CVS Trip: $11.55 for $52.10 of items we needed!

This week something happened for the first time in the three years since I started using coupons: we almost ran out of toilet paper! Seriously, only two rolls surfaced in the search... Thankfully, I remembered CVS included Scott toilet paper (I'm a 3rd generation Scott TP user because of how long it lasts!) this week in their "Spend $30 on certain items, get $10 CVS gift card" promotion, so I planned a coupon trip to CVS to get the best deal.

As I sorted through my coupons, I realized I'm missing the insert that contained the Scott coupons (SS 1/13/13). All the good coupons for deals seem to be in that insert, and I don't have it! Some searching online provided some coupons, though, so the trip was saved. :-)

Yesterday when I stopped by CVS to pick up the toilet paper & paper towels, as well as  buy the Purex Crystals that were B1G1 (I use them in our homemade laundry detergent), both were out of stock. The friendly cashier said they should have some once they finished unloading this weeks shipment, so to call in the morning. On my way out, when I scanned my CVS card at the coupon machine, I received a $10/$50 purchase coupon. The wheels in my head started spinning because my original "shopping scenario" would have been $38 before coupons... At home I looked over the other CVS sales and coupon matchups, and came up with a new game plan that would actually help me spend LESS out-of-pocket, while getting MORE items we could definitely use!

First thing this morning, I called CVS to see if they did have the toilet paper. Sure enough, they did, but the cashier said they were only able to get two packages, so she graciously held them behind the counter for me. I hopped in the van, with my coupons cut/printed and my list of scenarios written out (glad I had prepped everything the night before). But I still didn't know if my scenario would work!

The friendly cashier got the toilet paper for me, and confirmed that they still didn't have any Purex. So I picked up the other items I needed for the $10 card promotion (Kleenex, paper towels, and dish soap), some toothpaste (adult and kids), grabbed the vitamins I had a high value coupon for, and started brainstorming how I could fill the remaining $8 gap left by not having the crystals. While I looked over my list of items on sale that I could pair with coupons, the cashier came back up to me and asked if I would like the Downy Unstoppables (the more expensive equivalent) instead of the Purex? She would honor the B1G1 sale with those. My problem was solved!

Excited about completing "my coupon adventure", I headed up front... Here is what I bought:

(2) Scott toilet paper, 12pk $7.49

(2) Scott mega roll paper towel, 6 pk. $5.49

(3) Kleenex, 100ct. $.99

Palmolive dish soap, $.99

Nature Made Vitamin B "Minis", $9.49

Crest ProHealth toothpaste, $2.50

Crest Kids toothpaste, $2.50

(2) Downy Unstoppables $7.69, B1G1

My total before tax and coupons was $52.10 (eeks!). I used...

- $10/$50 purchase CVS coupon

- (2) $.55/1 Scott bath tissue 

- (2) $2/1 Scott paper towels

- $.55/3 Kleenex packs

- $.25/1 Palmolive dish detergent

- $10/1 Nature Made Minis (CVS coupon)

- $2/2 toothpaste (CVS coupon)

- $.75/1 Crest toothpaste

- $1/1 Crest ProHealth toothpaste

- (2) $1/1 Purex Crystals coupon

- $8.90 ECB from a previous CVS shopping trip

My total out-of-pocket after coupons was $11.55 plus tax

Plus, I got back a $10 CVS cash card (gift card) and $2 ECB to use on my next trip.

As we continue to try to live well while staying within our budget, these kind of trips encourage me to keep on fighting the good fight and keep clipping coupons! A few lessons I have been regularly learning are:

1. I shouldn't be afraid to ask for help from a cashier if something is out of stock or I can't find it. It can pay off big time!

2. Calling ahead can save me time and money... Either I don't waste gas going when something I want isn't there, or I can get the item I wanted by heading there sooner!

3. Bringing other coupons, or having a few variations of a scenario, can help me know what to look for to spend the least amount of money!

4. "Little" coupons matter... like the $.25/1 Palmolive or $.50/3 Kleenex.

Book Review: The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

If you are looking for a humorous, light read that takes you to another time and place, "The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck" by Kathleen Y'Barbo would be a good pick. Set in the 1800's, Charlotte is a wealthy young American socialite who is more interested in attending college than attending fancy balls, and Alex is from a prominent English family that is about to lose everything unless something happens that could save their property. Charlotte's father has a solution: sign a marriage contract that provides the money Alex needs, and gives Charlotte four years of freedom to attend college.

Both Charlotte and Alex are stubborn, independent individuals that initially resist having their futures decided for them, but finally concede to get what they want (they secretly plan on just annuling the marriage). The story line follows the typical "headstrong-girl-meets-aloof-guy" plot, both vowing to get as far away as possible from each other, then end up falling in love... There are twists and turns along the way, with quite a bit of humor, and it made the predictable tale enjoyable for an afternoon read.

If you're looking for a book with depth and character development, you probably won't find it in this book. But overall I felt the book was well-written and gave insight into the historical time period in which it was written. If you see this book for free (or cheap), it would be a fun read. I wouldn't pay retail for it, though.

* I received a copy of this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah as part of their "Blogging for Books" program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review were exclusively written by me! 

Book Review: Christmas in Apple Ridge

I live only hours from Amish country in Ohio, so I love curling up with a good Amish novel. This weekend, with the first snow flurries of the year, I got to savor the three stories in this book... which in itself was a pleasant surprise, because I thought it was one book--then I discovered it was THREE books in one! I had already read "The Christmas Singing", so reading the other two stories put that one more into context (although all three books can be read alone).

