Fun and Frugal » Shopping Trips

My Black Friday Trip to CVS: $53 Worth of Free Stuff

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:46:25 +0000

If you’re a CVS couponer, you know they have some good weeks and some not-so-good weeks, as far as freebies, but you can always count on a ton of freebies on Black Friday! Everything pictured below was free after Extra Care Bucks, meaning you pay for it up front and immediately get back “CVS money” called Extra Care Bucks to spend on your next purchase. I only had to pay around $.70 out of pocket for everything because I had some CVS gift cards I had gotten for free the previous week from buying over $30 worth of Allegra, plus I had coupons for a few items, plus I broke up my transaction into about 4 or 5 transactions. Everything I got is worth around $53. There were a few things they were out of but I was still pleased with my trip. If you’re new to CVS deal shopping, I encourage you to read the CVS Getting Started Guide from Southern Savers.

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CVS Trip 9.7.11 – Saved 71%

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:14:30 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a shopping trip, but since I’m preparing for the First Baptist Coupon Class coming up Sep 20, I figured now is a good time. I went to CVS this week and bought products with a retail value of $72.50 for only $20.81 out of pocket – a savings of 71%. If you’d like to learn how to get the most out of coupons to save 50% or more on groceries and household items, come to the free coupon class (designed for beginners) on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at First Baptist Cleveland from 7-8:30 pm. You must pre-register here. I used Southern Savers to know what was on sale and what coupons to use. Below is a breakdown of my trip to CVS:

Transaction #1

Milkyway reg. $1.19, on sale for $.79

Carefree reg. $1.49, on sale for $1.00

Hershey’s White Chocolate Bliss (my favorite!) $5.99

Less $.79 CVS coupon for free Milkyway bar (it printed at the kiosk when I scanned my CVS Extra Care card)

Less $.50 manufacturer coupon for Carefree

Total $7.24

I paid with a gift card I received for free from using a competitor coupon to get a free gift card with a new prescription a while back. I had $8.29 left on the card before this transaction and $1.05 left on it after the transaction. I got back $1 ECB (Extra Care Buck) on the Carefree and $2 ECB’s back on the Hershey’s Bliss. So the Carefree were free plus overage.

Transaction # 2

Skintimate Shave Cream reg. $3.39, on sale for $1.99 (ends up being free plus overage after coupons – see below)

Huggies Goodnites reg $11.99, on sale for $7.99 (ends up being $5.99 after coupon)

Huggies Night-Time Pull-Ups reg $12.49, on sale for $7.99 (ends up being $6.99 after coupon)

Wisk reg. $8.99, on sale BOGO (Buy One Get One), which = $4.50/ea and I bought four (ends up being $2.50/ea after coupons – see below)

Less $1 CVS store coupon on Skintimate

Less $1.50 manufacturer coupon on Skintimate

Less $2 manufacturer coupon on Huggies Good Nites

Less $1 manufacturer coupon on Huggies Pull-Ups

Less four $2 manufacturer coupons on Wisk

Less $1 and $2 in ECB’s I earned from Transaction #1

Less $1 ECB I earned from a prior trip I almost forgot about

Total $21.86

Less $1.05 left on my gift card = paid $20.81 out of pocket.

BI-LO fuelperks!® Now in the Chattanooga Area!

admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:10:28 +0000

This is exciting news for BI-LO shoppers in the Chattanooga/Cleveland area! We can now save on gas with BI-LO fuelperks!®! I was recently invited by BI-LO’s corporate office to the official launch of fuelperks!® at a Chattanooga BI-LO and I’m very grateful for the VIP treatment I received. BI-LO gave me a video camera and asked me to video-tape me explaining the program to Fun and Frugal readers. They also gave me a goody bag and $100 to spend towards groceries. My goody bag had two medium fuelperks!® t-shirts, so I’m going to keep one and give one away to a lucky Fun and Frugal reader, but first, let me share more about the exciting fuelperks!® program with you!

Below is a near 3-minute video clip I put together that tells you more about fuelperks!®. (If you don’t see the video clip below, go here to watch it on Youtube.)

