it's been a while. . .

well, it's been a while since i posted anything, even longer since i've posted about any deals i've gotten. . . i figured it was time i finally got back to cvs, so after TWO MONTHS of not going or even bothering to check their ads, i got up off my lazy pregnant butt and found some pretty great deals. so here i go. . .

1) 3 packs of 4 AA duracell batteries, 1 pack of AAA duracell batteries ($5 off duracell cvs coupon). saved $5, paid $17.29; got 15 ecb's.
2) 2 crest 4.2 oz. prohealth whitening toothpaste ($1 off coupon for each tube); 1 right guard deodorant (75 cent off coupon), 3 soft & dri deodorants (had 55 cent peelies on each one, yay!). used ecb's from previous purchase. saved $25.14; paid $0.14; got 14.98 ecb's.
3)10 candy bars (on sale 2/$1), 6 suave body wash (on sale 3/$5), 3 suave deodorants (on sale 3/$5), 2 cover girl mascaras, 2 cover girl eyeshadows (4 coupons, each for $1 off any cover girl product; deal on these was buy cg mascara, get eyeshadow or eyeliner free), 2 chapsticks, 2 pen-size hand sanitizing spray, 3 orbitz gum 14-ct. packs (coupon printed from previous transaction for buy 2, get 1 free orbitz). used ecb's from previous purchase. saved $43.96, paid $30.18.

here's a picture of today's spoils:

so, in total, i saved $73.10 and spent $47.61. that means i saved just over 60% on $120.71 worth of stuff. happy day! :)

dang it though - i just was looking at my receipt and it seems for my 2nd transaction, i ended up LOSING money! grr! i had $18.94 worth of stuff, but $19.95 worth of coupons, if you include ecb's. ugh! i lost a dollar that i could have used to buy something else. . . poop on them for not telling me and double poop on me for not noticing! :*(

ultrasound!!!!! :D

ok, so i went for my first ultrasound today and it was AWESOME! :) we got to see the baby moving all over the place, as well as hear the heartbeat (171)! i'm measuring right on schedule, so that's good to know, and there is DEFINITELY only 1 baby in there. i had to put that in print for all the nay-sayers out there. :P anyways, everything looks good and the baby is doing well. here are the pictures they gave me b/c i know everyone is dying to see! :)

next ultrasound will be in december sometime - hopefully the liitle one will cooperate and let us see if it's a boy or girl! we're hoping girl, but would love another boy too - send all your pink dust our way!

cvs again!

ok, so dh decided to help cash in on the savings, so we got him a card too. . . i wasn't sure if it'd work, but it did, so happy day! so, between the 2 of us, here's what we got--

dh: 1 trip to the register - 5 bottles propel (1 liter), 2 crest pro-health rinse (250 mL), 1 adidas men's deodorant. used 75 cent off coupons for the mouthwash and $1 off for the deodorant. paid $14.29 and saved $8.45. got back 11 ecb's. (saving them for another trip to the store)

me: 2 trips to the register--

1) same as dh's trip, only i also used a $2 off $10 cvs coupon (they were suspicious about it and weren't sure if it was legit, so dh didn't wanna push it by trying to use one too). i paid $12.15 and saved $10.45. got back 11 ecb's.

2) 1 bottle selsun blue, 2 vaseline intensive care body lotions, 3 reese's fast break bars. used $1.25 off coupons for lotions, plus another $2 off $10 cvs coupon. also used all my ecb's from the previous order paid 8 cents, saved $18.17. got 1 ecb to use next time. :)

here's my stuff--

we did pretty well, imho. we have $12 between the 2 of us that we can use next time, and we got stuff that we'll definietly use in the future. :)

triple coupons = happy evelyn!

ok, so this weekend harris teeter is tripling coupons worth up to 99 cents! i've spent the past week getting organized for this and it's paid off! i still have to go back for a few more things, but i did very well today. i thought their policy was that you could only use 20 coupons at a time, but you could go through the line as many times as you like; however, it turns out that you're limited to 20 coupons per household per day at each particular store. . . i found this out on my 5th trip through the checkout. oh well. anyways here's what i got and how much it cost--

1) 4 mrs. dash marinades, 10 canisters oatmeal (18 oz.), 8 lipton/knorr sides, 10 oz. bottle french's worchstershire sauce, 1 box pillsbury brownie mix. used these coupons, all of which were trippled: 75 cents off mrs. dash marinades (4), 50 cents off quaker oatmeal 18 oz. or larger (10), 60 cents off 2 knorr sides (4), 35 cents off french's worchestershire sauce, 40 cents off pillsbury brownie mix. oatmeal was on sale 2 for $3. i paid $7.99 and saved $51.25.

