A Walgreens success!
5 free Coffee Mate creamers!
It took 3 Walgreens to find enough stock, but we made it. Following the advice and printable coupons from moneysavingmom.com, I was able to print 6 $1.50/1 coupons for Coffee Mate. (FYI, the $1/1 coupon leads you back to the 1.50 coupon and lets you print that twice again).
These were (are for the next hour if you're near a 24hr store) BOGO at $2.49 at Walgreens. You can use 1 coupon for each item, even though one is free, so they ended up both being free with $0.51 overage. Limit two, but I fortunately happened to have two friends with me. So, we bought 6 creamers, I got two candy bars (thought they were $0.89, but were really $0.50), they got a candy bar and two packs of gum (with a BOGO coupon they had). All of these total probably cost $1.25.
I bought these for my parents, who go through about 3 creamers a week anyway. Liquid creamer is not really something you buy for the food pantry... I would not have gone to the trouble if I didn't really think it would be used.
I must confess I have been somewhat turned-off by Wags lately, as it seems so much work to try and find a store that is not sold out of the free stuff. But, now I know that if I go the extra distance to the rich side of town, they seem to have more on the shelves! Poor rich people, they're too good to use coupons...
Don't forget your Sunday papers tomorrow!
Showing posts with label coupons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coupons. Show all posts
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Rebate Fun!-- good for newbies
We're up visiting my family for the weekend, and yesterday my mom and I just happened to have to go by Walgreens to pick up a prescription...
Mom has been following my couponing adventures through my blog and phone calls, and she was really excited to get all of her free stuff! We are both get in, get out, no extras kind of people, so there wasn't any danger of us picking up extra stuff just because it was nearby on the shelf. Following is a play-by-play, so if you're new to rebates this should be helpful.
As we came in the store, I picked up my papers, the circular, and the rebate book. Flipped through the circular; there were no fantastic deals that lined up with the rebates this week. (I knew this because I already knew what the rebates were. If you are a newbie you will likely want to go home and check it out, or resign yourself to only getting things for free and not getting two or making money this month).
Opened the rebate book to the center yellow pages and pointed out the first few that had the giant, red FREE next to them. We then went on a scavenger hunt for the items listed, making sure the size and price matched up. (Note: Found out from a cashier that at this particular Walgreens they had their rebate items in shelf-displays. I did not see where it said 'free after rebate' or anything, but knowing they were on displays makes them easier to find. Also, if you check out a display, it may behoove you to check the rebate book to see if it's on special.)
Checked out. She got $10 lip gloss, $10 foundation, $2 contact solution, $4 hair-spray-type-stuff, and 4 papers ($6). One $1 coupon (provided by the cashier who clips her coupons and brings them to work-- Thanks!) made the total after tax $32.98.
With the rebates, she'll get the full purchase price with a 10% bonus for getting it on a Wags GC. The rebate will come out to 28.56. I gave her $3 for my two papers. So, her total was/will be $1.43-- She didn't even have to pay for one of her papers if you look at it that way.
We came home and I had her log on to Walgreens.com, find the EasySaver Rebate section (which took some finding, but we got it), create an account (it's free), and enter her rebates.
She's very excited and looking forward to adding coupons to the mix as well. She keeps saying, "I'll never have to pay for milk again!" I like that.
Mom has been following my couponing adventures through my blog and phone calls, and she was really excited to get all of her free stuff! We are both get in, get out, no extras kind of people, so there wasn't any danger of us picking up extra stuff just because it was nearby on the shelf. Following is a play-by-play, so if you're new to rebates this should be helpful.
As we came in the store, I picked up my papers, the circular, and the rebate book. Flipped through the circular; there were no fantastic deals that lined up with the rebates this week. (I knew this because I already knew what the rebates were. If you are a newbie you will likely want to go home and check it out, or resign yourself to only getting things for free and not getting two or making money this month).
Opened the rebate book to the center yellow pages and pointed out the first few that had the giant, red FREE next to them. We then went on a scavenger hunt for the items listed, making sure the size and price matched up. (Note: Found out from a cashier that at this particular Walgreens they had their rebate items in shelf-displays. I did not see where it said 'free after rebate' or anything, but knowing they were on displays makes them easier to find. Also, if you check out a display, it may behoove you to check the rebate book to see if it's on special.)
Checked out. She got $10 lip gloss, $10 foundation, $2 contact solution, $4 hair-spray-type-stuff, and 4 papers ($6). One $1 coupon (provided by the cashier who clips her coupons and brings them to work-- Thanks!) made the total after tax $32.98.
With the rebates, she'll get the full purchase price with a 10% bonus for getting it on a Wags GC. The rebate will come out to 28.56. I gave her $3 for my two papers. So, her total was/will be $1.43-- She didn't even have to pay for one of her papers if you look at it that way.
We came home and I had her log on to Walgreens.com, find the EasySaver Rebate section (which took some finding, but we got it), create an account (it's free), and enter her rebates.
She's very excited and looking forward to adding coupons to the mix as well. She keeps saying, "I'll never have to pay for milk again!" I like that.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Couponing lesson learned
I guess you could chalk this up to a rookie mistake...
There are not coupons in every Sunday paper. I am fairly certain I knew that, but I got carried away in the couponing-mania of it all. So, on Sunday we bought two papers and, after extracting the Walgreens and CVS ads from one of them, threw them away. Disappointing? Yes. Lesson learned? Yes.
Next week I am confident there will be coupons again. I will, however, check my sources (currently couponmom.com) to be sure there are new coupons available BEFORE I spend 3 dollars.
