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CVS deals for the week of 1/17

January 16, 2010 by


If you are new to shopping at CVS and would like some tips, check out this article here.

Starting on Sunday (1/17), you can double your quarterly ECB earnings! The way this works is that you earn 4% instead of 2% on any CVS brand items that you purchase and $2 instead of $1 for every two prescriptions you get filled (valid through 3/15/10). Enter your Extra Care card number here or print this coupon here and use it at the register on your next visit.

Tag your reusable bag: Buy a Greenbag tag for $.99 at the register, get $1 ECB every 4th visit – limit 1 use per day, per household

If you haven’t already, register your CVS Extra Care card here and you should receive a $4 off a $20 purchase coupon in your e-mail. This also registers you to receive other e-mail coupons!

There is a $5 off $20 purchase printable coupon here (I would print it quickly because they pulled the one that was available mid-week last week).

THREE DAY SALE: Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday

*Buy Valentine M&Ms – 2/$5, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/2 M&Ms chocolate candies, 9.4 oz or larger – 1-10 RP

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 Valentine M&Ms

Use $1/2 coupon

Spend $4 OOP, get a $2 ECB

*GPS Navigation for Dummies – $79.99 (with card)

*Executive Chair – $29.99 (with card)

FREEBIES:

*Glade or Oust sanitizer – $3.99, get a $3 ECB (limit 3 per household, reportedly the limit is actually 6, but you can’t buy more than 4 per transaction) – this is a monthly deal
Buy One, Get One Free Oust – 1-3-10 SS

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 Oust sanitizer – $3.99/each

Use BOGO free coupon

Spend $3.99 OOP, get a $6 ECB
Final price = Better than free after coupons/ECBs!

*Buy SoyJoy fruit and soy bar 6 pk – $6, get a $6 ECB (limit 1 per household listed in ad, reportedly it is actually 6 per household) – this is a “bonus pack” deal that should be valid through 2/14

ECB DEALS:

*Buy 3 Boost nutrition drinks (priced at $7.99/each), get a $6 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 Boost Glucose Control drink multipack – 1-3 SS
$3/2 Boost Glucose Control multipacks – 1-3 SS
$2/1 Boost Nutritional drink multi-pack – 1-3 SS
$2/1 Boost Kid Essentials drink multi-pack – 1-3 SS

SCENARIO:
Buy 3 Boost Nutrition drinks – $7.99

Use 3 $2 coupons

Spend $17.97 OOP, get a $6 ECB
Final Price = $11.97 after coupons/ECBs ($3.99 per multi-pack)

*Buy Bausch & Lomb Re-Nu multi-purpose solution twin pack – $7.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 ReNu multipurpose solution printable coupon here

SCENARIO:
Buy Bausch & Lomb Re-Nu Multi-purpose solution Twin Pack – $7.99

Use $2 coupon

Spend $5.99 OOP, get a $2 ECB
Final price = $3.99 after coupons and ECBs (or $1.99/bottle!)

*Buy Charmin 20 pk – $12.99, get a $4 ECB (limit 1 per household)
.25/1 Charmin – 12-27 PG
Final Price = $8.74 after coupons and ECBs (.43/roll)

*Buy Clairol Natural Instincts – $5.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Clorox Disinfectant wipes – $4.99, get a $1 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Buy Crest, Fixodent, Glide, or Oral B Multi-pack (PSA $4.99), get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Cotton Swabs – $6.98, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Moisturizing lotion twin pack, get a $3 ECB (limit 3 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Oral Electrolyte twin pack – $8.98, get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Pro Vitamin shampoo and conditioner – $11.98, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Sensitive toothpaste – $9.98, get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Soft Cloths value pack – $5.98, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Buy CVS Pharmacy X3 Men or Women’s 3 blade sensitive skin disposable razors, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Spend $15 on Dove body wash, lotion, invisible solid deodorant, get a $5 ECB: Dove deodorant is priced 2/$5, Dove lotions and body wash are priced at $6.99 (limit 1 per household)
$1.50/2 Dove Anti-Perspirants/Deodorants printable here
$2/1 Dove Visibly Smooth anti-perspirant/deodorant printable here

