CVS 6/19 - 6/25

CVS has a few freebies and fairly decent deals coming up next/this week:

Click to see: CVS Ad

Money-maker or Free:
$5.99 ECB WYB Hershey’s Bliss, 8.6-9.6 oz, $5.99 Limit 1
-$1 off Hershey’s Bliss chocolate, 8.6 oz, +, SS 5/01
(makes it FREE + $1.00 profit w/ coupon)

Just Free; You pay Tax so not a good deal if you don't need/use it:
$2.49 ECB WYB PowerBar Energy or Protein Bites, 2.6-3 oz, $2.49 Limit 1

Free, but not really a good deal unless you use the stuff or can sell it for a profit:
It's alot of cash to spend on a deal, and you get back a $15.99 ECB you'll have to spend all in one shop. Makes it hard to roll.
$15.99 ECB WYB G-U-M PerioBalance Lozenges, 28 ct., $15.99 Limit 1

Free Tape is worth paying tax for:
Scotch Tape is on sale BOGO. I don't know the prices of most of the tape, but if it's like Walgreens then the Magic Tape may be $1.99. If so, you can use (2) $1.00 off Magic Tape printables and get both Free.
http://www.3m.com/brands/scotch/promos/welcomecoupon.pdf

Free or Possibly Decent deal:
$2 ECB WYB Dep or L.A. Looks ALL Gels, 12-20 oz, $2.99 Limit 1
-$1 off L.A. Looks product, 20-26 oz, SS 5/15
(makes it .99, or Free with coupon)

$2 ECB WYB Colgate Total Gum Defense, Advanced or Enamel Strength, 4 oz, Max, 6 oz, or 360 Surround Toothbrush $2.79 Limit 2
-$1 off Colgate Total Gum Defense toothpaste (CVS coupon), Reinventing Beauty magazine
-$1 off Colgate 360 toothbrush, July All You magazine
-$1 off Colgate 360 Surround toothbrush, May All You magazine
-$1 off Colgate 360 Degree manual toothbrush, Get More From Your Pharmacy booklet
-$1 off Colgate Max Clean, Max Fresh or Max White toothpaste, Smart Market home mailer
-$1 off Colgate MaxClean toothpaste, May All You magazine
-$1 off Colgate toothpaste, 5.8 oz, +, Get More From Your Pharmacy booklet
-$1 off Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste, Kroger First Time Savings insert 6/12
-.50/1 Colgate toothpaste or toothbrush printable
-.75/1 Colgate toothpaste, 4 oz, +, SS 6/05
(Makes it .79 without any coupons)
(Makes it .04 with SS 6/05)
(Makes it +.21 profit with any of the $1.00 coupons)
(If you have the $1 CVS coupon, you can use it together with any Manufacturer coupon for more profit)

$2 ECB WYB Irish Spring Deodorant, 2.7-3 oz, or Body Wash, 15-18 oz, $2.99 Limit 1
-$1 off Irish Spring body wash, soap or deodorant (CVS coupon), CVS Reinventing Beauty Magazine
-$1 off Irish Spring deodorant, Kroger First Time Savings insert 6/12
(Makes it .99 without any coupons. Good price if you're just starting out and need some deodorant or body wash.)
(Makes it free with either of the above coupons)
(Makes it +1.01 profit with both above coupons)

See Southern Savers for more of this week's ad sales and coupon match-ups.

Kroger

The Kellogg's cereals are included in the Mini-Mega sale this week: Buy (5) Save $5.00. That made all these cereals cost $1.99 each after savings.

When I put the deal together (early this, or late last week) I only had Raisin Bran and Rice Krispies coupons, so when I checked the list of participating cereals for the $10 Gas Rewards Card and found they were on it, I didn't bother remembering the other cereals on the list.
Bad, bad, BAD deal-shopper!

When I got to the store and found the Rice Krispies were more than $1.99, and saw some $1.00/2 peelies off ANY Kellogg's cereals, I got Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes instead.
I also noticed a couple of my Raisin Bran coupons were also for Frosted Mini-Wheats, so I got three boxes of each, instead of six boxes of RB.

