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Tip of the Day Tuesday: CVS 101

August 17, 2010 by

If you’re new to shopping at CVS, here’s everything you need to know to get you started!

Extra Care Program

CVS has a customer loyalty program that is tied to an Extra Care card. You can sign up for an Extra Care card in store or online.  Make sure that you register your Extra Care card online.  You will receive a coupon in your e-mail for $4 off your next CVS purchase of $20 or more and they will send you valuable coupons from time to time.  In addition, you can check your Extra Care earnings online and print your quarterly Extra Care Bucks.

What are Extra Care Bucks?

In the weekly CVS ads, look for items marked with a yellow tag – when you purchase these promotional items, you will earn Extra Care Bucks (also referred to as ECBs).  Your Extra Care Bucks will print at the bottom of your receipt and typically have an expiration date that is about a month from the purchase date.  These Extra Care Bucks are card specific and can only be used with your CVS Extra Care card.

In addition to earning Extra Care Bucks for purchasing promotional items, you can also earn “quarterly” Extra Care Bucks.  You will earn a quarterly ECB based on 2% of your out of pocket spending (this means after all coupons and other discounts have been applied).  You will also earn 1 ECB for every 2 prescriptions you purchase in store or online at the CVS Pharmacy.


The earning and payment dates for quarterly ECBs are as follows: (your quarterly ECBs will start printing on your receipt on these dates and you can also print them online)

For ECBs earned December 15th-March 14th:  print date is on April 1st
For ECBs earned March 15th-June 14th:  print date is on July 1st
For ECBs earned June 15th-September 14th:  print date is on October 1st
For ECBs earned September 15th-December 14th:  print date is on January 1st

What if I lose my ECBs?

Make sure you keep your ECBs in a safe place.  If you lose them, you cannot replace them.  Customer service will reprint any unused quarterly ECBs you have earned as a courtesy.

How many ECBs can I use in one shopping trip?

You can use as many ECBs as you would like in one trip!  This is one of the reasons I love CVS!

What if my ECBs expired?

It doesn’t hurt to check with your store – some stores will allow you to use expired ECBs!

What does it mean to “roll” ECBs?

One of my strategies for saving money at CVS is to spend as little as I can ‘out of pocket’ and one of the ways that I am able to do that is by “rolling” my CVS  ECBs that I earn from one transaction into the next transaction.  I use my CVS ECBs to “pay” for the items meaning I’m not spending my own money!

Let’s say that Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $2.99 (this happens pretty regularly), you earn a $2 ECB for purchasing it, and the “limit” for this deal is 2 (check the ads for information about limits on the weekly deal items).  If you wanted to “roll” your ECBs, it would look like this:

Transaction #1:
Buy 1 Colgate toothpaste – $2.99

Spend $2.99 out of pocket, get a $2 ECB

Transaction #2:
Buy 1 Colgate toothpaste – $2.99

Use $2 ECB from the previous transaction

Spend $.99 out of pocket, get another $2 ECB!

You can then “roll” your ECBs into something else or wait for a good deal another week.  My strategy is always to spend the least amount of money out of pocket and to buy things that will earn more ECBs!  Make sure you check out my weekly CVS match-ups for scenarios that will help you roll your ECBs!


What are CRTs?

CRTs are additional coupons that will print out on the bottom of your receipt.  These typically have a shorter expiration date than ECBs (ranging from a few days to one or two weeks) and are “store” coupons so they can be used in addition to manufacturer’s coupons!   Look for red “scanners” in your stores and scan your Extra Care card at these machines whenever you visit a store – CRTs will also print from these machines!  Typically, the CRTs you ge wll match up with upcoming promotions and help you save even more money!

Buy One, Get One Free Promotions

If your store is having a Buy One, Get One Free promotion and you have a Buy One, Get One free coupon for that item, you can get two items for free!

A few more “tips” ~

*If you are participating in a promotion that says “Spend this amount, get an ECB for this amount”, you do not have to spend the total amount all in one store or in one transaction.  If you look at the bottom of your receipt, it will tell you how much you have left to spend.  This really helps if your store doesn’t have everything you need in stock!  This also applies for a “Buy 2 items, get an “X” ECB” promotion”

*The amount you have to “spend” is based on your total BEFORE coupons!

