Thrifty Addict ~ One Deal at a Time

More Haul :D

2009-09-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

I made a trip into Reno just to hit up the clearance racks at Longs (soon to be CVS), and the first one I went to was the one I scored at 2 days ago. It had been mostly wiped of anything I wanted since everything was 75% off so I ended up at another Longs that only had stuff at 50% off. I did manage to score some Hefty bags and an Orange Glo mop kit (I just wanted the mop part since I don't have hardwood floors). I also had a $3 off any purchase CVS Q from my birthday and a $3/$15 to use.

CVS Total OOP - $5.86

I hit up Walgreens too and found the September coupon booklet. *happy dance* I found a $2/1 Sensodyne Pronamel for children in there and used the $1/1 MQ I had so it made it 59c. The Soft Soap Ensemble was priced and placed wrong on their shelves so I got 2 of the pumps and 2 replacements for $1.99 each and used the "$3/1 refill WYB a pump" Q to make all 4 pieces $2.

WAGs total OOP - $22.41
RR Received - $16
Adjusted OOP - $6.41

Adjusted OOP for the whole trip - $12.27
Total Saved - $69.94

I didn't use any RR at WAGs either! So I have a decent little setup for the week of the 13th going as I have my scenario and RR all set up and set aside for the week of the 6th. :D

And the picture..

Not pictured 2 bags of Pirates Booty (consumed by the girls) and 1 Mt. Dew (consumed by me)

w00t!

2009-09-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

So I had some time before my boyfriend plane landed, and after the girls and I had dinner, so we hit up some Longs/CVS and WAGs for some deals. :D

Walgreens total OOP was $23.37, but I walked away with $29 in RR. I'm missing a receipt for about $8, but every time I spent money I got back more RR's than I spent so my OOP is really a MM. I used up $12 in RR, and I'm still sitting at like $41 in RR. :O Oh and the best part.... I snagged a BUNCH of the Healthy Savings booklets at one store! WOOHOO!

At CVS between my two cards I paid $3.56, and made $6 or $7 in ECBs (and spent a few too). The best part was at the last Longs (CVS) that I went to I scored a load of stuff that was 75% off. I got Glade Scented Oil Candle refills for 97c, a Dryel Kit for under $3, Armstrong floor cleaner for 39c and there was tons more.

I'll upload a picture of my haul tomorrow. :)

Pictures as promised ..

I'm back at it!

2009-08-30T15:28:00.001-07:00

It's been a few months, and I've moved 1600 miles. My house is mostly in order now, and I find myself a little bored. So despite the fact that I was going to try and keep a more natural household I decided to coupon for fun anyhow. A sign of a true addict. :P

ANYHOW...

I had a couple of coupons left that were still good that I had hung on to, and printed out WAY more than I should have this morning I'm sure. For just starting back up with almost nothing already on hand I did pretty good. :D

Walgreens ~ 2 transactions
OOP ~ $25.15
RR Earned ~ $19 (I used a $4 RR from my 1st transaction on my 2nd transaction)
Adjusted OOP ~ $6.15

CVS ~ 1 transaction
OOP ~ $12.17
ECBs Earned ~ $19.99
Adjusted OOP ~ -$7.82

Target ~ 2 transactions
OOP ~ $3.42

Total Adjusted OOP ~ $1.75

The haul..

Not shown, but included in my totals: 2 newspapers, 1 20oz bottle of water, 1 20oz Mt. Dew

2009-04-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going to be putting couponing on hold indefinitely. Our lease here is up at the end of August and we're not sure what is going to happen from there as to where we will be going. So I need to clear out the 40 bags of frozen veggies I just got for free. Start dipping into the mounds of other stuff I have stockpiled as well. The less we have to move the better. It should be interesting to see how much I can save us just getting the perishables, produce, and frequently used items. I'll have to hold myself back from good deals though. It will be hard.

I think perhaps I'll begin tracking my expenditures for groceries and see if I can keep us under $300 a month for food. I will have to get the items that are a little more expensive, like fish, on sale and just freeze what I think we will use in the next couple of months. I already have enough meat to last us the rest of the month and into part of next month easily. Produce should be cheaper and more plentiful shortly so this will help out greatly.

iHerb.com

2009-04-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Use the code "BEV246" and get $5 off your first order!

I just got 1 Alba Coco Butter Shave Cream, and 1 Alba Coconut Creme Clear Lip Gloss for $2.17 SHIPPED.

Not too shabby really..

2009-04-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

I got my Qs all gathered up last night and after the gym today I went to the better stocked Kroger. I got all my items that I could find and went to start checking out at the self-check and the spicy brown mustard rang up at $1.79 and not $1.25. I asked about it, and the CS guy went back and checked the endcap display I had gotten my mustard from. Well there was nothing to indicate that the spicy brown mustard was not part of the sale and cost more. So I ended up getting the first one free, and the second one at the $1.25 price.

That trip I got:

2 can sliced pineapple
3 Softsoap liquid soap
2 yellow mustard
2 spicy brown mustard
1 Duncan Hines cake mix
2 Ziploc storage containers
1 bag Jasmine rice
1 Scotch Brite dish scrubber (NailSaver type)
1 box whole wheat rotini
2 Double Early Edition Sunday papers

Total OOP - $10.23
Total Saved - $23.65 (70%)

I got the coupon inserts out of the paper before I even got in the car. I clipped ones I could use right away while Sophia got all mad, then fell asleep.

I ran over to the other Kroger near my house since I didn't have anything that could melt in the car (it's 80 here today). I found Glade Scented Oil Candles that were on sale 2/$5 and I had 7 $2/1 Qs! :disco: So I grabbed 7 of those. I got everything else I needed, and then happened to find some Fiber One yogurt on clearance (near expiration date) for $1 and I snatched up 3 of them and used 50c/1 Qs to make them totally free! :D

Transaction #1 items:

3 Fiber One yogurts
2 boxes Ronzoni elbow pasta
1 Land-o-Lakes butter (light)
1 Pilsbury sweet rolls
3 Pilsbury pizza crust
3 tubs Betty Crocker frosting
3 jars Ragu pasta sauce
7 Glade Scented Oil Candle holders

Total OOP - $11.28
Total Saved - $55.95 (83%)

Transaction #2 items:

3 Pilsbury sweet rolls
1 Pilsbury pizza crust

Total OOP - 50c
Total Saved - $6.86 (93%)

So $22.01 total, and saved $86.46.

