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?
michelle
Just curious,why didnt you do three transactions with 3 $5 off $25 coupons?
Tara Kuczykowski
CVS asked me not to do multiple transactions in the segment, so I abided by their wishes.
anoo
Hey Tara,
i watched ur target trip video on wallet pop…..awesome!!! can’t wait to watch your CVS trip video…:)
abebebear
OMG! u r my new idol ^O^
Nichole
Awesome deals!
Nichole
Condo Blues
You win! You are the Coupon Queen!
Shannon
Great job! The Reinventing Beauty coupons beeped at me this week too – I didn’t realize they were limited to one per customer either. The cashier did an override, no problem. They have great customer service at CVS. :)
melissa
Do you have to buy the Reinventing Beauty magazine or is it free?
Robyn
I’m amazed…and jealous! I really need to figure this CVS thing out, haven’t had the guts to try yet! good job!
laraine durham
Amazing. You rock!
Jeanie
Maybe you should reread what you told everyone on your website below. Talk about being greedy!!! You say lucky but honestly I thought sites like this were for “SHARING” and not to be outright “GREEDY” by taking more than you should and then acting like the manager did you a favor. I think this is horrible and the fact that you openly admit it to everyone is even worse. People like you are the ones who keep others from missing out on the deals that are meant to be “ONE PER CUSTOMER” not “MANY FOR ONE” as you did.
YOU SAID: 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 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
Tracie M
Great score!! My CVS is always giving or having great deals.
They do have the best customer service I have ever had.The manager is patient and keeps his cool threw all the the many transactions I do at one visit.
Tara Kuczykowski
Um, wow, Jeanie — I think you misunderstood. I meant that I got all of the Fruitopia and Viologie in my photo for free. There were lots of coupon inserts still on the rack and the shelves were fully stocked, so there was plenty left for other shoppers. I always leave some on the shelves for my fellow deal seekers unless I stumble upon the very last one.
Cindy
I got what you really meant Tara and I think you did a great job on the shopping trip. Some how I doubt that your CVS only had 2 of each (shampoo & conditioner for each product). If they did, well then shame on them.
Great job and thanks for sharing.
Jeanie
My point was that the coupon stated “One” and that is all you should have gotten whether the manager want to do you a favor or not. I didn’t understand anything. You clearly took more than you were entitled to by using more than “one”
Tara Kuczykowski
Taking more than one is completely up to the manager’s discretion. I didn’t throw a tantrum and demand that he accept them all. He simply showed me the language on the coupon but said he’d accept them.
Sandra
Tara you did a great job and I don’t believe you did anything wrong. Thanks for sharing!
Brooke
Uh, greedy would be not sharing all these great deals with us. Thanks for all you do Tara!!!
jaimelynne
I got 3 Bounce Dryer Bars, 3 Tide Stain Release, and 1 Dawn Hand Renewal for $0.53, plus I got back another $10 in ECB! I used 3 $1 Bounce coupons, one $1.50 and two $1 Tide coupons, and one $1 Dawn, plus my $5/25 coupon and $12 in ECBs. I’m set for doing laundry for a while (wait, should I be happy about that?).
Tara Kuczykowski
I was hoping to get both Bounce Bars and Tide Stain Release, but the Bounce Bars were all gone. There will be more deals, though!
MoneyMateKate
Greedy = finding out that an RR for a “free after RR” product at Walgreens is rolling, and then you empty the shelves just because you can. I mean, who needs 50 bottles of Garnier Fructis shampoo, seriously.
In any case, what a great selection of useful stuff – and after the ECBs earned, the net cost was really only $5.55. And oh boy, if you’d been able to split that up into 3 transactions, you’d have scored a $10 MM – not easy to do with large quantities of Tide products! Often the only way I can “show off” like this is to get some of the weird or junky items on special, like ear rinses or 12 bags of toffee popcorn. Some things aren’t even easy to GIVE away.
jaimelynne
By the way, you are completely right as to using coupons at the manager’s discretion. I’ve had questions like that before; some managers will make you only do 1 per customer, others will be kind and allow for more. I feel that if you are still able to come back and do it more than once (like daily), it probably doesn’t make a difference as to how the coupon is used in the end. Either way I will accept what a manager has to say, and I don’t get mad if I can’t use more than one. As for taking multiple items, I always agree to leave some for others if things are marked for a weekly sale; however, when things are on clearance, it’s first come, first served. This past week I went to 3 Wags and purchased 13 nine packs of Charmin Basic. In my opinion, they must not be an item that generates sales in that store, so they are dumping the merchandise (at $1.09 per 9 pack), therefore the sooner they get rid of it the better. I did share 2 more packs with a nice lady in the 2nd store I went to, since she asked nicely. The same packs are selling for over $5 at Rite Aid this week.
Marcy Kennedy
Great job, Tara. I appreciate all you have shown and taught us. I love reading your blog and I follow it very closely. Thank you for “putting yourself out there” as a free service to each of us.
It’s allowed me to grow into a professional couponer and now I am able to donate so much to churches, needy families and food pantries because now I have an abundance :)
Greedy would be not sharing your wealth of information with us.
God bless you and think of all the people you ARE able to help.
I Heart Coupon Deals
It is absolutely the Manager’s discretion and I think that you could have possibly said, “No” but honestly that is kind of ridiculous especially since you only bought 2 or 3 of the items.
Definition of “GREEDY”, as you Jeanie state Tara aka DSM is: “Excessively desirous of acquiring or possessing, especially wishing to possess more than what one needs or deserves.”
The manager states they will allow her the amount of items she NEEDS. Obviously if she were buying in excess the manager would not have allowed it.
Please, I want to know the reason to verbally attack DSM in the comments section instead of personally contacting her in regards to this?
I know how much it takes to put a blog together, to do the deals and post about it. DSM you are doing a wonderful job and all your efforts are appreciated.
Should we stop to point out all your faults? Have a little “grace” dear DSM is only human.
I Heart Coupon Deals
BTW, Tara very nice shopping trip and “Thank You” for taking the time to show this to us. :)
Ashley
Tara, you rock! I love your website and I just want to say, thanks for all of your hard work.
Shannanb aka Mommy Bits
WOW Tara. You did great. I love buying and storing up items like Shampoo and detergent when I can find them on sale. Obviously I need to do my next CVS trip with you by my side!
Andrea
That is a LOT of stuff for $15! Go Tara! I think it’s great that you share so many good deals for us!
Meagan
I used the deals this week to build back up my stash of ECBs. I paid $12.90 out of pocket for $65.49 worth of items. And I now have $17 new ECBs to work with! =)
Meagan
p.s. Tara, you’re awesome, and we all appreciate the hard work and caring attitude you put into this blog to help other people save money. I don’t see how anybody could ever personally attack you or say such harsh things of you. Thank you for everything you do! =)