Oct 2- CVS

Today was a GREAT couponing day at CVS.  I just love it so.  I am continuing on my $25 gift card challenge.  I like to see how much stuff I can get--and, it's pretty much all stuff I use! :)  Although, I'll admit, if airwick air freshner wasn't free, I wouldn't be getting it.  Anyways....this week this list was

1 jumbo pack of huggies diapers
1 dawn handrenewal dish liquid
1 revlon foundation
1 foam puzzle (it's color and color words, think my son will dig it!)
1 foam shapes (to glue / play with)
Total- $0.47, $13.63 remaining on the gift card!!  woo hooo...

The coupon breakdown: $4/20 CVS Q, $1.50/1 huggies MQ, $0.50/1 dawn MQ, $5/1 revlon Q, free jumbo pack CVS Q, $2 ECB, $1 ECB....got 5 ECB's back!

Here's the list of what I've gotten to date on the challenge:

2 jumbo packs of huggies diapers
2 skintimate shaving cream
1 carefree pads
2 hershey's air delights
1 milky way simply caramel
2 dove dark chocolate (4 pieces)

3 dawn dishliquids

1 rephresh brilliant tampons

1 finish dishwasher detergent
5 airwick air freshners
  
1 huggies jumbo pack
2 huggies slip-on jumbo packs
1 revlon lipgloss
1 package candy corn

2 bottles pantene pro-v

3 packages trident gum

1 revlon lip gloss
1 revlon eye pencil
3 hershey candy bars

 1 revlon foundation

1 dawn hand renewal dish liquid
1 huggies jumbo pack
1 foam puzzle
1 package foam shapes

$11.37 spend, $13.63 remaining on gift card

first 5K

Well, ran my first 5K today!  Wow, what an experience.  I had a great time, ran well, and overall it's just been a great way to start off fall.  Well, yes I know fall actually started a couple weeks ago, but around here you'd never know it, until today...finally 70 degrees!!!  wooo hooooo. 

Back to the run...I was running to benefit a great organization: The Bumblebee Fund.  You can read all about it here.  I was able to run the race in 24 min, 12 seconds!!  I surprised myself (in a good way), so yay for that!  Then, I headed to Publix & CVS to get some shopping done for the week.  I recapped CVS on my September recap post...yea, I know it's Oct. 1 today....but I'm trying to stay on top of the blog in Oct, so recap counts as September.  Isn't it great when you write a blog you get to make up your own rules!! :)  Anyhow, now I'm trying to get the time to do scenarios for CVS this week.  I know I'm going to get the revelon foundation.  It's $12.49, $4 ECB back, and I have a $5 MQ, so that's $3.50 for foundation--not too shabby.  I can't decide if I'll eat the other ECB's or what, look for more hopefully tonight or tomorrow!  Thanks for reading & sorry been so slack!
~Kristen~

SEPTEMBER recap!!--what a slacker!

What a slacker I've been about posting on the blog.  To be honest, with a crazy 2.5 running around, me substitute teaching, me trying to work out and coupon, it's just been a FULL plate!  So, sorry for the delay, but I'm still working on my $25 gift card challenge from CVS.  I'm excited because I've gotten so much stuff already, and have $14 left.  I've definitely been TRYING to keep up the coupon game, but life has been a little demanding, so without 100% devotion, I'm happy on what I've gotten.  Here's the recap below.  I'll start a new post for next weeks projected deals.  Happy couponing friends!
~Kristen~

CVS challenge to date:

2 jumbo packs of huggies diapers
2 skintimate shaving cream
1 carefree pads
2 hershey's air delights
1 milky way simply caramel
2 dove dark chocolate (4 pieces)
Total- $2.32, $22.68 remaining

3 dawn dishliquids

1 rephresh brilliant tampons
Total- $3.73, $18.95 remaining

1 finish dishwasher detergent
5 airwick air freshners
Total- $1.22, $17.73 remaining

1 huggies jumbo pack
2 huggies slip-on jumbo packs
1 revlon lipgloss
1 package candy corn
Total- $2.48, $15.11 remaining

2 bottles pantene pro-v

3 packages trident gum
Total- $1.01, $14.10 remaining
 
1 revlon lip gloss
1 revlon eye pencil
3 hershey candy bars
Total- $0, $14.10 remaining

CVS- 9/4 week

-CVS-
so I've taken the last few weeks off b/c there just hasn't been stellar deals at my CVS...but today--I'm baaaaack!!! Here's the first transaction on my next $20 gift card challenge.
2 jumbo packs of huggies diapers
2 skintimate shaving cream
1 carefree pads
2 hershey's air delights
1 milky way simply caramel
2 dove dark chocolate (4 pieces)

Total spent: $2.32, got 3 ECB back
**oops, make that $25 gift card challenge--DH put more on there than I thought! :) I have $22.68 left to spend!
Coupons I used: $3/15 baby purchase, free milky way CVS Q, bogo hershey's MQ, carefree pads $0.50 MQ, (2)$1/1 jumbo pack CVS Q, free pack of huggies MQ, $3/1 huggies MQ, (2) $1/1 skintimate CVS Q, (2) $1/1 skintimate MQ
**my total would've been $0.75 less, but I couldn't pass up the dove bars on clearance for 2/$0.75. I got ECBs for the hershey's air delight bar, carefree pads, and green bag tag

A lot of couponing friends have mentioned CVS has huggies wipes and CVS brand wipes on clearance.  I haven't been lucky enough to find them, but check your out, some have reported as low as $1.25 for a tub, combining that with a $0.50/1 MQ, makes it $0.75 for a tub of wipes!!  woo hoooooo

MIA- Kristen...where are you?!!?

