CVS, Walgreen’s

A good week at CVS:

1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo @ 2.99
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner @ 2.99
1 Venus Embrace Razor (finally!) @ 9.99
1 Johnson’s Buddies EZ Grip Soap @ .99

= 16.96 original total

Coupon: .99 off Johnson’s buddies soap
CVS ECB’s: $5 off purchase
CVS: 5/15 store coupon

= $5.97 OOP; earned $6 ECB (razor) + $4 ECB (shampoo’s)

I don’t generally patronize Walgreen’s unless the deals are really good. This week wasn’t bad:

1 Yes to carrots Body Butter @ 12.99
1 Garnier Fructis Hair product @ 3.99

= 16.98

Easy Saver Rebate will reimburse $9.99 on the body butter and 3.99 on the hair product, bringing the overall cost to $3.00.

Playing Catch Up

Last week’s shopping experience at CVS was pretty lackluster–I avoided the lion’s share of the OOP amount by blowing ECB’s. Perhaps that’s why I forgot to post about it.

2 Swiffer Duster Refills @ 5.99 = $11.98
1 Johnson’s Buddies Easy Grip Soap @ .99
1 Feminine Care Product @ 3.99

=16.96 original total

I didn’t score any of the CVS 5/15’s until this week, but I did knock off a chunk with these: 

Coupon: .99 off Johnson’s Buddies soap
Coupon: $1 off Feminine product
CVS ECB: $2 off Feminine product
CVS ECB: $11 off total purchase

= $1.97 Out of Pocket, earned $5 in ECB’s (Swiffer) 

CVS + Rebate

Good news abounds on the money-saving front. First, my Live Active Cheese rebate arrived by mail the other day, putting $7.98 back in my pocket.

And here is the latest haul from CVS:

1 Suave Conditioner
1 Suave Mousse
1 Tresemme Shampoo
1 Gillette Fusion Razor
1 box Kleenex
1 Colgate Total Mint Gel Toothpaste

—coupons and ECB

=$4.83 out of pocket
$8 in ECB earned

 Tresemme is also on sale this week: buy $10, receive $5 in ECB. The trick is that all of their 32 oz. shampoos are priced at $4.99. This means an additional purchase, pushing the total above the $10 requirement. Most of their other products—hair gel, sprays, etc.—are also priced at $4.99, except a tiny tube of $1.99 spray. This isn’t an everyday item for me, but I can forsee its use in the future and I wasn’t about to spent an additional $5 to get $5 back.

      2 Shampoos @ 4.99 each = 9.98
+    1 Hairspray @ 1.99

= 11.97 OOP — $5 ECB = $6.97 for three hair care items

Rebates, Walgreens and CVS

On the rebate front: I should be getting $7.98 back from Kraft LiveActive, making my aforementioned cheese purchase free.   

The following items from Walgreens are also free after rebates:

1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner $3.99
1 Softsoap Spa Radiant Body Wash $3.74 (w/ $.45 coupon)

Walgreen’s TOTAL = $7.73

OOP TOTAL = $0

And although my CVS purchases are NOT free after rebate, I got some pretty good deals:

1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo +
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner = $10 ($5 in ECB)
1 Stayfree Item = $3.29 ($3.29 ECB)

1 $1.00 Stayfree Coupon
$2 CVS ECB

= $10.77 w/ tax — $8.29 ECB

CVS OOP TOTAL = $2.49 

It just goes to show that while there is nothing inherently wrong with buying the least expensive generic-brand shampoos, being frugal doesn’t necessarily mean limiting oneself to them. In fact, with the right combo of store deals and coupons, the name-brand items end up being better deals.

Just an example: The cheapest priced toothpaste in my area is arguably Aim, at $.99 a box. I have purchased about 7 tubes of Colgate and Aquafresh Advanced in recent weeks and while I can’t give you the actual breakdown in price — they were combined with other deals — the cost was nominal: far less than $.99 per box.

I Lied

Contrary to my previous post, I did end up shopping at CVS this week. It turned out that some Extra Bucks I had on hand were about to expire, and I wasn’t about to let that happen.

The deals really weren’t that great, but here’s what I picked up:

Trip #1

1 personal hygiene product: $3.69
1 box CVS brand tissue: $1.15

=$4.84

—$3 ECB
—$1 hygiene product coupon

Out of pocket total = $.84

Trip #2

1 3-pack Colgate 360 Toothbrushes: $6.99 ($2 ECB back)
1 2-pack Aquafresh Advanced: $4.99

=$11.98

—$2 Aquafresh advanced coupon
—$2/10 CVS coupon
—$4 ECB

+tax

—$2 in ECB back

Out of pocket total = $2.34

OVERALL OUT OF POCKET = $3.18

Thoughts on the Entertainment Book

A copy of the 2008 Entertainment Book came into my possession this afternoon. No one gifted me the item; I purchased it myself, just to take advantage of a significant discount in an upcoming expense. Otherwise I would never have bothered: I’ve heard that the quality of the deals therein depend upon your geographic region, many individuals complain that the ratio of useful items is grossly misproportioned, and that the savings, in and of themselves, aren’t really worthwhile.