2009-03-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yes. I've neglected my blog. I'm bad. :P

I've had a few good transactions lately. Kroger currently has Quaker granola bars and cereal on sale where you get $4 off instantly when you buy 4. I also found that the Quaker site for the True Delights is unlimited prints (not sure if it still is) so I got 24 boxes of True Delights for 50c each! Then I used my Cap'n Crunch coupons and got 8 boxes for $6, and 12 boxes of Life for $12. Some was a little less because I also got the CAT for Pilsbury a few times.

Target has an awesome sale on Pepsi right now too. It beats the pants off WAGs Pepsi deal. At Target it's 5 12-packs for $15 and get a $5 gift card when you buy 5. I got my Pepsi coupons about a week ago so I did 2 transactions and got 10 12-packs for $20, and got two $5 gift cards. :D I then went back later on and got 6 boxes of Wheat Things Artisan crackers, 2 boxes of Soft Scrub Scrubby Pads, and 2 boxes of Pledge Multi-Surface Duster refills. OOP for that after the GCs was $1.6x. So under $22 OOP for all of it yesterday!

There is a $1/1 IP at softscrub.com, and the Artisan crackers had a tag saying "Sale thru Satruday" but the date said 3/xx - 3/30. Today is the 30th, so Target's bad. :D

Kroger Mega Deals..

2009-03-13T01:13:00.001-07:00

How I love thee. I did the limit of 3 in a transaction, and added a couple sale items and a few clearance items. I had coupons for every item in my cart too!

Spent: $25.68
Saved: $76.02
Percent: 74%

I found a 50c/1 coupon on the inside of my box of Wheat Crisps too, and it's a VERY popular item in this house so I think I'll be putting together another transaction scenario. :D

2009-03-08T23:54:00.001-07:00

I suffered from burnout at CVS and WAGs. O_O I've only been to CVS once in like a month! As for WAGs... all I need to say is free Garnier. I'm working on that one this week. Hehehe.

It's spring here and I've gotten my container garden started up, and I'm going to be out playing in the yard with the kids more. I'll show off my stockpile soon though. ;)

20 Free 4x6 Prints at Walgreens 2/20 ONLY

2009-02-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

I got an e-mail a bit ago advertising 20 free 4x6 photos only good on 2/20/09. Use the code ONEDAY at checkout.

I'm going to start find pictures I'd like hard copies of. :D

The fine print stuff..

* Coupon code ONEDAY valid once per account on February 20, 2009. Online orders must include 20 or more 4x6 or 4x5.3 prints at time of checkout to qualify. Limit 20 free prints per customer. Code must be entered at time of checkout to apply discount. Does not apply toward collage prints, taxes or shipping charges. Orders must be placed by logged-in customer by February 20, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time to qualify. Timing will be determined by Walgreens server clock. Only one coupon code per order. Offer valid online only.

70% off at Albertson's

2009-02-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

Apparently a few women hit up the air fresheners this morning before I got there. *sigh* I heard from a few people that they had 2 shopping carts piled high and the cashier told me their total before the discounts and coupons was like $2,200. O_O So I got very little, which I'm not really pleased about. Oh well I still got a little bit, which is better than nothing I suppose.

I guess they dropped prices to 50% on Sunday so I didn't get any laundry detergent or very many cleaners either. Friday I'm going back to see what is left since it is payday and I can validate buying a little more.

Today's trip I saved $253.18 and spent $48.38. :D

Not clipping my Qs..

2009-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

the day I get them means I end up with hours of clipping 2 weeks later. O_O

I have been cleaning up my Qs again, and clipping the inserts from the 1st. I'm still not totally done either. Ugh. Not to mention that I have a crazy amount of IPs. I've got 4 card holder sheets left and I took out makeup, and other beauty Qs, as well as most new medicine Qs. I need to go buy more but I can only find the sheets at Office Max and it's like $3 for 10 sheets. I don't think I have much choice in the matter unless I want to carry around ziploc baggies in addition to my binder.

Oh Thrifty blog, how I ignore thee..

2009-02-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

And I'm not doing it on purpose. I swear I'm not. We've been working on adjusting my youngest daughters sleep schedule, and the last few days have been pretty good. Although by about 2pm I'm a walking zombie for some reason. O_o

Anywho.. Back to the purpose of this blog..

I have gone to Albertson's a few times this week alrady the first trip I got things that I had coupons for and that had a low stock. Like the last box of Minute Rice, and the last jar of Welch's grape jelly. Today things were marked down a little more, but still not as much as I would like on some things. So I once again got a few things that were deeply discounted like some party sets (plates, napkins, hats, cups and invites) for both my girls. One Dora themed set, and one Backyardagins set. I also got a dozen CFL light bulbs since we keep blowing bulbs in this house.

My total today was $51.xx and I saved $123.xx! *happy dance*

Hopefully next week the discounts on EVERYTHING will be 50% or more. Then I can validate buying more things. :D

Not too bad eh?

2009-02-08T05:38:00.000-08:00

I went to Target yesterday to look for some storage containers for my flour and corn meal (which they didn't have), and as I was walking past the registers I see something amazing. Hangtags on Sobe LifeWater! 50c/1. Look at price. 10/$10, sweet. Look for the $5 gift card when you buy 10 offer. Ends 2/7. Check Blackberry for date. The 7th. SWEET!

I snatched 30 of them, and still left some. :D

I also went and got 4 boxes of Kotex pantiliners.

It went like this..

10 Sobe LifeWater
-$5 MQs
OOP - $5
Get $5 GC

10 Sobe LifeWater
-$5 MQs
-$5 GC
OOP - $0
Get $5 GC

10 Sobe LifeWater
-$5 MQs
-$5 GC
OOP - $0
Get $5 GC

4 Kotex Liners
- $8 Target Qs
- $3 MQs
OOP - 82c

So I spent $5.82 OOP, but I still have a $5 Target GC. So my adjusted OOP is 82c! :D

Albertson's Closing

2009-02-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

The Albertson's nearest to me is closing. I hit it up and got a few things that I need and that they had very little left of that matches Qs.

