Coupon Craze!

Okay, so I have been using Southern Savers to coupon for about 4 weeks. I gave couponing a trial run two years ago after Eli was born using some different sites and it was a lot of work. I still spend a chunk of time printing and compiling coupons and lists, but I am getting much quicker.

This week I had some great success at CVS and Walgreens. Amy, my sister, finally decided to join me in the coupon craze and this was a good week to do it at CVS.

CVS:
Transaction #1:
BUY:
Celsius Green Tea: $7.99
2 packages of Pretzel M&M's @ $0.50 each: $1

USE:
$2 off Celsius Green Tea printable coupon
B1G1 free Pretzel M&M coupon from newspaper

Total Due: $6.49
Get Back: $8.99 Extra Care Bucks to use on next purchase ($7.99 from tea and $1 from M&M's)

Transaction #2:
BUY:
Huggies diapers: $8.99
Gillette Fusion razor: $9.97

USE:
$2 Gillette Fusion coupon from newspaper
$1.50 Huggies coupon from newspaper
$2 CVS coupon good for Huggies diapers (printed when I scanned my card.)
$8.99 Extra Care Bucks from last order

Total Due: $4.47
Get Back: $8 ECB's ($5 from razor and $3 from diapers)

Transaction #3:
BUY:
2 bars Yardley soap @$0.99 each: $1.98
1 3-bar package of Ivory soap for $0.99: $0.99
3 packs of Expo markers for $1.99: $5.97

USE: $8 ECB's from last purchase

Total Due: $0.94

CVS Pretax Total: $11.90 after coupons.

I think if I wouldn't have used the coupons or ECB's it would have been about $37. The diapers alone are usually $11.99 at CVS. I am so excited that Expo markers are on sale this time of year. I am stocking up for the school year now because they are usually $5 per pack!

Walgreens:
Transaction #1:
BUY:
Colgate Total Toothpaste: $3.49

USE:
$0.75 Colgate coupon from newspaper

Total Due: $2.74
Get Back: $3.49 Register Rewards to use on next purchase

Transaction #2:
BUY:
2 Head and Shoulders shampoo @ $4 each: $8

USE:
B1G1 free Head and Shoulders coupon from newspaper
$3.49 Register Rewards from last purchase

Total Due: $0.51
Get Back: $1 Register Rewards

Transaction #3:
BUY:
Dawn: $0.99
Penway Erasers: $0.29

USE:
$0.25 off Dawn coupon from newspaper
$1 Register Reward from last purchase

Total Due: $0.03

Walgreens Pretax Total: $3.28

I think I did pretty good at Walgreens considering I don't usually coupon there. The total without coupons or Register Rewards is about $13. I was going by to pick up some pictures and looked at the add for school supply deals. I noticed the toothpaste "freebie" deal and scoured the newspaper adds to see if I had coupons for anything else. I started buying the Sunday paper June 27, so I have the coupon inserts back till then. Super Savers tells you which date the coupons came out so they are pretty easy to find. I don't cut them up and sort all the coupons like I used to because it took SO much time!

All in all a good couponing day and I have a partner in couponing now. Amy and I are going to set up couponing dates each week. Yay! FUN TIMES!