There are not coupons in every Sunday paper. I am fairly certain I knew that, but I got carried away in the couponing-mania of it all. So, on Sunday we bought two papers and, after extracting the Walgreens and CVS ads from one of them, threw them away. Disappointing? Yes. Lesson learned? Yes.
Next week I am confident there will be coupons again. I will, however, check my sources (currently couponmom.com) to be sure there are new coupons available BEFORE I spend 3 dollars.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
And the results are...
I have the most wonderful husband in the world. Who else would take me to Walgreens at 9:30 at night because I had finally gotten my coupons and list together and didn't want to go alone?!
That said, I went to Walgreens last night to try out my couponing strategy. I chose Walgreens over CVS this time because some of the deals were slightly better (although they were pretty close to having the same ones...) and because the register rewards (RRs) at Walgreens do not expire whereas CVS ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs) must be used within 30 days. My list was composed of deals I found at couponmom.com and various blogs that list coupon deals.
I didn't come out with as much free stuff as I originally thought. This is in large part due to the fact that I left my list in the car! Here's what I did get, though.
Garnier Fructis mousse. Brought the wrong coupon, or I would have made a dollar off the deal.
free after rebate.
Revlon Creme Gloss. Had a $2 coupon from Sunday's paper, and the product is free after rebate.
$2 profit after rebate.
Glade Sense & Spray (two total). 8.99 each. A printable BOGO free coupon plus a $4 coupon from Sunday's paper, $3 rebate for each one.
free after rebate (or $.01 profit?).
Progresso Soup. 4/$5 in-ad coupon, plus two bricks printable coupons for $1.10 (you can print each coupon up to twice. If we had another computer that could print, I would have printed a coupon for each can).
$.70 each after coupons. Originally $3.19 each.
I will probably go back in a few days to pick up the other things that were on my list that I didn't get. They include free-after-rebate contact lens solution, F-A-R Themacare trial-size heat wraps, and a razor that has a $2 profit after RRs and coupon (the store didn't have any).
It looks like I pretty much broke even on my purchases last night. I entered my rebates online after I got home, so they are saved and even if I forget to submit them at the end of the month, Walgreens will do it for me. Very good for a procrastinator like me. They will send me a Walgreens gift card and the gift-card option has a 10% bonus.
So, even though we spent about $20 out-of-pocket (which I don't like), we will be getting about the same back, and gift-cards don't expire. Next month I'll be able to do it all again without any out-of-pocket expense.
That said, I went to Walgreens last night to try out my couponing strategy. I chose Walgreens over CVS this time because some of the deals were slightly better (although they were pretty close to having the same ones...) and because the register rewards (RRs) at Walgreens do not expire whereas CVS ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs) must be used within 30 days. My list was composed of deals I found at couponmom.com and various blogs that list coupon deals.
I didn't come out with as much free stuff as I originally thought. This is in large part due to the fact that I left my list in the car! Here's what I did get, though.
Garnier Fructis mousse. Brought the wrong coupon, or I would have made a dollar off the deal.
free after rebate.
Revlon Creme Gloss. Had a $2 coupon from Sunday's paper, and the product is free after rebate.
$2 profit after rebate.
Glade Sense & Spray (two total). 8.99 each. A printable BOGO free coupon plus a $4 coupon from Sunday's paper, $3 rebate for each one.
free after rebate (or $.01 profit?).
Progresso Soup. 4/$5 in-ad coupon, plus two bricks printable coupons for $1.10 (you can print each coupon up to twice. If we had another computer that could print, I would have printed a coupon for each can).
$.70 each after coupons. Originally $3.19 each.
I will probably go back in a few days to pick up the other things that were on my list that I didn't get. They include free-after-rebate contact lens solution, F-A-R Themacare trial-size heat wraps, and a razor that has a $2 profit after RRs and coupon (the store didn't have any).
It looks like I pretty much broke even on my purchases last night. I entered my rebates online after I got home, so they are saved and even if I forget to submit them at the end of the month, Walgreens will do it for me. Very good for a procrastinator like me. They will send me a Walgreens gift card and the gift-card option has a 10% bonus.
So, even though we spent about $20 out-of-pocket (which I don't like), we will be getting about the same back, and gift-cards don't expire. Next month I'll be able to do it all again without any out-of-pocket expense.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A couponing test
So, I've finally bitten the bullet. After years of subscribing to various 'coupon-maximizing' sites, I went to the store today and bought two Sunday papers. I've devised a plan to visit the local drug stores and buy a few things I need for next to nothing and a few things I don't (but will eventually use) because they will actually *make* me money in store credits. I don't want to give too many details yet, but rest assured that I will keep you posted on my deals and steals!
In other news, my husband and I are contemplating donating plasma for a little extra cash this month. I don't know how I feel about it-- selling your blood for profit seems almost demeaning. However, I am a firm believer in doing what you have to to provide for your family (provided it's legal and on the moral up-and-up, of course). If we both do it twice a week, we can make enough to pay March's rent. That's nothing to sneeze at, especially since the work I do next week as a sub won't pay until March 23rd.
Any thoughts on the above? What do you do in a financial crunch?
In other news, my husband and I are contemplating donating plasma for a little extra cash this month. I don't know how I feel about it-- selling your blood for profit seems almost demeaning. However, I am a firm believer in doing what you have to to provide for your family (provided it's legal and on the moral up-and-up, of course). If we both do it twice a week, we can make enough to pay March's rent. That's nothing to sneeze at, especially since the work I do next week as a sub won't pay until March 23rd.
Any thoughts on the above? What do you do in a financial crunch?
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