*If your store is out of an item, make sure you get a rain check!

You might also want to check out this article on “Helpful Tips for Rookie CVS Shoppers.”

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Filed Under: Tip of the Day Tuesday Tagged With:

Menu Planning Monday: My menu for the week of 8/15

August 16, 2010 by

Now that I’m back at work, the weekends seem to fly by entirely too fast and there’s never enough time to get it all done! This week is going to be a crazy busy one with something pretty much every night, so I stuck to a lot of easy/crock pot recipes.  My kids are with the babysitter all week and breakfast and lunch are provided there, so there’s no plans for those things on weekdays.

For those of you who may be doing Weight Watchers, I have included the points per serving calculations for most of my recipes this week. I used the “Recipe Builder” feature on the WeightWatchers.com e-Tools program to input all of the ingredients and calculate the points, so it should be pretty accurate.

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here.

If you’re new to menu planning, check out my post about how I do my menu planning.

Get more inspiration by checking out the hundreds of menu plans posted every week at orgjunkie.com!

NOTE:  I sometimes get e-mails expressing “concern” that there are no fruits and vegetables included in our meal plan.  I typically only include our “main dish” items and not our “side/snack” items unless there is a really yummy recipe that I want to share.  If you want to know more about what my $40 weekly grocery budget includes, check out this post.

SUNDAY:

Breakfast ~ Scrambled eggs and cheese with turkey bacon

Lunch ~ Hot dogs and grapes

Dinner ~ Peppered steak

Ingredients:
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 lb lean beef round steak (cut into 1/2 inch thick strips)
1 T Paprika
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, crusehd
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 cup sliced green onions
2 green peppers, cut in strips
2T cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 lg tomatoes (cut in eighths)

Pound steak to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips. Sprinkle meat with paprika. Let stand. Brown meat in butter. Add garlic and brother. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in onions and green peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring until clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Serve over beds of fluffy rice. Serves 6.

MONDAY ~ Black bean and chicken burritos (slow cooker) – This is a family favorite and super easy because it’s basically dump and go!!

Ingredients:
1 taco/fajita seasoning packet
2 cans black beans, drained
2-3 chicken breasts
1 can green enchilada sauce

Place chicken breasts in bottom of the crockpot and then add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken before serving and serve in tortillas. We add cheese, sour cream, etc. to the tortillas. We sometimes add rice (cooked rice to the mixture once we’re ready to serve, not in the crockpot!). This is also really good if you use beef instead of the chicken!

Side:  Cilantro Lime Rice (this recipe comes from Marci’s blog!)

WW points – The “filling” is 5 points per serving.  You will need to add additional points for tortillas (usually 2-3) and any other toppings you add (cheese, sour cream, etc.)

TUESDAY ~ Beef tips (slow cooker) – I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. We have eaten it a several times now and my whole family (even my picky eater kids) loves it!

Ingredients:
1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 to 3 medium carrots, chopped
1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 to 1 cup white wine or beef broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the beef, carrots, celery, onion, soup and wine or broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Serve with noodles. Yield: 4 servings.

WW points = 6 per serving (add 2 points for 1/2 cup pasta/rice or 4 points for 1 cup pasta/rice)

WEDNESDAY ~ Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes (slow cooker)

Meatloaf on a bed of potatoes (slow cooker) – simple to make and totally kid friendly!

From BabyCenter Cooking for Your Family

By: Sandy~Bettyinthekitchen

2 T olive oil
3 large russets, cut into 1 to 1-1/2” chunks
2 lb ground sirloin (I use ground turkey all of the time when I make this)
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
3/4 cup ketchup
2 T dehydrated onions (optional)
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Topping
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Combine oil and potatoes in crock pot, toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on the bottom of the crock.

In a large bowl, combine beef, eggs, crumbs, ketchup, onion, salt and pepper. Mix gently, do not compact. Shape into oval or round, place on top of potatoes. Spread with topping.

Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce heat to Low and continue to cook for 6-7 hours, or until a meat thermometer reads 160º to 165ºF.
Sandy’s notes: I used plain ketchup for the topping since that is my family’s preference. To make the meatloaf easier to remove: Take two long pieces of foil and fold them into two strips. Place them across each other over the potatoes and set the meatloaf on top. Use as handles to remove when the meatloaf is done.