4 Hershey's 100 Calorie Bars
1 50ct box Twinings Earl Gray tea (my b/f loves it)
1 6pk Boost for Kids (coupon to try it free)
1 Scrubbing Bubbles Auto Shower Cleaner Starter Kit
1 100ct box paper clips
2 boxes Pringles Stix
1 Valentine's Day Card
2 boxes Hefty Zipper Freezer Bags (gallon size)
14 packets Hodgson Quick Rising Yeast

My OOP was $33.74 and I saved $44.28

Now I'll have freezer bags for the nearly 20 pounds of meat I'm planning on getting. Curse my Foodsaver for breaking. :(

Shopping List for 2/7

2009-02-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

Kroger
21 cans Chef Boyardee
6 cans Grand Biscuits
8 cans Manwich
5 packs hamburger buns
3 green bell peppers
1 gallon milk
2 16oz packs butter
1 box Minute Rice
Total - $21.13

Albertson's
10 jars Ragu
7 bags Steamfresh
14 cans Progresso

Grand Total - $12.95

Sprout's
1 head Cauliflower
2 packs Strawberries
5lbs Asparagus
2 packs Blueberries
5lbs Pears
10lbs Pork Steaks
5lbs Apples
3 lbs Green Grapes
Total - ~$33 (poundage of fruit is a rough estimate, I may get less)

Tom Thumb
Grapes 88c lb x 5 = $4.40
Poptarts $1 x 8 = $8 - $4 Qs = $4
Baby Carrots $1 x 2 = $2
Total - $10.40

Grand Total - $80

I think I'm going to go to CVS and do the $20 P&G / Madagascar 2 deal. I hear there's going to be a $5 off coupon for the movie in this upcoming paper so that would make it free. I also need to go to Costco to get about 10 pounds of hamburger since I can't seem to find any on sale this week. All that would add $45 on to my bill. So $135 for all that, but it does get me stocked up a bit on meat for us, and pasta sauce. ;)

Kitchen Thrift

2009-02-03T01:24:00.001-08:00

I started my "cooking" blog. :D

Kitchen Thrift

Since there's not a whole lot in the way of WAGs and CVS in the near future that really thrills me I'm going to concentrate on my food for the family. There is an Albertson's nearby that is closing down and I'll be getting stuff from there hopefully at a decent discount. I was in there a few days ago and they were taking coupons still, so here's hoping that they will be come Saturday when I can get over there.

Kroger... again.

2009-01-27T16:03:00.001-08:00

I went and got a few more things since I came across some Cattlemen's, Frank's, and French's coupons. I also found the Kraft 2% blinkie well stocked at my store. :D

So I did one transaction and got 5 bars of cheese, 3 bags of shredded, and 2 bottles of mustard. OOP was $5.90, saved $28, 82%.

My second transaction had 2 sets of items for the mega sale, plus some Cottonelle TP and a tub of yogurt. I spent $16.41 OOP, saved $34.04, 67%. My Cottonelle IPs didn't want to work so they had to enter them manually and they didn't get doubled. :( It was a $1.50 I lost, which isn't much, but would have put my total at just under $15. Oh well. I did very well again so I'll live with it.

Being Thrifty-er

2009-01-26T02:01:00.000-08:00

In the last few months I've done well for us and there are things we just don't need to worry about buying for some time. The stuff I can think of off hand..

~ Shampoo / Conditioner
~ Toothpaste
~ Mouth Wash
~ Bar Soap
~ Body Wash
~ Lotion
~ Dish Soap
~ Dishwasher Detergent
~ Feminine Supplies
~ Pain Relief
~ All Purpose Cleaner
~ Trash Bags
~ Candles, Air Fresheners
~ Facial Cleanser
~ Makeup
~ Cereal
~ Condiments: Ketchup, Mustard
~ Marinades, Salad Dressing, Worcestershire Sauce
~ Frozen Vegetables
~ Chicken
~ Canned Tuna
~ Dried Beans/Lentils
~ Pasta Sauce
~ Spaghetti Noodles
~ Tomato Soup
~ Cream of Mushroom Soup
~ Rice-a-Roni / Pasta-Roni
~ Canned Tomatoes / Ro*Tel

I need to look for meat other than chicken to go on sale and stock up. I'm going to make a greater effort to cook from scratch more often and reduce our grocery bill to things that are perishable and as food items come along on a decent sale again. Of course many of the non-food items I will not buy unless it's either VERY cheap, or free since I know it's possible.

I think I'll use my cooking blog to track my from scratch cooking. If someone can benefit even once from a meal plan I have then I'll be happy. :)

Citrucel

2009-01-25T13:01:00.000-08:00

I ended up with 16 containers, and only one did I not have a manufacturer coupon for so I paid $2.59 for it, 7 were $1.59, and 8 were 59c. Total is $18.44. After the $16 in rebates for them from Caregivers that puts the total price for 16 boxes of Citrucel Soft Chews at $2.44. That's right at 15c a box, and a savings of 99%!

CVS and WAGs

2009-01-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

I got my $5/2 Duracell CVS Qs in today so I ran to 2 CVS's to do the transactions. My haul..

10 packs of Duracell
1 L'Oreal HIP Lipstick
4 Sally Hansen Nail Colors

Total OOP - $1
Saved - $71.93

I also went to two WAGs because I was looking for some clearance items again. ;) WAGs haul..

7 Citrucel Soft Chews
2 Cans of Almonds
1 package Pull-Ups

OOP - $17.19
Saved - $76.04

I will be getting $1 rebates on each Citrucel and 75c rebate on the Pull-Ups from Caregivers Marketplace. So with that adjustment my OOP is $9.44. :D

Kroger and WAGs

2009-01-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

I hit up Walgreens before going back to my 24 hour Kroger. I went in after Citrucel soft chews. They're on clearance for $5.59 for a 60 count box. There's a $3 Q in teh ESR booklet, and I had $2/1 Qs. I got all 4 they had on the shelf, and paid $2.36 OOP. I saved $41.60.

On to Kroger..

I got the following

Green Giant Steamers x 17
Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal x 3
Totino's Pizza Rolls x 4
Kleenex x 1
Kleenex Anti-Viral x 4
Nature Valley Bars x 3
Rotel x 5
French's Yellow Mustard x 3
Dial Foaming Hand Wash x 3

I got that over 4 transactions that looked like this

OOP - $6.58
Saved - $20.57
76%

OOP - $4.43
Saved - $21.70
82%

OOP - $4.38
Saved - $20.80
82%

OOP - $1.22
Saved - $24.20
94%

Total OOP @ Kroger = $16.58
Total Saved @ Kroger = $87.27

Kroger Sale

2009-01-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

EDITING THIS POST TOTALLY...

Kroger was out of Green Giant Steamers. I'm going back later to see if they have more when they stock tonight. Here's what I got...

