CVS 101- how to roll ECBs and get free stuff!

You have the grocery store deals down pat- now it's time to learn how to work the drugstores. I'll start with CVS and their Extra Care Bucks program.

What are Extra Care Bucks or ECBs? When you buy certain items each week or during the month of deals- you will get ECBs on your receipt to use on your next purchase. These are just like cash and can be used on almost anything. It's only usually restricted to not being able to buy things like cigarettes, alcohol, prescriptions and gift cards. You must have a CVS card but if you don't already- just ask the cashier to set you up.

What is "rolling" ECBs? It does take an initial purchase and a little bit of money out of pocket to start. You find the deals for the week, match the coupons and then your ECBs come out for the next purchase. Do a couple of little multiple purchases and your out of pocket isn't too bad. With coupons matching plus some of the great coupons from CVS via email for a like $5 off $20 printable- you can actually "make" money and it's totally legal. So you get items for free because of the ECBs that are printed and you just keep using those ECBs to get the next week's great deals. Now you are paying little out of pocket or anything and continuing to get ECBs to use again!

Are there any "cons" to ECBs? A couple and it's hit or miss depending where you are. There are times that it's hard to find the items because of other couponers. There are some people in my opinion that abuse the system. They have multiple CVS cards so they can clear out the shelves. Some managers hate the program and won't re-stock like they should. You have usually a month to use the ECBs before they expire so if you can't find items one week- there's time to use them. ECBs don't have to be used on other ECB earning items so I just try to keep rolling and if I'm getting close to an expiration then I buy diapers or something I know I will need down the road. The items are things I wouldn't necessarily go and buy but I've found I've used them when needed and it's nice to know I had it at the house. A couple of weeks ago- there was an Ear Homeopathic Drops that made $2 profit and I paid nothing. A week later- I had a horrible earache and I tried them. Went away- obviously nothing serious but it was nice to have the product to try before a trip to the Doctor. I just don't make an intentional trip to CVS- Mike will stop by one on his way home and try to work the ECB deals.

The only other restriction that you have to get creative about is you can't use an ECB that's larger than your total. So you have to have a plan and possibly do multiple purchases. You also need to know if you need a little something else to get the total where you need it. We are very courteous when we do these deals- we let people with one or 2 items ahead of us and we don't hold up the line. We'll do one purchase and get out of line if there is one. Sounds like work but it's not and the cashiers and managers will love you if you don't choke their lines up. We usually just do a couple of purchases throughout the week versus everything at once. Mike goes by 3 CVS on his way home so it's not that big of a deal.

Here's an example from this week:
Buy 1 Children's Throat Cooler Ice Pops at $4.99, Get $4.99 ECBs (Limit 5)
Buy 2 and B1G1 from the 12/07 SmartSource insert
(There are also reportedly $1/1 coupons in the boxes.)
Free plus overage after coupons and ECBs

Okay- now who thinks to go buy Throat Cooler Ice Pops? I didn't even know they existed but that's an awesome item to have on hand when the kids get sick. You get 2 for $4.99 and then getting $9.98 back in ECBs. See how it works?
NOTE: this is not in our region. Just an example to show how to roll ECBs

Here's the next deal:
Buy 2 Maybelline Mineral make up products, Get $10 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use (2) $3/1 Foundation coupons from 10/26 Red Plum inserts
Spend $9.98 out of pocket or the ECBs from the "scenario" deal above so free and you get $10 ECBs back!

This is just an example and I will normally show true deals but this is just the perfect example to show how rolling ECBs work.

Comment with questions and we'll continue learning how to work CVS and the great ECBs deals! It does take a little work to master but it's worth it in the end!

Free Department Store Makeup on 1/20

I just saw this on another deal site.

You will want to mark January 20th on your calendar. Department Stores are giving away makeup due to a settlement concerning price fixing. If you bought Estee Lauder, Clinique or many other brands between 1994 and 2003 you are qualify! Details are listed at the website below.

http://www.cosmeticssettlement.com

Huge Sale at Bath And Body Works starts tomorrow!

Bath and Body Works is changing the bulk of their sale items to 75% and 90% off starting Monday.

ALSO if you have any of those survey coupons that print out on the bottom of your receipt ($10 off of $30) you can use those and save even more!!! Use multiple coupons by separating transactions... (hopefully you'll get more when you cash out!)