Turned out the Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini-Wheats are NOT on the list.

Luckily the form just says to send UPCs (no receipt required) and I had five boxes of Rice Krispies in my Stockpile. So I recovered this time, but from here on out (this deal goes through December, and you can get up to 5 cards), I have to pay better attention because I don't have any more qualifying cereal in my Stockpile.

$15.10 paid after sale, coupons, and including tax
-10.00 $10 Gas Rewards Card
-  5.00 $5 Gas Card from entering 4 codes from the specially marked Cars boxes
= .10 final cost

One Cent per Box of Cereal!

Publix

It's the last day of this sale so I wanted to make sure I stocked up as much as I could, but couldn't stock up as much as I would have liked on account of I don't have freezer space to freeze milk. Oh well, maybe the drug stores will go back to having mm sales so I can get my milk free again.

Milk's on sale at Publix for $2.99, so it was a little better deal than when it was $3.19 last week.

$2.99 Milk
$1.50 frosting
$0.99 mix
= $5.48
- 2.00 off Milk wyb frosting and cake or brownie mix Yellow Flyer coupon
-   .40/doubled to .80 Pillsbury 6/12 RP x 2
= $1.88 for milk, mix, and frosting

With my new diet I'm not currently eating cake and will probably give these to my Son and Mom, but had I bought ONLY the milk I needed, I would have spent $2.99 each gallon, and not even gotten free frosting and cake mix.

CVS

Stopped by CVS for a couple of reasons; one, I wanted to test the John Frieda theory, and was corect, it was Limit2, but not in the same transaction.  And two, I wanted to spend the $5.99 ECBs I had earned on my two spare cards that I didn't want to mess with having to roll or spend later (I've let too many ECBs go to waste because I messed around and didn't get them spent.)

With one of the $5.99 ECBs I bought a thing of Hershey Chocolate Syrup and a thing of Nesquik chocolate milk syrup.

With the other I bought another Nesquik and the box of instant potatoes.

With the $3.00 ECB I earned from buying John Frieda I bought the four Dr. Peppers, on sale this week for .79 each.

Spent less than $1.00 cash on each transaction.

Walmart

Took the last of my Dial coupons to Walmart to get some groceries I needed/wanted.

Total after tax = $.79

CVS

Made a trip to CVS today to try for the .99 Pepsi's, but I guess since I didn't get the email myself, I didn't get the coupon.
I get all of CVS other emails, but never any $/$$ or Free stuff or anything good like that. People say "It depends on how much you shop"; I can't decide if I shop too much, or not enough?

Anyway. There were some other deals:

Free Air Whipped Hershey's Bar w/ CVS Coupon

$5.00 John Frieda products (Limit 1*)
Buy $10, get $3 ECB
Buy (2) Full Repair Stylers
- $5.00 Full Repair Stylers 6/05 SS x 2
Pay Nothing (Tax)
Get $3.00 ECB

*If you store has the 20ct. Motrin for $4, get $3 ECB (Limit 3, Roll the ECB)
- $1.00 6/12 RP
Pay w/ $3.00 ECB from JF deal (Tax)
Get $3.00 ECB

$5.99 Zyrtec 5ct., Get $5.99 ECB - Free after ECB (Limit 1)
-3.00 Booklet coupon in Display at CVS
(There are some other coupons, too, check Database)
Pay w/ $3.00 ECB (adjusted to $2.99)
Get $5.99 ECB

You pay only tax oop, and end up with $5.99 ECB to spend on something you want, need, or save to roll into another weeks' deals.

*Another site posted a Limit 2 (monthly deal) on the JF products, but when I did 2 deals in one transaction, I only got (1) $3 ECB, so we looked in the ad and it said Limit 1.
It may be one of those hidden limit deals, but where you can't buy them in the same transaction.
It didn't occur to me that I was getting the JF free anyway with the coupons, so I didn't get the other ones.
Anyway I'll go back on Friday and try again, I'll either earn another $3, or at worst get the stuff free.