*Gold Emblem Almonds twin pk – $7.99, get a $1 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack, valid through 2/14

*Spend $15 on Hallmark cards, get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Spend $35 on Healthy Skin Care Products, get a $10 ECB (limit 5 per household)

*Buy 2 Jergens or Curel, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/2 Jergens moisturizers – 12-6 SS
$1/1 Curel moisturizer – 12-6 SS

*Buy Kotex bundle pk or overnight pack, Total Security tampons, Lightdays pantiliners, or Ultra thin maxipads – $10.99, get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household) – this is a monthly bonus pack valid through 2/14
$1/1 Kotex Feminine Hygiene product – 1-3 SS
Final price = $6.99 after coupons and ECBs

*Spend $20 on L’Oreal Healthy Look haircolor, EverStrong Shampoo, conditioner, masque, or overnight treatment, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 L’Oreal Hair color printable here
$2/1 L’Oreal Hair Color – 1-3 RP
$2/1 L’Oreal EverStrong shampoo – 2-13 RP

*Spend $15 on Maybelline XXL, Pro Mascara, or Eye Studio, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Maybelline mascara – 1-10 RP

*Buy Pantene or Head & Shoulders – $4.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/2 Pantene products – 12-27 PG
$2/2 Head & Shoulders shampoo or conditioner – 12-27 PG

*Spend $20 on Pepsi products, get a $10 ECB (limit 2 per household)
-Pepsi 12 pk, 12 oz cans are priced 6/$20
-Gatorade, Sobe, or Pepsi 2 liters are 4/$5
$1/2 Gatorade G2 – 1-10 RP
-Starbucks Frappucino, Amp, or Izze 4 pks are $5
-Tostitos or Lays chips (excludes baked) are 2/$7
-True North nuts or Stacy’s pita chips are 2/$6
$1/1 Stacy’s Pita printable here

*Buy Prilosec OTC – $19.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Prilosec OTC – 12-27 PG

*Buy Puffs 3 pk – $4.99, get a $1 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Buy Rogaine – $24.99, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Scope Outlast – $6.79, get a $1 ECB (limit 1 per household)
.75/1 Scope – 12-27 PG

*Buy Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel twin pack or Windex twin pack – $6.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 3 per household)
$1/1 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel – 1-10 SS
$1/2 Windex – 1-10 SS

*Special K cereal 2 pk – 24 oz total – $7.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/2 Special K cereal – 1-3 RP
Final price = $4.99 after coupons and ECBs

BOGO FREE DEALS:
*Altoids
*Bioluxe
*CVS Pharmacy vitamins, minerals, or herbals
*Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Mini Wheats, Special K, or Nutri-Grain bars
*Maxwell House coffee
*Revlon cosmetics or beauty tools
$1/1 cosmetics and beauty tool coupons in the 1-17 inserts

OTHER DEALS:
*Dawn dish detergent – $.96
.25/1 Dawn dish detergent – 12-27 PG

The following scenarios are for people who are new to shopping at CVS and have few (or no) ECBs to start with. (These are just ideas….you do not have to follow this exact order and you can skip some items if you do not want/need them): $21.97 in merchandise for $3.99 OOP, $2 ECBs left to spend!

Transaction #1:
Buy 2 Oust sanitizer – $3.99/each

Use BOGO free coupon

Spend $3.99 OOP, get a $6 ECB

Transaction #2:
Buy Soy Joy 6 pk – $6

Use $6 Oust ECB

Spend $0 OOP, get a $6 ECB

Transaction #3:
Buy Bausch & Lomb Re-Nu Multi-purpose solution Twin Pack – $7.99

Use $2 coupon
Use $6 ECB (they will have to adjust it down to $5.99)

Spend $0 OOP, get a $2 ECB

If you have a $3 off $15 CVS coupon: (these were sent by e-mail to some card holders)