Ken's Dressing x 2
Kraft Mayo x 1
Ro*Tel x 3
Nature Vally Granola Bar x 2
Hormel Chili x 8
Kraft Shredded Cheese x 2
Kleenex x 3
Glade Spray x 8
Pace Salsa x 1
Kroger Sliced Cheese x 3
Milk 1 gal. x 1
Select Harvest Soup x 6
Organic Bananas x 2.78 lbs
Blueberries x 1 clamshell

Total OOP after coupons was $27.08, saved 69% or $61.41. *w00t*

PICTURES!

2009-01-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hopefully this won't get all messed up from my layout. I don't want to have to spend even more time editing pictures. *hides*

At some point I am going to take a stockpile inventory and I may just post it. O_o

Okay here we go!

This is the cabinet in the kitchen I had cleared out, but then started back up again.

My bedroom closet storage shelf..

Top drawer..

2nd drawer..

3rd drawer..

Bottom drawer..

On top of my dresser..

Bin on the right, top drawer..

Middle drawer..

Bottom drawer..

Bin on the right, top drawer..

Middle drawer..

Bottom drawer..

This is stuff going to my family for them to use or donate (I might be sending a few meters to a friend for her father though)

Not shown in the photos are things that are already in use, like 3 different scented oil outlets, a flameless candle, toothpaste, tooth brushes, Agent Cool Blue stashed in my oldest daughters bathroom, nail polish stashed in my bathroom .... bunches of stuff. I didn't take pictures of my pantry either.... O_O

CVS and Wags Weekend

2009-01-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated with pictures or anything like I planned. My bad. I swear I'll get it done tomorrow!

I have a disgusting amount of Johnson's Buddies bars (28), and I found some 3-pack boxes of Johnson's lavender chamomile bedtime buddies style soap on clearance at Wal-Mart for $1.50 a box. I used the last 6 of mt $1/1 Qs and then used the Wal-Mart gift card my sister sent for my daughters for Christmas. :D

I spent a little OOP at CVS Saturday night. I did the Pepsi deal with one of my cards at CVS. I believe I paid $4.52 OOP for 4 12-packs, 2 2-liters, and 2 bags of Tostitos. Then I went to another CVS and used my other card and got a $5/$15 printed out at the price checker. So I had to think quick how to use it since I had just gone in to get some Tostitos Queso with my $3 ECB I had on that card. So I ended up with 2 jars of queso, a gallon of milk (that I was going to get at the grocery store across the street), and 2 bags of pita chips for $2.32 OOP.

Sunday I hit up Walgreens, but they were out of the Skippy. *mumbles* So I did the Bayer deal, paid $8.75 OOP and got my $10 RR back. I turned around and got the Orajel that is a rebate item this month (more about that in a moment), and 2 cans of almonds that were BOGO and I had a 75c/1 Q. I totally forgot to use my $1/1 Orajel coupon, which I only realized as I was pulling into my garage, but my OOP was till only $1.43.

Here's the awesome part. The Oragel is an ESR item this month so with the 10% back this month I'll get $9.34 from Walgreens. Then there's a rebat of up to $8 from Orajel!. I got a special rebate slip printed out for me by my cashier and I will be getting the full $8 back. So that's $17.34 back in my pocket off ONE item. :D

I went to another Walgreens after that to see if there was any Skippy, no dice. I did end up finding 3 boxes of root beer flavored ice pops for 50c a box on the clearance rack along with 4 bottles of Vicks Early Defense hand sanitizing foam for $1 a bottle. I use my "buy 2 Vicks products get a box of puffs tissue" coupon and got 2 boxes of Puffs. I paid $5.62 OOP for all that. More than I would normally like to spend, but hey I've done REALLY well lately.

I promise pictures tomorrow I swear. ;)

No longer using HCW

2009-01-19T09:23:00.001-08:00

I will no long be using HotCouponWorld, and I will no longer recommend it either. I was absolutely appalled today when I was on the Walgreens forum and saw someone say this in regards to the Ragu deal this week...

"Maybe the gays in California should be grateful that they are not allowed to marry--they can get more ragu that way".

O_O

I understand that people have their own opinions on gay marriage, but it does not have a place in a forum meant for deals pertaining to a drug store. I'm so disgusted right now that I can barely form words.

SlickDeals.net is much better, and I have yet to see anyone say such deplorable things about gay marriage.

Okay I might have lied

2009-01-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

*hides*

I got some coupons in. So I had to go hunting for the Febreeze candle on clearance. :D

I found 10, yes TEN, more. I also found a can of Febreeze air freshener on clearance for 33c! So my total haul for my first trip out yesterday looked like this..

10 Febreeze Candles
1 Febreeze Air Freshener
1 20oz Vanilla Coke
1 pack Chocolate Skittles (clearance as a filler)

And I also got a large pepperoni pizza from Papa Murphy's. The price on all of this ..... FREE. Bwhahahahah. :D Coupons and Clearance are my friends.

While I was hitting up the 2 CVSs near me for the candles I got a $10/$50 printed out as part of my CRT! Of course I was freaking out thinking "what am I going to spend FIFTY bucks on?!" One of my friends reminded me of the glucose monitors. The CVS was out of the OneTouch Ultras. I managed to get a OneTouch Mini and a Freestyle so that gave me $29.98. Amazingly enough the CVS did have the throat coolers that are part of the monthly deal. So that was $9.98. I got a 3-pack of Kleenex, the special pack of Cottonelle wipes, and a few Christmas clearance items as filler. After my $10/$50, $2 ECB I had left, and my Qs I owed $2.04! I got back $13.98 in ECBs, so I think that was a totally successful trip. :D

I'm going back later today to get my fill of the throat coolers on my second card. With 2 small kids and a boyfriend who's been sick all week I think it might be a wise investment to get stocked up.

My drug store spending this year is $74.90 and my savings so far is $1,447.07. O_O

Done for the month..

2009-01-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

I need to total up my spending from today, but I'm pretty much done spending for the month. I'll get some news papers on Saturdays, and the things that go bad or get consumed quickly (milk, cheese, eggs), but aside from that I've done well enough getting us stocked up. I may spend the $4 to get 4 more loaves of Acti-Fiber bread from Kroger, and get another gallon of milk while it's $2.25 a gallon.

I dropped my coupon binder today and it popped open. I'm going to take it as a sign. The only way I'm going to do anything is if it's totally free or such a good deal that there's no way I could pass it up (like if hamburger is on sale for $1.50 a pound or something).