Well, my summer has probably been as hectic as yours.  Here for this, there for that, husband off work, no real schedule....while all that is good and fun, I'm glad the school year is about to kick off and we can get a little more regimented around here.  I substitute teach (don't know if I mentioned that before), so with the school year, comes a little extra jingle jangle in our pocket, which we need! :)  I will also say that the coupons were better this past week & if you check out the preview site, looks like Sunday's Q's will be pretty good too.  Only 2 inserts, but that's alright!

So...I will have to say that couponing has taken a bit of a backseat lately, mainly because we've just been busy and the coupons have been crap in the paper, so I've been suffering a little burnout.  But....I always hear in the couponing world about these phantom diaper sales at CVS.  Where there will be pampers or huggies for 74% off!!!  that's right, I said 75% off!!  So....I was in CVS yesterday & I saw the ticket...pampers sensitive swaddlers for $2.75, $2.75!!!!  I have $2 MQ...OMG, heart attack!  Of course this was for the size 1 (my son is in a size 4), but hey, I may have another baby, and if not, I know PLENTY of preggo people I could pass these on to.  I was so beyond pumped.  I ended up getting 2 packages of the swaddlers (there were 3, but the cashier wanted one & I was nice...although this got me thinking it is probably why I never happen upon these types of sales!) and 1 package of size 4 (8.99 with a 3 ECB).  I paid with (2)$2/1 MQ, (1)$1.50/1 MQ, 6 ECB, $3, got back $4 ECB!! :)  I was pumped.  Anyways...hopefully I'll be better about posting regularly, but if you have CVS, stop in and see if you can get the same awesome deal!

CVS 7/31/11

well, I had a great plan this morning for CVS.  I finally got one of those $5/25 coupons and I had a great scenario: buy 1 gillette fushion razor, 1 of the bic solei shimmer razors, 2 revlon lipglosses, use the $5/25, $4 gillette MQ, $3 bic MQ, (2)$1/1 revlon MQs, $3 off $10 beauty purchase CVS Q
$27.56 - 17 in Q's, $6 ECB, pay $4.56, get $14 ECB back.

Instead I ended up doing:
Transaction 1- 1 gillette fushion razor- $9.99, used $4 MQ & 4 ECB, paid $2.11, got 5 ECB back
Transaction 2- 2 revlon lipsticks- (2)$5.79, used (2)$1.1 MQ & $3 off $10 beauty CVS Q, 5 ECB, paid $0 OOP, got 6 ECB back

Total spent- $2.11, total saved- $25.38

So far to date on my CVS challenge:
Purex laundry detergent
Purex laundry detergent
Purex laundry detergent
Revlon nail polish
Revlon nail polish
Revlon nail polish
Total OOP = $1.47, $18.53 remaining on gift card

Twix bar

Dove chocolate bar
Crest toothpaste
Crest toothpaste
Preparation H wipes
3 pack of ivory soap
3 pack of ivory soap
Total OOP = $1, $17.83 remaining on gift card

oral-b pulsar toothbrush
oral-b pulsar toothbrush
crest pro health mouthwash
crest pro health mouthwash
colgate toothpaste
colgate toothpaste
huggies jumbo pack
dawn dish liquid soap

Total OOP= $0.91, $16.92 remaining on gift card

zyrtec, 5 count
motrin PM, 20 count
motrin PM, 20 count
bayer advanced, 20 count
speical dark hershey pieces
york peppermint pieces
Total OOP = $1.49, $15.83 remaining on gift card
 
dove men's deodorant
dove men's deodorant
dove men's deodorant
single serve cheerios
colgate max clean toothpaste
colgate max clean toothpaste
hershey bliss dark chocolate candy
huggies natural care wipes
Total OOP = $0.00, $15.83 remaining on gift card

Brilliant Tampons

Single serve Pringles
Pantene Shampoo
Pantene Shampoo
Huggies Jumbo pack
Huggies Jumbo pack
Total OOP = $0.19, $15.17 remaining on gift card                      
 
Tampax Tampons
Oral-b toothbrush
Oral-b toothbrush
REACH toothbrush
2 liter diet coke
2 liter diet coke
Total OOP = $2.48, $12.69 remaining on gift card
 
2 oral-b toothbrushes
Cover girl lip gloss
Cover girl mascara
Total OOP = $5.15, $7.54 remaining on gift card

1 wallet-size Kleenex travel pack

1 crest pro-health toothpaste
1 oral-b satin floss
Total OOP = $0, $7.54 remaining on gift card
 
1 gillette fusion razor
1 revlon lipstick
1 revlon lip gloss
Total OOP = $2.11, $5.43 remaining on gift card

coupons....so sad

Lately the coupons have just been blah.  Soooo sad.  I'm hoping we aren't seeing the end of couponing.  If you're just starting out, you may get burnt out quickly since it's been so slow, but hang in there!  I'm hoping August and back to school will encourage the companies to issue some better coupons, but the last couple weeks have been AWFUL!!!  Grocery prices are going up, up, up and I know we could all stand to save a little more.  Good luck in your adventure and if I see any stellar deals I'll be sure to post!  Nothing too exciting for me in the grocery store this week, but we're trying to manage.