You are here: Home / Archives for Melissa

CVS deals and scenarios for the week of 2/14

February 13, 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!

FREEBIES:

*Aussie Shampoo, conditioner, or styler – $2.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Aussie product – 2-14 RP
Final Price = Free after coupon/ECBs

*Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste – $2.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Colgate toothpaste – January 2010 All You Magazine
$1/1  Colgate Total printable
Final Price = Free after coupons/ECBs

*Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield – $3.50, get a $3.50 ECB (limit 2 per household)
$.75/1 Crest toothpaste – 2-7 PG and 1-17 PG

$2/1 Crest Rinse – 2-7 PG (this may not be valid on the one that’s on sale, so my scenarios do not include this coupon)
Final Price = Free or moneymaker after coupons/ECBs

*Sobe Life water – 20 ounces – BOGO Free
Sobe Life water BOGO free printable
Final price = Free when you use the coupon and the store promotion!

ECB DEALS:

*Spend $20 on Benefiber, Gas-X, or Maalox, get a $10 ECB (limit 1 per household)
 $2/1 Benefiber powder, chewables, and caplets printable
$2/1 Benefiber Orange – 1-10 SS
$1/1 Benefiber, any – 1-10 SS
$1/1 Gas X product, any – 12-6 SS and 2-7 SS
$1/1 Gas-X Thin Strips – 12-6 SS and 2-7 SS
$1/1 Gas-X printable
$1.50/1 Maalox liquid – 12-6 SS
$3/2 Maalox, any – 12-6 SS

SCENARIO (Based on online pricing):
Buy 2 Benefiber Chewable Tables Orange Creme (36 ct) – $6.39
Buy 1 Benefiber Drink Mix Citrus Punch (16 ct) – $7.69

Use 3 $2 coupons

Spend $14.47 OOP, get a $10 ECB
Final Price = $4.47 after coupons/ECBs

*Brita pitcher filters (3 pk) – $17.99, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)
 $2/1 Brita filter printable
$1/1 Brita multipack filters – 1-17 SS
Final Price = $10.99 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy any 2 CoverGirl items, get a $5 ECB:  CoverGirl Lashblast length mascara, Smoky Shadowblast or Shinablast lip gloss – $7, CoverGirl Clean – $6, CoverGirl Simply Ageless – $10 (limit 1 per household)
Buy One Cover Girl face product, get one free – 2-7 PG
$1/1 Cover Girl product, any – 2-7 PG
$2.50/2 Cover Girl – 2-7 PG

SCENARIO:
Buy 2 CoverGirl Clean foundation – $6/each

Use Buy One face product, get one free coupon

Spend $6 OOP, get a $5 ECB
Final Price = $1 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy Multi-pack Crest, Fixodent, Glide, or Oral B (PSA $4.99), get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$.75/1 Crest toothpaste – 2-7 PG and 1-17 PG
$1/1 Glide floss – 1-17 PG, 2-7 PG
$.50/1 Fixodent – 2-7 PG
Final Price = $1.99 after coupons/ECBs (for floss)

*Gillette disposable razors (2-12 ct) – $6.49, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$3/1 Mach3 disposable (6 ct) or Sensor3 disposable (8 ct) – 1-10 RP
Final Price = $1.49 after coupons/ECBs

*Spend $12 on these Glade products, get a $4 ECB:  Glade Plugins scented oil refill (1 pk), Sense & Spray refill, Essential Oils candle, scented oil candle refills (3 ct) or holder – $3/each or Glade Sense & Spray, Plug-Ins Lasting Impressions, Fragrance Collection scented oil diffuser or Scented oil soy candle – $6 (limit 3 per household)
$2/2 Glade Sense & Spray refills – 1-24 SS
$1.50/2 Glade Plugins scented gel refill packs – 1-24 SS
$3/1 Glade Sense & Spray starter kit – 1-24 SS
$3/1 Glade Lasting Impressions – 1-24 SS
$3/2 Glade Fragrance Collection printable

SCENARIO:
Buy 1 Glade Sense & Spray – $6
Buy 1 Glade Lasting Impressions – $6

Use $3 Sense & Spray coupon
Use $3 Lasting Impressions coupon

Spend $6 OOP, get a $4 ECB
Final price = $2 after coupons/ECBs

*Buy Halle or Halle Pure Orchid (PSA $12.99), get a $5 ECB (limit 3 per household)

