The Run Around Town

After watching three kids all day, my own two, my neighbor's two year old, and her 11 year old brother who came by for a few hours after school, then spending more than an hour searching, printing, clipping, and organizing coupons I still had some energy left to go on some runs, and it turns out it was worth the trip.

Stop #1: Rite Aid

Total retail before tax $58.41.  My out of pocket w/ tax $13.05.

First transaction I purchased the Purex crystals reguarly $5.99 on sale for $3.99 for which I had a $2 coupon, a $1 Rite Aid video values coupon, and received a $1 +up reward meaning they were basically free.  Because I use and love, love, love Aveeno products (I really couldn't say how much I love their products, without the intense relief handcream my hands would be raw from dryness after the 1,552 times a day I wash my hands!) I decided to take advantage of the buy $15 worth and get $5 +up rewards and used a $2 coupon from the flyer as well.  What made this purchase especially cheap was the $10 +up rewards I had from a previous purchase (thanks Dad!), paying $6.62 out of pocket. 

I put the $6 +up rewards I had right back into my next purchase, Gain was on sale for $4.88 and I had a $1 coupon, Finish was bogo, had a $1 off one, $.75 off one and a $1 off one Rite Aid video values coupon.  No coupons for the children's medicine but at bogo it was too good not to pass up.  I also got two $1 each off purchase rite aid video vaules coupons for letting some video about the pharmacy and another about the wellness program play while I was doing something else, total paid for this transaction was $6.43 out of pocket.  Saved approximately $45, not too shabby.

Stop #2: CVS
Going for a record, today was the third day in a row that I went into CVS, the clerk probably thinks I'm stalking her.  My load today:

Oh bother...I do like looking over my receipts and I'm usually pretty good about it in the store but realize at this very moment I screwed up at CVS.  I was wondering why my extracare bucks didn't print with my first transaction and now I realize why (the clerk gave them to me anyways but still missed out on a better deal), apparently a 20 pack and a 24 pack of batteries look very similar!  So I spent $6.49 for 4 more batteries, ouch.  Not much I can do about it now considering I had to open a package to take these pictures and I opened the 24 pack, go figure.  If I had done it right I would have spent about $21 for the two packages of batteries and 4 boxes of puffs (I had two $1 off 1 battery coupons and should have had a $1 off four puffs but left it at home), and got $10 extra care bucks back.
Oh I also had between prints at the card scanner and on my receipts a total of 3 $4 off a purchase of $20 or more, all three of which I used tonight in these three different purchases!

Next transaction I purchased the neosporin and banaids, had coupon for $1.50 off the combo and earned $5 extra bucks.  Purchase the mascara and eyeshadow having a $1 coupon for each and earning $4 in extra bucks and used my $10 in extra bucks from previous purchase to pay $5.18 out of pocket.

Last transaction purchased the nexxus for which I had a $3 coupon (actually decided I love this product after getting a free sample which the coupon came with), and the cookies at $1 each with a $1 off two coupon, used my $4 off $20 coupon and the $9 extrabucks from previous purchase, and paid $10 even out of pocket and earned $10 extra bucks for next time I'm at CVS.  My three receipts show a total saved today of $52.45, I ain't complaining.

Stop #3: Target

Well, I'm not going to need trashbags for a long time!  I purchased 200 trash bags tonight and at a rate of useage of less than 1 a day I expect to not have to buy trashbags again until Christmas.  The 100ct were on sale for $11 each and you earned a $5 gift card when you purchase two. I had $.75 off 1 and a $1 off 1 coupons and had them ring these up first, paying $21.10, saving $9.73 and earning $5.  I told the clerk I wanted the bags rung up first so I could use the $5 on the remainder, she acted like she was doing me this really HUGE favor by allowing me to do so, saying that I'm supposed to wait 24 hours to use the card, and I tell her I've done this several times before and not one clerk has said a word, which leaves me to put reading this policy on my to do list, chime in if anyone already knows the official rule on this.

The pepsi 12 pks were 4 for $10 which is a great deal and how I do love to treat myself to a can soda once in a while and its been a long while!  I had a target coupon for $1 off 2 mt.dew 12 pks and purchased the pretzels because I had a $.50 off them when purchasing a pepsi 2-liter which was on sale for $1. 

I scored well on the Windex as it was on sale 2 for $4.98 and I had a target $1 coupon, a $.55 off one and a $1 off two, paying $2.43 for the pair, or $1.22 each.  The peanut butter cups were bogo with the target coupon I printed and well who doesn't love a reese' peanut butter cup? 

My slip says I saved $15.29 and I paid $15.57 out of pocket, okay deal!

Stop #4: Shaws

I hit up Shaw's for some items we had to have before tomorrow as we've been without cheese of any kind in this house for 2 days and I honestly don't know how we're still alive!  I did buy some things that weren't on sale, but I'm getting sick of explaining to my daughter that we're out of the shells and cheese cups because she ate them all so I had to get her more of her favorite.  My favorite thing to do at Shaw's is take advantage of their doubling coupon policy, doubling any coupons up to 99cents, that don't say do not double on them of course.  Apparenlty if the coupon code starts with a 5 it will automatically double if the clerk doesn't catch it, today none of my coupons said do not double so I was happy with that.

I saved over half on Mt. Olive pickles that were on sale and used a 50 cent off coupon.  I did the arnold bread deal again with a $1 off 2 coupon, not as good of a deal as last time but a good savings and I'm going to have to buy bread whether I catch it at a deal or not.  I purchased four bags of sargento shredded cheese which at regular price would have been $13.56 and I paid 6.16 for all four or $1.54 each as they were on sale for $1.99 and I had a $1 off 2 and a $.40 off two which doubled.  Between those savings and some double coupons for some other items my bill was around $42 and I saved $25.39.

Stop #5: Walgreens
They were closed, thank god!  Onto home, where I lugged all of it in by myself while my hard working husband who has to get up early was already in bed.  What a night, walgreens, wal-mart and Kohls (I have a 30% off coupon!) tomorrow!