Scenario #1:
Buy 1 Bausch & Lomb ReNu Multipurpose solution twin pack -$7.99
Buy 2 Oust sanitizers – $3.99/each

Use $3/15 coupon
Use $2 Bausch & Lomb coupon
Use BOGO free Oust coupon

Spend $6.98 OOP, get a $2 ECB (ReNu) and a $6 ECB (Oust)

Scenario #2: (valid through Tuesday only)
Buy 1 Bausch & Lomb ReNu Multipurpose solution – $7.99
Buy 2 M&Ms – 2/$5
Buy 1 Pantene – $4.99

Use $3/15 CVS coupon (give this first)
Use $2 Bausch & Lomb printable
Use $1/2 M&Ms coupon

Spend $11.98 OOP, get a $2 ECB (ReNu), $2 ECB (M&Ms), and a $2 ECB (Pantene)

If you have a $4/20 CVS coupon: (these were sent by e-mail to some card holders)

Scenario #1:
Buy Charmin toilet paper – $12.99
Buy 2 Oust sanitizers – $3.99/each

Use $4/20 CVS coupon (give this first!)
Use $.25 Charmin coupon
Use BOGO free Oust coupon

Spend $12.73 OOP (or pay with ECBs), earn a $4 ECB (Charmin) and a $6 ECB (Oust)

Scenario #2:
Buy 2 Soy Joy 6 pk bars – $6/each
Buy 2 Oust sanitizers – $3.99/each
Buy 1 small “filler” item

Use $4/20 CVS coupon (give this first!)
Use BOGO free Oust coupon

Spend about $12 OOP (depends on the cost of the filler), earn a $12 ECB (Soy Joy) and a $6 ECB (Oust)

Scenario #3:
Buy 6 Pepsi 12 packs – 6/$20

Use $4/20 coupon

Spend $16 OOP, get a $10 ECB

If you have a $5/30 CVS coupon: (these were e-mailed out to some card holders…these are really only a “good deal” in my opinion if you have ECBs to “roll”)

Scenario #1:
Buy 6 Pepsi 12 packs – 6/$20
Buy 1 Soy Joy 6 pk – $6
Buy 2 Oust – $3.99/each

Use $5/30
Use BOGO free Oust coupon

Spend $24.99, get a $10 ECB (Pepsi), $6 ECB (Soy Joy), $6 ECB (Oust)

Scenario #2:
Buy 2 Soy Joy 6 packs – $12
Buy 4 Oust – $3.99/each
Buy Bausch & Lomb ReNu – $7.99
Buy 1 Pantene – $4.99

Use $5/30 CVS
Use 2 BOGO free Oust coupons
Use $2 Bausch & Lomb printable

Spend $17.98 OOP, get a $12 ECB (Soy Joy), a $12 ECB (Oust), a $2 ECB (Bausch & Lomb), and a $2 ECB (Pantene)

Scenario #3:
Buy 1 Cottonelle 20 pk – $12.88 (this is a bonus pack through 2/14)
Buy 1 Charmin 20 pk – $12.99
Buy 1 Soy Joy 6 pk

Use $5/30 CVS
Use $1 Cottonelle printable
Use $.25 Charmin coupon

Spend $25.62, get a $4 ECB (Cottonelle), $4 ECB (Charmin), $6 ECB (Soy Joy)

Scenario #4:
Buy 1 Charmin 20 pk – $12.99
Buy 1 Cottonelle 20 pk – $12.88
Buy 2 Oust sanitizers – $3.99/each

Use $5/30 CVS coupon
Use $.25 Charmin coupon
Use $1 Cottonelle printable
Use BOGO free Oust coupon

Spend $23.61 OOP, get a $4 ECB (Cottonelle), $4 ECB (Charmin), and a $6 ECB (Oust)

Frequently asked questions:

Do you really do multiple transactions at your stores?

In the past, I usually had $20-30 ECB on hand, so I didn’t have to break up my transactions as much as I did when I first started, but now that I am starting over, yes, I am doing multiple transactions. If you are doing multiple transactions, I recommend that you let the cashier know up front that is what you are planning to do. If there are several people in line, let them go in between your transactions. This gives you time to clip your ECBs and get prepared for your next transaction.