2) 4 betty crocker cookie mixes, 2 pillsbury reduced sugar cake mixes, 2 pillsbury reduced sugar frostings, 10 packs always pantiliners (20 ct.). coupons: 40 cents off betty crocker cookie mix (4), 40 cents off pillsbury reduced sugar cake mix OR frosting (4), 50 cents off any always pantiliner (10). i paid $6.84 and saved $21.50.

3) 1 smart balance cooking spray, 2 hungry jack pancake mix (32 oz.), 17 g.u.m. toothbrushes. coupons: 50 cents off any smart balance product (1), 55 cents off any hungry jack pancake mix or syrup (2), 75 cents off any g.u.m. toothbrush. i spent $3.92 and saved $43.05

4) 8 boxes quaker chewy granola bars, 2 boxes nature valley granola bars, 10 bottles dawn direct foam, 8 cans ortega diced green chilies (4 oz.). coupons: 75 cents off any 2 boxes quaker chewy granola bars (4), 50 cents off any nature valley granola bars (2), 50 cents off any dawn direct foam or dawn simple pleasures (10), 75 cents off any 2 ortega products (4). the quaker granola bars were on sale for 2/$4. i paid $25.45 and saved $70.19.

5) 4 hunt's snack packs (4-packs), 10 wishbone italian salad dressings (8 oz.), 8 pillsbury crescent rolls (4 oz. packages). coupons: 30 cents off any 2 snack pack products, 60 cents off wishbone salad dressing (thee were specific dressings, i just got the cheapest one allowed by the coupon), 35 cents off any pillsbury crescent roll. snack packs were on sale 5 for $5. i paid $ 5.86 and saved $31.32.

in all, i spent $51.06 and saved $217.31. i got $268.37 worth of stuff, meaning i saved 81%!!!!! VERY happy evelyn! here's a picture--

the best part is that now we have a really good supply of non-perishable foods in case we ever need to live off what we've got in the house. i'd been feeling the need to have food storage for the last few months and was worried we wouldn't be able to fit it into our budget, but we have! we have enough stuff in there that i feel ok about not buying stuff for it every paycheck now. i'd like to get some more protein items in there, maybe a few more fruits and veggies, but it's sufficient for survival and that's what's important.

when i'd finished putting things away today and was looking at it, i got all teary-eyed! it surprised me. . . it feels good though, to have done something so simple to be prepared and to know that we've followed the prophet's counsel. and since i won't be buying as much stuff for our food storage now, our grocery bills should decrease dramatically - and that'll help IMMENSELY. we want to start paying on my student loans before they begin to collect interest, and this is gonna be a huge help it getting us there. i know it won't get paid off before i start earning interest, but every little bit will help.

the kmart here is also running a special till next weekend - they're doubling coupons worth up to $2! i went the other day and was pretty happy w/ my "purchases". . . i put it in quotes b/c i didn't pay anything. . . i got 4 bottles of dove conditioner and 1 bottle of sunsilk gel, but w/ the coupons i had, i ended up owing nothing. it was pretty sweet. i'm planning to go back again, maybe this afternoon. . . i'm hoping they've restocked their pert plus b/c those will be free as well. . . and they have cascadian farms frozen veggies for $2.23, but w/ my coupons for $1, when they double, i'll only pay 23 cents per bag! happy day! anyways, i'm pretty excited about all the deals that i've gotten this week. . . i probably won't post about the rest of the stuff i get, but you get the idea. when i go back to harris teeter tomorrow, i'm planning to get 3 boxes of smucker's uncrustables, 2 packages of dannon activia yogurt, and 2 tubs of land o lakes margarine. . . at kmart, i'll get whatever i can for less than $10 total. . . it'll probably be mostly toiletries and frozen veggies, but that's ok. . . anyways, my hands are starting to hurt and i should get some lunch into myself and trevor. . .

hit cvs - it's been a while. . .

ok, so it's been a while since i've seen any deals on anything we needed and had coupons for AND had the money for me to get extra stuff, but i finally got back to cvs. i did really well this time! here's what i got--

1) 5 right guard xtreme, 6 progresso soups. 5 coupons for $1 off right guard, plus 3 peelies for 55 cents each; 3 coupons for 50 cents off 2 cans progresso soup. (right guard got $2 ecb each; soups were b1g1) paid $16.83, saved $29.56. got $10 ecb.
2) 10 tubes colgate toothpaste (various types, i just got what they still had on the shelf), 10 lady speed sticks (also various kinds, again, i got what was available). 10 coupons for 75 cents off colgate; 10 coupons for $1 off lady speed stick. (colgate toothpastes and mennen deodorants on sale b1g1). used $10 ecb from previous purchase. paid $6.51, saved $54.80.

