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Monday, June 13, 2011
Be Back Soon
You haven't seen me since last Wednesday because I GOT ENGAGED!!!! There is a lot to do in the next several weeks and I just wanted to say that I will be back soon.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
CVS: Getting Better
My last post outlined a series of transactions from my first trip to CVS, as well as sort of a how-to guide to saving money there. Tonight was my 3rd trip and I wanted to let you know of some great deals.
I entered the store with $4 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) from a previous purchase. Remember, those print out at the bottom of your receipts and serve like a gift card. However, they differ from a gift card because you have to use the entire amount in one transaction or you lose a portion. (i.e. If your transaction is $3.75 and you paid CVS with $4 in ECBs, you just lost $.25.)
Ok....like I said, I entered the store with $4 in ECBs from a transaction for the previous week.
Purchased:
Toothpaste $2.59
Toothpaste $2.59
Shampoo $. 77
Subtract $2.00 in manufacturers coupons
Subtract $4.00 in ECBs
____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.30 (in tax)
BUT, the toothpaste earned me $4.00 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). I knew that was going to happen because the circular told me.
SO, I turned around and purchased:
a bag of dark chocolate $5.99
Subtract $4.00 because I used my ECBs that i just told you about from buying toothpaste
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $2.14
BUT, those chocolates earned me $5.99 in Extra Care Bucks. So again, I turned around and purchased
Contact Lens Solution $7.99
Subtract $5.99 in ECBs that I just told you about
Subtract $2.00 in manufacturer's coupons
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $0.00
So, I ended up paying $2.44 for all of that that should have cost me $24.40. I saved almost $22.00!
Please give it a try and tell me what how you did!
I entered the store with $4 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) from a previous purchase. Remember, those print out at the bottom of your receipts and serve like a gift card. However, they differ from a gift card because you have to use the entire amount in one transaction or you lose a portion. (i.e. If your transaction is $3.75 and you paid CVS with $4 in ECBs, you just lost $.25.)
Ok....like I said, I entered the store with $4 in ECBs from a transaction for the previous week.
Purchased:
Toothpaste $2.59
Toothpaste $2.59
Shampoo $. 77
Subtract $2.00 in manufacturers coupons
Subtract $4.00 in ECBs
____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.30 (in tax)
BUT, the toothpaste earned me $4.00 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). I knew that was going to happen because the circular told me.
SO, I turned around and purchased:
a bag of dark chocolate $5.99
Subtract $4.00 because I used my ECBs that i just told you about from buying toothpaste
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $2.14
BUT, those chocolates earned me $5.99 in Extra Care Bucks. So again, I turned around and purchased
Contact Lens Solution $7.99
Subtract $5.99 in ECBs that I just told you about
Subtract $2.00 in manufacturer's coupons
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $0.00
So, I ended up paying $2.44 for all of that that should have cost me $24.40. I saved almost $22.00!
Please give it a try and tell me what how you did!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
CVS: Extra Care Bucks
SPENT $12.97 but only paid $3.97 . A savings of 75%!
(Keep reading to find out how)
So, if all of these ideas related to coupons and coupon match-ups in your grocery store is new to you and you think you have that tackled, I thought we'd move on to another cost saving idea.
So, my mom has been doing this for years and I haven't been listening. Me=Dumb. She kept telling me about these Extra Care Bucks at CVS and how you can buy something and they give you a "coupon" for money to spend the next time you come in. Well, that is where she lost me. I never wanted to feel compelled to come back in and I feared that in the long run, I'd spend more cashola by doing so. I am not sure why I didn't listen to her because she is the queen of "It's not a bargain if you don't need it" and she doesn't fall prey to any fancy advertising gimmicks. So at last, I decided to obey my mother. Thank the Lord.
But first things first.
1. You need to be a card carrying member of CVS, obviously. Is there a store in America that doesn't have a keychain card?
2. You need to look at the weekly circular or a website that coupon matches CVS. Again, I like Southern Savers. If you don't live in the South, just google "coupon matchups CVS" and find a site that tells you what products earn extra care bucks or ECBs for that week.
3. ECBs (extra care bucks) are cash that you can earn to spend on your next transaction. Notice I said transaction and not visit. The value of the cash prints out at the bottom of your receipt and serves much like a gift certificate when you tear it off and use it on your next transaction.