My store was out of all the freebie items first thing this morning. Can I get a raincheck?

This all depends on your store. I have contacted corporate about this before because some stores in my area give rainchecks and others won’t. According to corporate, this is up to the individual stores.

I bought the wrong item or I bought the RIGHT item and my ECB didn’t print. What can I do?

If you bought the right item, show the store clerk your ad and your receipt. They should be able to manually print your ECB at the store. If they don’t know how, you can call customer service and they can add one to your account that will print within 48 hours (you have to wait 48 hours from your purchase time to do this so they can “see” your transaction in their computer).

If you bought the wrong item and didn’t receive ECBs, you can do a return and purchase the correct item. If you paid using ECBs, they will have to give you money on a gift card.

Filed Under: Scenario Sunday Tagged With:

Stock up on your coupons from Sunday’s inserts NOW!

January 15, 2010 by

My Coupon Hunter has the coupons that will be in Sunday’s paper NOW! Here are some of the “hot” coupons I saw: (you can view the full listing here)

BABY:
$1/1 Huggies diapers – expires 2/13
.50/1 Huggies baby wipes – expires 2/13
$1.50/1 Huggies Overnites – expires 2/13

GROCERY:
$1.50/1 Birds Eye Steamfresh Meals – expires 2/27
$.35/1 Eggland’s Best eggs – expires 6/30
$.55/1 Tostitos chips and one jar of Tostitos dip – expires 2/14
BOGO free Weight Watchers yogurt – expires 2/28

HEALTH & BEAUTY:
$1/1 Colgate Total – expires 2/6
$1/1 CoverGirl product – expires 2/28
$.75/1 Crest toothpaste or liquid gel – expires 2/28
.50/1 Dawn Plus Hand Renewal with Olay Beauty – expires 2/28
$1/1 Duracell Coppertop 4 pk – expires 2/28
BOGO free Febreze Fabric Refresher – expires 2/28
.50/1 Febreze Air Effects – expires 2/28
$4/1 Febreze Noticeables Starter Kit – expires 2/28
$3/1 Gillette Fusion 6 ct cartridges – expires 2/28
$1/1 Oral B Floss Pick, Satin Floss, or Glide product – expires 2/28
$1/1 Revlon Color Cosmetic product – expires 2/21
$.75/1 Scope mouthwash – expires 2/28
$2/1 Vicks Nyquil or Dayquil – expires 2/28

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Thrifty Thursday: What I’m willing to pay for things

January 14, 2010 by

I have gotten several requests from people asking what good “stock up” prices are for items I buy. Please keep in mind that I have been doing this for awhile and so I already have a pretty good stockpile of things and can wait for the next time these items go on sale. In other cases, my family goes through some things pretty quickly (my husband loves crackers and granola bars), and I don’t have space to stockpile as much as I’d like of these items, so I have a “stock up” price, but I also have what I’m willing to pay when these items are not at “stock up” prices. I also have grocery stores that will double and triple coupons which helps A LOT!

As you are starting out, you will probably have to invest a little more money at first, but once you get your stockpile going, you should be able to get things at these prices, too!

I hope that you will find this helpful! In most cases, these are for “name brand” items. If I missed an item, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail and I’ll add it to the list!

After reading comments and e-mails, I wanted to add a few more disclaimers:

*These are not “standard” prices in my area. Items go on sale for these prices every 3-6 months (depending on the item). I stock up at these times and make them last until the next big sale.

*Also, even if your area does not double and triple coupons, don’t be discouraged. I have been able to get many of these items at Target by using store and manufacturer’s coupons (cake mixes, canned vegetables, canned fruits, granola bars, cookies, crackers, pasta sauce, and peanut butter).