2ltr. Cokes are on sale for .79 w/ card, no apparent limit, so that would be a good deal to spend your earned money on if you're a Coke addict like me :-)

My hubby wanted some peaches to go with the cottage cheese things I bought at Publix the other day, so I got him a jar of those for $1.00.

Walmart MM!

In today's RP there is a $2.00 off Dial lotion or body wash. You can find Travel size Dial body wash for .97, for a $1.03 overage on each.

I didn't have time today to spend my overage on other groceries, so they paid me $9.13 cash.

-10.50
+  1.37 tax
= +9.13 In My Pocket

Publix

$2.19 Mt. Olive Pickles/Relish BOGO (1.10/1.09 each)
 - .50 (doubled to $1.00) Blinkie
= .10/.09 each

$5.19 Combat Ant Bait
-3.00 Publix Yellow Flyer Publix Q
-2.00 IP
= .19

$0.79 Travel size Bandaids
-  .50 (doubled to $1.00) 4/17 SS, 6/12 RP
= +.21 overage

$2.00 Breakstone's Cottage Cheese 4-pack
-1.00 5/22 SS
= $1.00

Conagra Deal w/ Summer Storms booklet
Get $20.00 Publix gift card wyb $50.00 groceries in one purchase, including $25.00 participating Conagra items.

$2.17 Peter Pan Pnut Butter BOGO ($1.09/1.08 each)
-  .50  (doubled to $1.00)  IP: Use Code: 63829897  (Some people reported being able to print up 10 coupons. I was able to print 5 from mine, it said it printed a couple of more, but nothing came out, then I got the limit message. From the hubby's laptop it only printed 4 before giving the limit message.)
-$1/3 Publix Q from Summer Storms booklet
 = +.74 overage on 3 (I bought 9)

$1.00 Chef-Boy-R-Dee Canned Pasta (10/$10 sale)
-  .50/3 (doubled to $1.00) IP: Use Code: 63829897 (Was able to print multiple of these also)
-  .50/2 (doubled to $1.00) from inside Banquet Meals box
-$1/5 Publix Q from Summer Storms booklet
= $2.00/5, or .40 each (I bought 15)

$0.88 Hunts Ketchup BOGO 1.75

*After the Pnut Butter and Ravioli I was still only at $24.77 but needed to spend $25.00 and the Ketchup was right there.
Also on the participating list is Van Camp's Pork & Beans and Libby's Vienna Sausage which may have been cheaper.

*My final total cost for the $25.00 worth of ConAg stuff was $4.66.
Total cost for the $50.00+ including the ConAg items was $9.19 + 1.58 tax = $10.77 oop
Get $20.00 Publix Gift Card = $9.23 profit

Milk/Brownies/Frosting Deal
$0.99 Pillsbury Brownie (Price good thru 6/17)
$1.50 Pillsbury Frosting (Price good thru 6/17)
$3.19 Milk reg. price
- .40 (doubled to .80) 6/12 RP x 2
-2.00 off gallon of milk wyb Pillsbury Frosting AND Brownie Publix Yellow Flyer
= $2.08

*I needed milk, which I usually get at Rite Aid with my 20% disc, but even still it costs nearly $3.00 a jug. With this deal I not only get milk for around a dollar cheaper, I also get Frosting and Brownies pretty much free, since I was going to buy milk anyway.

$1.49 Ragu Pizza Sauce BOGO w/ Rain check from last month
(.74/.75 each - No coupon, but that's a really good price without coupons.)
= $7.45

Grand Totals:
$25.91 + 2.44 tax = $28.35 oop
Get $20.00 Publix Gift Card
Final Total = $8.35 cost
Saved $126.66

Food Lion

Headed to Food Lion for my every-other-Friday mark-down-meat buy.

The chicken wasn't mark-down, but was on sale for $1.77lb, which is a good price for skinless, boneless breast.
Otherwise I picked up some ground beef, a beef roast, and some boneless pork chops.

Original value of meat before sale/mark-down $38.10. I paid $20.17, for a savings of $17.93.

