which, if it rings up $1.00 each, will be FREE wyb 5. 
Also, there will be a .20/2 coupon in this weekends insert (that'll be .40/2 at my stores), so alittle overage for my other purchases, I believe.
ALSO, there is a CAT deal going on:
Purchase three (3) Kraft Cool Whip, Receive $1 OYNO
Purchase four (4) Kraft Cool Whip, Receive $2 OYNO
Purchase five or more (5+) Kraft Cool Whip, Receive $3 OYNO
runs 5/21 – 7/4/10

So, FREE Cool Whip, and $3.00 MM!

Another "Sweet Deal" Smucker's Ice Cream Toppings 3/$5.00
Buy (5) @ $1.67/$1.66 = $8.32
- $3.34 (2) BOGO IPq's here: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B0zf2kcGxXwQNzFkMWEzY2UtYTA2NS00NDhjLThjNzMtOTU1MDI0YzE2Nzc2&hl=en
= -.02 overage??

Then there's a Buy 5 get $5 Kraft deal which I think you can do along with the "Sweet Deal", get (5) Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo for FREEE!
Kraft Sandwich Shop Spreads 1/1 from 6/13 SS

5 x $2 = $10
-$5 MQ
-$5 Promo
= FREEE

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Out of Town

Hello Readers!

I am in Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington NC this week. (Only took me 3 days to find the free wi-fi, lol)

This place is great....or would be, had I brought my coupons, like I was going to before I talked myself out of it.  They have a Food Lion like every three miles.
They also have Harris Teeters and Lowe's....but no Publix.

I did bring my Motrin coupons, so we've making trips to Rite Aid for the $3.00 mm on that.  There are apparently NO couponers here because every Rite Aid I've gone in has had a good supply of the Motrins! At $12.00 profit (minus $0.23 tax each time) so far.

If you're at all interested in my trip, you can check my Family Travel blog; linked in the right side menu.

Later, Taters, TTFN

Friday, June 18, 2010

JCPenneys

Mom left me another of the $10/$10 JCPenney coupons so I ran back by there while I was out and grabbed John another pair of shorts on sale for $9.99.

Don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the shorts have a turquoise colored stripe in them. I'm terrible at matching colors; I know guys are wearing some kind of striped polo or plaid button up shirt with these kind of shorts, but everything I looked at looked like it didn't go together.
I was just going to get a plain black or grey tshirt, but he won't wear black tshirts in the summer, so I looked for a white one. They had a white one I really liked, still kinda wished I had got, but it had a purple design in the middle, which I thought maybe went with the turquoise, but I kept looking at it, and it didn't really look like it to me.

I found the grey tshirt with an eagle design; it had some turquoise color splashed on it. It was $5.99, so after coupon I spent $5.98 + .42 tax = $6.40 oop

Food Lion

Did another two Food Lion shops.

Transaction 1: Subtotal was $4.18 before tax, but I was able to use the $3/$25 cat I got yesterday. Final Total $1.18 + .34 tax = $1.52 oop

Transaction 2: I spent a little more on the pasta here, getting a box of lasagne noodles for .85 after coupon. Final total $4.99 + .45 tax = %5.44 oop

I got another $3.00 catalina on the 2nd trans, but it's $3/$30, an only valid next Wednesday, the 23rd, thru Sunday the 27th, so probably end up not being able to use it.

Publix

Made another Publix run today. Got $13.xx with my overage items, which I used to buy Nesquick, Cube Steak, bread, buns, pot pies.

My balance ended up exactly $0.00 + $1.95 tax = $1.95 from gift card.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Food Lion

It's a great week at Food Lion this week!