BABY CARE:

*Baby shampoo/conditioner ~ free to $1 (we use Johnsons and I try to get this only when there are deals where it is free or close to free)

*Diapers – I try not to pay more than $5-6 for a jumbo pack of diapers and/or Pull-Ups using coupons/RRs/ECBs. But, I usually try to buy them when there is a “deal” so I pay even less. I have a big stockpile of diapers (13 jumbo packs of diapers and 13 packs of Pull Ups currently), so I only buy them when they are at really good prices

*Infant/children’s Tylenol – free to $1-$2 per bottle (I was able to snag two bottles for free at Walgreens a free a few weeks ago, so that is always the idea, but not always possible!)

*Wipes – I stockpile wipes, too. I got such a good deal on Huggies wipes in December of 2007 that they have lasted me until this point. There was a good deal at Target a few months ago where I was able to snag them between .50 and .80 per tub, so I’m stocked up again for awhile!

GROCERY: (I’m not including produce prices because that varies a lot by location and by “season”…I just buy what is on sale and in season typically)

Baking

*Brownie mixes – free to $.20/box

*Cake mixes – free to $.50/box (I have been able to get cake mixes for free several times using coupons and sale prices)

*Chocolate chips – no more than $1 per bag (this is for Nestle brand)

Canned Goods

*Canned fruits – $.50-.75/can

*Canned vegetables – $.25-.40/can

*Chef Boyardee – no more than $.65/can

*Soups – $.70/can for “cooking” soups (cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, etc. because I use the 98% fat free and it’s hard to find “deals” on that…you can get the regular for a lot less) and $.50-.75/can for soups like Progresso or Campbell’s Chunky/Select

Convenience foods (cookies/crackers/chips/granola bars/fruit snacks/etc.)

*Cookies – $.50/package (this is typically for the Keebler line)

*Crackers – $.50-$1 per box (this is for Sunshine, Keebler, or Nabisco)

*Fruit snacks – $.35-.50 per box (this is for Betty Crocker or Kellogg’s)

*Granola bars – $.35-.50 per box for Nature Valley and $.50-$1 per box for Quaker (the Quaker ones are my husband’s favorites and it’s not as easy to find “deals” on them)

*Juice – $.50-.75/bottle (this is for Juicy Juice or Mott’s apple juice)

*Pasta – preferably free, but no more than $.50 per package – Barilla comes out with $.50/1 coupons which double at my grocery store, so when there are 10/$10 sales, I can usually get this for free and I stock up!

*Pasta sauce (jarred or bagged) – no more than $.70/jar (this is for Ragu, Prego, or Barilla)

*Peanut butter – no more than $.75/jar

*Pop Tarts – $.50/box for 8 ct and $1/box for 12 ct

Dairy

*Cheese – $.49-$.99/package (when Kroger has their Mega sales, I can usually get the bags for $.49/each using coupons and the expiration dates are usually several months out, so I stock up and wait for the next sale)

*Cream cheese – $.99/package (this is for Philadelphia)

*Eggs – no more than $.99/dozen (I don’t stockpile these, though I have heard of people freezing them…)

*Sour cream – free to $.99 (when Kroger has their Mega sales, I can usually get Daisy sour cream for free or close to free using coupons and even when there are not Mega sales going on, I can usually get it for a decent price using a coupon that doubles or triples – the Daisy sour cream coupons don’t seem to ever come out in the inserts in my area, so I have to buy them other places and when I stock up, I look for expiration dates that are about 3 months out so I will be set until the next sale…this DOES NOT freeze well!)

*Yogurt – $.25-$.35 per cup (this is for Yoplait)

Meat (There are LOTS of ideas for stockpiling meat on a budget in this post here)

Beef:

Beef roasts – $.99/lb (yes, you can really get it for that cheap on sale – I’ve got several roasts in my freezer right now to prove it)

Beef round steak – $.99/lb

Ground beef – we ONLY use the 93/7 lean beef, so $1.99/lb is a “stock up” price on this for me

Chicken:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – $.99-$1.69/lb (it’s hard to find it for $.99/lb these days although it does happen every now and then…so, I consider $1.69 to be my “stock up” price when I’m getting low) – I know that “bone in” chicken or whole chickens are much cheaper but this is much more convenient for me, so I’m willing to pay more

Split chicken breasts (these typically have the bone) – no more than $.99/lb

Pork:
Pork chops (again I buy boneless) – $1.39/lb

Pork spare ribs – $.77/lb

Pork roasts – $.99/lb

Turkey:
Ground turkey – $1.99/lb (again we buy the 93/7)

HEALTH & BEAUTY ITEMS: (if you have a Walgreens or CVS, you should be able to get most of these items for free or close to free)

*Band Aids – free (there are so many coupons and RR/ECB deals for these that you should never pay for them!)