So, this is what happened my first time out of the gate....
Purchased:
Vitamins $3.99
2 Candy Bars $1.00
Subtract $2.00 because I used a manufacturer's coupon for the vitamins
____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $2.99 + tax
BUT, those items (vitamins and candy bars) earned me $5.00 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). I knew that was going to happen because the circular told me.
SO, I turned around....I mean literally I turned my hinder around and walked to buy more things and purchased:
5 Powerades $5.00
Subtract $5.00 because I used my ECBs that i just told you about.
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.13 (in tax)
BUT those Powerades earned me $2.00 in Extra Care Bucks. So again, I turned my hinder around to find the toothpaste:
Crest $1.99
Subtract $2.00 in ECBs ( Actually $1.99 is all they would let me use. I lost a penny.)
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.10 (in tax)
BUT that toothpaste earned me $1.00 in Extra Care Bucks. So again I turned around (I went to the back of the line because I think it is the most respectful thing to do) to buy my GreenBagtag:
GreenBagTag: $.99
Subtract $1.00 in ECBs( Actually .99 is all they would let me use. I lost another penny.)
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.05 (in tax)
The GreenBagTag cost $.99 and you attach it to your reusable tote and every time you shop there and use a reusable tote, they scan the greenbagtag. After 4 scans, you get $1.00 in ECBs. (See pic of greenbagtag below)
That is how it went down for the first trip. The next trip I bought some things totaling $10.34, but I decided to save the $8.00 in ECBs that I earned to use another week. (They don't expire for about a month.)
There wasn't anything else I really needed and "If you don't need it, then it's not a bargain." I'm listening to her now.
(Keep reading to find out how)
So, if all of these ideas related to coupons and coupon match-ups in your grocery store is new to you and you think you have that tackled, I thought we'd move on to another cost saving idea.
So, my mom has been doing this for years and I haven't been listening. Me=Dumb. She kept telling me about these Extra Care Bucks at CVS and how you can buy something and they give you a "coupon" for money to spend the next time you come in. Well, that is where she lost me. I never wanted to feel compelled to come back in and I feared that in the long run, I'd spend more cashola by doing so. I am not sure why I didn't listen to her because she is the queen of "It's not a bargain if you don't need it" and she doesn't fall prey to any fancy advertising gimmicks. So at last, I decided to obey my mother. Thank the Lord.
But first things first.
1. You need to be a card carrying member of CVS, obviously. Is there a store in America that doesn't have a keychain card?
2. You need to look at the weekly circular or a website that coupon matches CVS. Again, I like Southern Savers. If you don't live in the South, just google "coupon matchups CVS" and find a site that tells you what products earn extra care bucks or ECBs for that week.
3. ECBs (extra care bucks) are cash that you can earn to spend on your next transaction. Notice I said transaction and not visit. The value of the cash prints out at the bottom of your receipt and serves much like a gift certificate when you tear it off and use it on your next transaction.
So, this is what happened my first time out of the gate....
Purchased:
Vitamins $3.99
2 Candy Bars $1.00
Subtract $2.00 because I used a manufacturer's coupon for the vitamins
____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $2.99 + tax
BUT, those items (vitamins and candy bars) earned me $5.00 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). I knew that was going to happen because the circular told me.
SO, I turned around....I mean literally I turned my hinder around and walked to buy more things and purchased:
5 Powerades $5.00
Subtract $5.00 because I used my ECBs that i just told you about.
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.13 (in tax)
BUT those Powerades earned me $2.00 in Extra Care Bucks. So again, I turned my hinder around to find the toothpaste:
Crest $1.99
Subtract $2.00 in ECBs ( Actually $1.99 is all they would let me use. I lost a penny.)
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.10 (in tax)
BUT that toothpaste earned me $1.00 in Extra Care Bucks. So again I turned around (I went to the back of the line because I think it is the most respectful thing to do) to buy my GreenBagtag:
GreenBagTag: $.99
Subtract $1.00 in ECBs( Actually .99 is all they would let me use. I lost another penny.)
