Whipps and Chicken

I went to Rite Aid Sunday and got the following:

Garnier Waves conditioner $2.99
6 Reese's Whipps @ 2/$1 = $3.00
1 can Sweet Sue's Chicken .99

- $1 Garnier Q (there was a tearpad by the display)
- 3 $2/1 Q 1/4
- .75 Sweet Sue's Q SS 1/18

= $2.23 - $2.99 SCR on Garnier = $0.76 MM

Now, if I can only find Soyjoys at my Rite Aids ...

Getting a Love Drawer!

One of the financial goals I had intended on making for 2009, but didn't was to set up what Dave Ramsey calls a "love drawer." This is where you set up your important papers in one place so when you die or are incapacitated, someone can easily figure out what's going on with your life. Of course, if your up to your neck in debt, you might not want anyone to know that. The thing is, the designated person will figure it out, anyway.

I had decided late last year on a Honeywell safe with the ability to have hanging folders. I even went to Walmart shortly before Mom died with a Christmas gift card to see if I could snag one. Well, no, I couldn't. I spent the gift card on other stuff.

I went in to Big Lots this evening after reading this blogpost of the 20% off printable coupon for "Friends and Family" from 5-9 Sunday, Feb. 22. I came in with my coupon and started to look for 11 x 14 frames, but didn't find any that appealed to me. Then, as I walked toward the grocery area, I saw it -- a display of Honeywell safes. I went back, got a cart and put it in.

This safe at Walmart.com is $50.00. It was listed at Big Lots for $40. With 20% off, it was $32! Yippee!

I also got a calculator, a large bag if Bear Naked Granola for $6 (if you go on the website, they no longer carry the 32 oz bag, but their 12 oz bag is $4. Hmmm

I also got some Zatarain's Ready to Serve rice. I'm single, and I don't see these around anywhere at grocery stores. In any case,they were $1.04 after discount. They didn't have any more of my favorite Caribbean Rice, but these will do.

Just to keep things simple, I also picked up some cans of canned chicken to mix in with the rice. Rite Aid has a sale this week on Sue's, which I like better, but I only had one coupon, so I got the rest here.

In all, I spent $46.98. My 20% discount was $11.24.

Free Valentine's Candy and Other Goodies

I had seen a post on a coupon forum about getting the Renuzit Triscents Starter Kit free, so I was hoping to score at CVS with that. Those weren't included in the inserts (and only the refills in the stores), so I moped around seeing if I could salvage a good $5/25 coupon.

I perked up when I found the Valentine's candy for 75 percent off. Yippee! Then I was able to salvage the trip.

1 Gamer razor $7.99
2 25-count CVS cotton rounds 1.98
5 Snickers Hearts .65
2 Hersheys Kisses $1.50
2 Triscuit (BOGO free) $3.99
2 Johnson and Johnson Ultra bandage $10.98
2 Detroit Free Press $2.00

- $5/25
- $3 J&J Internet Printable Q
- $4 Gillette Gamer (P&G 2/8)
- $3.09 free Triscuit Q from Kraft Superbowl Sweepstakes
- $14 ECBs

= $0.00 OOP ($0.12 sales tax) + $12 ECB

Your Chance to Win a $25 GC from Amazon

$avings Makes Cents has a giveway going on at her blog. If you get a chance, hop on over there before Feb. 27 at 9 am EST. Good luck!

Suave ECBs print now!

I got my free Suave coupon that was offered online on Jan. 14 in the mail earlier this week and I printed Internet Printable $1/1 coupons, so I went back to CVS to do the Suave deal again (well, the card didn't catch it the first time, so according to them it's the first time).

Some interesting things about this trip:

1) The cashier took $3 off the order
2) Since that happened, I didn't use the $2 ECB from the last transaction
3) I ended up with more OOP, but also more ECB
4) The store I went to earlier this week had them priced at $2. Today they were $1.99.

so for three Suave bodywashes (2 18 oz, 1 12 oz), I spent 1.99 * 3 = $5.97
- $3 Suave free coupon
- $2 2 $1/1 Internet coupons

= $0.97 OOP + $2 ECB that printed out on their own without cajoling the manager ...

Next week, the plan is to just get the razor and I found some 25-count cotton rounds at the store downtown. Yippee!

Also, last night I stopped by Meijer to get 10 Dannon yogurts on sale for $4.00. I had a $1/10 coupon from 1/4 SS left (expires 2/28), so I took advantage. This time, I even got vanilla yogurt (which I like) instead of coffee (I thought the picture of the bean on the carton was vanilla, not coffee), which I don't like so much. I'm having car trouble and Walmart is further away, so I didn't drive there.

CVS Deals

I went looking for a place to use my $5/25, but no dice. However, I did do this.

Transaction 1 (store 1)

2 Neutrogena facial bars $2.99 each
1 Snickers candy hearts .25

- $6 ECB
= .23 OOP

Actually, I could have used the $5.98 ECB I used last night for the Colgate and ended up with 0 OOP. So, if you're a newbie and have no ECBs, you could do just the Colgate deal (with Q, but without the candy in my post ...), get $5.98 ECB, then buy the Neutrogena bars, have 0 OOP and $10 ECB!