To re-cap:

If you have not already, sign up for a NEW BI-LO bonus card next time you shop at BI-LO.
Earn 5¢ off per gallon of gas for every $50 you spend at BI-LO.
You can also earn Bonus fuelperks!® on Bonus deals mentioned in the weekly ad. (Plus what you spend on the Bonus deals also applies towards your base $50.)
Buy your retail gift cards (Best Buy, IHOP, Toys R US, Home Depot, and tons of other restaurants and retailers) at BI-LO and earn 5¢ per $50 you spend, plus be on the lookout for special times throughout the year when they offer DOUBLE fuelperks!® on gift card purchases!
Redeem your fuelperks!® at participating gas stations in your area (you can search for them at www.bi-lo.com/fuelperks/redeem). Fill up when your tank is almost empty and bring a gas can with you if you have one because you are allowed to get up to 20 gallons of gas when you redeem your fuelperks!®. If you have earned $1.00 in fuel perks, this means you will get $1.00 off per gallon on up to 20 gallons, so if gas costs $3.50 per gallon that day, then you will only have to pay $2.50 per gallon! (You’ll need your new BI-LO bonus card with the magnetic strip when you go to the pump.)
You have the remainder of the month plus three months before your fuelperks!® expire. For example if you earn $.35 in fuelperks!® on August 8, 2011, you will have until November 30, 2011 to redeem them.
You earn 5¢ for every $50.00 you spend. Hypothetically let’s say you spend $78.93 at BI-LO today, then $50 would count towards your fuelperks!® and the remaining $28.93 will stay “in reserve” until you reach another $50. The amount in reserve never expires and is clearly marked on your receipt!

If I made this clear as mud, you can watch a video and get answers to FAQ’s about fuelperks!® on BI-LO’s website at www.bi-lo.com/fuelperks.

Now for the giveaway! I’m going to give one Fun and Frugal reader a free BI-LO fuelperks!® medium t-shirt and Fun and Frugal reusable shopping tote! If you want to win, just leave a comment telling me your thoughts about fuelperks!®. Contests ends 8:00 pm EST Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. Winner will be notified by email and will have two business days to respond or an alternate winner will be selected, to keep contests fun and fair for everyone.

THE CONTEST HAS ENDED. CLICK HERE TO SEE WINNER. THANK YOU.

Chattanooga/Cleveland Area Bi-Lo Stores Are Doubling Up Coupons up to $.99 June 8-14!

admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:22:06 +0000

If you live in the Chattanooga/Cleveland/North Georgia area (anywhere that has the Chattanooga Times Free Press) and you’re a couponor, you won’t want to miss the $.99 doubling going on now at Bi-Lo stores in these areas, at participating stores. Normally they only double up to $.60, so this is a treat. There are many $.75 coupons out there, which will double to $1.50, making some sale-priced items pretty cheap. I went tonight to the Bi-Lo at Ocoee Crossing in Cleveland and here are a few deals I found:

Vlasic pickle relish $1.57 less $.75 coupon I had gotten from a blinkie (automatic coupon dispenser in the aisles) somewhere recently = $.07 final cost (Mount Olive pickles are on sale for $1.09 after BOGO sale, but I didn’t have any coupons for that brand.)
Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice $1.95 less $.75 coupons I had gotten in the mail from Uncle Ben’s = $.45 final cost
Degree men’s deodorant $2.45 less $.75 coupon from recent Sunday paper insert = $.95 final cost
Lady’s Speed Stick deodorant $2.13 less $.75 coupon from insert = $.63 final cost
Colgate Kids toothpaste on sale $1.99 (reg. $3.29) less $.75 coupon from insert = $.49 final cost
Ball Park Original Franks $1.84 (BOGO, reg. $3.68) less $.75/2 coupon from insert = $1.09 per pack when you buy two
Ragu large size spaghetti sauce jars 45 oz $1.64 (BOGO, reg. $3.29) less $.72/2 coupon from insert = $.89 per jar when you buy two

There’s some other good deals at Bi-Lo this week with sales and coupons that are not $.75, such as Smart Balance milk on sale for $1.99 (BOGO, reg. $3.99) less $1 coupon from insert = $.99. Check out other coupon match-ups from Southern Savers.

CVS Trip 4.4.11 Paid Net $4.32 for $57.48 Worth of Stuff

admin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:33:35 +0000

I had a fun trip to CVS today. I printed my shopping list from Southern Savers ahead of time. I broke it into three transactions so I could “roll” my Extra Care Bucks to pay for the next transaction. Before I began the first transaction, I had a free $10 gift card I got from filling a prescription and using a competitor coupon for a free $10 gift card plus I had $6 in ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks) from my quarterly rewards (they printed when I scanned my Extra Care Card at the price-check kiosk) plus I had $6 in ECB’s left over to spend from my last trip. Here’s the breakdown:
Transaction # 1 (This is part of their promo where you buy $30 worth of select P&G products-before coupons-and get back $10 in ECB’s)
Charmin $5.49 -$.25 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Cover Girl Lashblast Volume Mascara $6/ea -$2.50/2 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Tide $10.99 -$1 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Herbal Essences stylers 2/$5.49 -$1/2 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Less $5/$25 coupon CVS emailed me (get on their email list if you’re not so you can get coupons emailed to you)
Less $6 in ECB’s leftover from my last trip
Less $6 in ECB’s I earned from my quarterly rewards
Less $10 gift card I got for free from filling a prescription and using a competitor coupon
= $5.01 out of pocket
Got back $10 in ECB’s

