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Hot deal on Family Fun magazine: one year subscription for $3.10!

July 12, 2010 by

Family Fun Magazine is one of my favorite magazines.  They have great craft ideas for kids and great kid-friendly recipes, too!  Today at Best Deal Magazines, Family Fun is the “deal of the day” and a one year subscription is on sale for $4.29.  If you enter the code PXCJ718 at check-out, you’ll get an additional 15% off.  Plus, if you shop through Shop at Home, you’ll get an additional 15% cash back (and a $5 bonus if you are joining for the first time).  So, after the discount and cash back, a one year subscription is only $3.10! 

Here are some of the other deals you can take advantage of right now: (enter the code PXCJ718 to get an additional 15% off plus get 15% cash back when you shop through Shop at Home)

Parent’s Magazine ~ $3.39 (after 15% promotional code and 15% cash back from Shop at Home)

If you’re not familiar with Shop at Home, it’s a site where you can earn cash back for your online purchases.  Visit the site and then search for your favorite retailers.  It will tell you how much cash back you can earn and it will give you any coupon codes that are available.  Sixty days after the end of the month in which qualifying purchases were made, you will receive your cash back check via mail!

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

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Office Depot Back to School Sales

July 12, 2010 by

Office Depot has some great “Back to School” sales this week, too.  Here are the highlights:

FREE (After Visa Prepaid savings rebate): limit one per household/business

Mr. Sketch Markers 12 pk – $7.99 (before Visa Prepaid savings rebate)

Swingline LightTouch Reduced Effort Stapler – $13.99 (before Visa Prepaid savings rebate)

DOLLAR DEALS (After Visa Prepaid savings rebate): 

Office Depot Brand Multipurpose Paper Ream – $6.29 (before Visa Prepaid savings rebate. limit 2)

Office Depot Brand Color-Coded Heavyweight Sheet Protectors (25 ct) – $7.59 (before Visa Prepaid savings rebate, limit 3)

Pentel Quicker Clicker Mechanical Pencils (2 pk) – $7.49 (before Visa Prepaid savings rebate, limit 3)

Wilson Jones 1″ Round-Ring Impact Binders – $1 each (save $2.99 instantly, limit 3)

There is also a printable coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase here (Thanks Spend Less and Save More!):

Here are some scenarios:

SCENARIO #1:
Buy 2 Office Depot Multipurpose Paper – $6.29/each
Buy 2 Office Depot Sheet Protectors – $7.59/each

Total before coupons = $27.76

Use $10/25 printable coupon

Spend $17.76 OOP, get back $23.76 on a pre-paid Visa

SCENARIO #2:
Buy 1 Mr. Sketch Markers – $7.99
Buy 1 Swingline stapler – $13.99
Buy 1 Office Depot paper ream – $6.59

Use $10/25 printable coupon

Spend $18.57 OOP, get back $27.57 on a pre-paid Visa

Get your rebate forms here

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

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Menu Planning Monday: My menu for the week of 7/11

July 12, 2010 by

**Don’t forget to enter my Suddenly Salad Simply Delicious Prize Pack giveaway!!!

The kids and I are leaving town for a few days for a little getaway (yay!), so our menu plan this week will be cut short!

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.

WEDNESDAY:  we’re returning home today, so breakfast will be at our hotel before we check-out (love those free breakfasts!) and lunch will be “on the road”

Dinner ~ Rice meatballs – This is a recipe from my mother in law.  I picked it for today because I knew that we had all of the ingredients “on hand” and that it would be easy to make!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked minute rice
1 lb ground beef (I use 93/7)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 t. grated onion
2 t. salt (I cut this in half)
1/8 t marjoram
dash pepper
2 1/2 cups tomato juice (or two 8 oz cans tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water)
1/2 t sugar

Combine rice and all other ingredients except tomato juice and sugar. Form balls and arrange in skillet. Pour tomato juice & sugar over meatballs. Bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

WW points = 7 points/serving

THURSDAY:

Breakfast ~ Cereal

Lunch ~ Turkey-cheese roll-ups

Dinner ~ Balsamic Chicken (slow cooker) – This recipe was posted by Holly on the Simply Clean Living blog.  We’ve tried it a few times now and it is a hit with our family.