I reorganized my stockpile. I'll get pictures soon, and my savings totals too. ;)

Save save save.

2009-01-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

Today was shopping day. I know, I know, almost everyday is shopping day for me. Today was payday and I was able to do a little more. My largest purchase of the day was $38.xx for more ink for my printer. I figure that I will save WAY more than $40 from it before I have to re-purchase, so it more than pays for itself.

I have a file folder now for all my receipts, save for the one I forgot to get today and the few I've sent in for rebates. Speaking of! My Wags/CVS total OOP spending is $36.98 thus far. Yeah, it seems like a bit, but I have made out really well, and Walgreens takes a little more OOP than CVS. I have $9.35 already for Walgreens ESRs. So that makes my OOP $27.63. Then I have 3 rebates I've sent out that should give me $20 back, so my adjusted OOP will be $7.63! I've saved $1,273.23. I didn't know it was so easy. O_O

I've tracked my spending 100% although I don't count gas since we only spend about $13 a week on gas (thank you Toyota Prius!), and my total spending so far for groceries, eating out, Wags/CVS.. you get the idea.. ~$234. I've saved ~$1440 between all of it.

I love couponing. :D

$14.08

2009-01-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

My total was $2.76 more, but since the bottle of water and Mt Dew are not pictured this picture is what $14.08 looks like to me. Actually, there's a $1 pack of party mix not shown there, but included in the total. So really this is more like $13 worth. ;)

What is you see is ..

4 packs Stayfree pads
5 Garnier Leave in Conditioners
1 Garnier Conditioner
1 20ct Electrasol
2 Children's Christmas hats
2 packs of 100ct Christmas labels
1 32 pack Christmas cards
1 Scotch coupon cutter ;)
6 Johnson's Buddies Soaps
6 12ct packs Tucks
2 Juicy Juice
1 Fiber One pop tarts
5 12ct Electrasol

I went to Dollar General, WAGs, and Wal-Mart

I've struck again!

2009-01-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

I went to a different Wags to get in on the Garnier deal. I got..

4 Shampoo
5 Conditioner
2 Hair Spray
2 Spray Gel
2 Gel
2 Mousse
1 Spray Shine
1 Freestyle Glucose Monitor
1 Glade Scented Oil Set
1 bag of sesame sticks

OOP - .03c
Saved - $153.70

Year to Date (1/4/09) Wags & CVS OOP - $23.79
Year to Date (1/4/09) Wags & CVS Savings - $846.60

*passes out*

Year to Date Savings

2009-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

Yes I am well aware that we are only 4 days into the new year, but I feel the need to chronicle this. I have it on a spreadsheet, but that's not good enough. ;)

CVS Card #1

OOP - $6.68
YTD Savings - $319.98

CVS Card #2

OOP - $3.24
YTD Savings - $234.34

Totals..

OOP - $9.92
Savings - $554.32

Not too bad for 4 days in huh? :D

CVS and Wags Haul 1/4

2009-01-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of OOP, but I really made out! I was also in need of vitamins and the $12 OOP I spent on that got me 260 days worth. I would have had a whole years worth, but they only had 2 packs of regular Centrum. I might return the package of Centrum Silver and get the regular if I can. Anyhow.. on to what I got!

CVS:

3 One Touch Blood Glucose Monitors
5 Kotex Multi-packs
2 Listerine Whitening Pens
2 L'Oreal HIP Eye Shadows
6 Chocolate Skittles
1 6-pack Gold Emblem Flavored Water
4 20oz Cokes
1 Glade Scented Oil Candle Set
1 Teddy Grahams
5 6-packs Slim Fast

Total OOP - $4.00

Wags:

2 130 count Centrum
1 100 count Centrum Silver
2 Soft Soap
4 Glade Oil Scented Candle Refills
1 Garnier Fructis Shine Spray
2 Benefiber 20 serving Powder
2 Glade Candles
2 20ft Reynolds Wrap
1 Freestyle Freedom Lite Blood Glucose Moniter

Total OOP - $13.84

It really would have been more impressive if I had been able to get the 19 bottles of Garnier I was planning on.

Grand total OOP - $17.84

And $1.07 for a small latte from Dunkin Doughnuts while I waited for Wags to open. ;)

I'm going to go to a different Wags later today and try the Garnier again. I didn't spent $9 on news papers yesterday to not get the deal done. ;)

Walgreens and CVS

2009-01-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend will be a good weekend for me. Despite the fact that money is tight for the next week I think I can pull off one crazy haul this weekend for under $20. Maybe I'll pull $20 from the bank, and then after I get my haul I'll use the rest of it to get my boyfriend some Starbucks. Distract him with coffee while I bring in the bags. *rofl*

Shopping Habit Changes

2009-01-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it right now...

I'm a label snob.

I will buy the $2 Sara Lee bread over the 88c store brand. I mean there is a noticeable difference in texture, but it's not like I can't just suck it up and save us $1.22 a loaf. There are some things I cannot bring myself to sway on. I must have milk and butter made without rbST. Luckily that is easy to come by. I also get canned veggies that have no added salt. So I do pay a little more for that. I need to change my ways on more things when possible though.

CVS is giving me the ability to cheaply supply my family with almost all the beauty and household supplies we need. I spend a fraction of what I would if I were to purchase everything at Wal-Mart. My CVS spending and news paper purchases will be coming out of my grocery money now, so I need to save where I can.

I went to Wal-Mart this morning and got eggs, bread, hot dog buns,and a pack of turkey hot dogs. I spent under $5. Normally it would have been $2 for eggs, $2 for bread, 88c for buns, and $3.50 for hot dogs. So that was more than $3 I saved right off the bat.

Sales and Store Brands. It will be my new shopping mantra.

Proof that we all mess up..

2008-12-30T00:47:00.000-08:00

I spent roughly $22 OOP at CVS Sunday morning. *head desk*

I was mad at myself. I miscalculated the Pantene ad. I did the math off the 2/$5 and not the 2/$7. I only had $5 in ECBs to start with, and then I found the Infusium 23 for $3.50 and I had $3/1 Qs and I just couldn't pass it up so I used all 10 of the Qs I had. Although given my typical savings level I can't really complain too much. My cashiers were trying to talk me down from my self hating in the middle of the store. *rofl*

I walked out with..

5 Pantene Shampoos
5 Pantene Conditioners
3 Infusium 23 Shampoos
3 Infusium 23 Conditioners
4 Infusium 23 Leave-in Treatments
1 Schick Intuition
1 NovaMax Monitor
6 Dawn Dish Soaps

I can't complain, they're right. That's over $200 in product easily. No use staying upset about it, but I'll just make sure to double check my math before I hit the register.