Transaction # 2
Complete Multipurpose Contact Solution $8.99
Oral B Advantage Manual toothbrush $2.99 -$2 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Mentos Gum $.88 -$.35 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Less $10 in ECB’s earned in Transaction # 1
= $1.76 out of pocket
Got back $8.99 ECB for the contact solution and $.99 ECB for the toothbrush

Transaction # 3
Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse $3.49 -$2 coupon from Sunday paper insert
Then I got a bunch of gum because I needed to spend $5 more be able to use my $8.99 ECB from Transaction # 2
Less $8.99 ECB’s earned in Transaction # 2
= $1.04 out of pocket
Got back $2.50 ECB’s for Crest rinse

In the end, I spent $7.81 out of pocket, but took home $3.49 in ECB’s, so a net cost of $4.32. If someone had bought everything pictured above with no coupons or ECB’s or gift cards, it would cost $57.48 plus tax.

Rite Aid and CVS Highlights 2.13.11

admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:33:44 +0000

These deals are good through Sat. Feb. 19, 2011. Here’s what I got on Sun. Feb. 13, 2011. Thanks to Southern Savers for the Rite Aid deals list here and CVS deals list here. If you want to learn how to shop drug stores to get stuff for free or cheap with coupons and sales, register to attend the free coupon workshop at First Baptist Church in Cleveland, TN coming Tues. Feb. 22, 2011 from 7:00-8:30 pm. The link to register is in the middle of the church website at www.clevelandfbc.com.

Rite Aid – paid $2.97 for $20 worth of stuff

Transaction # 1

Dove Deodorant $2.00/ea

less two $2.00 coupon from Sunday paper insert

= $.39 tax for the total out of pocket

plus I got back $2 in UP rewards for buying two Dove deodorants

Transaction # 2

Colgate $3.50/ea

less two $1.00 coupons (one from All You magazine, one from a Sunday paper insert)

less $2 UP rewards I earned in Transaction #1 above

= $3.67 out of pocket

plus I got back $3.50 in UP rewards (not sure why I didn’t get back two $3.50 UP rewards)

Transaction # 3

Axe deodorant $4.50/ea

less BOGO coupon (took $4.50 off)

less $3.50 in UP rewards I earned in Transaction #2

= $1.88 out of pocket

plus I earned $3.00 in UP rewards to use on my next trip

So my net total all together was $2.97 (for about $20 worth of stuff) if you include the final $3 in UP rewards I earned. My net would have been $0 plus profit if I had gotten back the 2nd $3.50 in UP rewards on the toothpaste. Maybe I got a flavor that was not included in the promo or something.

CVS – paid $9.34 for $25.56 worth of stuff

Transaction # 1

Colgate Sensitive $3.79/ea

less two $1.00 coupons from Sunday paper inserts

= $6.32 out of pocket (which I put on a CVS gift card I got free with a competitor coupon for filling a new prescription at CVS recently)

Plus I got back $7.58 in ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks)

Transaction # 2

Huggies Pull-Ups Night Time $8.99/ea (on sale, reg. $11.99/ea)

less two $2.00 printable coupons

less $7.58 in ECB’s from transaction #1 above

= $7.02 out of pocket

Plus I got back $4.00 ECB’s to use on my next trip

So my net total all together was $9.34 for about $25 worth of stuff (if you include the final $4 in ECB’s I earned.)

Bi-Lo Highlights 2.13.11

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:43:28 +0000

I’m a little late getting my Bi-Lo shipping trip highlights from this weekend posted. The sale ends Wed. Feb. 15, 2011. My favorite items on sale (Thanks, Southern Savers) and with doubled coupons were…

Hefty garbage bags (reg. $5.49) were $2.74 after BOGO, less $.55 coupon (doubled to $1.10) = $1.65
Campbell’s tomato or chicken noodle soup (reg. $.99) were $.49 after BOGO, less $.40/3 coupon (doubled to $.80/3) = $.22/ea