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves – approx. 1.5 to 2 lbs.
½ C. Olive Oil
½ – 1 C. Balsamic Vinegar – depending on how tangy you like the recipe
1 large can of diced tomatoes (if you are putting frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker, drain your tomatoes – I learned that the hard way!)
1 can tomato sauce (I use an 8 oz can)
3-4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
2 t. crushed dry oregano

Combine all ingredients in Crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and serve chicken and sauce over rice or angel hair pasta. The consistency and taste of the sauce is sweet and tangy like an Italian barbeque sauce.

FRIDAY:

Breakfast ~ Pop Up Pancakes – This is a “new” recipe for us that I took from Make & Takes (I love this blog!) – we were going to try it last week, but it didn’t happen, so we’ll try again this week!

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt

Preheat oven at 400*. Blend all ingredients in blender. Grease muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to “pop” them out. Add desired toppings.

Lunch ~ It’s a free zoo day in our area, so hopefully, we’ll be having lunch “out”

Dinner ~ Steak stroganoff (slow cooker) – This is a family favorite!

Ingredients:
2T flour
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 3/4 lb. boneless round steak
2 cans 10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup (I use 98% FF)
2 c. water (or 1 can 100% FF beef broth for more flavor)
1 envelope beef stew mix
4 oz can mushrooms, sliced and drained
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T minced parsley

Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in slow cooker. Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch strips. Place in flour mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Add soup, water, and stew mix. Stir until well blended. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in mushrooms, sour cream, and parsley and then cook on high 10-15 minutes until heated through. Serve over egg noodles. (Depending on the consistency of the sauce, you may need to add cornstarch to thicken or add more water/broth to thin)

To freeze: Pour into gallon freezer bags (I used Ziploc containers for this one). Allow to cool before freezing.

To reheat: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Warm on stove and serve over rice or egg noodles. (Add sour cream when warming if you left it out of the initial recipe)

WW points = 7 points/serving, 6-8 servings (add 2 points for 1/2 c. cooked pasta or 4 points for 1 cup)

SATURDAY:

Breakfast ~ Waffles

Lunch ~ Tuna sandwiches

Dinner ~ Teriyaki Turkey Burgers – This is a Taste of Home recipe that I saw on Mommy Meals! menu last week and decided to try out.  I started using ground turkey for the first time about a year ago and now we’re hooked.  I’m excited to try out this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, divided
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 pound ground turkey (I use 93/7)
1 can (8 ounces) sliced pineapple, drained
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, onions, 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce and onion powder. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four 3/4-in. thick patties. Using long-handled tongs, dip a paper towel in cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill patties, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. Brush with remaining teriyaki sauce during the last 5 minutes. Grill or broil pineapple slices for 3-4 minutes on each side or until heated through. Serve burgers and pineapple on buns. Yield: 4 servings.

WW points = 8 per serving (including factoring in 3 points for the bun)

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

Filed Under: Menu Planning Monday

How my $40 weekly grocery budget "works"

July 12, 2010 by

Lately I’ve had lots of questions about my $40 weekly grocery budget, and it’s been awhile since I started it, so I thought I would clear up a few things and answer some of the questions that I’ve received.  On January 1, 2009, I decided to challenge myself to a $40 weekly grocery budget.  Since I started using coupons consistently, I have really been able to cut my budget, but I had no idea if it would work.  Seventeen months later, we’re still living off of the same budget, although I will admit that lately it has been a bit of a challenge for me because the grocery deals lately do not seem to be as good as they have been in the past and so our stockpile has been dwindling.

We have a family of four:  my husband, myself, a six year old daughter, and a three year old son.  We have no allergies or dietary restrictions.  We live in a low to moderate cost of living area and we have a number of grocery stores in close proximity and we also have Super Target and Super Walmart.  We also have several grocery stores that double and triple coupons.  (I throw all of this out there for comparison purposes so that people can understand our situation and why a $40 weekly grocery budget may or may not work for them.)