*Body wash – free (whenever a new body wash comes out, it seems like there is a way to get it free with coupons/ECBs/RRs and I stock up – we’re not brand specific at all on this stuff)

*Contact solution – free (in about August, CVS/Walgreens both tend to offer deals on contact solution so you can get it for free after RRs/ECBs. I stock up at this time and I have more than a year’s supply stockpiled right now)

*Deodorant – free (my husband and I each have a specific brand that we use, and I have at least a year’s supply stockpiled for each of us and only get it when I can get it for free or close to free using ECBs or RRs)

*Feminine Hygiene products – free (from my experience, the best time to stock up on these is during the summer months and then during January)

*Over the Counter cold, cough, and flu meds (Theraflu/Triaminic/Tylenol/etc.) – free (for two years now, I’ve managed to get a HUGE stockpile of this stuff for free)

*Pain relievers – free (we’ve got Advil, Excedrin, and Tylenol ~ we use Excedrin the most, but our stockpile of that is dwindling, so I’m hoping for a good deal soon so we can stock up again!)

*Razors – free (my husband uses Gillette razors and I use Schick razors and I can’t remember the last time I’ve spent real money to actually buy either one…the “catch” is that you sometimes have to use a new razor rather than buying refills – the Gillette cartridges seem to go on sale at CVS in December and I stock up them, but sometimes we can’t make it through the whole year on that)

*Shampoo/conditioner/stylers – free (I’m not really “brand specific” when it comes to shampoo although I am currently in love with the Infusium 23 that I got at Walgreens recently – we have at least a year’s supply stockpiled for our family and I only get this when I can get it for free or close to free using ECBs and RRs)

*Shave gel – preferably free but up to .50 (I really don’t like paying for shave gel, but there aren’t really good “deals” on it as often as I’d like, either. So, if we’re getting low, I try not to pay more than .50 per can using coupons or ECBs/RRs and sale prices)

*Toothpaste – free (even if you’re just starting out, if you’re not brand specific, you should be able to easily get a stockpile of toothpaste for free or close to free pretty quickly because it’s on sale almost every week at either Walgreens or CVS)

*Vitamins – this varies, but I typically like to buy them during BOGO free sales when I can use coupons on top of the sale – I was able to stock up for this year at the Nature’s Bounty BOGO free sale at CVS a few week’s ago and got all of our vitamins for free! (with the exception of “kid” vitamins which are much harder to find deals on)

HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES: (Here’s a tip ~ There aren’t a lot of ECB/RR deals on household cleaners, but there seem to be a lot of BOGO free deals, so I use those to stock up and use two coupons – one for each item – to bring the price down!)

*Bathroom cleaners/toilet cleaners – no more than .75-$1 each (I typically buy Lysol toilet bowl cleaner and Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaners)

*Dish soap (liquid) – free to $.50 (I buy Dawn or Palmolive, whichever is on sale and you can get it fairly often at CVS or Walgreens for these prices when you use coupons and take advantage of ECB/RR deals)

*Dishwasher tabs – free to $.99 (high dollar Electrasol coupons come out fairly regularly where you can get these for free or up to $.99)

*Dryer sheets/fabric softener – free (I can’t remember the last time I’ve had to pay for these…I use either Bounce or Snuggle and have a pretty good stockpile of both that I’ve gotten for free)

*Hand soap – free (I have two grocery stores that triple coupons and I am usually able to get the Softsoap hand soap for free when they go 10/$10 using coupons)