_____________________________________________________________
Paid CVS $.05 (in tax)
The GreenBagTag cost $.99 and you attach it to your reusable tote and every time you shop there and use a reusable tote, they scan the greenbagtag. After 4 scans, you get $1.00 in ECBs. (See pic of greenbagtag below)
That is how it went down for the first trip. The next trip I bought some things totaling $10.34, but I decided to save the $8.00 in ECBs that I earned to use another week. (They don't expire for about a month.)
There wasn't anything else I really needed and "If you don't need it, then it's not a bargain." I'm listening to her now.
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Weedout Wednesday: Wrapping Paper Supplies
It's Wednesday! Time to spend 30 minutes or less taking inventory of one small corner of your life, organizing it, purging it and seeing what you need to make it complete.
Today, look at your wrapping paper supplies and make sure you have all that you need in one spot. Containerize the following:
-wrapping paper/gift bags
-bows/ribbons
-gift tags
-scotch tape
-scissors
-assorted boxes
-tissue paper
By having all of this in one spot, wrapping gifts is a snap. When you don't have something you need in the last hour, it will likely cause you to stress and spend more money than you had expected. If you have been reading for a while, you will see that I do most of my wrapping using brown paper packages. If Julie Andrews sings about it it must be wonderful!
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| photo credit |
It's Wednesday! Time to spend 30 minutes or less taking inventory of one small corner of your life, organizing it, purging it and seeing what you need to make it complete.
Today, look at your wrapping paper supplies and make sure you have all that you need in one spot. Containerize the following:
-wrapping paper/gift bags
-bows/ribbons
-gift tags
-scotch tape
-scissors
-assorted boxes
-tissue paper
By having all of this in one spot, wrapping gifts is a snap. When you don't have something you need in the last hour, it will likely cause you to stress and spend more money than you had expected. If you have been reading for a while, you will see that I do most of my wrapping using brown paper packages. If Julie Andrews sings about it it must be wonderful!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Coupon Booklet- $35 in savings
Organize in Style is offering a $35.00 coupon booklet that they would like to mail to you. Click here and complete some basic demographic info to receive it. Coupons for products like Dawn, Cascade, Swiffer, Febreeze are included in this booklet.
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| photo credit |
Organize in Style is offering a $35.00 coupon booklet that they would like to mail to you. Click here and complete some basic demographic info to receive it. Coupons for products like Dawn, Cascade, Swiffer, Febreeze are included in this booklet.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Grocery Shopping = Savings at the Pump
If you read this regularly, you'll know that I primarily shop at Kroger. I venture into Martin's occasionally if they are having special sales or I am just needing a little sushi! It is SO good there. Lately, I have been paying more attention to the gas deals offered at these stores. They all have programs that encourage you to buy something at their stores that will cause you to see a savings at the pump.
Kroger has a system of acquiring points that then transfer at the pump. According to their website, the program is different in different cities. Check out that link and find your city for details. One of the interesting ways to acquire points is to buy gift cards at the store. If you are planning on getting your dad or graduate a gift card in June, why not buy it at Kroger? A $50 gift card purchase will yield an automatic 100 points at the pump. A $100 in gift card purchases will yield an automatic 200 points. (100 points = $.10 off/gallon, 200 points = $.20 off per gallon etc.)
At the Martin's in Richmond VA, they have a fuel perks program. I understand that Martin's/Giants differ. Basically, Martin's encourages you to buy certain items that will then increase your fuel points. I find this to be a little tricky. I looked at the list of this week's food (located in my Sunday paper circular as well as at the customer service desk) at see that even if you guy the cheapest food they are selling (tuna or canned tomatoes) you have to buy $8.00 worth to earn an additional $.20 the pump. For a 15 gallon tank, that is a cost savings of only $3.00. So...really make sure you need it what you are buying or you really aren't saving any $!
If you shop another store, check to see if your grocery has fuel savings programs like these!
Kroger has a system of acquiring points that then transfer at the pump. According to their website, the program is different in different cities. Check out that link and find your city for details. One of the interesting ways to acquire points is to buy gift cards at the store. If you are planning on getting your dad or graduate a gift card in June, why not buy it at Kroger? A $50 gift card purchase will yield an automatic 100 points at the pump. A $100 in gift card purchases will yield an automatic 200 points. (100 points = $.10 off/gallon, 200 points = $.20 off per gallon etc.)
