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

Respite

CVS is indeed a great place.

But over the past few months I’ve managed to amass more toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash than I have teeth. Therefore, I’ve been asking myself some hard questions on the nature of my shopping. Yes, these bags of goodies I heft from the store every week contain everyday items. Useful items. But they are also multiplying like gerbils in my bathroom. Given the current state of affairs, I will be brushing my teeth from now into next winter with nary a concern about depleting my dental hygiene stock.

Let’s face it: This stockpiling is starting to conflict with my endless battle against clutter. I think it’s time for a break.

Note that I won’t discontinue shopping at CVS, especially for other items (eg. hair care, etc.) that come with ECB’s. But every week? Nah.

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

Free Cheese

Cheese enthusiasts should visit the Kraft website for a $9 mail-in rebate on LiveActive cheese.

An Unhealthy Deal

I just can’t get excited about this week’s deals at CVS.

Since I don’t use many of these products — and the ones I do are cheaper at Wal-Mart — the most useful ECB sale item(s) on the list involves buying $20 of Pepsi products (aka junk food) for $10 ECB. This doesn’t strike me as a frugal purchase. Ditto for the Dove candy and misc. chocolate products. The fact that is it inexpensive/free doesn’t amount to much when one considers its ramifications on an otherwise healthy diet. Therefore, making this purchase is akin to eating at McDonald’s every week because many of the food items are priced at $.99. How much is that by-pass going to cost you? And how much pain are you willing to suffer? I’m not against an occasional treat, but $20 goes a long way. Too long, in my opinion.

I’d rather spend that money on naval oranges, which are delicious treats at this time of year.

Looks like no CVS for me this week.

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?