**My notes: When I make this, I sprinkle parsley and Mrs. Dash seasoning over the potatoes.

THURSDAY ~ Chicken & dumplings (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 98% fat free)
1 tsp salt, optional
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
paprika
2 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough, torn in pieces (I only use one)

Place chicken, vegetables, soups & seasonings in crockpot and fill with enough water to cover.  Cover with lid and cook on low 5-6 hours.  About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough into the crockpot.  Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

NOTE:  If I don’t have time for the biscuits to cook in the slow cooker, I just cook them in the oven and then tear up the biscuits and add them.

WW points = 8 (makes 6 servings)

FRIDAY ~ Chicken tortilla soup

Ingredients:
3 cans chicken broth (100% FF)
3 cans cream of chicken soup (98% FF)
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can Rotel
Mrs. Dash original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Add Mrs. Dash’s seasoning to taste. Add broth and cream of chicken soup, and Rotel. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot.

To serve: (if frozen)

Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat on stove. Serve and top individual bowls with desired toppings (tomatoes, green onions, avocadoes/guacamole, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc.)

WW points =  3 per serving – this makes a TON of soup (at least 8 servings for my family), the 3 points, of course, does not include any “toppings” such as cheese, sour cream, and chips!

SATURDAY ~ Enchilada casserole – This is a recipe that my sister came up with. She uses canned chicken when she makes it. I came up with a little bit of a variation.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (shredded) – or 1 can chicken
1 large can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
shredded cheese – I use reduced fat

Directions: (this is what I do) – I put my chicken and the enchilada sauce in the crockpot the night before and then shred it when I get up in the morning. If you are using canned chicken, you can just shred it as you are making the casserole. I spread some of the chicken/sauce mixture along the bottom of the casserole dish so it doesn’t stick. Break corn tortillas into four pieces and layer across the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread a layer of the chicken/sauce mixture and cheese. Add another layer of corn tortillas. Continue until you are out of the chicken/sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

WW points = 8 points per serving (for 4 servings) – serve w/ green salad and grapes

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

Filed Under: Menu Planning Monday

GIVEAWAY: Two $35 Jiffy Lube gift cards!

August 16, 2010 by

Since we started following Dave Ramsey a year and a half ago, I can’t wait to pay off our two cars and I intend to drive them until I can’t drive them anymore!  Jiffy Lube has that same goal and has started a new fan page called “Keeping My Ride Alive” on Facebook to help inspire people to maintain their cars so that they can last longer.  I was inspired by the story of this guy who has had his Jeep Cherokee for over 17 years and it has over 400,000 miles on it!!  On the Facebook page, there is a lady who has a Nissan Maxima that has 336,371 miles on it!

According to a recent survey conducted by Jiffy Lube International, more than half of U.S. drivers hope to have more than 150,000 miles on their vehicle before replacing it with a new one, and more than a quarter are hoping to clock 250,000 miles or more. While 99% of drivers agree getting their oil changed regularly will help prolong its life, most are looking for additional services during their oil change visits to help keep their ride alive. Many Americans believe in the importance of having vehicle parts and fluids checked as well as having the option to have multiple services performed in a timely manner on a single visit is important.  At Jiffy Lube, you get more than just an oil change!  Their Signature Service Oil Change includes changing, inspecting, checking/filling, and cleaning key vehicle parts and fluids and offers drivers a quick and convenient way to maintain their vehicles.

Jiffy Lube is so committed to getting the word out about how they can help you keep your ride alive that they sent me two $35 gift cards to give away to my readers!

Here are the details on the giveaway:

The giveaway starts today and will end at 11:59 pm CT on Friday, August 27th. I will announce the three winners on Saturday, August 28th. The winners will be chosen randomly using random.org.

You will have 24 hours to provide me with your contact information (when you post to enter, you must leave your e-mail address or some other way for me to contact you!).

Here’s how you can enter to win: (you MUST do the first one in order to “enter” – the rest are bonus entries!)

1. Visit Keeping My Ride Alive on Facebook and “like” them. Come back here and comment about what mileage category your car falls into.

2.   Share your story on Keeping My Ride Alive via the “Share Your story” tab. (Leave a comment to let me know you did this!)

3. Subscribe to my blog (You must activate your subscription to validate your entry). Please post a comment letting me know that you subscribe.