Deals: (Check Southern Savers or Slickdeals for the FLips)

$1.09 Food Lion Pasta (they have cheaper pasta, but it must cost more than $1.00)
-1.00 FLip
= .09

$2.00 Food Lion block cheese
-2.00 FLip
= FREE

$1.03/$1.00 Food Lion dozen eggs (They were $1.03 at one store, $1.00 at the other store; your price may vary.)
-1.00 FLip
= $0.03 or FREE

Chocolate Milk.
I got the $1.29 box. Thought it was half-gallon. Shrug. Coupon worked.
-1.00 FLip
= $0.29

$1.00 Manwich
$1.00 Manwich
-1.50/2 FLip
= $0.50/2 or $0.25 each

$4.79 4C drink mix
$4.79 4C drink mix stix or (what?)
-1.80 MVP
-1.80 MVP
-1.00 MQ 5/23 SS
-4.79 BOGO Q 5/23 SS (this coupon beeps saying doesn't match sale or whatever. Both times the manager came and turned the key and it took off $4.79 They didn't have to type in a price.)
= $0.19

$5.00 wyb All (4) deal:
$4.00 12-pk. Coke
$3.59 Johnsonville sausage
$2.00 Snyder Pretzels 16oz. bag (not 10oz.)
$1.67 KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
- .55 Johnsville IP (doubled at my store)
-1.00 Snyder Preztels MQ (insert?)
-1.00 KC Masterpiece MQ (insert?)
-5.00 wyb All (4)
= $3.16

$0.99 Cantaloupes

Transaction #1: $3.89 + .42 tax = $ 4.31

Transaction #2: $5.22 + .46 tax = $5.68

I rec'd a $3.00 off $25.00 Catalina from the 2nd transaction I plan to use tomorrow, Yay!

Publix

Made a Publix run, and plan to do another tomorrow *fingers crossed*.

I had a raincheck for the Lawry's Marinades from a few weeks ago. I only wanted the Buffalo BBQ sauce.

The Bailey's, John Frieda, Vitamins, Dove and light bulbs were all overage items. You can see those and more at Brandy/Earthy Mama's Blog; I Prefer Publix.

I had the $1.50 off Starbucks No-Coffee Ice Cream, so those cost me $0.39 each. I still have a couple of coupons, but pretty sure I'll have to get rainchecks...I think the lady behind me got the rest of what I didn't.

I bought the Burritos and Ground beef using my overage. I was still $0.10 in the negative, which I could have applied to the tax, but didn't want to mess with it, so I grabbed a nanner.

Final total $0.17 + $2.32 tax = $2.49 from Publix Gift Card
Saved $87.00 (That's crazy! What I got wasn't worth nearly $90.00!!)

Kohl's

I also had a $10/$10 Kohl's card that came in the mail.

I found a pair of Levi's sknny jeans for Ryan, clearance priced $7.99 (regularly $39.99), and (3) pair of panties, clearanced priced .70 each (regularly $7.00 each).

After coupon I spent $0.10...yes, TEN CENTS, one dime.
And then I found a dime in the parking lot when I went back over to Penney's afterwards. So FREEEE! lol

JCPenneys

I had (2) $10/$10 coupons for JCPenney that came in the mail (one from my MIL's). They are having a sale on men's cargo shorts for $9.99...Johnny's about ruined all his so I wanted to get him a new pair or two of those. But since the coupon required an at aleast $10.00 purchase, I knew I'd have to find something else to buy also. Usually I can find a pair of panties on clearance for a dollar or so.

While I was walking around looking for the cheapest something else to buy, a clerk started piling clothes on a rack and said "All these is $3.97". Well, alllllright!

The Sequined Hoodie was originally $44.00; Skinny Zipper Jeans was originally $50.00; and the BB Tiedye Skiny Jean was originally $58.00. *Eek!*

After clearance and $10.00 coupon, I paid $1.91 + .13 tax = $2.04 oop
Total savings $150.09
*Gasp!*
Then I left and went to Kohl's and Target across the street, and returned later to use my other coupon. I don't know if they would have said anything if I'd tried to use them at the same time, but why bother with it when it was as easy to go and come back later.