I also saved by buying banded, or *overripe* Bananas, which weren't that overripe. The banded nanners were .19lb as opposed to regular .55lb.
I got 4 for .29 cents.

The lettuce was sale priced .89, which is apparently only .10 off regular price. Hmm.

Lawry's Marinade is BOGO $2.99, or $1.50/$1.49 each
- .50 (*doubled to $1.00) 5/15 RP
 = .50/.49 each

*Coupons only double at Metro Atlanta area stores.

Whiskas cat foods on sale .50 each, regular priced .69.
Use BOGO q from 5/15 RP; I didn't happen to notice is Auto'd .69, or the cashier typed it in because I went ahead and wrote it on the coupon.
Buy 4, pay .62, get $1.00 OYNO Catalina* = +.38 profit

*I believe this Cat deal expires 6/12.

The Marcal paper towels were $1.19, and the toilet paper $1.49.
- $1.00  5/22 RP
= .19 paper towels/ .49 toilet paper

Tostitos are on sale for 2/$5.00, or $2.50 each
I had gotten a .40 coupon from the Blue Machine (that does not double)
Paid $2.10 for a bag.
I thought that might be high, but checked prices at Ingles, 2/$7, and Walmart $2.98 each.
So then I thought I got a good deal, until later I realized there's a $1.00 off Publix Q on the Stocking Spree tearpad page thing, and my Food Lion store will take (1) Competitor coupon per person, per day.

Total $27.75 + 1.35 tax = $29.10
Saved $20.80 (not including buying mark-down meat and bananas; more like $39.00 saved)

Walmart

Walmart has alot of clothes on clearance. I wish I was a better clothes shopper, but I don't have the patience for it.  I made what effort I could, and did find some Fruit-of-the-Loom hooded t-shirts in my oldest son and his fiancee's sizes for $1.00 each!

Usual coupon deals:
    .98 Black Flag swatters and fly paper
-1.00 5/15 RP
= .02 overage

    .97 Travel size Pronamel Sensodyne tp
-1.00 5/15 RP
= .03 overage

    .88 Reach floss
-1.00 1/09 SS or SS dispenser box in store
= .12 overage

 1.97 Noxema Bikini Shavers
-2.00 5/01 RP
= .03 overage

Other:
$1.04 Grits
$1.70 Little Debbie Zebra cakes

$49.00 coupons used
$3.73 + 3.58 tax = $7.31 oop

Ingles, Kroger

10lb bags of Green Giant Russet potaters are on sale for $2.98 at Ingles this week. (Ending Saturday)

That's a great price.

Usually I get 5lb. for $1.99 on sale, so this is like getting another 5lb. for $.99.
I think I'm going to get another bag before the sale ends, I make alot of Tater Salad in the summer.

A couple weeks ago I put me and my hubby on a no/low gluten diet and kinda put buying bread off. Way off. Ticked the kids off, lol.
Anyway, I couldn't find any mark-down bread at any Krogers or Rite Aids, but Kroger had it on sale 10/$10, or $1.00 a loaf, which is the next cheapest I've seen it. 
Later at Walmart I saw they've apparently rolled their bread price back to $1.00.

Rite Aid

First "deal" shop at Rite Aid in awhile.
Not in any hurry to go back either.  RA should be glad to hear that, since they're apparently working hard to run the customers off.

$7.99 Blink - 2.00 5/22 RP = 5.99; get $2.00 SCR = $2.00 profit

$4.99 Charcoal Lighter Fluid - 20% disc = $3.99; get $3.00 SCR = .99

$5.99 BOGO Dial Body Wash, get $2.00 +UP and $2.00 +UP
-1.00 IP
-2.00 6/12 RP

$6.49 Veet - 20% disc = $5.19; get $5.00 +UP wyb 2
-2.00 IP
-2.00 in-ad q
-1.00 video values