4. Follow my blog through Blogger or on Facebook. Leave an entry letting me know that you subscribe or that you’re following!

5.  Follow me on Twitter and “tweet” about my giveaway.

6. Blog about the giveaway on your blog. Be sure to come back and post a link to your post!

Please create a separate post for each of your entries. If you win, you need to provide me with some way to contact you. (Remember, if you post a comment as “anonymous” you need to include some sort of identifying information or your entry will not be valid). If you’re accessing this through a live feed somewhere else, you will need to actually come here to enter the giveaway.

Thanks again to Jiffy Lube and its Keeping My Ride Alive campaign for this great giveaway! (Please note ~ I received no compensation for this post, but I have used Jiffy Lube’s Signature Oil Change service and can stand by it!)

GOOD LUCK!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

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Walgreens deals for the week of 8/15

August 15, 2010 by

Here are the Walgreens deals for the week. Some scenarios are mixed in with the match-ups. If you are new to shopping at Walgreens, make sure you read the FAQs at the end of the post!

FREEBIES:

Pilot Frixion Erasable gel pens (2 ct) – $1.99
$1/1 Walgreens IVC (you can find these coupon books at the front of the store)
$1/1 Pilot printable
Final Price = Free after coupons (make sure you give the Walgreens coupon last and have something to cover the $.01 ovearge)

Stride 14 ct gum – BOGO free (w/ in ad coupon)
BOGO free Stride – 5-16 SS
Final Price = Free after coupons (give the store coupon last)

RR DEALS:

Buy Aussie or Herbal Essences hair care – $2.99, get a $1 RR
Buy One Herbal Essence/Aussie product, get one styler free – 8-1 PG
Final Price – $1.99 for one shampoo/conditioner and one styler after coupons/RR

Buy Bausch & Lomb eye care – $8.99, get a $2 RR
-BioTrue multi-purpose solution (10 oz)
$1.50/1 Bio True – 8-15 SS
-Boston SIMPLUS (3.5 oz)
$1/1 Bausch & Lomb Boston Simplus printable
-Opcon-A drops (.5 oz)
$1/1 Opcon – 8-8 SS
-Soothe XP (.5 oz)
$3/1 Bausch & Lomb Soothe XP – 6-20 SS, 7-25 Parade insert

SCENARIO:
Buy 1 Bausch & Lomb Soothe XP – $8.99

Use $3 coupon

Spend $5.99 OOP, get a $2 RR
Final Price = $3.99 after coupons/RR

Buy Head & Shoulders or Pantene Restoratives/Expressions shampoo/conditioner -2/$8, get a $2 RR
$1/1 Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner – 8-15 RP
BOGO free Head & Shoulders – 7-11 SS
$1/2 Pantene products – 8-1 PG
$10 when you spend $30 on Venus, CoverGirl, Secret, Pantene, Olay MIR

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 Head & Shoulders – 2/$8

Use $1/1 Head & Shoulders
Use BOGO free Head & Shoulders 

Spend $3 OOP, get a $2 RR
Final Price = $1 after coupons/RR ($.50/each!)

Buy 2 participating HP inkjet cartridges, get a $10 RR

Buy Listerine Zero Mouthwash – $2.99, get a $1 RR
$1/1 Listerine printable
Final Price = $.99 after coupon/RR

Buy Miralax – $19.99, get a $3 RR
$3/1 Miralax printable
Final Price = $13.99 after coupon

Buy Ozarka 24 pk water – 2/$7, get a $1 RR
Final Price = 2/$6 after RR ($3/each)

Buy Prilosec OTC – $24.99, get a $5 RR
$3/1 Prilosec OTC – 8-1 PG
Final Price = $16.99 after coupon/RR

Buy Select Personal Care items – 3/$7, get a $1 RR
-Old Spice or Secret antiperspirant/deodorant
Free Secret WYB 2 Old Spice Fresh Collection – 8-1 PG
-Zest or Safeguard 4 pk bar soap

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 Old Spice Fresh Collection deodorants
Buy 1 Secret deodorant

Use Free Secret WYB Old Spice coupon

Spend $4.66 OOP, get a $1 RR
Final Price = $3.66 after coupons/RR ($1.22/each)