When I started this “challenge” I had a fairly extensive “stockpile” to work with.  If you’re wondering what I stockpile, I pretty much stockpile everything that we use on a regular basis.  To get some ideas about the things that I stockpile, you can check out my “What’s in my pantry?” post.  I also made a commitment to start menu planning regularly and I can assure you that has made a HUGE difference because we are actually using the things that I buy and it helps with rotating the stockpile, too!  If you’re new to menu planning, you may wan to check out my “menu planning tips” and my “Menu Planning Monday” posts for some ideas.

What does your $40 weekly grocery budget include?

I know that “grocery budget” means a lot of things to different people.  My grocery budget includes only food items.  Since I learned how CVS and Walgreens work, I don’t really spend much on health and beauty or household items anymore (we budget a total of $20/month for that).  “Eating out” is also in a separate category (since I started meal planning regularly, we have been able to cut that category down to $50/month).  We also have one dog and her dog food and treats also are in a separate category.

What about fruits, vegetables, and meat?

One of the most common questions I get is if our budget and meal plan includes fruit, vegetables, and meat.  My kids love fruit (helping them to love vegetables is still a work in progress) and I believe in the “five a day” philosophy, so our budget definitely includes fruits, vegetables, and meat.

For fruits and vegetables, we eat what’s in season.  I scan the ads each week to figure out what’s on sale that week and that’s what we get.  I don’t like to spend more than $.99/lb for most fruits and vegetables (asparagus, berries, and melons are my “exceptions” because it’s pretty hard to find them at those prices although it does happen every now and then).  I also stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables when I can find deals on them (I can usually get them for free or close to free using coupons) so that we have things to “carry” us if it’s a tight grocery week or if there aren’t really any good sales.  We also have canned fruits and vegetables in the stockpile.

With meat, I also stock up when it’s on sale.  You can find out what I consider my “stock up” prices in my “What I’m willing to pay for things” post (keep in mind that cost of living may be different in your area so different pricing might apply).  I plan our weekly menus around what’s on sale and what I have on hand in my freezer.  If there aren’t any great sales that week (and lately good sales on meat have been hard to come by), I also check out the “Manager’s Special” section of my grocery stores where they mark down the meats and incorporate what I find there into our weekly meal plan.  Over time, I have figured out when my grocery stores tend to do these mark downs so I can check it out while the selection is still good.

Do you spend exactly $40 each week?  Do you ever go under or over?

We took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class in March 2009 and made a decision to switch to “cash only” for most things including groceries.  So, when I fund our grocery envelope for the month, it is based on exactly $40 per week.  For the most part, when I’m making my grocery list, I try to plan so that I am right around the $40 mark.  Sometimes I go under and if I do go under, I keep that extra money in our “grocery” envelope to have on hand if a great sale comes along so I have extra money to stock up.  So, if I have extra money from previous weeks and there is a great sale, sometimes I do go over the $40 mark, but I still stay within a $40/week average for the month.

If you keep your grocery money separate from your other money, how does that work when you go to check-out at the grocery store?

For the most part, since I get most of our health and beauty and household items at CVS or Walgreens, this isn’t an issue because I am typically only buying grocery items at the grocery store.  But, every now and then, especially if I am at Target or Walmart, I will have other items and I usually will separate out those items using a divider and pay for them from separate envelopes.  Since I use so many coupons anyway, I usually try to shop at “off” times when the store is not very crowded and if there are other people in line with only a few items, I will usually let them go before me to be courteous.

How do I know what a reasonable weekly budget is for my family?

Our weekly budget is a work in progress based on what “works” for us.  In creating my blog and sharing my posts, I never meant to imply that this would work for everyone as there are a number of factors that will affect your budget including cost of living in your area, family size and circumstances (I am certain when my son becomes a teenager, we will be making significant adjustments and if you have allergies or special dietary needs or eat organic foods, you can expect to be paying more).  When creating a weekly budget for your family, you have to consider your circumstances and what “works” for you.

I would recommend tracking your grocery expenses, week by week, for a month or so to get a “feel” for what your average weekly grocery expenses are.  Focus on menu planning and planning your grocery list around your menu plan so that your shopping is “purposeful.”  Once you get a feel for your average weekly grocery expenses, set a goal to “cut” your average weekly expenses (perhaps $5 per week at first).  If you are not starting out with a stockpile, you should also know that you will probably be spending more in the beginning, but you should be able to cut your expenses considerably once you have an established stockpile and a menu planning system in place!  As your family size or circumstances change (you may have a new baby, a child may leave for college, or the cost of living may increase), you can adjust your budget accordingly.