The New Year

2008-12-27T20:37:00.001-08:00

Means a somewhat fresh start with the coupons. I purged all my Qs that expire on the 31st. I regrouped and reorganized. Starting January 1st I'm going to log my savings. My goal will be to offset all my CVS spending and then some by donating items that I have a surplus of, or just won't use.

Target Deals 12/19

2008-12-19T22:12:00.001-08:00

Of all places I never would have suspected Target to be some decent deals. Hot Coupon World's printable Target Qs are wonderful! Today I got..

3 heads of cauliflower
6 containers of Campbell's Select Harvest soup (the microwavable kind)
1 package of True North Nuts
6 cans of Pilsbury biscuits (5 per can)

My OOP was just over $10

I was shocked to see Target giving CRTs. They've come n handy, and with this trip I got a CRT for 20oz or larger frozen Tyson chicken item. Hopefully I'll be able to find a manufacturer Q for Tyson before my Target Q expires. :D

CVS Haul 12/18/08

2008-12-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

Between 2 CVS stores I got the following items..

1 Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kit To Go
2 Kiss Custom Fit Nail Kits
3 L'Oreal Liquid Eyeliners
4 Sally Hansen Nail Polishes

Total OOP was $1.44

I think I have enough nail polish and I'll be getting more this weekend. If only I wore it enough to validate the amount I have. *rofl*

P&G Year of Savings

2008-12-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

P&G Year of Savings

Buy $50 of P&G products between now and January 31st and get $120 in P&G coupons! All you have to do is send in the form with the original receipts circling the purchases and their price.

I already have mine done and in an envelope ready to go out tomorrow. I spent $2.44 out of pocket to get to the $50 limit since it started 2 days ago. Thank you CVS. *rofl*

Tom Thumb Haul

2008-12-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

It's not big, but I got 91% savings!

Frosted Flakes: $2.29 x 5 = $11.45
Buy 5 Save $5: -$5 = $6.45
$1/1 Q: -$5 = $1.45

This weeks Red Plum had some other $1/1 Qs that work with some of the other cereals that are also on sale so I'm going to go tomorrow and Tuesday and pick up 5 boxes of Smart Start, and 5 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats. :D

CVS 12/21

2008-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

Awesome sale! Tons of FAECB items. I of course wasted no time in gathering needed Qs and making a scenario. :D

Yes. That's 3c OOP! *happy dance*

Even better than Rebecca's!

2008-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Coupon Clippers

There's no minimum you have to buy so it makes it cheaper and easier to deal with. No having to buy nearly expired coupons just to meet a dollar amount.

Kroger Clearance Table

2008-12-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

I was at the store earlier today for milk and egg nog (yum!) and noticed a bunch of the air freshener machines sitting there. I went back a bit ago armed with my 2 coupons for $5 off. At first I thought that they only had another brand on sale, but there were the Lysol Neutra Airs there. They were on clearance for $5.99 each. With my coupons it came out to $1.98 for both!

The Cabinet

2008-12-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

Here it is after the BF weekend and my having moved some stockpiled items out of my bathroom.

Coming down from the CVS high.

2008-12-01T09:33:00.001-08:00

I got a second card and continued on my CVS high right up until Saturday evening. Most stores had their stickies down already and I was still in there making the best of the Black Friday sale, and the monthly offers.

My stash cabinet is now in danger of overflowing. I think I'll be sending some toothpaste to my family since we have 16 tubes that are still unopened. The local women's shelter doesn't have toothpaste on their list of things needed right now.

I haven't really seen any outstanding deals that make me want to run to CVS though. I think I'll wait until the Huggies sale next week and get some diapers for DD#2 to give me a break from cloth for a little bit. It will give me a fresh start so I can track my savings at the 1st of the year. :)

CVS Haul 11/27/08 #2

2008-11-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

I had to go to another CVS to finish up. Had to. I was compelled. :|

Sambucol x 2
Playtex x 1
Schick x 1
Bic x 1
Tylenol 24ct. x 2
Gatorade x 3
Dial X 5
L'Oreal x 1
Hershey King x 1
Hershey Milk x 2
Hershey Dark x 2
Mounds x 2
Caramello x 1
Orbit x 1

Total OOP - 54c

*happy dance*

Left with $25 in ECBs.

My total spending for everything I got between my two trips is $6.06!!!!!!

CVS Haul 11/27/08

2008-11-27T00:26:00.000-08:00

Well....... It didn't go as planned. Of course (Hi Murphy's Law.. sod off please). There was only one Bic Soleil left so it threw me off. I forgot a few things, grabbed the wrong chocolate bar. I still managed to do pretty darn good since I've only done small very controlled transactions in the last couple of weeks.

Here's the stats:

OOP - $5.52
ECB Left - $38.98

Memory Foam Pillow x 2
Colgate x 2
Sambucol x 2
L'Oreal Lip Gloss x 2
Philip Headphones x 2
Schick Trimmer x 1
Bic Soliel x 1
Garnier Wipes x 1
Hershey's Bar X 1
Chocolate Square x 1
Heath Bar X 1
CG Liquid Foundation x 1
CG Pressed Powder x 1
Johnson's Lotion x 1
Sally Hansen Polish x 1
Aussie Shampoo/Conditoner x 1 each (2 total)
5-Hour Energy 2pk x 1
Playtex x 1
Spa Set x 1

There is a good chance....

2008-11-26T17:39:00.001-08:00

that I might need a new binder already. I just got this a few weeks ago when I started getting more serious about the coupons.

I've got my binder armed with 20 card holders, 8 dividers, 2 pencil holders, my scissors, a notebook, ziplock bags for easy access to coupons I will be using, and of course my CVS ads.

Good bye 1" binder, it was nice toting you around with me. You will be re-purposed to hold entire coupon booklets so I don't have to spend time clipping until I need to, and so I have ALL the coupons.

Hi, it's me again. =P

2008-11-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

First of all CVS must take joy in messing with people who tend to be a little ... obsessive compulsive. I had heard yesterday of a $5/$30 Q e-mail that people were getting. Of course my mailbox remained empty, as always. I had my wonderful scenario all set up and pretty from last night (as shown in my last scenario post) and I was rather happy with it. I should have checked my e-mail again last night after I woke up from my late nap. At 6:34pm the Q hit my mail box. I don't know if I should do a happy dance or face plant into my laptop.

