CVS & Walgreens 12/17/08

Well, I made my list of grocery items needed for the Christmas dinner I wrote about in my last post. With all of those items needed for the snack mixes, my list got quite long. I decided it might be a good time to take advantage of those $35.95 ECB I earned on my Thanksgiving shopping spree. I also had a great $5 off any purchase of $5 at Walgreens that I had earned during their "spend $25 (before coupons), earn $5 promo. So, on my lunch hour, I was able to hit both stores. Here's what I did:

Walgreens:
$4.98 - 2 Peppermint Mocha CoffeeMate Liquid Creamers (one for work, one for home)
$1.98 - 2 boxes of Turtles candy (for grandma's Christmas/Birthday)
$1.99 - 1 box Honey Nut Cheerios (we don't care for Cherrios in a bowl, but I'll find a recipe for some snack bars or donate to food pantry)
$2.50 - 1 package of Harry & Davids Chocolate Covered Bing Cherries (for Nick's stocking)
_____
$11.45
-$2.49 (BOGO Walgreens Coupon on the Creamer)
-$1.00 (printable coupon from the Coffee-Mate website)
-$1.00 (printable coupon from the Coffee-Mate website)
-$1.50 (Cheerios coupon that came out of Pampers package)
-$5.00 (Walgreens $5 coupon from last week's promotion)
______
$0.46 TOTAL OOP

While my CVS trip wasn't as good, I was able to get a good portion of my food list completed!
CVS:
$2.00 - Candy Bars (stocking stuffers)
$0.99 - Sierra Mist (for my lunch of leftover pizza)
$0.77 - CVS Basil (for the italian beef sandwiches!)
$3.99 - Lays Potato Chips
$0.00 - Lays Potato Chips (on sale BOGO)
$2.99 - Chex Mix (Decided to serve instead of Reindeer Snack Mix)
$2.99 - Chex Mix (Decided to serve instead of Reindeer Snack Mix)
$1.49 - CVS Carmel Corn & Peanut Mix (Decided to serve instead of Carmel Snack Mix)
$1.49 - CVS Carmel Corn & Peanut Mix (Decided to serve instead of Carmel Snack Mix)
$2.59 - CVS Apple Juice (Nick likes to sweeten his iced tea with apple juice?)
$6.00 - 8x10 Picture Frame (to frame our new family picture!)
$3.00 - 5x7 Picture Frame (BOGO 50%off) (Christmas Gift w/ family photo)
$6.00 - 5x7 Picture Frame (Christmas Gift w/ family photo)
$3.00 - 5x7 Picture Frame (BOGO 50%off) (Christmas Gift w/ family photo)
______
$37.30
-$35.95 ECB
_________
$1.35 TOTAL OOP

Once I started loading up my cart with all the stuff to make the snack mixes, I realized I was going to be spending more money, would have more work to do, and since I hadn't taste tested the recipes first, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money. I opted the safe, easy route of premade Chex Mix and premade Carmel Corn with Peanuts Mix.

I spent my entire stash of ECB and didn't earn any back, but I feel I was able to save from purchasing these items at the grocery store.

So, what's left on my list?
5 lb roast (for sandwiches)
2 envelopes of Italian Dressing Mix (for sandwiches)
16 hoagie rolls (for sandwiches)
jar pepporonccini peppers (for sandwiches)
provolone slices (for sandwiches)
lemon juice (to make lemonade)
apples (fruit tray)
strawberries or cherries (fruit tray)
pineapple (fruit tray)
grapes (fruit tray)
(I may find a premade fruit tray that would save time and money, we'll see!)
cream cheese (fruit dip)
marshmellow creme (fruit dip)
butter (just because!)
ice (yes, we buy ice! I know, it's easy to make, but not worth the hassle to me!)
I'm also going to make some iced tea & coffee, but I've got what I need for that.