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

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CVS deals for the week of 7/11

July 11, 2010 by

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

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!

**Earn double bucks on diabetes products – CVS is now offering exclusive benefits for those with diabetes (Double Bucks on 100 products you need and special ExtraCare rewards and offers – you can find the details on cvs.com/diabetes and check out the participating products here)

FREEBIES:

*Buy Complete multi-purpose solution – $7.99, get a $7.99 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 Complete Multi-purpose solution – 5-16 RP
Final Price = $2 moneymaker afer coupons/ECBs

*Buy John Frieda Collection – 2/$10, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 John Frieda Root Awakening products – 6-6 SS
$2/1 John Frieda Hair Care products – 6-6 SS
$2.50/1 John Frieda Hair Care product printable (must take survey first)

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 John Frieda Collection items – 2/$10

Use 2 $2.50/1 printable coupons

Spend $5 OOP, get a $5 ECB
Final Price = Free after coupons/ECBs

THREE DAY SALE (Sunday/Monday/Tuesday):

Caliber 5″ soft-handle scissors – $.99, get a $.99 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price = Free after ECBs

PaperMate 1.2 pens (10 ct) – $.99, get a $.99 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price = Free after ECBS

ECB DEALS:

*Spend $15 on Ace or Futuro braces, supports, compression hosiery, or Ace bandages, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Futuro braces or supports printable 
Final Price – varies

*Buy Colgate Total Whitening toothpaste (twin pk) or Total toothbrushes , get a $2 ECB (limit 2 per household) – $7.49 (according to online pricing)
$1/1 Colgate Total Advanced Whitening, Enamel Strength, Advanced Clean – 7-11 SS
Final Price = $4.49 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy CVS Pharmacy Purelax – $18.99, get a $9 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price = $9.99 after ECBs

*Buy Depend underwear, briefs, guards, or belted shields – $11.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 5 per household)
$1/1 Depend Guards for Men – 7-11 SS
Final Price = $8.99 after coupons/ECBs

*Spend $14.99 on eye care (GenTeal eye drops 25 ml, gel lubricant 2 pk, Clear Care No Rub or Aquify multi-purpose), get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1.50/1 Genteal – 5-9 SS
Final Price = $10.49 after coupons/ECBS

*Buy Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor – $9.97, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$4/1 Gillette Fusion razor – 6-6 PG
$2/1 Gillette ProGlide razor – 7-4 PG
Final Price = $.97 after coupons/ECBS

*Spend $20 on Excedrin, Benefiber, Gas-X or Maalox, get a $10 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Excedrin Migraine, Express Gels, Exedrin PM, Excedrin Back & Body, Excedrin Menstrual complete printables (there is a separate printable for each one)
$1/1 Excedrin product (20 ct+) – 7-11 SS
$1.50/1 Excedrin product (80 ct+) – 7-11 SS
$1/1 Benefiber – 7-11 SS, 5-23 SS
$2/1 Benefiber orange or Benefiber sticks printable
$1.50/1 Gas X – 7-11 SS
$1/1 Gas X printable
$1/1 Maalox – 7-11 SS
$2.50/2 Maalox – 7-11 SS
Final Price = varies

*Buy Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner – $4.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
BOGO free Head & Shoulders shampoo or conditioner – 7-11 SS

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner – $4.99/each

Use BOGO free coupon

Spend $4.99 OOP, get a $2 ECB
Final Price = $2.99 after coupon/ECB

*Spend $19.99 on these L’Oreal products, get a $5 ECB: L’Oreal RevitaLift, Skin Genesis, Age Perfect cleansers or RevitaLift towelettes – $5.99, L’Oreal collagen moisture filler, Advanced RevitaLift, or Age perfect moiturizer – $11.99, or L’Oreal Collagen Micro-Pulse – $19.99 (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 L’Oreal collagen product – 7-11 RP
$1/1 L’Oreal Age Perfect or Skin Genesis product – 7-11 Rp
$1/1 L’Oreal skin cleanser – 6-6 RP
$1/1 L’Oreal moisurizer – 6-6 RP
$1/1 L’Oreal Revitalift – 7-11 RP
Final Price = $13.99 after coupons/ECBs