So what did I just spend a few moments doing? Yeah, re-working my scenario. Someone needs to make me a nice little button to go on my page stating how much of a CVS Freak I am. O_O

I swear to you if anything else changes in the next ~14 hours I'll refrain from posting it. ;)

Thanksgiving is cramping my planning!

2008-11-26T04:14:00.001-08:00

I went to the Kroger website at like 2am fully expecting to see the new weekly ads as per usual. No dice. I checked Sprout's, same. Thanks a but load Thanksgiving for cramping my meal planning for the next 2 weeks. Now I have to wait. I even went and looked in my freezer in the garage at 2am to see what I still had for protein.

Looks like I only have to shop for a few items needed to make a couple of the meals, perishable items, and quickly used stuff.

I don't think I need to say anything...

2008-11-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

Yes. I'm slightly ashamed, but I couldn't resist re-working it just to see if there was something a little better. This way I would pay 1c OOP. Although since I'll need fillers I might end up with a little OOP, but I would have chocolate.

I also re-adjusted it because the pillows and spa sets this week have been ringing up with a limit of 2. If it shows that I haven't reached my limit then I continue on with transaction #4, if it shows I've reached my limit I put them back. I'm just trying to make things as easy as possible on me and my cashier tomorrow.

Impatient.

2008-11-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Is it Wednesday night yet? I'm antsy to see how all this CVS goodness works out. I've got to keep my self amused with Thanksgiving food prep or I'll be redoing my scenario AGAIN. Well .. I might do an alternate version because I can, and because I like it.

Knowledge is Power

2008-11-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

Or in my case a reason to adjust my CVS scenario for Thursday AGAIN. More like I added some stuff on because I found out about limits being higher than planned. I think there is a chance I need to step away from the computer until AFTER Thanksgiving. O_o

Cleaning Spree

2008-11-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

I've been cleaning like mad since last night. I decided to dedicate a cupboard for my little stockpile I've started. Of course what kind of person would I be to not take pictures?! :D

The cleaning supplies (last pic) were all purchased at Kroger, and the Suave stuff in the 4th photo were purchased at Target and Wal-Mart. Everything else is from CVS. There are a few things not shown like the 2 bottles of Agent Cool Blue, bars of Dial, a couple of bottles of Listerine, 4 sets of Suave shampoo/conditioner, and of course the things that are currently in use already. Not shabby for the fact that I've only been doing this seriously for about a month. :)

11/23 CVS Haul

2008-11-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

Due to a mess up on the Mabeylline the first time around I ended up being given $10 since I was over charged and never got my ECBs for it. So it ended up that I actually made 67c!

The Haul..

2 Mabeylline Mineral Foundations
2 Lubriderm Lotions
5 Complete Contact Solutions
1 Russel Stover Chocolate Square (consumed already)

I can't stop!

2008-11-23T05:09:00.000-08:00

I keep re-doing my CVS scenario. I got an item early, and I added a few things to it. I *THINK* what I have will be my final revision. I have lots of ECBs to either try and spend a bit of, or figure out how to roll in the following weeks. Although I must say that the next 2 weeks and the December specials are not the best ever.

I did find out that if I have a total of $20 in product, and I use $20 in ECB I don't get charged taxes! So that changes SO much. It's no wonder I was paying less than I planned so often. That and buying the Maybelline are the reasons I re-vamped my scenario.

Film in the Fridge 100th Post Giveaway!

2008-11-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

Film in the Fridge - 100th Post Giveaway

To celebrate her 100th (101st post really) she is giving away some hand made beautiful pot holders, napkins, produce bags, and some awesome fabric scraps.

Free 20oz Dr. Pepper

2008-11-21T07:10:00.001-08:00

Dr Pepper to deliver on its free-soda promise Infamously delayed Guns N' Roses album prompted offer"

LOS ANGELES - Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.

The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.

"We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.

Recent Thrift Store Finds

2008-11-21T03:23:00.000-08:00

I've been a few times recently and made a couple of good scores.

I found DD#2 another pair of Stride Rite dress shoes. They're a little large and will more than likely fit next year, but at 99c I couldn't pass it up. I also found her 2 sleepers that fit wonderfully and were brand new. I'll take paying $1.60 at the TS over $9 new at Wal-Mart.

I found DD#1 a couple of dresses. One actually had the long sleeve shirt to go under it attached to it so it was like getting 2 for 1.

If I could find DD#1 a pair of black dress shoes in her size we'd be set for the winter. I guess I'll continue to keep my eyes open.

CVS Thanksgiving Day Sale (Black Friday) - Take 2

2008-11-21T03:16:00.000-08:00

I went to CVS yesterday and got a $10 off a $50 purchase coupon printed out! I also went to Wal-Mart and got the "All You" magazine and came across a $4 coupon for the Schick Quattro Trimmer.

So here's my newly revised CVS Scenario for 11/27!

Start with $34 ECB

Transaction #1
Bic Soliel x 2
Maybelline Mineral Foundation x 1
Johnson's Softlotion 1
L'Oreal Colour Juice Lip Gloss x 2
4pc Spa Set x 1
Sub Total (After Coupons and $10/$50) - $36.78
ECB Using - $34.00
Total Out of Pocket - $2.78

ECB Earned - $41.74

Transaction #2
Colgate Advanced Max Fresh x 2
Aussie Shampoo/Conditioner x 2
Sally Hansen Max Strength Polish x 1
Garnier Cleansing Wipes x 1
CG Smoothers Liquid Foundation x 1
CG Smoother Pressed Powder x 1
Schick Quattro Trimmer x 1
Gatorade G2 x 3
Hershey's King Size x 1
Sub Total - $41.29
EC Using - $41.74
Overage -$0.45

ECB Earned - $49.18

Transaction #3
Philips Headphones x 1
Playtex Tampons x 1
5-Hour Energy 2 pack x 1
Sub Total - $15.21
ECB Using - $14.25
OOP - $0.96

ECB Earned - $48.91
Total OOP - $3.74

I wasn't planning on any OOP, but I'll be getting more ECBs than I had the first time around so not even $4 is fine with me.