it totaled $23.34 out of pocket w/ a savings of $84.36! so i got $107.70 worth of stuff! :D and we'll SO never have to buy toothpaste again! (b/c in addition to what i bought today, we already had like 15 or 20 tubes at home. . . ) anyways, here's my haul--



also, i was kicking myself afterwards b/c i had $4 off $20 coupon for cvs at home, plus the $2 off $10 you can print off. . . poo. . .

new house

ok, so i finally got around to taking pictures of our new house to post. . . here you go!

front yard--

living room--

dining room--

kitchen (still messy b/c i don't have enough cabinet space to put everything)--

trevor's room--
(from doorway)

(from corner w/ chair)

trevor's bathroom (love, love, love the shower curtain!)--

master bedroom/bathroom (sorry about the mess, i took these in the midst of my hurricane packing panic)--

there's also the 3rd bedroom, but it's still a mess w/ boxes that have yet to be unpacked. it'll be the new baby's room when spring comes, so once it's done, i'll post pictures of it too. . . but that probably won't be till after new year's. . .

not as great savings, but savings nonetheless

ok, so the things i got at cvs today weren't THAT great of deals, but it was mostly stuff we needed. jon hurt his back during pt today, so he wanted stuff to help it feel better. . . so anyways, i only made 1 trip to the register today b/c nothing i bought got ecb's, but whatever. . . here's what i got--

2 60-ct. boxes puffs plus tissues (on sale for 88 cents each, plus i had 25 cent off coupons)
2 20-ct. packages of cascade 2-in-1 action packs (on sale for $3.49 each, which is $3 off the regular price; i was disappointed here b/c i HAD coupons for these, but they expired a month ago. . . sad day)
cvs brand heat wrap 2-pack for backs (on sale for $3.99)
cvs brand 30-ct. nasal strips (like breathe right)
0.63 oz. tub tiger balm

i also had a coupon for $4 off a purchase of $20 or more, so i used that too. i spent $27.54, but saved $14.54, so not terrible, but definitely not my best either. oh well. . . they haven't had many good things on sale the last 2 weeks, so unfortunately, i haven't had much cvs-inspired fun. . . hopefully the week after next will be better. i'm actually kinda hoping next week's sales suck b/c i won't have time to get there most likely (b/c we're moving), but we'll see. if they have good deals, i'll find a way to get there anyways. :)

ok, so as always, here's a picture of my loot--

baby #2 on the way!

so we found out yesterday that i'm pregnant again! yay! i'm really happy that the timing on this worked out so well. we were hoping that i'd be able to get pregnant soon so that i wouldn't have to miss my brother's wedding at the end of may b/c i was too pregnant to fly. it'll work out well b/c i'm due april 19, so i'll have a baby somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks old by the time we need to get out there. also, if we end up being able to afford to go to hawaii for new year's as planned, i'll be done w/ my 1st trimester and the morning sickness i'll inevitably get. anyways, i'm really excited, as is jon, even though he's annoyed w/ the fact that we have to move. . . 2 bedrooms is fine, i just don't think any of us would get any sleep if we had to share a room w/ a newborn, you know? so yeah, besides that minor annoyance, we're both really happy and excited about this. we're hoping for a girl this time around, but i guess we'll have to wait and see.

anyways, for those of you who want to see, here's my pregnancy test; the 2nd line is faint, but it's definitely there--

holy coupons, batman!

ok, so i'm a little obsessed. er. . . ALOT obsessed. . . it's like a disease, really. i jumped in the recycling dumpster again this morning and TOTALLY hit the jackpot! my entire backseat was full of newspapers w/ coupon sections hidden w/in their folds, so i enlisted the help of some friends who are just as ill as i am to help me sort through the mess and we ended up w/ some AWESOME deals! b/c of this, i went to cvs tonight and saved SO much money! :) i only made 2 trips to the register this time. . .

