My CVS Shopping Trip

So, I had a minor panic attack when I walked into CVS today. Did any of you see these?:

Yeah. Uncool. But don't panic. I spoke with an employee and, thankfully, he said he would honor the price in the flyer. *Phew* Because otherwise I'd have to sit in the aisle and do the math on my phone to figure everything out all over again. I'm not a big fan of these types of wrenches after all my planning! Hopefully your local store will honor the advertised price, too.

They were very accommodating. In fact, I didn't even ask them to honor the price; I just wanted to know if the same product was included in the "new" sale because the tags were all mismatched. I think it made their job easier just to honor the price. 

And after all that, the $5.00 ExtraBucks still printed out... I didn't need to get a handwritten reward. Hmmm... something's a little fishy. Either way, I'll take it!


Just the Basics Paper Towels

On sale for $0.75
Buy one, use $0.75/1 coupon from the Magic Coupon Machine = FREE

Wisk 32 Loads, PowerBlasts 24 ct., Snuggle 40 Loads, All Liquid 28-33 Loads or Mighty Pacs 24 ct.
Buy one, get two free (Limit 6)
Buy one Wisk 32 loads for $8.99
Buy two All Liquid 28-33 Loads for $7.49
Use one $1.50/1 Wisk and $2.00/2 All products = $5.49 for three (or approx. 1.83 each)

UPDATE! I checked out Checkout51 (no pun intended) and there's a $1.00 off any All Laundry Detergent. So that makes these $1.50 each!

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy 12.7-12.9oz., TRESemme Premium 25 oz or Dove Advanced Hair Care
On sale 2/$10.00; Spend $15, get $5.00 ExtraBucks (Limit 1)
Buy one Clean and Clear shampoo or conditioner for $5.00
Buy one TRESemme Premium 25 oz. for $5.00
Buy one Dove Advanced Care for $5.00
Use one $2.50/1 Clean and Clear shampoo/conditioner coupon, one $2.00/1 off one TRESemme shampoo/conditioner coupon, one $2.00/1 Dove Advanced Hair Care coupon and one CVS coupon: $4.00/2 Dove Advanced, TRESemme or Clear Care Hair products = $4.50, get $5.00 ExtraBucks (a.k.a. a $0.50 moneymaker!)

TOTAL: $9.99 - I paid with $10.00 in ExtraBucks from my previous trip and still had one ExtraBuck left over from that same trip. Plus, I got $5.00 ExtraBucks back! I walked out of the store with three bags and never had to open my wallet. (Well, except to have her scan my ExtraCare Rewards Card.) Happy day!

Market Basket Coupon Matchup Highlights 03.23 - 03.29

Utz Potato Chips
On sale 2/$4.00
Buy one, use $1.00/1 coupon = $1.00 (Thanks, YesWeCoupon!)

Hood Sour Cream, 16oz.
On sale $1.49 each
Buy one, use $0.55/1 coupon =  $0.94
(You can also snag the coupon here.)

Hood Country Creamer
On sale for $0.99 each
Buy one, use $0.50/1 coupon = $0.49

Smart Balance Spreads
On sale 2/$3.00
Buy one, use $0.50/1 coupon = $0.75

Welch's Essential Drinks
On sale 2/$4.00
Buy two, use $1.00/2 coupon = 2/$3.00 (or $1.50 each)

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
On sale $1.99

CVS Coupon Policy News!

You may have ready my "notes" on various stores in the New Hampshire area, and  I do my best to keep these "rules" as up to date as possible.

One rule is: ExtraBucks DO expire two weeks from the date they are issued. 

However, after speaking with a store employee at my local CVS store (Epping, NH, in case you were wondering), I was told that CVS honors expired ExtraBucks Rewards regardless of the expiration date listed. 

"Hold on to these, she told me as my ExtraBucks printed; they never expire."

"What do you mean?" I responded.

"They never expire."

"But there's an expiration date on each reward that prints."

"Yes, but we accept them regardless. They used to have no expiration date listed when we first started the program. But when they added an expiration date, we were told we could accept them even after they've expired."

I'm pretty sure this couponer freaked her out when I joyously skipped out the store. "Thank you!"

She also informed me that they will honor CVS coupons from the Magic Coupon Machine up to two weeks after the listed expiration date. They do NOT accept expired manufacturers' coupons. This could be a CVS Management decision - check with your store before banking on this rule at the checkout counter. But if your store's policy is the same, well, we just hit the jackpot! I can't tell you how many moneymakers i could have had if the ExtraCare Coupons and ExtraBucks Rewards hadn't expired while in my wallet.

This is not listed in the official CVS Coupon Policy, so check with your local store's management team. Here's hoping this sweet employee wasn't mistaken!


Another note on how I list coupons/sale:

Many coupon sites say to use "four" of one said coupon. But if you're like me, you only purchase one Sunday paper. So that's how I approach each post: based on the coupons available to me. Now, if there are online coupons, I may say to use "four" of one said coupon because you can print those coupons twice per computer. So long as you have access to more than one computer, you'll be set.

CVS Coupon Matchups

Just the Basics Paper Towels

On sale for $0.75
Buy one, use $0.75/1 coupon from the Magic Coupon Machine = FREE

Wisk 32 Loads, PowerBlasts 24 ct., Snuggle 40 Loads, All Liquid 28-33 Loads or Mighty Pacs 24 ct.
Buy one, get two free (Limit 6)
Buy one Wisk 32 loads for $8.99
Buy two All Liquid 28-33 Loads for $7.49
Use one $1.50/1 Wisk and $2.00/2 All products = $5.99 for three (or approx. 1.99 each)

Zantac 150, 24 ct. or Zantac 75, 30ct.
On sale for $8.99
Purchase one, submit $8.99 mail-in rebate and use $4.00/1 coupon = $4.00 money maker!