KMart Double Coupons Feb. 13-15, 2011

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:34:36 +0000

It’s not near as exciting as it used to be since all the rules have gotten more strict, but I thought I would share my scenario from today. Note: not all Kmarts are participating, so call your local Kmart to find out if they are. They double coupons up to $2 (so a $2 coupon doubles to $4) as long as you have a “Shop Your Way” rewards card (which is free) and purchase at least $25 (before coupons) of groceries or drugstore merchandise. Limit five doubles per customer per day. At first it sounds pointless to try to get some good double-coupon deals since you are required to spend $25, but here’s what I did…

I picked out two bottles of contact solution since those are expensive and something I needed to buy anyway and then found some items that would be free after doubled coupons. My total before coupons was $28.78. My total after coupons was $14.78, so the way I look at it, I spent less than I would have if I paid full price for two contact solutions and got everything else for free. PLUS, I got a catalina (coupon that spits out at the register after you pay) for a free $10 gift card with any new or transferred prescription. Here is the breakdown if you are interested:

Clear Care $9.79 less $2 coupon, doubled to $4

Aquify $8.99 less $2 coupon, doubled to $4

Skintimate cream shave gel $2 less $1 coupon, doubles to $2 (I found just this scent was on sale for $2)

Gillette shower gel $4/ea less $2 coupons, doubled to $4

CVS Trip 2.6.11

admin — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 02:30:54 +0000

I love CVS deals! Below, I got $22.96 worth of stuff (before tax) for $7.25 out of pocket. Not my best trip, but hey, I’ll take 68% savings. If you want to learn how to go “CVS-ing” come to the free coupon class at First Baptist Cleveland on Feb. 22, 2011. Details here.

Transaction 1:

Tums $3.99

Trident Layers $.99

Less $1.00 printable coupon for Tums

Cost: $4.47, Got back $2.99 in ECB’s (Extra Care Bucks – $1 for enrolling in the Beauty Club on my last trip; $1 for buying Tums; $.99 for buying Trident Layers)

Transaction 2:

Wisk 32 loads on sale BOGO ($8.99 reg, so $4.50 ea; Note: you do have to buy two of a BOGO deal at a drug store unlike a grocery store)

Less two $2.00 coupons from Sunday paper insert

Less $2.99 ECB’s earned from transaction #1

Cost: $2.78

Total Out of Pocket (OOP) Cost for both transactions: $7.25 (less than the cost of one of the bottles of laundry detergent)

Publix and Bi-Lo Trips This Weekend

admin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:42:22 +0000

Here’s a few of my favorite deals I got at Publix and Bi-Lo this weekend. Each item pictured below cost me less than $1, except for one item. Remember, their sales run Wednesday through Tuesday. Publix doubles coupons up to $.50 and Bi-Lo up to $.65. You do not have to buy an even number if a product is BOGO (buy one get one free) because they will each ring up half-price. You can stack a store (or competitor) coupon and a manufacturer coupon on the same product.

If this is all foreign to you, but you’d love to learn more about how to get the most out of coupons to save money on your groceries, come to the FREE coupon class at First Baptist Church in Cleveland, TN Tues. Feb. 22, 2011 from 7:00-8:30 pm. You must pre-register for the class here.

Publix (Thanks Southern Savers for the sales and coupon match-up info here and here.)

Knorr sides reg. $1.29, on sale BOGO, so $.64/ea, less $.50/2 ($.50 off 2) coupon from Sunday paper insert, which doubled to $1/2 = $.14/ea
Krusteaz muffin mix reg. $2.59, on sale BOGO, so $1.29/ea, less $.50 coupon from Sunday paper insert, which doubled to $1 off = $.29
Success Boil-in-a-bag rice reg. $2.29, on sale “Buy Theirs Get Ours Free” (get Publix store brand free reg. $1.89), less $1 coupon off Success rice from December All You magazine = $1.29 for both boxes of rice (or $.65/ea)
Marzetti’s dip, reg. $3.49, on sale BOGO, so $1.74/ea, less $.50 coupon from Sunday paper insert, which doubled to $1 = $.74

Bi-Lo (Thanks, Southern Savers for the sales and coupon match-up info here.)

Fruit 2 O 6-pack reg $3.99, on sale BOGO, so $1.99/ea, less $.55 printable coupon, which doubles to $1.10 off = $.90/ea 6-pack (or $.15 per bottle)
Chi-Chi’s 12-pack flour tortillas reg $1.69, on sale BOGO, so $.84/ea, less $.50 coupon from Sunday paper insert, which doubles to $1 off = FREE
Chi-Chi’s 16 oz salsa reg. $2.69, on sale BOGO, so $1.34/ea, less $.50 coupon from Sunday paper insert, which doubles to $1 off = $.34
Emerald nuts reg. $4.99, on sale BOGO, so $2.49/ea, less $1 coupon from Sunday paper insert = $1.49