I headed to CVS this morning to film a new Watch Me Score! segment for WalletPop, and I had such a fantastic trip that I wanted to give you all a sneak preview of my savings!
I got everything you see here for . . . $15.55, including tax!!! AND I have $10 in ECBs from the P&G deal this week to spend on my next shopping trip.
I was lucky enough to find a stack of the Reinventing Beauty magazine inserts on the newspaper rack, so I was able to get all of the Fruitopia and Viologie shampoo and conditioner pictured free after coupons! Note that the coupons do state one per customer, which I did not realize prior to checking out. But the manager was gracious enough to make an exception for me this time.
Here’s what I got:
(3) Tide Stain Release Liquid at $4 ea. (reg. $4.49)
(3) Tide Stain Release Gel Packs at $4 ea. (reg. $4.49)
(1) Dawn Dishwashing Liquid at $1 (reg. $1.99)
(3) Mom’s Best Oatmeal at $1 ea.
(2) CVS AA Batteries at $2.99 (BOGO)
(6) Chunky Soup at $3.19 (BOGO)
(4) Cheerios Single Serve Bowls at $1 ea.
(2) Fruitopia Shampoo at $1.99 ea. (reg. $3.99)
(2) Fruitopia Conditioner at $1.99 ea. (reg. $3.99)
(2) Viologie Shampoo at $1.99 ea. (reg. $3.99)
(2) Viologie Conditioner at $1.99 ea. (reg. $3.99)
And here’s how I did it:
(1) $5/$25 CVS purchase coupon
(1) FREE Tide Stain Release coupon (from BlogHer)
(3) $1.50/1 Tide Stain Release (from various magazines)
(2) $1/1 Tide Stain Release (from in-store machine)
(1) $0.25/1 Dawn, exp. 10-31-09 (P&G 9/27/09)
(3) $0.75/1 Mom’s Best Naturals printable
(3) FREE Chunky Soup coupon (can’t recall where came from)
(4) $1/1 Cheerios printable
(4) $2/1 Fruitopia coupons (Reinventing Beauty Magazine)
(4) $2/1 Viologie coupons (Reinventing Beauty Magazine)
Retail price on everything before sales and coupons was $91.97! I paid just $15.55 (including tax) after coupons, and I received $10 in ExtraCare Bucks to use on a future transaction!!!
How did you do at CVS this week?
Janae
Tara- I adore your website and check it at least twice a day… thanks for all the time you take to educate us!
Don’t let this one comment slow you down… you’re GREAT!
Geo
The Fruitopia and Viologie products were a higher price in my local store. They were busy prepping for CVS VP visit so there were a lot of managers and employees. I asked one manager about the price. He said the sale price was probably a regional deal, not applicable here. I did not do a price check. Also, I went to grab a couple of the Dawn hand essentials and use with the $1 coupon. However none were left. Manager said 1 person came in early the same day and cleared out the store. Now that is greedy. In fact, he said he ran to all surrounding stores for different products and they were all sold out. they did give me a rain check for the Dawn even though they had dozens of the other types. They were also nice enough to dig me out the Reinventing Beauty magazine from the back room.
Terri
Too bad some people have nothing but negative things to say about others, even when they don’t know what they’re talking about. Tara, I’ve gotten so many deals because of you, given to our local Homeless and Animal shelters because I “greedily” bought more than just one item; shared my “greed” with others so that my neighbors could put food on the table for their children while they focused on looking for work. And when I myself lost my job, my “greed” helped put food on my own table when I was in doubt that I would ever find another job. So to those who are so quick to criticize and judge, remember that the world is not about black and white but shades of gray. For what it’s worth…
lisette
thank you Tara for all the work!!! you make it really easy for a lot of us!…I have learned sooo much from you and other fine ladies like you that now I can share tips with family and friends! I just started so I dont have a big stock ..my only goal is just to stock up enough so I wont have to go running to the store during the winter time..I am so terrified of driving on the snow! Anyway I am sure by doing what you do you have received a lot of criticism and negative looks while shopping so I know you know how to take it .Ladies let just give a brake to the person who made this remarks too! I am not defending her but she probably just had a bad day/or experince, woke up on the wrong side of the bed who knows!..She rushed into conclusions yes! but everyone deserves a break.
Tara 100000 times thank you.You made possible for me to stay at home and my daughter to start on her cfgf diet.
Emily
I did the Tide deal this week, too – it was awesome! Especially since I really like that product and it is usually too expensive for our budget.
Melissa
Thanks for sharing this great deals. I’ll have to check my CVS more often for the beauty magazine..
Jeanie
Dang doesn’t take much to get all of you going does it? ROFL
Tracy
Does this beauty magazine cost anything???? What great savings! I LOVE your website and can’t thank you enough for saving my family of 5 so many savings.
Tara Kuczykowski
The magazine is priced at $0.99, and I typically find it on a rack in the cosmetics section. Stores often have loose coupon inserts from them laying around that are free though, and that’s what I found near the newspapers at my particular store.
Rachel
I really like it when you post pictures and details of your own shopping trips. I hadn’t seen anything about the Tide Release buy $25, get $10 ecbs. Your post helped me see it so I could use my $1.50/1 and $1/1 coupons and get six of the Tide and 1 Dawn for like $2.50. Really appreciate that!! Excited to try this new product. Whenever I buy Tide, I feel spoiled because it is so expensive. Thanks again and don’t get down by the negative comments. They are few and far between.