Frugal Friday

My husband often ribs me about my couponing and deal seaking adventures. Want to know how I know he is really proud of me? I went to his work the other day and the women there were asking me how I do it. Apparently, even though he pokes fun of me in person, he's boasting about my achievements to his friends and co-workers. It makes me smile when I come home with bags of stuff for mere pennies and he wants details of each transaction. Well, wouldn't you know it? The other day he says to me "Hey, I've got something to show you that I think your frugal blog friends will find usefull!" Oh, ok... hmmmmm. So he pull up a post on one of the gun lover's forums he belongs to and shows me these videos:

6 Volt Battery Hack! You'll Be Amazed! -

12 Volt Battery Hack -

12 Volt Battery Hack! You'll Be Surprised... -

Crank Charge Your Batteries! -

So, there you go, frugal bloggers. I can't confirm or deny that these are true, but I thought it was funny that my darling husband wanted me to share this frugal find with you all.

Need to be more frugal? Find out what other bloggers are doing to be frugal over at Frugal Fridays by Biblical Womanhood.

Huggies Coupon Winner

And the winner is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2008-11-07 19:22:38 UTC

Congratulations Jennifer. I will be emailing you for your mailing address.

I'll try to do more of these, as it seems to be an easy way to brighten someone's day!

Thanks for playing along.

CVS Steal (oops, I mean DEAL!)

Sometimes I wonder how I ever lived without all these great blogs that taught me how to CVS. Yes, I'm using CVS as a verb. Don't laugh. Here was my most recent senario... done today on my lunch hour.

2.00 Reese Nutrageous Fun Size Candy Bars
2.00 Reese Peanut Butter Fun Size Cups
2.00 Kit Kat Fun Size Bars
2.49 Q-tips (375ct)
2.99 Desitin Ointment
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.79 Huggies Wipes (64 ct)
2.79 Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste
0.00 Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste (Buy one, get one free!)
0.99 Gold Emblem Candy (Dum-Dum Suckers) - we can get Addy "eat" these!
0.99 Gold Emblem Candy (Dum-Dum Suckers)
---------
$36.98 Subtotal (before taxes)
-$5.00 off of a $30.00 purchase (got from the price check kiosk when I scanned my CVS card)
-$1.98 off of two Gold Emblem Candy ($2.00 but adjusted down to actual price)
-$3.00 off wyb 3 Johnson's products (from recent coupon insert)
-$3.00 off wyb 3 Johnson's products (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off Desitin coupon (probably from some baby mailing?)
-$0.30 off Q-tips (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off wyb 3 Reese's fun size candy bags (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off Colgate Total (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off Colgate Total (from recent coupon insert)
----------
$19.70 Subtotal (before taxes)
-$10.00 ECB (earned from completing a CVS online survey)
-$2.58 ECB (earned from hubby purchasing 2 bags of Brach's candy corn on Monday)
-$2.00 ECB (can't remember what this one is from... maybe toothpaste?)
-$4.50 ECB (earned from quarterly spending)
----------
$0.62 Subtotal (before taxes)
$0.62 Sales Tax
-----------
$1.24 TOTAL OOP

EARNED $10.00 ECB for the Q-tips, Huggies, Desitin, Johnson's, Similac, or Gerber Deal (needed to spend $25 to earn $10).

Although I spent $19.08 in ECB, I was ok becuase these were items we needed anyways, and now I still have $10 to spend next time.

I had planned on getting 4 boxes of kleenex for $0.89 each - (4) $0.40 coupons, but they were all out. I also wanted to pick up the Excedrin that was on sale for $1.99 and use the $2.00 off coupon I have, but they were out. I'll stop by the CVS near my house and if they don't have it, I'll ask for a rain check so I can get them next week for the sale price and still use my coupons.
Luckily my new work cell phone has a calculator on it, so I was able to rework the deals in the store after they were missing items from my original plan.

Omaha Steak Burgers

For other frugal bloggers, you may already know about the craziness over at the Catherine Wheels blog about the $25 gift card to Omaha Steaks from GEICO. Well, I got my gift card code from GEICO and went through her steps, only to find a minimum purchase restriction of $100. I contacted customer service and they said they would honor the originial gift card without the restriction, I just needed to place the order by phone. I was able to order 12 - 4oz Omaha Steak Burgers (originally $32.99) for $3.xx. They were on sale for $14.99 + $13.xx shipping. Subtract the $25 gift card leaving the total OOP at $3.xx. That's just over a dollar/lb, delivered right to my door. Not bad!

