My First CVS ECB Deal and Why I Suck At Saving!

Last Tuesday I completed my first CVS shopping spree using coupons, matching up with sales, and getting Extra Care Bucks (ECB) back.

I have to say, I SUCK AT SAVING!

I used to be pretty good at it but since my kids have grownup I’ve definitely lost my touch I decided to get on the coupon shopping bandwagon and see what all of the savings are about. I have seen it written about all over the web and on TV but I just couldn’t bring myself to participate until now.

Since my husband is retired military we go to the commissary and groceries are almost half price at times so we didn’t really need to save money with coupons. And, the commissary has coupons right on the shelf next to products on almost every aisle so you don’t even have to clip them. And, since there is only two of us we don’t eat as much as when our kids were home. Of course, there are the cats and their treats to get and I have to make sure I have a supply of candy and chocolate in my drawer next to my computer or I wouldn’t have the strength to be online.

I wanted to see if I could come up with a simple system that wouldn’t require a lot of work and hours of preparation. I also thought that if I could get many of my health and beauty products for free then that could really add up. And then I could spend that extra money on fun stuff that we usually can’t afford. We would still shop at the commissary for the rest of what we need.

So, for my experiment I picked CVS. I just love CVS. I think it is because it is bright, clean, organized, and colorful – all of the things I value in life And, I also find the people to be super helpful in my local store. On top of that my local CVS just built a new building so it is ultra clean and shiny.

My friend, Treasure, is a mega coupon shopper and extreme stockpiler. Don’t know what those are? Well, you should visit her new Coupon Shopping blog. Treasure basically has a small convenience store in her basement made up of food and health and beauty products she has collected from shopping deals. Last night, while she was “trying” to teach me her saving system she said she doesn’t have to go shopping for another 10 months and she is going “freeing” at this point (only shopping to get free items).

Here is my first deal:

Very tiny but ultra powerful in the end

Vaseline Sheer Infusion $7.99
Gillette Fusion Power $9.99
3 Musketeers Fun Size Bag 11.0 oz $2.00
MilkWay Fun Size Bag 11.24 oz $2.00
3 Individual Reese Peanut Butter Cups 2-pk .89 each

Total: $23.76

For some reason I thought it totaled up to be $25 because the cashier took my $5 off $25 coupon I got from doing the CVS Flu Quiz. And Treasure assure me that my order did indeed add up to $25 or more of the cashier wouldn’t have taken my coupon. This is still available until October 5th so you should take advantage of it when you get the chance.

I also got a $3 off $15 when I went into the store and scanned my card at the kiosk. Treasure says that you need to scan you card when you go in the store because it often gives you coupons you weren’t expecting.

Then I had these coupons:

(3) .55 off Reeses individuals
$1.00 off 2 bags of Fun Size candy
$1.50 off Vaseline Sheer Infusion
$4.00 off Gillette Fusion Power

Total coupons: $16.15

Total paid for my order: $8.07

AND I got $12 ECB back that I can use to get more free stuff at CVS. And, it’s good for a month!

So how’s that for savings? I MADE MONEY! $3.93 to be exact.

Still too much work for me but if I find a system that is simple I might keep doing it. First step is to figure out where to get coupons without having to buy the newspaper each week. That might be a challenge but definitely possible from what I’ve read.

Oh, and I grabbed some $1.00 off any Garnier Nutritioniste product coupons. They had them in the makeup section on an end table that had samples of skin renew. Just look for Sarah Jessica Parker. I will save these babies for when a Garnier product is on sale and gives ECB back and I’m golden.

I have been entering sweepstakes and winning prizes for about 16 years now and I guess that tends to be my alternative to saving money with coupons. By winning things I can’t afford it seems to balance out. I have already won around $9,000 in prizes this year alone. But of course, you can’t predict exactly when and what you will win and with coupon savings and CVS deals you can pick and choose what you get AND you get your free swag now without waiting to win it. Either way you decide to spend your time you’re gettin’ something for free – oh yeh!