*Jillian Michaels Fat Burner (56 ct), Appetite Control (84 ct) or Zantrex-3 – $34.99, get a $5 ECB (limit 1 per household)

*Buy any 2 Neutrogena products, get a $5 ECB:  Neutrogena shampoo/conditioner/mask treatment – $5.29, Neutrogena sun care – $7.99, Neutrogena Deep Clean cleanser/tone/eye makeup remover/towelettes/wipes – $6.99, Neutrogena Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse or Ageless Restoratives – $17.99, Neutrogena Ageless Intensives – $19.99 (limit 1 per household)
Final Price = as low as $5.29 after ECBs

*Buy Opti-Free Replenish Value Pack, Express Twin pk (20 oz) or Systane eye drops (1 oz) – $14.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$2/1 Opti-Free solution – 1-17 SS
$2/1 Systane product – 1-17 SS
Final Price = $10.99 after coupons/ECBs

*Pantene or Head & Shoulders – $4.99, get a $2 ECB (limit 1 per household)
$1/1 Pantene – 2-14 RP
Final Price = $1.99 after coupons/ECBs

BOGO FREE DEALS:
*CVS Pharmacy decongestant and cold/allergy relief
*CVS Pharmacy exam gloves
*CVS Pharmacy feminine care
*CVS Pharmacy fish or flaxseed oil supplements
*CVS Pharmacy hearing aid batteries (PSA $14.59)
*CVS Pharmacy indoor/outdoor allergy relief
*CVS Pharamcy ibuprofen
*CVS Pharmacy party cups (PSA $2.79)
*CVS Pharmacy Purelax
*CVS Pharmacy stool softeners
*CVS Pharmacy supplements
*Essential Oil Elements or Candle-lite reed diffusers
*Gold Emblem saltine crackers (PSA $2.59)
*Mentadent or Arm & Hammer toothpaste
*Revlon foundation, powder, blush, concealer, or lip products (PSA $5.49)
$1/1 Revlon color cosmetic – 1-17 SS
*Robitussin liquid or cough & congestion caplets
$2/1 Robitussin printable
*Sundown vitamins
$3/2 Sundown vitamins printable

BUY ONE, GET THE 2nd FOR $.01:
*DiGiorno 12″ pizzas
$1/1 DiGiorno Rising Crust pizza – 1-24 SS
*Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks, or Fruit Loops
$1.50/2 Kellogg’s Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops printable
 *Nature’s Bounty or Flex-a-min
*Planters nuts (PSA $6.49)
$1/2 Planters printable
*Purex
$.35/1 Purex printable
$.35/1 Purex – 1-10 RP
*Wisk laundry detergent
$1/1 Wisk – 1-31 RP


BUY 1, GET ONE 50% OFF: (You also earn 4% back toward your quarterly ECBs on CVS brands)
*Caliber 1.5 subject notebooks, filler paper, memo, legal, or scratch pads
*CVS Pharmacy baby wipes
*CVS Pharmacy cotton or nail polish remover
*CVS Pharmacy diapers or kid pants
*CVS Pharmacy facial cleansing, moisturizing, or acne care
*CVS Pharmacy food storage, kitchen, trash, or lawn & leaf bags
*CVS Pharmacy hair care
*CVS Pharmacy moisturizing lotion
*CVS Pharmacy mouth rinse or toothbrush
*CVS Pharmacy Pediatric Electrolyte
*Gold Emblem Candy or bubble gum
*Gold Emblem snacks

OTHER DEALS:
*Buy 3 Coke 12 pk, 12 ounce cans 3/$10, get a FREE 12 pk of Diet Coke
*Gold Emblem Purified drinking water – $2.99 (limit 3)
*Johnson’s baby powder, lotion, oil, wash, shampoo or Desitin – $2.99 – $1.99 after coupon
$1/1 Johsnons bubble bath printable
$1/1 Johnsons baby product – 1-3 RP2
$1/1 Johnsons Head to Toe baby wash, Baby Oil, Shampoo, or Desitin printable 
*Kellogg’s fruit snacks – 2/$4 – $1/each after coupon
$1/1 Kellogg’s fruit snacks printable (must register)
*Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars – 2/$5

*Olay Body wash or Plus ribbons – $6.49
$1/1 Olay Body Wash, Bar, or In Shower lotion – 1-17 PG
$15 Olay Rebate printable

SCENARIO:
Buy 3 Olay Body wash

Use 3 $1 Olay coupons

Spend $16.47 OOP, get $15 MIR
Final Price = $1.47 after MIR!