$1.99 American Greetings cards - 20% disc = $1.59; get $3.00 +UP wyb 3
-$2/2 IP
(*This is a pdf file, allowing however prints you want, but for some reason you can only use it once, per card, per store? I tried to buy (6) and use (3) q's, but the first one worked and the others beeped. So I tried getting (3) and using (1), it beeped so she said it was because we already scanned it, and typed it in.
Next order, she said it wouldn't scan, but it did. She didn't know I had changed cards. Tried the third time and it beeped and she wouldn't accept it because *they are coding them now so you can only use a coupon once*. Typical Manager Made-up BS. It was a pdf file - if it was only usable once, it would have beeped after the first person in the world used it! Anyway, took same q to another store, used with first card, no beep. It's obviously stupid RA's registers, not the coupon.)
*******************************************
Neutrogena Skin/Sun deal:
This was giving a double-dip +UP for the Skin and Sun deals.
I bought:
(2) soaps at $3.29 - 20% = $2.63
(9) soaps at $2.99 - 20% = $2.39
(4) sunblock $10.49 - 20% = $8.39
Subtotal $60.33
- 2.00 IP Neutro Suncare x 4
- 1.50 in-ad q x 15 (didn't purchase all in one order)
Coupon total $30.50

$29.83 oop
Rec'd:
$15 +UP for buying $50 Skin Care
$10 +UP or buying $30 Skin/Bath/Sun x 2
Final Total +5.17 profit
*******************************************

$50.00 +UPs Spent
$18.33 + 7.28 tax = $25.61 oop
$54.00 +UPs earned
$26.97 SCR
Final Total = $5.36 profit

$120.50 Coupon savings (including +UPs spent)
$53.72 Wellness Savings

Walgreens

All the stores were out of the $10RR vitamins, so no big money-making for me :-(

I rolled $8RR on the $8 women's vitamins one time, but without the $10RR vitamins to roll that on I couldn't go any further without using cash, and I wasn't about to use cash for a "just free" item.

I did the Reach tb deal twice; lost $1.00 each time, but better than just spending the RR's outright with no return a'tall I reckon.

I had read that the Reach catalina deal was in effect, but I didn't get it, so I guess I read wrong, or somebody was wrong, I dunno.
I was going to do a return, but this Walgreens store makes their cashiers use a Sharpie marker to scribble over the Bar code on the coupons and RRs. I guess they have so many thief-cashiers they have to make sure they don't try to re-use them or something, but I'm not sure how they get away with doing that when they won't scan at the Clearinghouses.
Anyway I told her I wasn't accepting back coupons that they'd marked through, they won't work anymore. She said they would work, all they have to do is type in the number. I was like, yeah, right, I can see that going over well: they'll tell me they're voided and can't be used. I said "You know how Managers are". She was like, "Excuse me?!"  So I repeated it. It ain't nothing but the truth: they do anything and everything they can to argue having to take coupons.
I just said I'd keep them, so I'll probably take them back later, or to a different store.

The salt was a good deal at .15 with a .35 mq.
Found Pistachios clearanced for .24 so I stocked on a bunch of those.
Needed some eggs; they were more expensive than other stores but it was something useful to use a RR on.

$22.00 RRs Spent
$1.53 + 1.32 = $2.85 oop
$14.99 RRs earned
= $9.86 cost (wow, I did NOT get no nine-dollars worth of anything)

$60.22 Saved (whaatt??)

I Went Yard Sale'ing

Yesterday and this weekend is the Dixie Hwy. 90-mile Yard Sale, running from Marietta to Ringgold, GA.

Yard sales are an excellent way to save money on things you want or need. In the past I have gotten some great deals on things just because other people didn't want or need the item any longer, but nothing at all with it.
But I'm not squeamish about buying something that might need some cleaning up or some minor repair, if it will end up in the condition I need, and saves me money.

About the only reason you haven't seen me posting about yard sale'ing before now is because - after 20+ years of buying/collecting stuff, junk, and crap - I'd decided I had enough sh*t in here, and started getting rid of it, instead of getting more. I swore off yard sales, because I  didn't *need* anything.
As I told my Aunt's friend that went with us yesterday - "If I don't have it, you don't need it." lol

Shopping this Yard Sale, for me, was really for more of an adventure than a shopping trip: something different to do. 
There were hundreds - probably thousands, along the whole route - of yard sales. Lots and lots of deals.
I passed on alot of good deals because I didn't want to bring more stuff that I didn't really need home.