Here's what I found at their website:

Bath & Body Works Store Specials

The Big Semi - Annual Sale!

$3 select Signature Collection Shower Gels

$4 select Wallflower Starters & Refills

$3 select Antibacterial Hand Soaps

$5 select Signature Collection Classics

$2 select Home Fragrance Oils

50% off select items

75% off select items

90% off select items

$5 select Filled Candles

Buy one get one 50% off select C.O. Bigelow products

Buy two get one free select Signature Collection products

$3 select Room Sprays & Home Fragrance Oils

Free $25 Gift Card if you join Sam's Club 1/15-21

Join Sam's Club this week and take in the following printable coupon, to receive a $25 Sam's gift card. I've read on other sites that you can use this gift card at Walmart.

http://www.samsclubmemberservices.com/02_PNG_10041_PGMicrosite/Media/PDF/ROP_Final%20010609.pdf

Not a bad deal if you have a Sam's nearby! Membership is about $40 I think for a year.

To Clip or Not Clip Coupons... that is the question!

When you get excited about couponing like several people reading have- there is always the looming question do you clip all the coupons or save the inserts and clip when you generate your lists from CouponMom.com.

My answer to the questions is save the inserts. Clipping coupons can take a lot of time once a week. I keep the inserts in a Rubbermaid bin, clipped together by week and have the most current inserts on top in order by date.

The binder system works for a lot of people but I've always just saved the inserts. My reasoning? I stick to the lists and don't spend more than the best deals on the lists each week.

What about items you need that aren't on the list? Simple- I use the Coupon Generator option on CouponMom.com and look up to see if there are coupons for something I need.

What if you find a great unadvertised deal? I do miss out on those from time to time. I keep an envelope of coupons that I think I may run up on a steal. Things like diapers, wipes, certain shampoos etc.

Another great tip is to go to www.hotcouponworld.com. On the front page, click on forums. Then scroll down to Grocery Stores and Drugstores. There is a Publix forum and a Kroger Southeast Forum plus several for CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. I check these everyday and people will post great deals and unadvertised clearances they are finding. These are usually very accurate and when I find something- I add the deal and the coupons to the list. CVS and Walgreen forums actually have a section dedicated just to the deals and steals people are finding.

Binders are great and there's no right or wrong method. People just get immediately turned off to the idea of sitting down and clipping so much at once. Binders get very big quickly but there are diehard fans of the binder system.

As long as you are organized and get your own system down pat- couponing is easy and not time consuming like the critics think it is.

3 Day Sale at Kroger through Saturday

Here are the items included in the Thursday, Friday and Saturday 3 day sale at Kroger this week:

Boneless pork tenderloin 1.98/lb
Strawberries 1.98
Mayfield ice cream 2.28
Tombstone pizza 2.48
Crest toothpaste 1.88
Always/Tampax 2 for $10

There are coupons for Always in the 12/28 Proctor and Gamble insert
Tampax coupons are in the 12/14 and 12/28 P&G insert
Same inserts for Crest coupons 12/28 P&G

Huggies Diaper Deal at Rite Aid this week!

Found a great deal on Huggies Diapers and Wipes this week. It's in the form of a Rite Aid Rebate so there's an out of pocket cost but the savings are worth it! This deal is good through 01/17/09.

Buy (2) Huggies Packs at $9.99 each (on sale, usually $12.49)
(2) 80 count Huggies Wipes at $3.49 each
Use a $5 off $25 printable Rite Aid Coupon (click here) Use this coupon first!
Use (2) $1.50 off Huggies Diapers coupons from the 1/11 Smart Source insert
Use (2) .50 off Huggies Wipes coupons from the 1/11 Smart Source insert

Final price after coupons: $19.85

Go to www.riteaid.com and register for their rebate online program.
Look at the rebate deals for January and click on the $2.00 of (1) Huggie Diaper Rebate, $2.00 off purchase of (2) Wipes, and the $10 Rite Aid Gift Card deal for purchasing $20 in Kimberly Clarke products. You will receive a $4.00 rebate check and a $10.00 gift card to Rite Aid in less than 6 weeks. Nothing to mail- you can do everything online.

So final price after rebate and gift card= $5.85 for in our case 52 diapers and 160 wipes.
Not too shabby! That's .11 cents a diaper not including the wipes.

I know the gift card isn't really cash but we'll use it on another great deal we find at Rite Aid through CouponMom.com.