Each story shared a glimpse into the lives of the Amish men & women, taking you from moments of laughter to times of relating to heartache. And in story, you got to travel the road of healing and redemption, of course wrapped in a love story. These stories are perfectly paired with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and usually make me want a piece of apple pie somewhere along the way. 

If you enjoy reading Amish fiction, this book(s) would be a great addition to your reading time!

*I received a copy of this book for free as part of Waterbrook Multnomah's "Blogging for Books" program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Target: Box of Pull-Ups $10.49 each!!!

I'll post about my entire Target shopping trip later, but wanted to give y'all the heads up that if you need Pull-Ups, through Saturday (9/8), you can get them for $10.49 a box ($.17 per diaper for size 2T/3T). Here's how:

Buy 2 Boxes of Huggies Pull-Ups: $18.99
- use (1) $3/2 Huggies Pull-Ups Target coupon from here
- use (2) $2/1 Huggies Pull-Ups from the 8/12 SS or here or if you have one from some other insert
Pay $30.98, Get a $10 Target Gift Card back!

So $10.49 a box (I keep "rolling" the gift cards from week to week!)

$3/2 Curious George DVD Coupon: $3.50 @ Target

Head over here to print a coupon for a $3/2 Curious George DVD coupon. Target usually has these in the $5 section, making them only $3.50 after the coupon. These would be great to set aside for birthdays or a Christmas gift... I think I'm going to pick two up to add the "Fort Kits" I'm making for some toddler birthdays this fall.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Target: Circo Crib Sheets $4.49!!!

Yesterday I posted about the $5/1 Circo Bedding coupon available right now on Target.com. Last night I stopped by my local Target to pick up some of this week's deals, and checked the Circo prices... Here's what I found:

Crib sheets, 2-pk pack-n-play sheets, and 2 pk. bassinet sheets are all on sale for $9.49, regularly $9.99, through Saturday making these only $4.49 off with the $5/1 coupon from here! There were also a quite a few other Circo bedding items on sale (crib bed skirts, soft cuddly blankets, etc...).

Keep an eye out for clearance bedding to make the deal even sweeter...

Target: $5/1 Circo Bedding Coupon!!!

If you are expecting, have an infant/toddler, or are heading to a baby shower this fall, head over here to print a coupon for a $5/1 Circo Bedding coupon (look under "apparel & accessories" for this one... strange place for it, huh?)

Crib sheets, 2-pk pack-n-play sheets, and 2 pk. bassinet sheets are all priced at $9.99 at my local Target, making these 50% off with the coupon! Keep an eye out for clearance bedding to make the deal even sweeter...

"When You Rise" Blog: Great Resources

I just wanted to quickly highlight a blog I have been following this last year, and give any of y'all who like great giveaways a chance to enter "a whole slew" of them today!

When You Rise is a blog dedicated to being "a place where you can get creative ideas to teach children God's Word and find some encouragement along the way as you lead them!" 

To celebrate their one-year blog anniversary, they have been hosting a month long celebration of giveaways, and today is the last day to enter all the giveaways before the "party" tomorrow! So head over here to get involved and sign-up for some fantastic resources for your family. And these giveaways are simple... one entry. And you don't have to "like" a bunch of other blogs, write blog post comments, or even have a Facebook account! Anyone with an email address can enter!

When You Rise has greatly encouraged me personally this last year. Not only have there been some creative ideas for teaching God's Word to younger children (toddler-elementary age), helpful reviews of resources to use, but they have also shared their highs and lows along the parenting/teaching journey. It helps me take a deep breath some days when I know other kids also have meltdowns, other moms have days where battling for a positive attitude is difficult, etc... So often on social media sites like Facebook & Blogs, we get to see each other's life highlights. Then when the messy moments hit between the highlights, we feel like we're the only one who has that happen. So as the writers of this blog have shared their ups and downs, it has challenged and encouraged me to keep on keeping on. I think it will challenge and encourage you, too.

So go sign up for some giveaways... Would love to have some readers win something!*

* When You Rise did not sponsor this post or ask me to do it... I just wanted to share an encouraging blog with my friends so y'all can be encouraged, too! I received nothing in exchange for me posting this.

LivingSocial: $5 for $10 Starbucks Gift Card

STILL AVAILABLE!!! (expires tonight, 9/5, or whenever it hits the max, how many ever that might be)

LivingSocial is offering the popular "$5 for $10 Starbucks Giftcard"* once again. Act fast, because these sell out quickly!

A fun part about LivingSocial is that, when you buy a voucher and share it with friends, if three friends buy the same voucher (through your link), you get your's FREE! So I included my link above... If this is a voucher you would use, when you buy yours, grab your link to pass on to your friends!

* This is a gift e-card that you can print out and take into a Starbucks store just like a regular gift card. You can even register it with your Starbucks account to work towards your free drinks (I just don't go often enough for that to work).

What's your favorite drink at Starbucks?

Shutterfly: 101 FREE Prints (today only)

Update: It's being reported if you add only 99 prints to your cart, the deal still works, and you pay several dollars less for shipping (more like $5)... I already ordered mine, but if you haven't, you can give it a try! 

If you have a bunch of summer smiles you've captured on camera this summer and want to print them off, today you can get 101 prints for FREE from Shutterfly* (just pay S&H, which is usually about $6 for me) with promo code "LABORDAY101". I love the quality of Shutterfly prints... a sturdy, nice matte finish, not like the flimsy, shiny prints from some other places.

Enjoy!

Go through your ShopAtHome account to get 12% cashback at Shutterfly right now (or sign-up for a free one and automatically get $5 added to your account the first time you make a purchase through the site).