sunday shopping 10-03-10

Today's shopping was a little messy and I've gotta be honest, I don't really like messy.  I would much rather have my list and my shopping plan all laid out ahead of time, but it doesn't always work out that way.  (Yet another way in which budget living has changed my life:  forcing me to be more flexible!)  I was hoping to score some of those "free" (after coupon & CVS Extra Care Bucks) toothbrushes from last week's ad (for which I managed to gather several rain checks), but alas, all 3 stores I visited this afternoon were still completely sold out.  So from the start, my plan went out the window. And then to complicate matters even further, the CVS coupon machine was printing out $5 off Halloween merchandise coupons, good for one day only, which ultimately meant just winging it completely.

At least my Walgreens trip went according to plan, and my favorite cashier, Krista, was once again amazingly helpful!  I have heard through the coupon grapevine that a lot of coupon users have trouble with Walgreens cashiers, but I have to say, Krista is one of the friendliest, most helpful cashiers I have found on this little adventure of mine.  She works in the cosmetics department, so maybe that is the difference, but if I could only go to her from now on, I would be a very happy girl!

So without further ado, here is what I got:

At CVS I spent $3.06 for $31.36 worth of merchandise, a savings of 90%.  I was a little excited about the $5 Halloween coupon because it meant a free bag of creepy creatures (perfect for some cool Halloween crafts I saw on MarthaStewart.com and 2 free cute wooden signs that I thought would look cute on my bookshelves.  The marshmallows were a bit of an impulse buy, but they were on clearance for $0.15 (marked down from $2.00!)  Just a head's up--my cashier had a lot of trouble with my coupons today, even though I know they were all valid.  The computer beeped on everything except the ECBs, and she had to manually push everything through, and then get a manager's approval to push the last one through.  Luckily they were both extremely nice!  But if you are new to CVS shopping and you want to try any of these coupons, just be prepared.  Be patient and be nice, but be firm, because they are all valid!  I received $12 ECBs back which I will apply towards next week's savings. 

Coupons used:

(3) $1.00 of Revlon color product (Smart Source insert, 9/12)

(2) $5 off any Halloween merchandise (CVS in-store coupon machine--printed from 2 different cards)

(1) $7 off $15 Revlon merchanise (CVS in-store coupon machine)

$4.30 Extra Care Bucks (from previous weeks & quarterly rewards)

At Walgreens I paid $3.54 for $74.29 worth of merchandise, a savings of 95%.  And I have to tell you, 95% savings is great, but I am really only excited about the Starbucks DoubleShot, which are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.  Just the picture is making me drool.  I will definitely have to go back for more later this week (I got the last two--clearly I'm not the only fan!)   Eggs are still on sale at my favorite Wags for $0.99, which makes them a great filler item!  And I was loving the free Nivea lip balm.  I think we're set for a while!

Coupons used:

(1) $1 off Crest toothpaste (Proctor & Gamble insert, 9/26)

(5) $2 off 2 Nivea Lip balm (Red Plum 10/3)

(4) $1 off Nivea Lip balm (All You magazine, October 2010 & RedPlum 10/3)

(2) $1 off Starbucks DoubleShot (Smart Source 10/3)

(1) Starbucks Double Shot for $3.99 (in-ad coupon)

(1) $1 off 2 Starbucks DoubleShot (October Walgreens coupon booklet (in front of store))

Altogether I spent $6.60 for $105.65 worth of merchandise, an average savings of 94% for the day.

I've got a good feeling about this week.

Maybe I'll even finally score a free toothbrush.

(And I'm definitely going back for more DoubleShots!)