11/27 CVS Scenario

2008-11-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

ECB Using: $34.00 ECB
L'Oreal Color Juice Lip Gloss (2) $15.14 ECB - $13.98
Maybelline Mineral Powder (1) $7.73 ECB - $8.99
Garnier Cleansing Towelettes (1) $5.48 ECB - $5.99
CG Smoothers pressed powder (1) $5.48 ECB - $5.99
Total: $33.83
Overage: $0.17
ECB Earned: $34.95

ECB Using: $34.95 ECB
Colgate Total Advanced Fresh (2) $4.48 ECB - $6.48
CG Smoothers Liquid Makeup (1) $7.65 ECB - $7.99
Sally Hansen Max Growth Polish (1) $3.60 ECB - $3.79
Bic Soleil (2) $6.96 ECB - $11.98
4pc Luxury Spa Set (1) $10.81 ECB - $3.00
Hershey's King Size (1) $1.00 ECB - $1.00
Total: $34.50
Overage: $0.45
ECB Earned: $34.24

ECB Using: $34.24
Aussie Shampoo/Conditioner (2) $4.48 ECB - $6.48
Johnson's Softlotion (1) $6.10 ECB - $5.69
Gatorade G2 (3) $4.47 ECB - $4.47
Playtex Gentle Glide (1) $3.33 ECB - $3.00
Philips Headphones (1) $7.57 ECB - $6.99
Schick Quatro Trimmer (1) $6.65 ECB - $6.00
Total: $32.64
Overage: $1.60
ECB Earned: $32.63

$32.63 ECB made.

Kroger Savings

2008-11-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

So I did the Mega Bake Sale, and used some of my free French's Worcestershire sauce coupons as well. The total for some reason came out to $4.90, which was way more than I had planned, but regardless it was an 84% savings!

Last night I had to run and get a few things and hit up another Mega sale while I was at it. I didn't have coupons for all of the Mega sale items, and not for a few other items I got. I spent $31, but saved $28.20. 47% is pretty darn good since I lacked coupons for things.

Today I did another Mega sale, and had to get some cheese and cream of mushroom soup since both were on sale. I spent $23.07 and saved $23.45, so about 50%.

I'm now well stocked on quite a few items. I think all I have left for this week is to meal plan, go to Sprout's for fresh stuff, and of course CVS.

Taylortown Preview Link

2008-11-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

The TTP link will let you see what coupons will be in the Sunday paper for both Red Plum and Super Saver. Now I know if I should get more than one double issue. Before I'd get one set, hope the coupons were good and then go back later for another paper if they were.

With this link, and the Hot Coupon World link that has early ads out for both CVS and Walgreens it makes doing scenarios even easier too!

Kroger Mega Bake Sale

2008-11-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

Carnation Evap. Milk 50c x 2 = $1
MQ 50c - doubled = $1
OOP - $0

Domino Sugar $1.50 x 2 = $3.00
MQ 35c - tripled = $1.05 x 2 = $2.10
OOP - 90c

Eagle Sweetened Cond. Milk $1.50 x 3 = $4.50
MQ 55c x 3 = $1.65
OOP - $2.85

Crisco Veg. Oil $2.00 x 1 = $2.00
MQ 45c - doubled = 90c
OOP - $1.10

Nestle Chocolate Chips $2.00 x 1 = $2.00
MQ 50c - doubled = $1.00
OOP - $1.00

Land O Lakes Butter $2.00 x 1 = $2.00
OOP $2.00

Sub Total OOP - $7.85

Mega Bake Sale Discount with Kroger Card - $5.00
MQ from Kroger Holiday Mailer - $2.50

Total OOP - 35c

Not a super TS day

2008-11-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

I found some books that have educational value for DD#1. I also found "Walk Away the Pounds" in hardcover with the DVD still in it. Books are 40c each so it was a great find since the book has not been written in!

My Links

2008-11-11T10:07:00.001-08:00

I just added Hot Coupon World. I found that site to be a wonderful source for finding answers and tips. They also have CVS and Walgreen's ads up in advance and it's rather handy for planning. It makes it so if need be I can use Rebecca's Coupons and Forms to get coupons to help since I have not been clipping every coupon out of the paper.

Thrift Store Monday

2008-11-09T19:48:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow morning is the prime day for looking at the TS across the street. There's a little more of a chance that they've done some restocking Sunday while closed. I've found many Gymboree and Old Navy items. There was a nice Gap dress from DD#1 too.

I've gotten 5 pairs of shoes for the girls thus far. Three pairs for DD#1 of which two were Stride Rites, and one was Gymboree. $4 in shoes (and $1.40 for new laces for one pair) that would have cost well over $100 new! DD#2's two pairs of shoes were not name brands, but they work perfectly for things I've found for her.

I've filled their closet and have run out of children's hangers, and yet I keep going back for more. I can't complain when it's 79c per item when it's size 4T or smaller! Shoes are 99c unless otherwise noted. It's great considering how fast they grow out of clothes and shoes. I should have done this much sooner.

CVS Haul 11/9/08

2008-11-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

I started out with $11 ECB (Extra Care Bucks) from a prior visit. I got a little flustered as this was only my second big trip and ended up fudging a little bit. Here's a list of my haul...

1 - Package Carefree Pads
1 - L'Oreal Reavitalift Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate
1 - Garnier Fructis Curl Defining Spray
2 - Listerine Agent Blue in Bubble Blast flavor
2 - 40oz bottle Softsoap refill (antibacterial)
3 - 12-pack Pepsi product
4 - St. Ives Mineral Therapy Body Wash
5 - 11oz Palmolive dish soap

My OOP (out of pocket) spending was $23.13. I have $4 ECB for another trip still too.

I'm still trying to figure out how to walk out with very little OOP, but I think I need to clip more coupons. Regardless I'm still pleased with myself. That's about $1.22 per item. :D

Welcome to my Thrift Blog!

2008-11-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Yeah. I need a place to put it all out in writing. I get some sort of sick satisfaction when I get a good deal. When I save more than I pay, and of course as any true thrift addict would know .... CVS. I'm not sure which is worse, my addiction to CVS or my addiction to the thrift store across the street.

Yes, across the street. Like I look out my front door and there it is. It opens at 10am so I leave my house at 9:50 with DD#2 in her stroller, and DD#1 walking next to me holding the stroller. I'm there when the doors open so I can get first dibs on the girls clothes. Living in a nice area means there are lots of nice little girls clothes to be had. The girls have very individual and eclectic wardrobes that cost very little (including shoes too for the most part).

A little about me.. My name is Jennifer. I have been with David for just over 3 years and we have a 1 year old daughter together (DD#2), and I have an almost 4 year old (this friday!) daughter from my ex. We reside in a suburb of Dallas Texas. :)