So you would have two tubes of toothpaste and two Neutrogena bars for $3.98 OOP and $10 ECB!

BTW, at the store, the Ultimate Strength Mint Mylantas are still $7.49 ...



Transaction 2 (store 2)

They had the Neutrogena bars at this store, too. If I hadn't gotten it at the other store, I could have gotten used the $5/25 CRT. C'est la vie.

They had no Ultimate Strength Mylanta, or 25-count cotton rounds, or J&J bandages. They did have Gillette razors, though, so I did this ...

3 Suave Body Wash 18 oz (50 percent free, makes up for not having the 75 cent coupon)$6
1 Gillette Fusion Gamer $7.99
1 4-pack AAA batteries (for the camera) $2.99 (no Q, I know ... left at home)

- $4 Gillette 2/8 Q
- $12 ECB

= $0.98 OOP + 6 ECBS

The Suave ECBs didn't print out. Evidently there is a problem with them printing out on the Body Washes. If you're intending on doing this, make sure you have the flyer with you when you check out so you can show them. Then they can push through the ECBs manually.

When I said this to the cashier (older lady), she almost acted she didn't know what an ECB was. When I pointed it out to her, she said, "Oh, you got $4 ECBs here."

That was for the razor, I said. She left for a minute, came back and asked, "Where does it show in the ad for the razors?" I showed her.

At this point, I was really glad I did the Neutrogena deal at the other store. Finally she called the Assistant Manager. After a few minutes, he came out, then pushed through the ECBs.

Before this transaction, I had $30 ECBs. $30! I'm single with no kids or SO (my manly stuff is getting donated). I'm not going to die for burning a few ECBs. Plus, I got some stuff I wanted/needed (I like Suave body wash ... so sue me).

CVS Colgate

I was bummed at CVS tonight. I was able to find the toothpaste fine, but no Dental Rinse, no Gillette Fusion Gamers, no J&J with Neosporin, no Mylanta, and one 25-count round.

So I decided to get the toothpaste and picked up some Valetine's candy for what I thought was filler. No, it wasn't necessary for filler.

2 Colgate $2.99
1 Snickers Heart .25

-2 Colgate Total Qs $1 each
-3 ECB
= $1.23 OOP plus $5.98 ECBs

I'm coming down with a cold and didn't feel like traveling all over town to try to find a CVS so I could do a $30 deal.

On the upside, I got a $5/30 and two $5/25. I have a total of four $5/25s. Not sure how I'm going to use them all.

I could feel it ... CVS wanted me to spend money. I mostly resisted, however ...

Sally Hansen Hair Remover

I was able to pick up two more Mylanta Ultimate Strength at $3.75. On Sunday while at Rite Aid, I picked up some $2 off Sally Hansen hair remover tearpad Q. I had seen some lotion hair remover on clearance at CVS.

2 Ultimate Strength Mylanta $3.75
1 Sally Hansen Lotion Hair Remover $2.25
1 CVS Cotton Rounds $0.99

- $4/2 Mylanta Man Q
- $2 Sally Hansen Q
- $4 ECBs

= $0.34 OOP + $6 ECB

ETA: There is a $3/1 man Q in 12/14 RP. I only get two papers a week since I'm single, but if you have a plethora of papers, it can be a even better moneymaker!

Free Cards

On my way home from work today, I stopped off to get more free cards after ECBs. Yesterday I did a scenario that included a package of makeup circles.

3 .99 cent American Greetings cards = $2.97

1 25-count makeup circles = $0.99

1 package of pencils on clearance = $0.25

- $4 ECBs

= 0.21 OOP + 3 ECBs for the cards and $2 ECBs for the CVS cosmetic monthly deal.

I love helping the store get rid of their clearance items!

Body Wash, Chocolate at WAGs

I was able to find six bottles (two were discussed in a previous post) of Olay Botanical Body Washes at WAGs. The ones in my area that were marked $1.39 were all gone. However, I found a WAGs that had them tagged at $3.59, but scanned at $1.39. I didn't take them all, but I ran out of Olay Q!

Two were from the 1/18 P&G inserts and two were from the 2/8 inserts I bought with my regular Sunday paper purchase. However, I went for a walk Sunday and found a couple of places with newspapers piled up in the driveway, so I was able to grab a couple more.

The chocolate, I got by combining the ESC in WAGs this month ($6 off two) with the $1 "gift" (Man Q) that are in blinkies everywhere. In order to avoid beeps, I grabbed a carmel near checkout.

$10/2 Starbucks Truffles (yes, I checked expiration date)

.33 carmel

- $6/2 ESC Q

- $2 (2 $1 Man Q)

= $2.35 OOP

Body washes

$5.39 retail

$1.39 on clearance

- $1 Man Q

= $0.39 * 4 = $1.56 OOP