This time I got J a pair of the Cargo shorts, and I had found a pair of panties on clearance for $2.99, but as I had just bought (3) pair on clearance at Kohl's for .70 each, and I figured if I was going to spend that much, might as well spend another dollar and get another pair of pants. The pants was more worth the $4.00 than the panties was $3.00, IMHO.

The Arizona Cargo shorts were originally $36.00; and the Belted JN-Black were originally $40.00.

I paid $3.96 + .28 tax = $4.24
Total Saved $72.04

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Fresh Produce Coming Along

Our first harvest...a Cucumber!
J found it yesterday evening after the pretty good t-storm we got with lots of needed rain - but also lots of UNneeded winds.
Some of the short-sunflowers and corn stalks laid over, but I don't think we completely lost any of those. Did lose one squash plant, somehow.
This is a view of the squash/cucumbers and large sunflowers. Most of those sunflowers are over 6 feet tall!
The big empty dirt area had been planted with onions and peppers, but sadly none of them made it. Think the birds or squirrels made off with the seeds.
These are some of the gourd plants that survived the initial planting; inside the wooden cage thing is some cherry tomato plants, and then there's some other tomato plants, and corn.
Another view of the cherry tomatoes, tomatoes, corn...I think there's some okra in the somewhere - and my neighbor's big 4-wheel-drive truck.
Looks like we're going to have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. Kevin asked me could we make our own ketchup, which was really funny because I had just looked up diy ketchup on the internet yesterday.
And finally, remember the Pumpkins?
I can't find (probably didn't post) where we (and by we, I mean Johnny) built a planter box next to the backyard fence and hung wire on the fence. The idea being I wanted to grow a vertical pumpkin garden...Up, rather than out on the ground.
Started off great, got three plants to take (out of like, twelve I tried to grow), and they grew up along the wire like they were supposed to.

But then, we got new neighbors on the other side of the fence. These neighbors have a couple little future criminals...I mean children...and a mean Pitbull dog.
First off, they hadn't even been moved in a week and the little future criminals had already tore several wooden slats off the fence. Luckily it happened to be behind where we'd nailed up the wire or else the little shts probably would've been over here in our yard wreaking havoc, too.
Several feet on down the fence, they chained up their Pitbull dog. The dog ended up tearing even more slats out of the fence than the little vandals.

Neighbor guy told me he was going to fix the fence, and he did, eventually, but moved the Pitbull over so now it's chained right on the other side of my pumpkins. Anytime we go down there it jumps up and runs to the fence, so the chain rattles and the fence moves; you'd swear a monster was coming after you. And it's snarls sounds like one, too!

We still go to the garden, but neither of us, I guess, are brave enough to get close enough to the fence to be able to nail up more wire and hang the pumpkins where I wanted them to go.
Oh well. Either I'll grow them on the ground, or I guess this will just be one more story in my history of pumpkin-growing-failures, lol.

(Scary dog at tore up fence)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Walgreens

Up and at it early this morning!

I started with (3) $2.50 RRs.

Transactions #1,2,3:
$7.99 Schick Hydro Razor
$4.49 Reach TB
$4.49 Reach TB
$0.99 Austin Crackers
$0.39 Nestle Chewy Spree

Used:
-5.00 Schick Hydro MQ 6/13 SS
-4.49 Reach BOGO MQ (?insert?)
-6.00 Reach WAGs in-ad q for $3.00 off EACH TB
-2.50 RR

Subtotal $0.36 + .82 tax = $1.18 oop
Rec'd 4.00 RR Schick = $0.32 profit


Transaction #4
(I only had (1) of the Nivea coupons, boohoo)
$5.99 Nivea Men's
$4.49 Reach TB
$4.49 Reach TB
$2.97 Austin Crackers x 3

Used:
-3.00 Nivea Men's MQ (?insert?)
-4.49 Reach BOGO MQ (?insert?)
-6.00 Reach WAGs in-ad q
-4.00 RR from Schick

Subtotal $0.45 + .87 tax = $1.32 oop
Rec'd $6.00 RR Nivea = $0.68 profit


Transaction #5,6:
$9.89 Gillette ProGlide Razor
$4.79 Reach TB
$4.79 Reach TB

Used:
-4.00 Gillette Fusion 6/06 PG
-4.79 Reach BOGO MQ (?insert?)
-6.00 Reach Wags in-ad q
-4.00 RR from Schick

Subtotal $0.68 + .81 tax = $1.49 oop
Rec'd $5.00 RR Gillette = $0.49 cost each
(blah, I thought I was making a little profit with the Reach overage. How'd this happen?)