1) 2 colgate toothpastes (on sale for $2.99 each) and 5 crest toothpastes (on sale for $2.49 each). i had a coupon for $1.50 off colgate, plus another for $1 off. for the crest i had 75 cent off coupons for each one. i paid $13.47 and saved $10.75. i got 11.5 ecb's (4 for the colgate, 1.5 each for the crest)
2) 18 dawn dish soaps (11 oz. bottle were on sale for 88 cents each), 9 pert plus (would have gotten more, but that's all they had; were on sale b1g1), 2 orajel training toothpaste (also b1g1). i had 50 cent off coupons for every bottle of dawn, $2 for each pert plus. those, in conjunction w/ my ecb's got me down to a grand total of $1.10. but here's the kicker: i have a mail-in rebate for $1.50 for the orajel, so it's like they PAID ME 40 cents to take all that away from the store!

here's my haul--

so, today i spent $14.57 (minus the $1.50 'll get back from the rebate), and i saved $90.68! i SO TOTALLY ROCK! i was so excited as we were walking out of the store, i couldn't stop smiling and giggling!jon totally thinks i'm crazy, but he's happy w/ today's little shopping trip anyways. happy day! :)

rite aid, walgreens, and cvs oh my!

ok, so i went deal hunting again this week and got better deals at some store than others. i still have a couple more places to hit. . .

ok, so first off, i'd never neeb to rite aid and i had an old circular (like a month old b/c i wasn't paying attention), sad day. i still got some stuff, but i ended up paying more for it than expected, as well as getting different things than i'd intended. i ended up getting 3 cans of pringles and 3 lady speed stick deodorants. . . i had coupons for them all, so like i said, i still got good deals, they just weren't as good as i'd expected. the coupon i THOUGHT i could stack was actually expired. sad day. . . anyways, i shredded the receipt before i had a chance to get on here and brag about the deals i got, so all i remember is w/ the pringles, i got 30 cents off 3 cans total (so it was like buying them at 89 cents each; the coupon that had expired was to buy them for 89 cents each, THEN i was gonna use this one to get them for 79 cents each. of well), and the deodorants were on sale for 99 cents each, but i had coupons for like, 50 or 75 cents off, i don't remember. whatever it was, i paid less than $5 total. . .

ok, so walgreens was a new experience for me as well. i did a little better there than at rite aid though. i got 2 boxes of fruity pebbles (they were b1g1, plus i had a coupon for $1 off when you buy 2), 5 boxes of kraft mac & cheese (stacked the walgreen's 69 cent a box coupon w/ a $1 off when you buy 5 coupon so it came out to 49 cents a box), 2 adidas body washes (on sale b1g1, plus i had a coupon for $1 off 1), and 3 oil of olay body wahses (on sale 3/$10, plus i had $2 off coupons for each one, so i got 3/$4 yay!). my total ended up coming out to $14.82, but i got $41.71 worth of stuff; that means i saved $26.89! yay! oh, and i have $3 in register rewards i can spend next time around!

cvs, of course, wasawesome as well, although i have to admit walgreens was the best deal this week. i made 8 trips to the register in 2 days. . .

7.31.08--
1) bandaid brand bandages 40 ct. i paid a whopping total of $3.20 and got 2 ecb.
2) clairol hydrience hair dye. on sale for $4.99, plus $1 off coupon and 2 ecb from previous purchase gave me an out of pocket total of $1.20.

8.1.08--
1) 4 3-packs of ivory bar soap. i paid $5.95 and got 2 ecb.
2) 2 40-ct. packs fo o.b. tampons. used 2 coupons, each for $1.50 off, plus 2 ecb from previous purchase. paid $10.46 and got 5 ecb.
3) 3 balmex (4 oz. size). used 2 coupons each for 75 censt off, and a 3rd coupon for $1 off, plus 5 ecb from previous pruchase. i paid $12.98 and got 6 ecb.
4) 1 e.p.t. 1-ct. pregnancy test. used $3 off coupon and 6 ecb from previous purchase. paid $5.23 and got 4 ecb. (only way to beat that price is to get the $ store ones. i was pretty proud of this purchase b/c it was like getting it for $1.23 after you factor in the ecb!)
5) 2 palmolive dish soap (b1g1), 2 flintstones vitamins (b1g1 50% off). used 2 coupons each for $1 off flintstones vitamins and 4 ecb from previous purchase. paid $7.22.
6) 24 ct. cvs brand ibupofen. at some point in all my transactions today, they printed me out a coupon for a free cvs ibuprofen up to $3.49, so this cost me absolutely nothing, not even coupons or ecb! :) i saved $3.39 here.

so, over the past 2 days at cvs, i spent $46.24 on $91.67 worth of stuff. i saved $45.43.

to date i've spent $96.00 on $220.82 for a total savings of $124.82!

jon thnks i'm crazy, but whatever, if i can get good deals this way. i'll do it! i'm still trying to get my hands on a few things from cvs, but i'll get there. later today i'm gonna stop at k-mart and target to take advantage of some deals they've got going too! :)