Buy Zegerid OTC – $19.99, get a $3 RR
$3/1 Zegerid OTC – 7-18 SS, 8-15 SS
$3/1 Zegerid OTC printable
Final Price = $13.99 after coupons/R

BOGO FREE DEALS:
*Conair hair accessories
*Dry Idea deodorant
*Finest Natural vitamins/supplements
*got2Be styling products
*Nu Hair
 *Right Guard Total Defense deodorant – use 2 coupons and they should be free or close to free
$1.50/1 Right Guard Total Defense Deodorant printable (for becoming a fan on Facebook)
*Softsoap liquid hand soap and refills
*Trigosamine or Flex-a-min
*Walgreens alkaline batteries
*Walgreens cold, sinus, allergy relief
*Walgreens digestive relief
*Walgreens heart health supplements
*Walgreens pain relief (ibuprofen, pain reliever, aspirin)
*Walgreens multivitamins

FILLER ITEMS:
*Mars candy – $.49/each
*Royal gelatin – 5/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Tuf paper towels – 2/$1

BACK TO SCHOOL DEALS:
*2 pocket prong folders – 6/$1 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Backpacks – BOGO free
*BOGO FREE:  Mead 5 Star 4 pocket portfolios, pocket and prong folders, 1/3/5 subject notebooks, Themebook, binders
*Corner Office legal pad – $.29 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Corner Office tab dividers – $.79 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Expo dry erase markers – $1.99 (4 ct)
*Filler paper (250 sheets) – $.99
*It’s Academic Pencil sharpener – $.49 (w/ in ad coupon)
*It’s Academic scissors – $.79 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Liquid paper – $.99 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Mead envelopes – $.59 (w/ in ad coupon0
*Paper Mate mechanical pencils – $.49 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Penway #2 pencils – $.79 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Penway fabric carry all pouch – $.79 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Penway 3 subject notebook – $.99
*Penway index card or pencil case – $.29 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Penway poly or 3 ring binder – $.49 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Penway washable glue sticks (3 ct) – $.39 (w/ in ad coupon)
*PrintWorks multipurpose paper (400 ct) – $2.99 (w/ in ad coupon)
*Puffs facial tissue – $.99

OTHER DEALS:
*Ultra Tuf trash bags – $2.99/each

The following scenarios are for those are just starting to shop at Walgreens and who have few, if any, RR to spend:

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 2 Stride gum – $1.29
Buy 1 Pilot pen – $1.99
Buy 1 Listerine Zero mouthwash – $2.99

Use BOGO free Stride coupon
Use Walgreens in ad Stride coupon
Use $1/1 Pilot coupon
Use $1/1 Walgreens IVC Pilot coupon
Use $1/1 Listerine printable

Spend $1.98 OOP, get a $1 RR

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1 Aussie or Herbal Essence shampoo or conditioner – $2.99
Buy 1 Aussie or Herbal Essence styler – $2.99

Use free styler WYB shampoo/conditioner coupon
Use $1 Listerine RR

Spend $1.99 OOP, get a $1 RR

OR:

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 2 Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner – 2/$8

Use $1/1 Head & Shoulders coupon
Use BOGO free Head & Shoulders coupon

Spend $3 OOP, get a $2 RR

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1 Aussie/Herbal Essence shampoo/conditioner – $2.99
Buy 1 Aussie/Herbal Essence styler – $2.99

Use Free styler WYB shampoo/conditioner coupon
Use $2 Head & shoulders RR

Spend $.99 OOP, get a $1 RR

TRANSACTION #3:
Buy 1 Listerine Zero – $2.99
Buy 1 Royal gelatin – $.20 (w/ in ad coupon)

Use $1/1 Listerine coupon
Use $1 Herbal Essence RR

Spend $.99 OOP, get a $1 RR

FAQS:

Do you do multiple transactions at one store on one visit?
It just depends. Several stores in my area have gone to a “one RR per item per day” rule, which means I can’t do more than one transaction where I’m earning RR for the same product at the same store. Some of the stores in my area also will not let you use the RR you earn from one transaction on another transaction in that same visit.  I’m fortunate to have several stores within a few minutes of my house, so I usually try to break up transactions at different stores and on different days to stay in the good graces of my stores.