Final Total including RRs and cash: Everything free and $0.66 profit

RRs remaining: $5.00 Gillette, $5.00 Gillette, $6.00 Nivea

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Rite Aid, CVS

This shop was from yesterday, Friday. I managed to get it right.

Total $0.70 + $1.26 tax = $1.96 from gift card
Rec'd $4.00 +UP

Today, I lost my mind again. Or...something...?
I had this mousepad ready to pick up, and I had another Blink coupon I wanted to use to get $2.00 overage after SCR.

First off, I planned to use my 2nd Wellness card on Sale items that don't get the 20% anyway, to build up my points on it. Well, I forgot and used my 1st card, that gives me 20% everyday.
But I was buying Blink that was on sale, and it didn't even cross my mind that it would take 20% off the mousepad!
So, I ended up about .50 in the hole before I could use the $5/$20 coupon.
Beside the register they had Ramen noodles for $0.12 so I grabbed four of those.

It went over $20.00 then, and she scanned the coupons, but then it got back down below $2.00, when I still had a $2.00 Blink coupon to use, so I grabbed a .77 pack of gum and another two packs of Ramen.
It was still under $2.00 after that, so I had to get another pack of Ramen.
Had I figured right, I probably could have gotten something more useful than a pack of gum and seven packs of Ramen noodles. But oh well, the kids will use all that.

Total $0.00 + .05 tax = $0.05 cash
SCR: $7.99 Blink = $7.95 profit


One last Rite Aid shop before the week end. I did good this time and remembered to count my 20% off the extras I was buying.

Everything went smoothly...until I didn't get my $4.00 +UP CRT. She didn't know why...Sorry. So I guess I have to call CS and ask how I'm supposed to get it now. PITA!

Total $0.26 + .76 tax = $1.02 gift card
Rec'd NOTHING = $4.00 in the hole I guess.


CVS Shop

Found out I had $8.00 ECBs expired 2 days ago, so I checked tomorrow's sale, and last weeks, and figured out a plan to get exactly what I needed to roll in ECBs.
The Rolaids was last week's deal; the Old Spice and Hydro were next weeks deals.
I needed Fritos and was lucky to find them on sale for $1.99.

After coupons, everything came to $8.94, and I had $8.00 ECBs.

The stupid punk said he couldn't take expired ECBs. Since I know he can because I specifically went to a store where I know I've been able to use them a few days expired, I know he just didn't want to mess with typing them in.
So I had to give him an un-expired ECB, and now I don't have $8.00 worth of deals to roll the expired ones on, so I'll end up just having to spend/waste at least part of them tomorrow.

I could still do the Gillette/Old Spice deal because next weeks deal didn't take, it still gave me last weeks deal, the sale price $3.00. I showed him the paper where it was supposed to be next week's deal, $4.00 and get $4.00 ECB. He didn't want to mess with refunding, reringing, etc, so he just printed me a $3.00 ECB manually. So I still got them free, and it didn't count toward my deal this week.

Maybe I can look again and find another deal to roll $4.00. I would rather had been done and not have to worry about it, though.