Since I recieved the gift card code this morning, they have placed the restriction on the gift card email, so if you don't yet have your code, you won't be able to get this great deal, but for those of you who may still be attempting to get to the bottom of the process, just give them a call and ask customer service about it.

Toolin' Up Tuesday

Last week was fun - guest hosting for fishmama over at Life as MOM.

This week, I'm posting a day late because I was unable to use the internet yesterday - I had a field trip for work to Arthur, IL. It was a long day, but I got to visit Carstin Brands factory where they make cultured marble, solid surface, quartz, and granite counter-tops.

I'm back now and hoping that it's ok that I'm posting late.

The tool that I find very useful for sharing photos is Walgreens Photo. I can upload digital images from my computer/camera to the photo storage on the Walgreen's site. From this site, I can place an order to be printed and mailed to me or I can pick up from a local Walgreens in as little as 1 hour. The best part about this site is I can select prints and have them printed at the local Walgreen's near my parent's house. Mom can pick up photos on her way home from work. I can pay online or she can pay when she picks them up. You can also create a group so others can view your photos, add photos of their own, and order the ones they want. They offer many other photo gifts as well. We used their calendar product last year to create a custom calendar with photos of Addyson and her cousin Grace. We gave these as Christmas gifts to grandparents and great grandparents. We plan to do it again this year. I will be waiting for a Walgreen's coupon to come along, as this is the best way to make a customized, inexpensive, and well received Christmas gift.

Menu Plan Monday

I spent way more than my $40 budget at the store this week, $30 over to be exact, but I was able to stock up on things like pasta sauce, mac n cheese, "cream of" soups, and canned veggies. I think I'll have enough to last two-three months or more, which is great. That also included two boxes of trash bags and toilet paper, which I don't typically include in the budget. I also bought Addyson friendly foods this week, which is new for our family. She is starting to be more comfortable with foods, so I bought things that would be great for her to try. These things will last us a month or so.

Sunday: Grilled Italian Chicken & Veggie Foil Packets

Monday: Chicken Club Ring (pampered chef recipe)

Tuesday: Pork Loin With Apples (crock pot) carried over from last weeks menu
Wednesday: Lasangna

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Saturday: probably picking up something on the way home from JessieLeigh's house! We are going to be visiting her family's farm for the day.

Check out what's being served up by other bloggers at Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. She's doing a great giveaway this week, so join in the fun!

Menu Plan Monday

Well, week 2 of my participation in MPM and I have to admit, I'm sort of embarrased to share. This upcoming week, Nick is going to be gone for two evenings, so I will probably enjoy not cooking and eat PB&J or cereal for dinner - gasp! I know, but who wants to cook for 1 while caring for a 17 month old alone? NOT ME!

Well, because of this and the fact that he probably won't be hungry when he arrives back into town from Baltimore on Thursday night, and the fact that we didn't end up eating our planned menu from last week, it makes for a short and uninteresting week to share, but nonetheless...

Sunday: Sausage & Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Rolls

Monday: Grilled Steak & Baked Potato (rolled over from last Thursday)

Tuesday: Cereal

Wednesday: PB&J

Thursday: Frozen Pizza (no laughing!)

Friday: Chicken Fajitas

Saturday: Boneless Pork Loin with Apples (crockpot) and Mashed Potatoes

Not too shabby, considering I only spent about $30 on groceries this week! I'm going to be doing some apple recipes because we took Addyson to the apple orchard on Saturday. It was her first time there and we had fun. It was so cool out that morning, so we dressed warm, but it ended up in the 80s, so we were uncomfortably HOT!

Take a peek into the lives of others by seeing what they're serving up this week over at Menu Plan Monday hosted by I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Frugal Fridays

Run, don't walk to your nearest CVS.

