a rather long post

11. I'm about to go to bed.
BUT I've been wanting to post for a long time and now i'm finally getting around to it.

I went to publix like a week and a half ago and got roughly $60 worth for $19. I have the receipt around here but i'm just too beat to dig it out and post everything!

Last week I went to CVS and got 4 bottles of Glade Fabric & Air Refreshing Spray or w/e to start off my ECB [Extra Care Bucks - each week & month they offer ECBs on certain items.] For every bottle, you get $3 ECB. [limit 3] I bought four because I had two BOGO [Buy One Get One] coupons. Apart from them being on sale, I also got $9 ECB, and I'll get a $5 rebate from an SC Johnson promo for buying 3 of their products. I had the math all figured out when I bought them, but I will make $2 once I get the rebate. I also got those $9 ECB to use for the next offers that come up.

A couple of days later I went and got 10 Powerade drinks (the regular size/big bottles) and 10 regular canned pringles for free. There was a deal going where you get $10 ECB for buying $25 worth of P&G / Coke products.

10 Powerade @ 10/$10, 10 Pringles @ 2/$3.
Used 10 tearpad coupons found in the store to get $1 off when you buy powerade AND a can of pringles.
----- Total: $25 - $10 Qs - $9 ECB from previous trip = $6 + tax.
----- I got back $10 ECB which covered what I had paid out of pocket.

Usually I'm not going to do those kinds of deals because they rarely have coupons for coke products or anything that requires an amount such as a $25 purchase... BUT the drinks & chips will be used eventually, so no worries. It was worth it. If I had been shopping at CVS for a while already I probably would have had some more ECB to use to cover that $6. But I've just started, sooo... I didn't have a choice, lol.

I went to Walgreen's last week, too. One offer was $5 RR [Register Rewards... they're just like ECB from CVS, same concept.] for 2 nivea lotions or something like that... i don't remember. I got two items on sale and used two coupons. Paid like $3 and then got my $5 RR - so I MADE $2!

Yesterday, I went to Walgreen's after church and got Joint Juice - it's little packets you mix in water, like crystal light etc, but it's good especially for active people. It's regular $21.99 for a box of 30 (idk who in their right mind would pay that), but it's on sale for $10 AND you get $10 RR. I used my $5 from the last time I went and just paid $5 out of pocket. So technically I got it free, considering the register rewards I got.

I planned on spending a little bit to get this stuff going, but now I won't have to worry about that again. I have $10 ECB and $10 RR to use on the next set of deals that come up!

Today, I went to Walgreen's AGAIN (it's only 2 minutes from Samford, so is CVS... but I like the CVS in McCalla better I think). A couple of things I got included a bottle of the new Dove Men's Bodywash. It was $5.99 and got $6 RR for it. [that means it was freeeee] I had a coupon for $1.50 off any Dove Men's, so I MADE $1.50! Also got 4 3 musketeer bars... hahaha. With a store coupon they were .49 each, and I got $1.50 RR for buying 4. This isn't an advertised deal, it showed up at the beginning of the month then they took signs down, but it's going all month long. After the math, $1.96 - $1.50 RR i got = .46 or .12 each!

I did two other transactions. Used combined RRs I had (I had $10 worth considering a few other things I got too), I got ANOTHER Joint Juice, used the $10 rewards, and got $10 back.

Then I used THAT $10 to do the whole Dove + other things offers.
Got $10 back.

haha.

In short, I got 2 bags of stuff from there today for free and I still have $10 RR to use next time.
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Yeah, I know that's a long post. If you DID read it, sorry, lol. I'm going to keep it short and simple next time I do a post on this stuff, but it's hard to explain if you've never done it yourself.

I'm going to abbreviate most of the time, because it's just a lot easier.

Q = coupon

MM or Overage = Moneymaker; Anything that you earn money off of. (Ex: 1 Dove @ $5.99. Use $1.50 off coupon and get back $6 RR... you've made $1.50 - this is a moneymaker :P) Overage is the same thing...

RR = Register Rewards: Come from Walgreen's. They print up on separate sheets (if you buy 2 diff items that both offer RR, you will get 2 papers.) That makes them easy to use, because they're in smaller amounts. If I want to use a $5 RR I have, my total must be $5 BEFORE tax.

ECB = Extra Care Bucks: Come from CVS. Whatever you purchase that offer ECBs will be combined and printed at the bottom of the receipt (just tear it off).

Basic rules: #1) At CVS or Walgreen's you can only have as many coupons / RR / ECB as you have ITEMS. If I have three different RRs, I need to get three items. Same goes for one RR and two coupons - must have three items. You can toss in a "filler" such as a pencil (like .25) to add to the item total if you need to. In-ad coupons do not count in this rule, though.

#2) CVS always has limits on the amount of times you can earn ECBs from an item. (Like the Glade deal; Limit was 3.) Walgreen's, however, does not have a limit. BUT you cannot earn RR for the same item more than once IF it's all in one transaction. If I wanted to buy two bodywash and earn RR on both of them, I would need to split them up and buy them separately. Same goes for Joint Juice, and anything else like that. That's not so bad though, because you can do the offer as many times as you want while it's available.

#3) You can't use ECB or RR that you earned from a certain item to purchase that SAME item again. Ex: I bought 1 Dove Men's and got $6 RR. I can't use that RR to buy another Dove Men's. I have to use it on something else... [That sucks, too.] You'll have to figure out how to use it on a different item(s) to get more RR, to re-do the offer without spending your own money. *My plan is/was going back and forth between Joint Juice and the combination of the Dove & other items.

#4) Coupons are stackable. At 99% of the stores, you can use one manufacturer coupon AND one store coupon. But again, at stores such as CVS & Walgreen's, you gotta have the same number of items as coupons no matter what their source is. The only other store I've used them at is Publix, and they don't care. You can have one item and use 2 coupons. If you end up with overage, they will most likely change the price of the item until it becomes free. You won't get actual cash, just a free product; If I know I'm going to have overage, I'll throw in something else I need and that overage will count towards my total cost.

Rolling: This when you take an ECB or RR and use it to buy something that will produce more ECB or RR...

There is an expiration on both ECB and RR - be sure to use them, don't just put them away somewhere and forget about them.

I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something but I doubt you people care anyway LOL. In the case one of you might actually try "couponing," just ask me if you need help... :D

** OHHHHHHHHHHH, I found out the Dollar Tree in Hueytown sells Sunday papers for $1. Guess where I'm headed before church from now on? ;)

But if anyone can get a hold of free inserts or something let me know and I'll work something out with you. I already have a small stockpile of things LOL so i'll be able to "pay" you somehow haha.

I know this is such a boring post... hahaha.

don't have class til 1 tomorrow, but it's time for bed or i'll pass out.