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):  $4.74 OOP for $21.99 in merchandise, $5 ECB left to spend

Transaction #1:
Buy 1 Aussie – $2.99
Best 1 Crest Pro-Health toothpaste – $3.50

Use $1/1 Aussie coupon
Use $.75/1 Crest coupon

Spend $4.74 OOP, get a $2 ECB and a $3.50 ECB

Transaction #2:
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health – $3.50

Use $3.50 ECB

Spend $0 OOP, get a $3.50 RR

Transaction #3:
Buy 2 Cover Girl foundation – $6/each

Use BOGO free coupon
Use $1/1 coupon (YMMV on being able to use both coupons)
Use $2 Aussie ECB
Use $3.50 Crest ECB (adjusted down to $3 or add a filler)


Spend $0 OOP, get a $5 RR

If you have a $4/20 CVS coupon:

Buy 2 Cover Girl foundation – $6/each
Buy 1 Aussie – $2.99
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health – $3.50
Buy 1 Colgate Total – $2.99

Use $4/20 CVS coupon
Use BOGO free Cover Girl coupon
Use $1/1 Cover Girl coupon
Use $1 Aussie coupon
Use $.75 Crest coupon
Use $1 Colgate coupon

Spend $7.73 OOP, get a $5 ECB (Cover Girl), $2 ECB (Aussie), $3.50 ECB (Crest) and a $2 ECB (Colgate)
Final price = money maker after coupons/ECBs!


If you have a $5/30 CVS coupon:
Buy 3 Olay body wash – $6.49/each
Buy 1 Aussie – $2.99
Buy 1 Crest Pro Health – $3.50/each
Buy 1 Colgate – $2.99

Use $5/30 CVS coupon
Use 3 $1 Olay coupons
Use $1 Aussie coupon
Use $.75 Crest coupon
Use $1 Colgate coupon

Spend $21.70 OOP, earn a $2 ECB (Aussie), $3.50 ECB (Crest), and a $2 ECB (Colgate) plus get a $15 MIR for the Olay
Final price = moneymaker after coupons and rebate!

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:

Get your Sunday insert coupons now!

February 12, 2010 by

New coupons are up on My Coupon Hunter. If you haven’t ordered from a coupon clipping service before, check out the FAQs below. I like My Coupon Hunter because she does not have minimum order requirements, does not limit quantities, her turn around time is fast, and the prices for shipping and handling are reasonable!

There will only be one insert in this weekend’s paper. These are the “hot” coupons that I am seeing:

$.75/1 Quaker True Delights Rice and Multigrain Snack – expires 4/10/10 – this have been on sale for $.99-$1 at several different stores lately which makes a cheap snack. These went very quickly last time, so if you want them, jump on it!

$1/1 Quaker True Delight Instant Oatmeal – expires 4/10/10 – there have been some great sales on this lately, too!

$1/1 Quaker Oatmeal Squares – expires 4/10/10 – I love this stuff!

$.50/1 Sparkle Paper Towels Giant roll – expires 4/12/10 – if your stores double coupons, you should be able to get some fairly cheap paper towels with these!

$.35/1 Hillshire Farms Deli Select Ultra Thin or Hearty Slices lunch meat – 3/14/10 – if your grocery stores triple, you should be able to get some decent deals on lunchmeat

$4/1 Knox product – expires 3/31/10 – people have been using these to get overage and these coupons went pretty quickly last time!

She has also restocked some “hot” coupons from recent inserts, so if you missed out on these before, jump on them now:

.50/1 Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables, rice, or pasta (expires 3/7/10) – these are 10/$10 fairly often, so if your stores double coupons, this means FREE vegetables!