Purex laundry detergent is on sale (orig price $5.99) for $2.99 and earns $1 ECB.

There was a coupon in Smart Source from Sunday 9/14 for Purex. It was $1 off when you buy two ANY Purex. I had two of these coupons. One from my paper and one from Nick's grandma's paper (she saves these for me each week!).

You'll need to print out a coupon from here at iheartcvs.com. Download the second one on the page (it's a pdf) and print it out (you can print black and white).

Go to CVS and buy 4 bottles of Purex (look for the ones that have 20% more in the bottle for an even sweeter deal). Make sure to hand over your CVS extra care card. Hand them the $2/$10 coupon first then the two coupons from Smart Source.

My total was less than the ECB I had to spend, so I threw in two candy bars that were 2/0.99.

I paid with a $5 ECB and a $4 ECB and $0.14 OOP. I earned $4ECB to spend on my next transaction.

So, I look at it this way, since I spent $9 ECB but earned $4 ECB, I'm out $5 ECB plus 14cents for 4 bottles of Purex and two candy bars. Not a bad deal at all.

Now if I could just get CVS to come put my clean laundry away for me...

Join in the frugalness over at Biblical Womanhood. Well, it looks like Crystal isn't hosting a Frugal Friday since they are working on the website, but feel free to click on the word "frugalness" above and see her past Frugal Friday posts.

Frugal Fridays

With all the great Walgreens deals going on, they added fuel to the fire with this COUPON for $10 off of a $40 purchase. I don't have a ton of time to put together senarios today since I'm home with Addyson alone today and we have a doctor's appointment to get to, but you can find plenty of great deals on recent posts by Money Saving Mom.

For more great Frugal tips, visit Frugal Fridays over at Biblical Womanhood.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to "T", husband of "J" - author of www.parentingthetiniestofmiracles.blogspot.com for helping me with my blog settings. Now you can actually see the blog post titles. He wasn't able to get rid of the huge date stamp at the top of each post, but it is so much better than it was before. THANK YOU "T"!

This past weekend was productive. Nick and I had date night on Friday... went to Hirosaki's (a Japaneese Hibachi Restraunt). It was fun and yummy. Afterwards we did our weekly grocery shopping at Meijer. Spent about $35, so that is great. The menu for this week looks good too!
Saturday: Fiesta Lime Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
Sunday: Meatball Subs (crockpot) and Macaroni Salad (it's a late working night for Nick)
Monday: Stuffed Green Peppers
Tuesday: Homemade Shake n Bake Chicken and Sweet Potato Suprise
Wednesday: Eggs, Bacon, Toast (it's a late working night for Nick)
Thursday: Grilled Steaks, Potatoes, and Onions
Friday: Nick won't be home for dinner... he'll be out with the guys, so I'll just have cereal or a sandwich or something.

Lunches consist of leftovers and yogurt.
Breakfasts consist of homemade muffins (we make a couple batches a week) and fruit.

Saturday we got up around 9 (yeah for Grin & Granddaddy keeping Addy overnight!). We worked out in the yard. Nick mowed and weed whacked. I cleaned out flower beds and cut back all the dead stuff on the plants. We've been very neglectful of our yard since Addy came along, so it was nice to get it taken care of. We also removed a VERY LARGE evergreen type tree that was too close to the house and overgrown. We removed 2 VERY LARGE bushes and 2 overgrown plants. The front of the house looks empty now, but Nick plans on moving a bunch of Hostas into the empty space. Since our neighbor trimmed out her front tree, the shade we used to have the Hostas planted in has disappeared. We need to get another Japaneese Maple to balance out the front and then we'll be all set for fall.

We are looking forward to the NICU reunion coming up this weekend. Can't wait to see old friends and finally meet those new online friends.

Thanks again "T" for your excellent blog services!

Coupon Management System

Check out this great blog I just found through MoneySavingMom.com. She's giving away a Coupon Management System just for posting a reply to her blog. Even if you don't win, you can purchase the system at COST!!! What a great way to start saving!