And save that link to the Rite Aid Coupon- it's good until 03/31/09 so you could use it more than once.

Hot Deals at Publix this week 1/15-1/21

Here's what my list for Publix looks like this week!

In-Ad coupon: Purchase (2) 64 oz Bottles of Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice and get (1) 5lb bag of red grapefruit.
There's a $1.00 off (1) Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice in 1/11 Red Plum Insert

Motts 100% Apple Juice or Motts for Tots, Plus Kids Health or Plus Light- 64 oz Bottle. B1G1F
There is a $1.00 off (1) on the 12/07 SmartSource
Sale Price is $1.48 so final price is .48 or 84% off

Betty Crocker Premium Muffin Mix B1G1F
There is a .40 off (1) in the 12/14 SmartSource
Sale price is $1.30 so final price is .50 or 81% off

Lysol All Purpose Trigger Spray Cleaner 32oz bottle or Antibacterial Kitchen 22oz B1G1F
There is a $1.00 off (1) in the 1/4 SmartSource 2
Sale price is $1.35 so final price is .35 or 87% off


So assuming the Ocean Spray will be around $2 each, I will get 2 bottles
5 lb red grapefruit
3 Motts Apple Juice
3 Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes
7 Lysol Cleaners

Total: 20 items for approximately just under $10.00.
That's my Publix list for this week. And if I wait until Sunday or Monday- I'll get the penny item which is rumored to be milk this coming weekend. That's one of the better penny items.

What Happens at Midnight- new Publix List for this week!

Okay- you don't have to print out your Publix list right at midnight but it does post on CouponMom.com. Couponmom.com makes it so easy to generate your list and then match your coupons to what you want to buy this week.

• Go to www.couponmom.com
  

• You will probably have to register but it's free. Click on the main page Find Your Store's Grocery Deals List

• Use the drop down window to find Georgia Publix. Then hit Go!

• The current Publix list will generate. What I do is on the far right column is the % saved. There are 2 triangles by it. I click on the upside down one which will re-generate the list from 100% savings down.

• Now, just go through the list, checking in the box on the far left what you want to buy. When finished, click at the bottom "Display Deals." This is your list! Print it out and you've got your shopping list plus on the left side is the date and coupon insert where you can find your coupons. This means no clipping coupons until you need them!

Super easy, keeps your list simple and organized. Only takes a couple of minutes and finding your coupons is a breeze with the list formatted the way it is. I keep my inserts in a rubbermaid bin with the most current inserts on top. I just sit down, find the coupons, clip them to my CouponMom list and we are ready to go.

I've sung CouponMom.com praises time and time again because for 8 years- Stephanie Nelson has helped me save a ton of money!

SMOKING HOT!! How to save big on the circus.

UPDATE: Kelly commented and found the code "THRILL" to get 50% off Club Level or higher for the weekend shows. Thanks Kelly! She found the code on RetailMeNot.com. Great FIND!!

Just found this deal and it is amazing!

Go to http://www.ringling.com to see if/when the circus will be in your area. Go to the tour schedule and find the show you want to attend. It's in Charlotte, NC Jan. 28 - Feb 1. Once you find the show you will have the option of "Get Tickets." Choose the time of the show you want to attend, and click "Find Tickets" Then choose the 4 Holiday Package @ $11.00 per ticket, and use the code CHEER4.


The tickets in Atlanta for Club Level are $35 a piece! We are in the Cherokee County School System and we get this week off for Winter Break. This deal doesn't appear to work for the weekend shows but we are going on Monday at 12:30 pm. You must choose the Advanced Ticket section and put the code in all caps like above.

If you need help- it took me a couple of tries to make it work- email me and I'll walk you through it. It's working in other cities than just Atlanta. By the way- my email is mt.rogers@comcast.net so feel free to email me anytime!

So much fun for our Winter Break and the girls are going to be thrilled.

One more note and tip- I plan to create the girls "Circus Gift Bags." We will not be buying any of the over priced items once we get there. Dollar Tree and Michael's have glow in the dark items plus I'll put together some snacks and other goodies to enjoy once we are there. I'm certainly not going to buy a $15 Glow in the Dark Sword (times 2) when I only spent $61 on tickets. You can also get there an hour early and interact with the animals and performers. Being in Atlanta- we have the honor of having the Varsity which is an Atlanta institution so we may eat there afterward and make a day of it. You can eat at the Varsity for next to nothing and the food is what any of us Atlantans grew up on.