Spent $8.00 ECB
Total $0.94 + 1.41 tax = $2.35 oop

Rec'd $4.00 Rolaids, $4.00 Schick, $3.00 Old Spice = +$0.65 profit

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Rite Aid, Walgreens, UBS

Rite Aid
Went Rite-Aid'ing today; 3 stores/3 shops:

1st Shop: I messed up because I was figuring on a 20% discount for using my wellness card and guess what; no discount. WTH?
So the Darice mosiac craft thingys that were supposed to be a small mm after SCR won't really be now :-(

$2.29 Darice Mosiac Craft (1.83 if wellness works)
$2.29 Darice Mosiac Craft (1.83 if wellness works)
$2.89 Neutrogenia Soap bar (2.31 if wellness worked)
$3.99 Reach Ultra Care Floss (3.19 if wellness worked)
$7.00/2 Old Spice Red Zone Body Wash (Sale price; no wellness)
$4.99 John Frieda Root Awakening (Sale price; no wellness)
= $23.45

-$5/$20 RA Vv q
-3.00 Neurogenia in-ad q
-3.50 Old Spice BOGO MQ (4/18 SS maybe?)
-4.00 +UP coupon
-3.00 John Frieda MQ 6/6 SS?
-1.00 Reach Floss MQ Tearpad
= $3.95 + 1.08 tax = $4.84 from Gift Card

Rec'd $4.00 +UP coupon
SCRs $1.00 John Frieda, $3.00 Reach, $4.00 Darice

Final Total $7.16 profit (right?)

2nd Shop:I used a different wellness card this time, which I thought was as new as the other card I had use prior...got them about the same time...so I didn't count on a discount this time, but viola', got one anyway. Had to grab a jug of milk to make up the difference. Then the $4.00 +UP coupon wouldn't work...they decided it was because it said "excludes sales tax", so I got the loafa bread, and it still said I didn't have enough, even though I did, so they entered it manually.

$7.19 Schick Hydro 3 (Reg. $8.99 before 20% wellness)
$7.19 Schick Hydro 3 (Reg. $8.99 before 20% wellness)
$2.31 Neutrogenia Soap (Reg. $2.89 before wellness)
$7.00/2 Old Spice RZ BW (Sale price, no disc)
$2.39 Milk ($2.99 before disc.)
$1.43 Bread ($1.59 before disc.)
= $27.51

-$5/$20
-5.00 Schick MQ (?insert?) x 2
-1.00 Schick Vv x 2
-3.00 Neutorgena Soap in-ad q
-3.50 Old Spice BOGO MQ (4/18?)
-4.00 +UP q
= $0.01 + .93 tax = $0.94 from gift card

Rec'd $4.00 +UP

Final Total $3.06 profit (am I right counting this as profit, since I spent the $4.00 to start with? aren't I just breaking even? Ugh, I'm so confused)

3rd Shop:Because the chick at the last RA told me I was at the level where I earned 20% everyday on that card, I knew to plan for the discount at my last store using the same card....or so I thought.
For some reason, I figured the discount on the "items" I was buying, but forgot to on the "fillers" I was buying. Duh.
Also, my $4.00 +UP coupon didn't work here, either. I knew it didn't show on the screen when she scanned it, and I asked and she said "Yes, it worked". Well then my total was too high, but she couldn't go back and look at what had worked or didn't, so I had to pay and look at the reciept afterwards, and sure enough, the +UP coupon hadn't come off.
Bad thing is, this is a Shift Supervisor. A new cashier working there today was standing there watching and when I said, my total is too high, the new lady asked the SS, how do you be able to go back and look and see if something like that came off or not? And the SS said "I don't really know".

Anyway, she goes back and tries to enter the +UP coupon as post coupon, but it keeps saying the same thing as at the last RA "Must be $4.00 or more". She tried two or three times, but eventually she "was sorry", and gave it back to me.