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy 12.7-12.9oz., TRESemme Premium 25 oz or Dove Advanced Hair Care
On sale 2/$10.00; Spend $15, get $5.00 ExtraBucks (Limit 1)
Buy one Clean and Clear shampoo or conditioner for $5.00
Buy one TRESemme Premium 25 oz. for $5.00
Buy one Dove Advanced Care for $5.00
Use one $2.50/1 Clean and Clear shampoo/conditioner coupon, one $2.00/1 off one TRESemme shampoo/conditioner coupon, one $2.00/1 Dove Advanced Hair Care coupon and one CVS coupon: $4.00/2 Dove Advanced, TRESemme or Clear Care Hair products = $4.50, get $5.00 ExtraBucks (a.k.a. a $0.50 moneymaker!)

Palmolive, 10oz.
On sale for $0.99 each
Buy two, use $1.00/2 coupon = $0.98 for two (or $0.49 each)

Michum Deodorant
Regularly $4.19 each, on sale buy one get one 50% off
Buy two, use $2.00/1 coupon and $1.00/1 coupon, as well as $1.00/$4.00 deodorant purchase from the Magic Coupon Machine last week =  $2.29 (or ~$1.14 each)
[Thanks KrazyCouponLady for this tip!]


I'll post my shopping trip tomorrow - as soon as I get over this flu (or whatever it is!)

Free Almay Cosmetics and Bag!

I just scored one of the best deals in a long, long time. I'm not a big Walgreens shopper because of mix-ups and wrong ring-ups, but I ventured there today because this deal was too good to pass up. And it was the last day of the sale.

Select Almay cosmetics were on sale buy one, get one 50% when you use your Balance Rewards card. In Walgreens March coupon book, there's a coupon for $2.00/1 Almay product. I grabbed two booklets for two coupons and printed two $5.00/2 Almay cosmetics coupons.

I had to do this in two separate transactions, which my local Walgreens was happy to do. I also had to buy two Reeses ($1.50), otherwise the coupons are valued more than the product and won't go through. Walgreens won't "lessen" the value of the coupon to make it ring up appropriately. Here's what I did:

Transaction 1:

Buy two Almay Shadow Softies Eyeshadows
Regularly $5.49, on sale for BOGO50% off. 
One rang up as $5.49, the other for $2.74.
Use the $5.00/2 coupon and two $2.00/1 coupons (my cashier used the $2.00/1 coupon twice so it went toward each item! I'm not sure if this is correct coupon policy, but I'll take it!)

Buy two Reeses
Regularly $0.89 each, on sale 2/$1.50

Total after coupons: $0.73 [and sweet treats for the ride home :)]


Transaction 2:

Buy two Almay Shadow Softies Eyeshadows
Regularly $5.49, on sale for BOGO50% off. 
One rang up as $5.49, the other for $2.74.
Use the $5.00/2 coupon and two $2.00/1 coupons 

Buy two Reeses
Regularly $0.89 each, on sale 2/$1.50

Total after coupons: $0.73 [and MORE sweet treats for the hubby :)]


Surprise, surprise. After the second transaction, out popped a special Catalina coupon with a special code. By going to AlmaySpringRenewal.com and entering the 8-digit code, I could get a FREE Almay cosmetic bag! My purple, zippered cosmetic bag will be arriving in 8-10 weeks :) You must by three or more Almay products at participating Walgreens. The offer is valid through March 29th!

Walgreens site is down right now, so I can't be sure if the sale is continuing next week, but be sure to check Rite Aid and CVS for similar deals.


TOTAL: $1.43 for four eyeshadows, four Reeses easter "eggs" and a cosmetic bag. That's a 94% savings, not including the value of the bag.

SCORE!

Freebies!

Check out some of these legit deals I found online through Freeflys.com!

Win one of 6,115 free Macy's gift cards ranging in value from $10 to $500. Ends March 30th.

Visit Walgreens this week (March 7) for Almay makeup and use this coupon with the $2.00 off coupon in the Walgreens March Coupon Book for free eyeshadow and more. Almay makeup is Buy One, Get One 50%  this week. So print 'em before their gone!

Don't forget your P&G Sampler Pack!

Free Nordic Naturals Sampler Pack. Just scroll to the bottom of the homepage and click the "Free Sample" button.

Free lady's sample <3

Free sample of Emergen-C! This stuff is GOOD and it works! 

Happy Freebie Searching! I'll post more as I discover them :)

Shaws Matchups

Some of these were part of the 3-Day Sale, but here's a breakdown of what I scooped up today!

Nabisco Chips Ahoy Cookies, several varieties and flavors
Regularly $3.29, On Sale for $1.99 each
Buy three, use one manufacturer's coupon for $1.00/3 and on store coupon for $1.00/2 = $3.97 (or ~$1.33 each)

Canned Dole Pineapple
Regularly $1.49, On Sale for $1.00 each
Buy two, use $0.50/2 coupon (doubles to $1.00) = $1.00 (or $0.50 each)

J.J. Nissen Bread
Regularly $3.99, On Sale for $2.50
Buy one, use $1.00/1 coupon = $1.50

Culinary Circle Frozen Pizza
Regularly $5.49, On Sale 3/$10.00
Buy three, pay $10.00

Total Before Coupons: $33.31
Total After Coupons: $16.47

Not a stellar week - but not bad, either :) What have you found?