*Spend $20 on L’Oreal hair color, EverPure or EverStrong (PSA $6.99), get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 L’Oreal Healthy Look hair color – 6-20 RP
$2/1 L’Oreal EverStrong or EverPure – 6-6 RP
$2/1 L’Oreal hair color printable
Final Price – varies

*Spend $10 on Maybelline cosmetics, get a $3 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price – varies

*Buy 2 Neutrogena sun care or sunless tanning, get a $10 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 Neutrogena sun care printable

SCENARIO:Buy 2 Neutrogena sunblock – $9.99/each

Use 2 $2/1 coupons

Spend $15.98 OOP, get a $10 ECB
Final Price = $5.98 after coupons/ECBs ($2.99/each)

*Spend $20 on Nexxus shampoo, conditioner, or styler, get a $10 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price – varies

P&G Digestive Care rebate items: (There is a $10 rebate when you spend $30 or more on 2 P&G “Digestive Care” items.  All of the items listed below qualify for the rebate)

*Buy Align Probiotic Digestive care or vitamin/mineral supplement (28 ct) – $28.99, get a $5 ECB (limit 3 per household)
$5/1 Align – 6-6 PG, 6-27 Parade Magazine insert
Final Price = $18.99 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy Metamucil – 9.99, get a $2 ECB (Limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Metamucil – 6-6 PG
$1/1 Metamucil – 7-4 PG
Final Price = $4.99 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy Pepto Bismol – $4.99, get a $1 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/2 Pepto Bismol – 7-4 PG
$.50/1 Pepto Bismol – 7-4 PG
Final Price = $3.49/each after coupons/ECBs

*Buy Prilosec OTC (28 ct) – $18.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Prilosec OTC – 6-6 PG, 7-4 PG
$5/1 Prilosec OTC – 6-27 Parade Magazine insert
Final Price = $13.99 after coupons/ECBs

SCENARIO:
Buy 1 Prilosec OTC – $18.99
Buy 1 Metamucil – $9.99
Buy 1 Pepto Bismol – $4.99

Use $5/1 Prilosec coupon
Use $3/1 Metamucil coupon
Use $1 Pepto Bismol coupon

Spend $24.97 OOP, earn $5 ECB

*Submit for $10 MIR = $9.97 after MIR

*Buy Quick Trim Burn & Cleanse or Extreme Burn system – $29.99, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
Final Price = $24.99 after ECBs

*Buy Slimquick (56-72 ct, powder packets 14-26 ct, or protein powder 16 oz) – $19.99, get a $5 ECB (limit 3 per household)
Final Price = $14.99 after ECBs

*Spend $10 on select Suave products, get a $3 ECB: deodorant – 4/$5, body wash, shampoo/conditioner/styler – 3/$5 – includes children’s items (limit 2 per household)
$.50/2 Suave Kids shampoo or conditioner – 7-11 RP
$1/2 Suave Professionals shampoo or conditioner – 7-11 RP
$.75/1 Suave deodorant – 7-11 RP
$.25/1 Suave body wash – 7-11 RP
$.50/1 Suave Natural Body Wash printable (must register)
$1/2 Suave Professionals shampoo/conditioner printable (must register)

SCENARIO:
Buy 4 Suave deodorant – $5
Buy 3 Suave shampoo/conditioner

Use 4 $.75/1 Suave deodorant coupons
Use $1/2 Suave shampoo/conditioner coupon

Spend $6 OOP, get a $3 ECB
Final Price = $3 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy Sundown Omega-3 fish oil – $5.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Sundown product – 6-27 RP
Final Price = $2.99 after coupons/ECBS

*Buy Tylenol Precise – $5.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Tylenol printable
Final Price = $2.99 after coupon/ECBs

*Buy Welch’s Grape Juice – 2/$6, get a $1 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 Welch’s printable (for becoming a fan on Facebook)
Final Price = $1 after coupon/ECBs ($.50/each)