$7.19 Schick Hydro 3 (Reg. $8.99 before 20% wellness)
$7.19 Schick Hydro 3 (Reg. $8.99 before 20% wellness)
$2.31 Neutrogenia Soap (Reg. $2.89 before wellness)
$7.00/2 Old Spice RZ BW (Sale price, no disc)
$2.99 case of water (Sale price, no disc)
$0.79 3pk. Yoo-Hoo drinks (Reg. $.99)
= $27.47

-$5/$20
-5.00 Schick MQ (?insert?) x 2
-1.00 Schick Vv x 2
-3.00 Neutorgena Soap in-ad q
-3.50 Old Spice BOGO MQ (4/18?)
= $3.97 + 1.21 tax = $5.26 from gift card (Even though the final total was $3.97, that didn't have anything to do with the $4.00 +UP not working, because she scanned it before all the MQs, so the total would have been well over $4.00 at that point.)

Rec'd $4.00 +UP

Final Total: Heck I don't know

Walgreens/UBS

So here's what happened...Sunday afternoon my hubby had gone fishing and I was hanging around the house alternating between messing with coupon stuff, reading, and listening to the tv some. So then I see "Hoarding: Buried Alive" comes on tv...I sometimes like to watch that show when I need a kick in the pants to get to getting rid of some stuff around here.
So this day, one of the ladies is working on going through some books, and she kept saying "Keep, keep, keep". Well, that's what I'd always, too, until my all my books ended up needing a bigger bedroom than I did!

Not too long ago, well about a month, or two, I guess, when I looking to re-read my Johanna Lindsey books and found about half of them missing from my bookshelf, I went through alot of my books then, looking for the missing ones. When I didn't find them, I grabbed a couple of bags of books I didn't figure I'd care to read again and headed off to the UBS to trade for the ones I wanted.
Back then I told myself I was going to get back upstairs and go through them for real and scale my book collections down to just a few of the authors I like best.

So "Hoarding" inspired me Sunday, and I went up and got through the bags of books I'd been stacking in the hallway at the top of the stairs, to eventually sort, group, read, keep, or get rid of.

I ended up with 4 bags of traders, and 4 bags of get-rid-of'ers: no good for trading because too old, or non-fiction, tore up, or hardback, which my UBS don't take. The hardbacks I donate to the local library and the rest goes to the thrift store. All tax-deductible.

I only carried 2 of the bags of traders with me today; I don't like to overwhelm them with too many all at once. I got a $64 and change trade credit. Not too shabby!

Alot of the books I kept were books by favorite authors whose books I had many of, but not all, because I could never remember which ones I had, or which ones I needed. So finally I printed off lists of books by authors, marked off the ones I already had, and was able to have a list of ones to look for today. I don't know know how many I ended up getting, a bag full, and spent $49 and some change of my credit.

But I also spent $23 something in cash buying some books, because they were of the *spicy* variety, and not eligible for paying with credit.
But I figure, I don't smoke or drink - well, except Coke, and I've been using drug store money to pay for those - I don't buy purses or shoes (except occaisionally at yard sales or thrift stores), I buy my clothes during the .50 cent clothing sale at the thrift store....so if I want to indulge a little bit in something I enjoy, why not.

The other books, Janet Evanovich hardbacks, I do feel a pinch of guilt over, but I talk myself out of it pretty easily. I love, love, love the Stephanie Plum books, and used to buy them at the full-Walmart-discount price of around $16.00 as soon as they hit the shelf. I did quit doing that, and either put my name on the list at the library, or just waited until I found them at a library or yard sale or something.
Well, last week I saw these in the 2/$10 rack at Walgreens, which is a really, really great price if you love these books as much as I do.
But, on the other hand, I knew they probably weren't going anywhere fast - I've seen the same books...not these same ones, but other same ones...in the rack for weeks and weeks and weeks. I guess people around here just don't read, or don't get their books at Walgreens anyway.
So, last week, I said I was going to wait for some money-maker items to go on sale, and then I'd use the overage to buy the books.
But, I couldn't wait. So I popped the $10 RRs for them today.