Yesterday, I found a shower curtain, liner, and hangers all for $2.00. That was a GREAT deal because I had said I didn't want to pay more than $5.00 for it, so when the lady said Two-dollars, I grabbed it quick!

I also found Ryan a pair of Hollister shorts for .25 cents. Another great deal!

Otherwise I paid $1.00 for a stupid glass Chicken candy dish. What was I thinking?
At least I didn't buy it for myself; I bought it for my Mom, but she needs more junk to sit around collecting dust about as much as I do. Not at all.

Hollister Shorts, Chicken candy dish,

Shower curtain/liner/hangers

My husband and son wasn't able to go yesterday, so they wanted to go today. We went to some different ones than me and my Aunt and her friend went to yesterday.

The first deal I got was a jar grabber, for use in canning, for .25 cents. Usually I use my pasta tongs to lift the jars out of the water bath, and they don't grip wet jars so good. 

Then I found a retractable clothesline for $1.00.  I was *so* excited about this one, I have been looking for one everywhere. I used to have one, but put it somewhere and haven't seen it since.

I like to hang clothes out on my backporch, and right now I have an old telephone-cord-line tied between the posts, which ain't real pretty. 

At the same place I found a canning funnel for .50 cents. Don't know that I actually needed it, but maybe I will one day. Anyway I can pack all my canning supplies inside the big hot-water-bath pot.

I also bought a Written Test from the City of New York Fire Dept dated May 26, 1956, for $1.00.

My son, Ryan, took his Firefighter certification tests yesterday, so he wanted to read it and see how it compared to the test he had to take.

He also found himself a vintage, metal ice-cream coop with a push-handle release, and a camping mess kit, for $1.00 each.

John found himself a set of sheets for his bed at the fire station for $2.00 each, a tool belt for $2.00, a mechanics light for $4.00, and a retractable waterhose for $1.00.

(Clockwise from left)

Canning funnel, Camping mess kit, Retractable water hose,

Tool belt, Mechanics lights, Twin Sheets, Fire Dept. Test,

Ice-cream sccop, Jar grabber, Retractable Clothesline 

Saving with Online Shopping

As some of you may know, we live in an old 1930's era house that we've been fixing up/remodeling since we moved in 12 -/+ years ago. The house didn't have a dishwasher when we bought it, so one of our remodeling projects involved getting one.
As it happened, right about that time my Mom decided to buy all new appliances and gave me her old ones, which were still in *fair* condition. (They lasted us several more years, until we were able to have the money to buy new stuff.) As near as I can figure, the Kitchen Aid dishwasher I'm using is right around 34 years old. Yes, I said *thirty*four* years old.
It still works, but some things like the detergent door won't pop open on it's own so I just toss the Powerball thing in, and some of the screws have come out of the top rack slider so I have wrestle it in and out.

Anyway, I told the hubby, when we get our tax refund this year, I *am* buying me a new dishwasher.
And, it's *not* going to be cheap. I am so tired of disposable appliances. I didn't get the most expensive, because really I don't need all the extra fancy features some of them include. I found a Bosch 300 Series that I think will suit our needs.

Another thing on my shopping list was an e-reader.
I have been downloading e-books (over 2,000 so far) and reading them on my computer, but I want to be able to lay in bed or sit out by the pool or take it with me on trips. So awhile back when I had alot of +UPs I needed to spend, I cashed them in on Sears Gift Cards (YMMV) to buy myself one.
While searching around on Sears.com, I found out about Multi-media tablets, which I believe are cheap, knock-offs of Ipad type tablets. You can read books on them, but also surf the 'net with wi-fi, and download Android apps, and this one has a camera built in. There wasn't alot of great reviews about it, but it seemed alot of the reviewers were comparing it to the Ipad. I don't really need it to do anything but play my books and maybe let me check my Facebook, email, and my blogs maybe.