Upon examination of its contents, I must affirm the veracity of these statements. Some claim these books offer better deals in other regions — this is not the case here. My copy contains too many BOGO coupons for junk/fast-food and eateries that fall outside my purview (in distance and taste). As a healthy lifestyle — part of which involves dining out as little as possible, if at all — dovetails with my current outlook on frugal living, I don’t see an opportunity to put those KFC coupons to use. The same goes for the other commodities listed in the book. I look for used items when I purchase music and books. I don’t play mini-golf, nor am I going to drive thirty miles to the advertised batting cage to use the coupon for one free token. And I do not foresee an occassion to use any of the discounted car rental coupons this year. We’re striking out here.

I did detatch a few coupons that might be useful at some point. But utilizing the bulk of these coupons would involve paying more out of pocket for goods and services that I do not need and would ordinarily not consider. The ends do not justify the means. So, what to do with the rest of the book? It does have proper heft to make a lovely doorstop…

Weekend Links Theme: Pinched!

A recent Business Week article indicates that economic worries have finally caught up to the affluent. High-end retailers like SAKS, Neiman-Marcus and Nordstrom have reported notable sales slumps in recent months. Not surprsigingly, Wal-Mart continues to thrive. There is a great disparity, however, between the news I read and what I witness in real life. Despite an economic slump, the weekend crowds at local stores and shopping malls continue to intimidate me. Everyone seems to be loading up on a plethora of items. Either they’re expert bargain-hunters, ridiculously wealthy, or maybe these are the folks who keep spending themselves into debt and denial. I don’t know.

And as an aside, I’ve been hearing some distressing news at Money Saving Mom about the future of internet coupons at CVS. I learned awhile back that Wal-Mart does not accept them. If this is true, I hope it takes them awhile to implement. CVS might lose some business if consumers lose out on savings.

But if you’re feeling pinched, there is hope. It is never too late to join the voluntary simplicity movement, either officially or unofficially, and take control of your financial health before (more) debt sneaks up on you.

Paid to Shop

CVS deals continue to be lucrative. 

This week:

4 Palmolive Dish Detergent (13 oz.) = $1.49 w/ card; $1 ECB 
1 Garnier Fructis Conditioner (13 oz.) = $2.99; $2.00 ECB
1 Oral-B Toothbrush (non-sale item, but I needed it)
_______________________________________

TOTAL = $11.94

—CVS $2/10
—Palmolive .40
—CVS $4 ECB
_______________________________________

TOTAL out of pocket = $5.90 after tax
_______________________________________

CVS ECB’s earned = $6.00
_______________________________________

ACTUAL TOTAL = —.10
_______________________________________

Free Addictions

In perusing the content of this site, one might come away with the impression that I am a free sample addict.

To an extent, this is correct. However, I am extremely discriminating about the deals for which I register. If the coupon or sample refers to an item in my personal-use rotation (be it daily, weekly, or even monthly) it goes into the queue. But you will not find me—a non soda-drinker with a professed allergy to certain fellow mammals—signing up for Pepsi coupons and free mint-flavored dog treats. Yes, I could break down and imbibe a sugary cola or two, but why indulge in a beverage that a) I dislike, b) offers no health benefits and c) diminishes my budget? Why should I make accommodations for items I neither use nor need, just to rationalise the fact that they came cheap or free?  

The same applies to recent deals on Glade flameless candles. Last month, a major retailer offered free refills and miscellaneous coupons on plug-ins. Unless you already use these items, it isn’t a good freebie. In order to use those refills, one must first buy a candle. It’s an additional expense. If you like the product, you must shop for other deals on refills to avoid paying full price when the freebies run out. Not to mention the fact that you have added another item to your rotation and shopping list.      

That is not frugal.  

It helps to approach each free sample offer with certain evaluative questions. Examine the quality of the deal. Do you use this item regularly? Does it require additional, long-term purchases? Do you really need it? And if you enjoy it but find that it isn’t necessary, do you have the willpower to use it up and walk away?

Freebie Update (re: 39dollarexperiment)

Two additional packets have arrived since my first blog about this project. Colgate-Palmolive’s missive is puzzling: They sent apologies for not having a coupon/free sample program but enclosed 13 coupons for various brand-name items. On a personal note, I spotted only two coupons fit for immediate use: Colgate toothpaste ($1.00)and toothbrush (.75). These were stacked with store coupons in a recent CVS BOGO purchase.    

I also heard from Shick–makers of the best razor for women–who sent me, a female with a very unambiguously feminine name, $4.00 in coupons for the men’s Quattro razor and disposables. Hmm. Hopefully, the blade design and loading mechanism is interchangeable for both types of razors, because I do intend to use these coupons. To me, certain types of sharp objects need not be gender-specific.