At the Martin's in Richmond VA, they have a fuel perks program. I understand that Martin's/Giants differ. Basically, Martin's encourages you to buy certain items that will then increase your fuel points. I find this to be a little tricky. I looked at the list of this week's food (located in my Sunday paper circular as well as at the customer service desk) at see that even if you guy the cheapest food they are selling (tuna or canned tomatoes) you have to buy $8.00 worth to earn an additional $.20 the pump. For a 15 gallon tank, that is a cost savings of only $3.00. So...really make sure you need it what you are buying or you really aren't saving any $!
If you shop another store, check to see if your grocery has fuel savings programs like these!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Coupon Corrections and Clarifications
3 things...Wham Bam
1. Rain checks: These are little slips of paper that you can get at customer service when you try to buy a sale item that is out of stock. The customer service rep will usually ask you how many you had intended to buy that day and write that amount on your rain check. Rain checks have an expiration date, so just remember to use it before it expires. The next time you come to the store, you can buy that item at the rain check price!
2. World Controversy: (insert sarcasm) It seems that some Kroger stores no longer let you use one of their Kroger electronic coupons WITH a manufacturer coupons. (This is the idea of stacking coupons, That I shared here a while ago.) Some stores let you, some don't. Ask your store for their coupon policy.
3. Coupon Match-Ups: If you don't shop at Kroger but want to match the weekly sales at your store with available coupons that currently exist like I talked about here, then you should google "coupon matchups + your store's name". I promise someone has done the work for you.
1. Rain checks: These are little slips of paper that you can get at customer service when you try to buy a sale item that is out of stock. The customer service rep will usually ask you how many you had intended to buy that day and write that amount on your rain check. Rain checks have an expiration date, so just remember to use it before it expires. The next time you come to the store, you can buy that item at the rain check price!
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| photo credit |
2. World Controversy: (insert sarcasm) It seems that some Kroger stores no longer let you use one of their Kroger electronic coupons WITH a manufacturer coupons. (This is the idea of stacking coupons, That I shared here a while ago.) Some stores let you, some don't. Ask your store for their coupon policy.
3. Coupon Match-Ups: If you don't shop at Kroger but want to match the weekly sales at your store with available coupons that currently exist like I talked about here, then you should google "coupon matchups + your store's name". I promise someone has done the work for you.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Free Workshop for Kids at Home Depot: Great Father's Day Gift
On Saturday June 4th, from 9-12, Home Depot is offering a free workshop to help kids ages 5-12 make a Valet Organizer. This is a great gift for Father's Day...something to hold all of Dad's gadgets!
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| photo credit |
On Saturday June 4th, from 9-12, Home Depot is offering a free workshop to help kids ages 5-12 make a Valet Organizer. This is a great gift for Father's Day...something to hold all of Dad's gadgets!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Weed Out Wednesday: Summertime
Summer has arrived. Time to do a little inventory of all things water. Time to pull out the pool/beach bag and see how it was left last year. Take inventory and see if:
1. A bathing suit fits each member of your family
2. Beach towels are adequate and not worn out (you probably don't need one for each member of your family...a few will do)
3. Goggles are in tact and working
4. How is the sunscreen looking? Need to restock?
5. Kids grown out of their pool toys, any you can purge?
6. Got enough swim diapers?
7. Shampoo/conditioner/comb/body wash.... if you shower at the pool.
8. Flip/flops /sandals that fit each family member
9. Unpunctured floaties
10. A plan of attack about how you are going to negotiate the snack bar with your kids this summer!
I like this bag from 31 gifts because of the outside pockets. If the sunscreen doesn't get closed properly but it is in a pocket, it can't make TOO much of a mess!
1. A bathing suit fits each member of your family
2. Beach towels are adequate and not worn out (you probably don't need one for each member of your family...a few will do)
3. Goggles are in tact and working
4. How is the sunscreen looking? Need to restock?
5. Kids grown out of their pool toys, any you can purge?
6. Got enough swim diapers?
7. Shampoo/conditioner/comb/body wash.... if you shower at the pool.
8. Flip/flops /sandals that fit each family member
9. Unpunctured floaties
10. A plan of attack about how you are going to negotiate the snack bar with your kids this summer!
I like this bag from 31 gifts because of the outside pockets. If the sunscreen doesn't get closed properly but it is in a pocket, it can't make TOO much of a mess!
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| photo credit |
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