I'm down to $7.50 RRs. I know there's mm Nivea body wash next week, but I hope there's something else, too, so I can roll, or I'm going to end up spending cash again. Argh, nooooooo!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Rite Aid

I made it out this morning to get my papers, and planned to do three or four Rite Aid Shops while I was out and going. But then my husband called and said his mom needed some help filling out some papers so I had to go over there. Then I didn't feel like shopping anymore, so I came home to eat bacon and cookies and go to bed.

I bought the Blink drops at $7.99 - 2.00 IP coupon [redplum.com]
and the Gillette Proglide at $9.99 - 4.00 MQ from today's P&G

then I wanted to try the new +UP thing so I got two of the Old Spice Body Wash on sale for 2/$7.00, and I had a BOGO MQ from the 4/18 SS (I think).

I found the OS BWs on the shelf, with a couple of the sale tags stuck on, they were all $4.99, so I picked a couple bottles, and they didn't ring up on sale. He said I got the wrong ones, the ones I got weren't Red Zone. Ok, we went back and got the bottles that said Red Zone (that look just like the bottles I had gotten, but just didn't say Red Zone at the top). Well, the ones that said Red Zone didn't ring up one sale, either. So he price modified them. But then the $4.00 +UP thing didn't print out.
The Manager came and said I still had the wrong ones, it was only Old Spice - Red Zone - Aquasomething.
The boy went and got the tag stuck to the shelf that said ANY Red Zone.
I offered to get whatever she said it specified, but she just gave me $4.00 in cash.
So, I still don't know about the +UP thing. Gahhh.

Total before coupons $24.98, total after coupons $10.48 + $1.40 tax = $11.88 from Gift Card

Rec'd: $4.00 +UP/Cash
SCRs: $7.99 Blink, $5.00 Proglide

Final total $6.51 profit

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Rite Aid Next Week 6/6

I'm not seeing any real great deals for CVS or Walgreens, but looks like I may be making like 500 trips to Rite Aid (hehe, yeah right, like we know that'll happen).

Basic Deal
$7.99 Blink Drops
$9.99 Gillette ProGlide
$4.99 John Frieda
= $22.97

-$5/$20
-$2.00 Blink IP q Redplum.com
-$4.00 Gillette mq 6/6
-$3.00 John Frieda mq 6/6
= $8.97

Submit for SCRs:
$7.99 Blink
$5.00 Gillette
$1.00 John Freida
= $13.99

Total $5.02 Profit after SCR

Also:
Cetrizine (generic Zyrtec) is $9.99 for 30ct.
-$5.00 Rite Aid printable
Buy (2) and use $5/$20 (maybe need .02 filler)
Spend $4.98

Do 3 times. (total spend $14.94 for 6 boxes)

Then submit for $25 wys $50 on Allergy rebate.
Free meds plus $10.06 profit

I have several $5.00 gift cards from previous deals, so it won't really cost me anything.

Rite Aid

My Return to Rite Aid
Looks like I haven't been shopping at Rite Aid on over a month. Silly as it sounds, I think that new Wellness card threw me off kilter so bad.

Amazingly, I didn't screw up majorly today.
Well, that's not exactly true. I did mess up, but it thankfully worked out okay in the end.

I had a few Rite Aid shops planned for this week involving the Free Mousepads (ask me if you need to know), but never did get around to doing those up.
So I was left scrambling this morning looking for deals to couple with the Sunglasses sale to get me to $20 so I could use my $5/$20 coupon.

The first store I found a pair of Style Science sunglasses priced at $9.99, and Physician's Formula EyeLiner at $6.95/$3.47 (Bogo50% sale).
That left me enough to get a jug of milk and a tuna/cracker snack thing.

It being an "outside the metro area" store, I didn't think the sunglasses were on sale at this store for $12.99 price. I checked the ad but couldn't see it (doesn't mean it wasn't there, though).
Well the sunglasses I got weren't on sale, but the Wellness card took 20% - or $2.00 - off the price.

Not to mention .60 off the milk, and .38 off the tuna/crackers snack.