After my gift cards, this cost me about $25.00.

And lastly I got the hubby a mower lift/jack. I didn't even know they made these things until we saw one in Lowe's the other day. He has such a hard time lifting his big Craftsman lawn tractor to change the blades and any other messing around he has to do underneath it, so this will be a big help to him.

I shopped at Sears.com for a couple of reasons:
For one, we always buy our appliances at Sears. Always have. When I was a kid, my Mom got a Sears discount through her job so most all of our shopping was done at Sears.
They also offer 6- or 12-months interest free financing on appliances (and our lawn tractor) so we've never paid any interest on anything we've bought there.

They aren't currently having a no interest deal, but they did have an extra 5% off Appliances when you use your Sears card deal, so I used the card, and will just use the tax money to pay off the amount before the bill is due, so no interest.

They were having a Free Delivery deal on items $399.00 or more, but I would have gone and picked it up anyway, so I don't know that that's much of a savings consideration for me.

And, for two, I had $125 in gift cards to spend there.

When I shop online, I go through Ebates, which pays me money back for shopping.

 I did a comparison, and Sears pays back 4%, and Home Depot pays back 5%, but the price was more cheaper at Sears that I still saved more getting back 4% instead of 5%.

Ebates also sometimes gives a list of Coupon Codes, and I found one to enter to save $5.00 off a $50.00 purchase. SEARS2011 (valid thru 12/11)

No coupon code was required, but it told me about the 5% off appliances when you use your Sears card, so I knew to use it rather than my bank card, and that there was a sale on Lawn/Garden stuff, so I got an extra $15.00 off my Mower Lift/jack.

If I figured it right, I should get about $45.00 back from Ebates.

I also earned 11,447 Shop Your Way reward points. That's a value of about $11.44 I'll be able to spend next time I shop at Sears or Kmart.

After all the coupon/discounts/cash back/and reward points value, I saved $199.48. 
Which pretty much made the Mower Lift/jack free.

I was going to buy the stuff anyway, so it's great to be able to save so much.

Walmart

Not sure why I included the PS3 game in the pic: it was a birthday present for my youngest son bought with money Nanny (my Mom) gave him.

They had a bunch of clearance in the Electronics dept. I could have spent a couple hundred easy. But I settled for an internal DVD/CD drive marked down to $22.00, to replace my old one that hasn't been working well for awhile.

Everything else was free w/ overage with coupons.

.97 Black Flag swatters or Fly papers
-1.00 5/15 RP

.97 Wilkinson Sword razors
-1.00 IP

1.97 Daily's Fruit Mixers
-2.00 IP

.88 Reach Floss
-1.00 SS dispenser thing at drug store few months ago, 4/17 SS, 1/9 SS

.97 Sensodyne Pronamel Trial size
-1.00 any Sensodyne Pronamel 5/15 RP

$3.48 tax

$21.19 oop

Thrift Store Shopping

Long story short, we haven't gone clothes shopping for Ryan in about 3 years or better, and he was in some serious need of clothing. His four pair of jeans were holey-er than Sister Christian.

So, we headed up to the Goodwill store. For about $60.00, we were able to get him:
(3) pair Levi's jeans
Aeropastale shirt
American Eagle shirt
Calvin Klein shirt
Fender (as in the Guitar) shirt
(2) cargo shorts
(3) athletic shorts

The Levi's would have cost more than $60.00 new by themselves. I don't really know retail clothing prices, but I figure we got a couple-hundred dollars worth easy.

I was able to find a shower curtain rod I needed for about $5.00, and cute pair of Minnatonka Moccasins with beading for about $3.00. I didn't need those, but I wanted them.

Shopping Thrift Stores can save you a boatload of money on alot of things, from clothing to home decor. Most of the things are in perfectly good condition. Some things are in *clean-up-able* condition, like the shower curtain rod I bought had some smears and smudges of something on it. I didn't overthink what kind of nasty it might be, and washed it good with a bleach cleaner wipe. Good as new. We looked and these poles are almost $12.00 new at Walmart.