FREE Herbal Essence styling product WYB Herbal Essence shampoo, conditioner, or styler – expires 3/31/10 – you can buy a trial sized shampoo or conditioner (which is priced in the $.99 range at most stores), and get a FREE full size styling product with this coupon!

$4/1 Gillette Fusion razors – expires 3/31/10 – these will be $.99 after RR at Walgreens all month!

Free Olay Body wash WYB any Venus Embrace or Venus Breeze razor – expires 3/31/10 – the Venus razors will also be a part of a RR deal at Walgreens all month ($8.99, get a $4 RR), so if you’re stocking up on razors, you might as well get some “free” body wash, too!

$1/1 Prego Heart Smart Italian sauces – expires 4/30/10 – you should be able to get Prego sauce relatively cheap with this coupon (and possibly free if it goes 10/$10!)

Here are a few “Frequently Asked Questions” I get about stocking up on coupons:

How do you know if an item is going to go on sale? I don’t want to stock up on coupons and then have them go to waste.

In some cases (CVS and Walgreens), I can look at ad scans for upcoming weeks online and get a “heads up” about what will be on sale in upcoming weeks. In other cases, I have to go off of my experiences with sales cycles. There’s not a 100% chance that these items will go on sale, but typically if coupons are coming out in the inserts, they will match up with some sale in upcoming weeks.

Is it worth it to “buy” coupons when your goal is saving money? It seems kind of counterproductive.

If you are looking to stockpile items on a budget, the best way to do this is to pair coupons with sale prices and in order to really stockpile items, you are going to need multiple coupons. I know that some people buy multiple newspapers, but that doesn’t really “work” for me because then I have the extra work of coupon up with all of that paper. Using a coupon clipping service or eBay to get coupons is more time and cost effective for me because then I’m only getting coupons for the things that I want and need and they’re already clipped!

The savings far outweigh what I spend.

For example, let’s say I buy 10 .50/1 Bird’s Eye Steamfresh veggie coupons at $.09 each from My Coupon Hunter to pair with a 10/$10 sale at my grocery store (which doubles coupons). Using the coupons, I can get 10 bags of vegetables (which are normally $1.69 at my stores) for $.90 (the cost of my coupons). I have just saved $16.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Grab my button!

February 12, 2010 by

Melissa's Bargain Blog

Diana at Custom Blog Designs just finished putting together my blog button for me and I LOVE IT! The button is simple and captures exactly the message that I try to get across – that every penny counts! If you’re in the market for a blog makeover, her prices are really affordable and she has several different packages to choose from.

If you read my blog regularly, I’d love it if you’d grab my button to share on your blog (you can grab the code on the left sidebar)! If you have a button on your blog, please let me know and I’d love to share yours here, too!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

It’s Freebie Friday: lots of great freebies!

February 12, 2010 by

Here are some freebies as we head into the weekend!

Breathe Right Nasal Strips ~ If you snore, or you’ve got a snorer in your life, get 2 free samples of Breathe Right nasal strips. (Thanks Mojo Savings!)

CitraClear Dishwasher Softener sample ~ Get a free sample of CitraClear Dishwasher Softener. (Thanks Moms by Heart!)

Clinical Youth Eye Complex ~ Get a free sample of Clinical Youth Eye Complex. (Thanks Freebies4Mom!)

Emergen-C ~ Get a free sample of Emergen-C! (Thanks Hip2Save!)

Excedrin ~ Get a FREE full size bottle of Excedrin by answering the question here. Choose an answer other than Excedrin, and you’ll get a free product coupon! Go back and answer the question again to get a $2 printable coupon! (Thanks KC Penny Pinchin’ Mama!)

Home Made Simple Coupon booklet ~ Sign up for a free Home Made Simple coupon booket. The booklet contains over $30 in valuable coupons for products such as Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Mr. Clean, and Swiffer!

Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards codes ~ Here are some more Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards codes:

These codes are worth 5 points:
BFGHQNGNLPQPPGB
BDTWBWZGNZKQPGB
BFJZZGBBNBGPPGB

This code is worth 1 point:
BGGPHNPFZNHMPGB

JC Penney ~ I got this one in an e-mail and it’s an awesome deal! Get a free 10 day sample of Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation that includes a brush! There are 6 shades to choose from! This offer is only valid at Sephora inside JC Penney stores. Limit one sample per person, while supplies last. If they’re out of these samples, they will give you a free custom sample of something else in the store!