BOGO FREE DEALS:
*Advil tablets, caplets, gel caplets (100 ct), liqui-gels (80 ct), or PM (23-40 ct) (limit 2)
*Arizona beverages (limit 12)
*Arrid or Arm & Hammer deodorant
*Colgate Total or kids (limit 4)
*Cottonelle bathroom tissue (12 ct) (limit 4)*
*Covergirl make-up (Sunday-Tuesday only)
*CVS Pharmacy batteries (limit 6, PSA $2.49)
*CVS Pharmacy disposable camera
*CVS Pharmacy vitamins
*Dial or Tone bar soap (2-3 ct) (limit 4)
*Digital photo prints
*Folgers coffee (limit 4)
*General Mills cereals (limit 6)
*got2B hair producs
*Nature’s Bounty or Flex-a-min (limit 6)
*Osteo Bi-Flex
*Scunci hair accessories

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):

For Sunday-Monday: ($7.98 in merchandise for $2 OOP, $1 ECB left to spend)

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 1 Caliber scissors – $.99

Spend $.99 OOP, get a $.99 ECB

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1 Papermate pens – $.99

Use $.99 Caliber ECB

Spend $0 OOP, get a $.99 ECB

TRANSACTION #3:
Buy Welch’s juice – 2/$6

Use 2 $2 printable coupons
Use $.99 ECB

Spend $1.01 OOP, get a $1 ECB

From Wednesday on: $5 OOP for $19.98 in merchandise, $2 ECB left to spend

TRANSACTION #1:

Buy 2 John Frieda Collection items – 2/$10

Use 2 $2.50/1 printable coupons

Spend $5 OOP, get a $5 ECB
Final Price = Free after coupons/ECBs

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 2 Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner – $4.99/each

Use $5 John Frieda ECB (they will have to adjust down to $4.99)
Use BOGO free coupon

Spend $0 OOP, get a $2 ECB

If you have a $4/20: (Sunday-Tuesday)  $20.47 in merchandise for $9.47 OOP, $14.97 in ECBs left to spend
Buy 2 John Frieda hair care products – $10
Buy Caliber scissors – $.99
Buy Papermate pens – $.99
Buy Complete contact solution – $7.99
Buy 1 “filler” (candy, etc.) – $.50

Use $4/20 CVS coupon
Use 2 $2.50/1 John Frieda coupons
Use $2/1 Complete coupon

Spend $9.47 OOP, get 2 $.99 ECBs, a $7.99 ECB, and a $5 ECB

Wednesday-on: $27.97 in merchandise for $11.98 OOP, $14.99 in ECBs left to spend
Buy Complete Contact solution – $7.99
Buy 2 John Frieda hair care items – $10
Buy 2 Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner – $4.99/each

Use $4/20 CVS coupon
Use $2/1 Complete coupon
Use 2 $2.50 John Frieda coupons
Use BOGO free Head & Shoulders coupon

Spend $11.98 OOP, get a $7.99 ECB, $5 ECB, and a $2 ECB

MY SCENARIOS: (I have a $5.98 ECB and a $5 ECB to start with)  $38.04 in merchandise for $4.09 OOP, $10.97 in ECBs left to spend

TRANSACTION #1:
Buy 2 Excedrin migraine 100 ct tablets – $9.79/each (according to online pricing)
Buy 1 Excedrin migraine 24 ct – $2.49/each (according to online pricing)

Use 2 $1.50/2 Excedrin coupons
Use $1/1 Excedrin coupon
Use $3/2 Excedrin CVS CRT
Use $5.98 and $5 ECB

Spend $4.09 OOP, get a $10 ECB

NOTE:  I did the Excedrin deal first because it is sometimes hard to find ways to “roll” a $10 ECB and I knew that I could roll it this week into the scenario below:

TRANSACTION #2:
Buy 1 Caliber scissors – $.99
Buy 1 Papermate pens – $.99
Buy 1 Complete contact solution – $7.99
Buy 2 Welch’s – 2/$6

Use $2 Complete coupon
Use 2 $2 Welch’s coupons
Use $10 Excedrin ECB (adjust down to $9.97)

Spend $0 OOP, get a 2 $.99 ECB, a $7.99 ECB, and a $1 ECB

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.

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