I need your help!

Hey Everyone-
Next Wednesday I have my first speaking engagement about Couponing and Saving Money.
I would love it if you would comment about what you think I should talk about. What would you want to know more about if you were sitting there listening to me?

Thanks for your help!

Free Colgate-Palmolive Travel Bag with Samples and Coupons

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/SpecialOffers/FastStart.cvsp

Spend $15.00 on any of these participating Colgate-Palmolive products and you can get a FREE travel bag worth $25.00. Inside you will find travel size products and valuable coupons. All you have to do is complete the form below and click Submit. After you have submitted your information you will be able to print and mail in your form. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid while supplies last.

You can check out CouponMom.com and get some great deals so you are only "technically" spending $15.00 to qualify.

What does $2.41 buy you at Kroger... a ton!

Up late- woke up and while I love my laptop upstairs... it can be the devil when I can't sleep.

Have to share our newest score at Kroger. We have a new Kroger near the house and it's great- we are getting Kroger mailers with tons of coupons, plus our new friend that delivers for the Atlanta Journal so we are getting 20+ inserts each week.

First of all- lesson at Kroger. If you need baby related items like diapers- Kroger has a Baby Club. You get 1 point for brand name and 2 points for Kroger brand baby items. We use their diapers with Mackenzie to get the baby points. We are starting the potty training process and you have no idea the celebration at my house when diapers totally go away! We are counting down the minutes. I seriously think Mike and I may get a hotel room and a night out when we can say there will never be a diaper in our house again.

Kroger will give you a $10 off next purchase when you reach 200 points. The irony- Mike keeps doing the Johnson & Johnson Buddy Bar deal at Kroger that is technically free but gave us over 100 points towards this goal. On this purchase- we did get the $10 off.

For $2.41 we got:
16 Powerade Zero
1 Acai power drink
A POM tea
2 lbs of bananas
1 Ready Pac Salad Mix
5lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 pack of mushrooms
1 package of Pimento Cheese-

Our cashier went nuts- the total was just over $40 and the coupons hit- the bag guy who was great (I plan to compliment to Kroger) watched the screen and gave me a high five! Said we were unreal and never saw anything like it. Plus the guy behind us- first a little annoyed by the coupons and the hold up, stopped us in the parking lot and wanted to know how we did that.

Unreal- we saved $36.73, got 27 points towards our gas purchase and 7 points towards the next Baby Club system.

Free Popcorn Sample at Kroger.com

Go to Kroger.com (or your affiliate site I assume) and click on In Store in the top banner. Click on Samples.

You can get a free Orville Redenbacher's Natural Gourmet Popping Corn. Just fill out the form and it should arrive 4-6 weeks.

There is also a Stop Smoking Kit available if that applies to you.

Enjoy!
Free samples in the mail are always so much fun!

Downloading Coupons onto your Rewards Card

It's the first of the month, so tonight I sat down and went through the 3 online programs that download coupons automatically onto my Kroger Plus card. These are fairly new programs and I've had success most of the time and failure a couple of times. I only choose items that I need or know I'll have a paper coupon to pair it with plus only purchase these items when they are on sale and at their lowest price of the sale cycle. So, until they work out all the kinks- I see these coupons as bonuses. You can dispute and I've done that before. There is information under "Contact Us" how to do so. It was resolved fairly quickly and I was credited the amount of the coupons and a little bonus for the hassle.

www.cellfire.com: When you register, it will allow you to choose to have coupons downloaded to your cell phone or your Kroger (or your affiliate store) card. Choose what you want and they are usually downloaded within the hour. This site also has restaurant, coffee and retail offers to places like Arby's, Caribou Coffee and Hollywood Video.

www.pgsavers.com: This is Proctor and Gamble's site for coupons. Again, register then choose what coupons you want uploaded to your card. Again, takes about an hour. I usually play it safe and choose my coupons at least 24 hours before I'm ready to shop.

www.shortcuts.com: I usually go through Kroger.com to access these coupons. Same concept.

If you go through Kroger.com, click on In Store then Coupons. All three sites have links on the Coupon page.

I mentioned before, the way these coupons really help is they can be combined with paper coupons. I don't keep track of what I download, just choose what I know I'm likely to purchase then check CouponMom.com for deals where I clip coupons. Just another way to save and it's super easy plus only takes a couple of clicks sitting at the computer!