Faye
Honestly, Tara, this was the first website I found when I began couponing. I’m a newbie and have learned so much from you. Your honesty and integrity show through in all you do, especially in ethical couponing. I can’t believe someone would have the audacity to condemn you! You could have done multiple transactions, gone on different days, visited a different location–regardless, what you did was not “excessive consumption” and I am appalled. It raises my blood pressure when I see someone who is earnestly trying to help others get attacked on their own site. I thank you, wholeheartedly, for all you do with the best intentions. Please know how much you have helped me andmy family during this most difficult time and please don’t let the “few” ever bring you down. You are a Godsend for me as I struggle to keep from sinking. I have begun breathing again because I have a pantry with some food for my family, toothpaste, shampoo, and my kids are happy to have food from the supermarket instead of the food bank. So please keep up the outstanding work you do! We need you. I need you. Thank you.
Coupon mom in Ga
Dear DSM,
Thank you so much for sharing these great deals with all of us you do an awesome job!!! This is the first website I found about nine months ago when I started my coupon shopping and it is my favorite one!!!
Keep up the great deals!!!
God Bless,
Sue
Ann Young
I personally chose to limit my purchases to 4 of an item that is on clearance, on sale, and/or with purchased coupons. To me it feels like that allows others to take advantage of the bargain as well. It is disappointing to take my two babies in and out of their car seats, in and out of several stores, and to see empty shelves because someone is hoarding. My pantry stockpile is growing and I do not feel greedy. Many people fail to read the “for a friend” on a stash of coupons mailed to them. The companies mailing coupons did not intend for one person to purchase 8 boxes of cereal. I greatly appreciate what you do. You do not tamper with coupons or intentionally use them beyond their expiration or in another immoral way. You are an inspiration to many of us and I GREATLY appreciate your fessing up to your mistake (you are human, just like us). Many of us have accidently overlooked the one per customer/one per transaction note. There are “greedy” hoarders out there. I hope that they can follow the ethics of couponning and not mess it up for others. I enjoy being inspired and challenged by you.
denisse
Thank you DSM for all you do! You’ve saved us a lot of money!
Ann
I think that some people can just be absurd about what others do to find a deal.. I have a family of five, and everything I buy using coupons is stuff my family can use. I absolutely take advantage of free items that I can use when I find it. I do not call it greedy, I call it smart. What is the difference if you buy 1 at a time, and come back 3 or 4 times, or 4 at one time.. The stores are not loosing out on the deal as they are reimbursed for every coupon plu an extra 8 cents coming from the manufacture who has plenty of money.. I find people that complain about others doing this are being negative because they can.. I thank god there are deals out there to stock up on things as I need all the help I can…
Ann
I took advantage of a roling deal at Meijer a few months back on buying dole salad mix for free with coupon and ground beef and you get a catalina back for $3 off your next purchase. I got like 60 bags of salad mix for free and donated all of it to a food bank, and stocked up on the ground beef for my use. I get free things all the time, and am always donating things I cannot use to nursing homes, churches, and missions so others can use them. I do not call what I am doing as greedy, but more like helpful to others that are unfortunate..
Kristina
I love this site!! Thanks for the great deals!
Donna
Tara, I, too, just want to thank you for all you do. You have saved my family hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the year I’ve been visiting your site. I live in Michigan. Everyone I know has been affected by this economy either through layoffs, reduced hours, pay cuts, etc. With your help, I’ve been able to run my household on a much smaller budget and my family is able to have little treats they would not get otherwise. I’ve also been able to help out friends and family who have lost their jobs. Thank you again.
JUSW8TN
Awesome job Tara and thank you for the deals. You did great getting these items free to almost getting them free. Keep up the good work..
missy
I was wondering if you can settle a disagreement I am having with a friend of mine. When I figure my total out of pocket, I don’t include the register rewards or extra bucks I have remaining because I will use those towards a later purchase. My friend figures hers out including the rewards or bucks she received but then turns around and uses those same rewards or bucks on a subsequent purchase. I told her that her “total spent” figures were inaccurate because she is basically figuring in the rewards twice. Can you please settle this for me.
For example, this week at Walgreen’s, Halls were $1 with $1 register rewards. We both went in there and I had coupons for the Halls, she did not. I bought mine, but after my coupon, paid no money and got back $1 in register rewards. She bought hers, paid the $1 and got her $1 back. My out of pocket was $0, hers was $1. But she is adament that her oop is also $0, when you factor in the register reward she got back. Who is right?
jaime
I would think OOP means just that…when you open your wallet and take money out, you are paying money out of your own pocket to purchase the product. You are right, you can’t figure it twice, since your friend will use the RR at another time. Now maybe next time her OOP will be nothing, but for now I say you win.
missy
Jaime, thank you. My friend and I have a friendly “competition” going, and she always seems to get the BEST deals. But one day when we were discussing one of her shopping trips, she mentioned her money spent and then said “but when you figure in my extra bucks I got back, my out of pocket was only….”. I pointed out to her the meaning of out of pocket, but a heated discussion ensued and I dropped the subject. We both agreed to ask an “expert” and would abide by whatever they said.
Tawana
I just watched the video you did for walletpop.com and really enjoyed seeing a fellow CVS shopper like myself.
Some of the comments made on the Wallet Pop Blog kind of got under my skin. Unfortuantely, some of those bloggers do not understand the concept of using coupons. The store gets reimbursed for the face value plus an additional 8 cents which means they make more money when you use coupons.
Applause to you for your savy way of shopping. You Rock!!!
Tara Kuczykowski
I agree, Missy. Out of pocket is what you actually spend on that transaction. So if you pay with ECBs to reduce your transaction, that’s fine. It’s what you actually pay in cash or credit, but I would not count ECBs earned in that transaction on the current purchase.
Thanks, Tawana. It’s sad how downright nasty and rude some people can be. I’d hardly say we’re trying to scam anyone! We’re simply smart shoppers.