*Kleenex – no more than $.50/box (this is for the actual Kleenex brand)

*Laundry detergent – $1-2 (I usually buy All or Tide – this price is for the liquid, 32 loads)

*Multi-purpose cleaners – no more than $.75/$1 each (I typically buy Fantastik or the Windex Multipurpose)

*Paper towels – .25 per roll (I never pay more than $.25/roll…my grocery store has the Bounty paper towels 10/$10 pretty regularly and they triple coupons so I’m able to use the $.25 coupons to get them for $.25)

*Toilet paper – free to .30 per roll (this was a hard one for me because it’s been so long since I’ve paid for toilet paper, but I know people want to know good “stock up” prices, and so I would say no more than $.30/roll)

For more Thrifty Thursday ideas, check out Coupon Teacher and Life as a Mom.

Feel free to link up with your own Thrifty Thursday ideas below!

Filed Under: Thrifty Thursday Tagged With: ,

Free Photo Collage from Walgreens!

January 13, 2010 by


If you are a fan of Walgreens on Facebook, they have a special offer that is valid TODAY (January 13, 2010) only.

Get a free 8X10 collage print (one per customer) when you enter the code FANFREE at check-out online.

Choose to pick up your collage in store so you don’t have to pay shipping!

Filed Under: freebies Tagged With:

Gymboree Gymbucks Redemption has started!

January 13, 2010 by


If you’ve got Gymbucks to “spend” the redemption period has started online and I’m guessing it will be “live” in stores today, too!

Here are a few frequently asked questions I’ve seen:

Can I use another coupon with my Gymbucks?

No. You can’t use any other coupons with Gymbucks. The only other discount you can get with Gymbucks is your 5% Gymboree Visa discount (if you have one).

Can I use more than one Gymbuck at one time?

Yes, as long as you are spending enough to warrant using all of your Gymbucks. For example, if you have 2 $50 Gymbucks, your total will need to be $200 before you can redeem both Gymbucks (this would be $200 after your Gymboree Visa discount has been applied)

How do Gymbucks “work”?

Gymbucks are basically like a 50% discount. For example, if you have a $25 Gymbuck, the total of the merchandise that you are purchasing needs to be $50 before the Gymbuck can be applied. So, if your total is $50, you will spend $25 out of pocket after you use your Gymbuck.

Can I use my Gymbucks at the outlet?

You can earn Gymbucks at the outlet stores now, but they cannot be redeemed at the outlet.

Can I use my Gymbucks online?

Yes, and if you are shopping online and your total is $100 or more (after your Gymbucks and Gymboree Visa discount have been applied), you will get free shipping, too!

Can I use my Gymbucks to buy “Big Red Balloon Sale” items?

Yes! You can use your Gymbucks to buy ANYTHING in a regular retail store (well, anything but gift cards)!

I returned some items without a receipt and got a merchandise credit. Can I use that to help pay for my purchase and use my Gymbucks?

Sadly, no. Merchandise credits cannot be used as a form of payment in conjunction with Gymbucks issuance or redemption.

I have Gymbucks, but I don’t see anything I want to buy right now. Can I sell them on eBay or trade them to someone else?

My Gymbucks are from online purchases, so they print right on the receipt and I don’t have the little coupon that comes attached with all of the “disclosure” information. I’m guessing there is something in the fine print about not transferring them or selling them, but people do sell them on eBay. From my experience, they typically go for $7-9 per $25 Gymbuck. The earlier you are in the redemption period, the more money you will be able to get for yours, but remember you are buying/selling/trading these at your own risk.

I need some clothes for my little one. Should I buy Gymbucks to try to take advantage of this “sale”?

I have a hard time justifying spending money to save money, so if you don’t have Gymbucks already, I personally wouldn’t do this. If your little one is in sizes newborn-5T, I would wait a few weeks because after Gymbucks redemption is over, the Baby Sale should be starting in early February. All new items will be priced at $10 and $20 and you can use a coupon (there are 20% off coupons in the latest edition of Parents Magazine).

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