What is Walgreens policy on using BOGO free coupons with a BOGO free offer, adjusting down coupons, etc.? 
When I contacted customer service recently, I was surprised to learn that Walgreens does not have a corporate coupon policy, which means that store managers basically can call the shots on “policy” and that there is going to be A LOT of variance among stores.  Supposedly, they are working on putting a corporate policy together.

Some helpful tips:
*At Walgreens, you can use ONE manufacturer’s coupon and ONE store coupon per item (always give the store coupon last to avoid problems)

*At Walgreens, you cannot do a promotion more than once in a transaction and earn Register Rewards. (for example, if you buy 2 Listerine, you will only earn a RR for one)

*You also typically cannot use the Register Rewards earned from a promotion on the same promotion and earn Register Rewards again. For example, if you buy the Listerine and use the RR from that to buy more, the RR will not print

*Register Rewards are considered to be “manufacturer’s coupons” and you can only use one manufacturer’s coupon per item. You will have to add “filler” items if you are using a manufacturer’s coupon and a RR. The in ad coupons often have good, inexpensive filler items. (check out the weekly match-ups for ideas)

*If you are using more than one RR in a transaction, always give the RR with the highest value FIRST. Sometimes strange things happen with coupons and taxes and even if you think you have planned out your scenario very well, you will end up with more overage than you planned for.

*If you are buying items that would result in a “free” item or “overage” when combining a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon, give the manufacturer’s coupon FIRST, and the store coupons LAST to avoid beeping/issues at the register! Make sure that you are purchasing enough items in your total transaction to “cover” the overage. You will not get cash back and you will have to add items to cover the overage or they will not take the coupon.

*If your Register Reward doesn’t print for some reason and you have fulfilled all of the obligations for the “deal” (including not using RR from the same parent company to pay) DO NOT let them tell you it is because you used coupons! Chances are they didn’t print because the catalina machine is not working. You have two choices: you can return your items and try again or you can contact the catalina company by doing the following:
*The store will give you a form to fill out and mail in to catalina
*Call 1-877-210-1917, option 1

This post is part of Becentsable’s Grocery Gathering.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

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Kroger Add Up the Savings updates!

August 15, 2010 by

Last night I was finally able to go and take advantage of the Kroger “Add Up the Savings” sale and wanted to post a few updates. (You can find the full listing and match-ups here)

*The Progresso soup catalina is not printing in the Texas/Louisiana market. There are only a few varieties of soups that are part of the sale. Off the top off my head, I remember these: beef and barley, chicken noodle soup, chicken and rice, clam chowder, and chicken and corn chowder

*There is a GM catalina that includes the Betty Crocker fruit snacks that I was not aware of when I did my deals, but it printed at the register! I bought four and got a $1.50 OYNO.

*The Hot Pockets Side Shots are part of the participating items and there is a $1/1 printable here when you “like” them on Facebook, which makes them $.99/each. (remember to click the back button on your browser, so you can print 2!)

*Sobe Life water is part of the promotion.  If you buy 2 and use the BOGO free printable from the Heads or Tails game here, you should get both for free! (they should deduct the pre-promotion price) – Thanks Dan and Missy!!

*The GM cereal catalina (which includes the Trix and Total cereals that are a part of the sale this week) ends today!  The Kraft cheese catalina also ends today (8/15).  The string cheese is priced at $2.79 (this wasn’t marked at my store, but it rings up at that price), which is a great price even without coupons, and especially since you get the catalina!

*Bugles are included in the promotion, too!  There was a $.50/1 coupon in the 8-8 GM insert which will double and make them free!

*Nature Valley Granola Thins are included in the promotion ($1.99 after the instant savings).  There were $.50/1 coupons in the 8-8 GM insert which should double and there are $.50/1 printable coupons here, too (even though they say do not double/triple, all of mine doubled and tripled at the store)  There is also a $.50/1 loadable on Kroger.com, shortcuts.com, and cellfire.com making these $.49/each after coupons!!  Plus, they should qualify for the NV catalina deal (I haven’t done this deal myself yet, so I can’t confirm)

*There were $1/1 California Pizza Kitchen blinkie coupons on the freezer door at my store.   This makes them $3.49/each with coupon and the promotion!  (I think the catalina deal on this promotion also ends today, 8/15)

Have you done the “Add up the Savings” sale yet?  Did I miss anything??

L*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information.

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