Altogether which put me in the negative almost $2.00.
The cashier was trying to scan the $10 sunglasses coupon, which of course wouldn't work since my total was at $8.37 then. She was fixing to call the manager to come void and try re-scanning the coupons in a different order, because she hadn't scanned the $5/$20 first. I told her the order didn't matter, the problem was the total was at eight dollars, so I would get another jug of milk and that should fix it.
I was afraid she would get me on the sunglasses being 7.99, and my coupon 10.00 , but she didn't, thankfully.

Final total was -.30 + 1.96 tax = .83 from RA gift card

For some crazy reason, even though I knew I was going to do two Rite Shops, I only printed two of the $5.00 Physicians Formula coupons, rather than four, as I needed.
So the next Rite Aid I stopped in, I had to come up with another way to accomplish my goal (which wouldn't be a problem for most people, but I don't generally think too well on my feet, ye knows).

I did find the Style Science sunglasses at $12.99 at this store. After the $10 video values coupon, that left costing me 2.99.
Well, I had $2 MQs and $1 Vv q's for Stayfree, which were on sale for $1.99 this week. IF they took all the q's, it'd give me $2.02 overage on two packages to knock off on the sg's.
This store is 50% of the time a bunch of huttboles, and I don't usually like to do "questionable" transactions there, but today I decided, oh what the heck. At the worst I pay $2.99 for the glasses, but I'm getting a $10 SCR for buying two pair anyway, so not like I'm losing.

At that point I was at owing $0.97, and still had my $5/$20 coupon, so I got a case of water priced $3.99. That left me going $0.04 in the negative, but from what I could remember it wouldn't "beep" or anything as long as I still owed tax.

Once again, I didn't count on the Wellness discount, taking .80 off the water.

My final total was -.84 + .94 tax = .10 oop Whew, that was close!

So: $0.93 cost - $10.00 SCR on sunglasses = $9.07 profit
I think that more than takes care of my spendatures at CVS and Wags, too, so I reckon everything I got today was at least FREEEEEEEEEEEE.

Walgreens

I finally got ahold of a couple of Ecotrin coupons I'd hoped to do some money-making with, hoping they'd restocked by now, no such luck.

I was carrying around a scenario I had C&P'd from somewhere, one day, I don't remember, about Nature Bounty Vitamins. I knew they were BOGO, $4.99 and up, but I couldn't find any $4.99 vitamins. I knew the scenario I was carrying was for $7.99 vitamins, but I only had $3.00 NB coupons, not $5.00, so didn't think it would work for me.
I looked at it anyway, and - duh - it was for the C&D3 Vitamins, and there's a $2.00 IVC coupon in the June booklet. On two bottles that doubled to $4.00.
So I did have a total of $10.00 coupons, minus $7.99 for vits, left me $2.01 overage to buy my loafa bread.

Bread was only $1.79, so I got me a pack of gum, too. Gum was $1.29...I could have found something more cheaper but I'd rather spend a little more and get something I wanted and will use, than another piece of junk I wouldn't.

I spent $0.00 RRs - got none either - but my bread and gum cost me $1.72 oop. (Except I'm using the $35 Visa I earned from Rite Aid, so it's not really costing me anything)

CVS

The Cokes were on sale for 4/$13 w/ $3 ECB, so actually 4/$10, which is the same price as Walmart's $5.00 24-pack.
The second four packs I bought I got even cheaper because I used a $5/$15 CRT that had printed at the bottom of my receipt. The $3 ECB didn't print the second time, but when I said I should have gotten one, the guy printed me off one manually. Later I realized it was a Limit 1 ECB deal. Duh.

The Cokes are actually next week's sale, so if you're looking for a decent price on them, you can still get them. And cheaper if you get any $/$$ coupons.

The rest of the stuff was free after coupons and/or ECBs, only tax, which I guess is a good deal for those razors my black-bearded hubby will use.

Oh and I thuptidly forgot to use my Ban coupon the second time, so I paid $1.00 for it. Blah.