Pampers Gifts to Grow ~ Enter the code GTGPLAY2USA2010 and you’ll get 30 points! If you haven’t registered for the Pampers Gifts to Grow program yet, you should!

PopChips ~ Become a fan of PopChips on Facebook and get a Buy One, Get One free coupon! (Thanks Alaska Coupon Diva!)

Uni-ball Super Ink Pen ~ Get a free Uni-Ball Super Ink Jetstream RT pen. This offer is valid for the first 10,000 people to respond each day, so hurry and get yours!

Walgreens ~ Get a free 8X10 collage photo print! Create your collage online, enter the code VDAY at check-out, and choose to pick it up in store and you’ll avoid shipping charges! This offer is valid today (2/12) only!

Here are some free events that will be going on this weekend:

Lowe’s ~ Lowe’s will be having a FREE Build & Grow clinic this Saturday from 10-11 am. Kids will have the opportunity to make their very own jewelry organizer! Make sure you register here if you’re planning to attend!

Walmart ~ Walmart is having a “Pets on Parade” Littlest Pet Shop event on Saturday (2/13) from 11 am-2 pm. Check here to find out if your store is participating.

Have a great weekend!

Filed Under: freebies

Weekend Shopping Guide!

February 12, 2010 by

It’s President’s Day weekend, and there will be lots of great shopping deals. Here’s what I’ve found so far:

Aeropostale: Print a coupon for $10 off your $50 purchase (valid through 2/28). This offer is valid in stores only.

American Eagle: Check out their clearance sale and save up to 60% off plus get free shipping on all orders through 2/15! You’ll get an additional 3% cash back when you shop online through Ebates.

Bath and Body Works: Shop the President’s Day sale and take advantage of the following offers: Signature Collection ~ Buy 3, get, 3 free; Wallflowers ~ Buy one, get one free, and Anti-bacterial PocketBac – 5/$5. These offers end on 2/15. If you’re shopping online, you’ll get an additional 3% cash back when you shop through Ebates.

Use these coupons for even greater savings!

*Free Antibacterial soap (up to $12 value) with any $10 purchase (valid through 2/21) printable – use code TENAB if you are shopping online

*Free Signature Collection body care item ($12 value) with any purchase over $10 (valid through 2/21) printable – use code LOVESC if you are shopping online

*Free Signature Collection Travel-size item (up to $5 value) with ANY in store purchase (expires 2/24) printable – use code 1626 if you are shopping online

Gap: Save 20% off you Baby Gap or Gap Kids purchase when you enter the code MJTBNL2NNPRG at check-out. This offer is valid through 2/15. Don’t forget to shop through Ebates to get 6% cash back!

Gymboree: Save an additional 20% off items that have already been marked down through 2/15. You can also use a 20% off coupon with this sale. These coupons can be found in the February Parents and Family Fun magazines. You will earn a $25 Gymbucks for every $50 that you spend! You will also earn double Gymboree Rewards points!

JC Penney – Get $10 off a purchase of $10 or more when you enter the code TEN4YOU at check-out (valid 2/14-2/27). Get free shipping on a purchase of $49 or more through 2/23 when you enter the code 2SPLURGE. At JCP.com, you cannot combine codes. Get an additional 3% cash back when you shop through Ebates.

Kohls: Kohls card holders get free shipping when they enter the code MVC4FREE at checkout. Get 10% off when you use the code NEW1729. Get an additional 2% cash back when you shop through Ebates.

Old Navy: Save $10 off a purchase of $50 or more (through 2/28/10). This coupon is valid for in store use only.

Shade Clothing: Get free shipping on any purchase of $50 or more through 2/15.

The Children’s Place: Save 15% off all your purchases in store. Use the code FAMILYA9 to save 15% on your online purchases. Get an additional 3% cash back when you shop through Ebates.

Walgreens: Get 25 free 4X6 prints when you buy 25 or more and enter the code LOVE10 at check-out. Avoid shipping charges by choosing to pick them up in store. This offer is valid through 2/13 for up to five uses per account.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,