Jul 5, 2009

Are You Ready For This?



Here are the details of my CVS trip today. I started with $20 ECBs and $1 ECB I had leftover from deals the previous week. This week, CVS had a Febreze deal - earn $5 ECB for every $10 worth of Febreze products you bought. On top of that, this week's coupon insert had great Febreze coupons! So, I got:

4 Febreze Noticeables at $6.50 = $26.00
3 Febreze Air Effects at $3.00 = $9.00
3 Febreze Fabric Refresher at $5.00 = $15.00
Total: $50.00

Used $5 off $25 coupon (from the CVS coupon kiosk in the store)
Used 4 $4.00 off Noticeables coupon
Used 3 FREE Air Effects coupon (when you bought Fabric Refresher)
Used $20 ECB from last week

Total: $0
Out of pocket expense: $2.00 (the tax)
That transaction earned me another $25.00 in ECB.

There were some other things I wanted to buy that could earn some ECB's, so I used my newly earned $25 ECB's to get:

3 CVS brand tape at $1.49 = $4.47
2 Dove hairspray which was BOGO at $4.79
2 Cover Girl Foundations at $8.49 = $16.98
1 CVS contact solution at $8.49

Used another $5 off $25 purchase (from CVS coupon kiosk)
Used 2 $1 off Dove hair care coupons
Used a $2 off 2 Cover Girl products coupon
Used $1 ECB from previous week
Used $25 ECB from Febreze deal

Total ... they owed me $0.27 before tax!
Out of pocket expense: $0.03!
And, I only paid $0.02 because I had two pennies and the cashier wouldn't let me break a $5 over one penny!

Overall totals:
My out of pocket expense: $2.02
After sales, CVS card savings, coupons, and ECB's, my total savings today - are you ready for this? $103.09

WOW!

And, the best part ... I still have $4.47 ECBs and $5 ECBs from the tape and Cover Girl purchases for the next time I shop.

I think that was a great way to go out! I am putting myself on a self-imposed 3 week coupon hiatus. I am starting to feel a little burned out, and I need to take a break. For the past 4 months, I have chased coupon deals so much that I just need to take some time off. Some weeks I have chased deals at up to 6 stores, so it can definitely feel like another job at times. I have our meals planned all the way up through July 31 (it does help that we will be traveling for two weeks during that time!), so I don't have an immediate need to shop for any food other than milk each week. I think this is a great time to take a little break so I can come back refreshed and ready to hunt for deals once again! I think when I start back, I will be cutting back to 3 stores, tops. I can't chase every deal every time. I've told myself I'm not even going to look at the ads or coupon site deals during these next 3 weeks, but we'll see how that goes. I already found out there are ECB deals on Oil of Olay and the type of razor Jason uses starting next Sunday at CVS, so I may have to get back into the game just long enough to make a trip for those two things! See ... I can't stay away too long!

6 comments:

Jeff, Sarah Ellen, and Beck said...

That is fantastic! I have seen your house, and my question is where are you going to store it??? :)

The Cassidys said...

WOW! I am SUPER impressed!!! I am planning on trying out the CVS Febreeze and Cover Girl stuff today so wish me luck! Girl - we need to shop together!

Anonymous said...

Emily Said...
When i read the title the song popped into my head. And good job on the savings! I Love you!!

Brandy said...

WOW!! I so have to learn your trick. That is amazing savings!

Melissa said...

Okay, so how in the world do you figure out these deals? Do you just surf the sites. I do that, but it is too much info! I can't decide what the best deal is! I love to "see" you and Amanda do this, but I just can't get on board! What is wrong with me?!

Mary Ann said...

Great Job as always! I have been slacking off this week because we are heading to Charleston for 2 nights. We only get to go because of all the money I have been saving from groceries for the past several weeks bought us 2 nights in Charleston for our Ann.