CVS Necessities for under $10

So I found myself needing a few items this week and I wanted to ensure I got them for as little as possible. Khloe's daycare asked me to send her in some sunscreen and when I sent in the Banana Boat Kids spray on kind they told me they weren't able to use any sunscreen in spray form  (UGH). So I was a little annoyed as sunscreen is on the more expensive side and there were several sunscreen deals at various stores these last few weeks that are now over. I checked the sales and deals at my two favorite stores, CVS & Rite Aid, and found I could get the best bang for my buck at CVS. I saw that I would be able to get the Oral-B Cross Action toothbrush refills for my husbands electronic toothbrush for FREE AND I saw that Pampers were on sale  AND that I could stack a Pampers coupon with a CVS coupon!!! Overall, I was able to get two toothbrush refills, a pack of Pampers Cruisers, a pack of Pampers baby wipes, and Neutrogena Wet Kids Sunscreen stick for $7.57 (retail value $36.36). Below are my two transactions. Remember I am FAR from an extreme couponer as I only buy items I need and/or that my family will use in the near future. All of my blogs will show you realistic ways to save on items you  essentially use everyday :)

Transaction 1

Bought: 
1 Oral-B 2pak Cross Action toothbrush refill @ $5.99 (on sale, originally $9.99)

Used:    
1 $3.00/1 Oral B- Replacement Brush-heads PG 7/27
$3.00 ExtraBucks from last week

Earned:
$3.00 ExtraBucks

Free and $.01 Moneymaker

Transaction 2

Bought:
1 Pampers Cruiser @ 9.00 (on sale, originally $11.99)

1 Pampers Wipes 56 ct @ $2.99 (on sale, originally $3.69)
 1 Neutrogena Wet Kids Sunscreen stick @ $10.99

Used:    
$2 off $10 Baby Diapers, Wipes, $ Toiletries CVS coupon (printed from coupon machine)

$1 off $5 Facial Cleanser, Lotion, Acne Care CVS coupon (printed from coupon machine)
$1.50 off 1 pack of Pampers Cruisers

Buy 1 pack of Pampers Diapers and get 1 Pampers wipes (up to 72 ct) Free  PG 7/27

$1.00 off Neutrogena Product neutrogena.com

$3.00 Extra Bucks from Transaction 1
30% off CVS coupon  (excludes sale items so it only applied to the sunscreen)

Earned:
$2.00 off  Neutrogena Wet Kids Sunscreen lotion or stick Ibotta rebate

So I essentially got all of 4 of these items for $7.57 when their retail value is $36.66

What's the Hype with Ibotta?

Okay so if you haven't downloaded the Ibotta app you need to do it NOW. I'll explain what it is, how you use it, and why you need it in this post.

So you can find Ibotta in you app or iTunes store. It allows you to redeem rebates for items you purchase at various stores. For instance I went shopping at the commissary on Saturday and bread and a gallon of milk were two of the items I bought. I was able to redeem a $1.25 rebate for both of the items using Ibotta.

• Find the store you shopped at.
• Click the item you purchased.
• Read a fact or watch a short ad to unlock the rebate.
• Scan the bar code of the item.
• Take a picture of your receipt.
• Submit and wait for your rebate! (It will usually post in a few hours)
• Once you reach $5 you can either transfer it to your PayPal account or redeem it for a gift card.

Since June I've earned $11.75 just from earning rebates on the items I already buy. Think this is something that will interest you? If so join my Ibotta team and earn team rebates in addition to the rebates you redeem! We can do this :)

Join my Ibotta team! It's a free app that pays you cash for buying your favorite products. http://ibotta.com/r/lrh67g

Freebies & a MoneyMaker at Rite Aid

I think I redeemed myself today after my disappointing Rite Aid trip on Sunday. I was able to get these 4 items pictured below for $3.68!!! THREE of the items were essentially FREE and 1 was actually a moneymaker!! My hubby will be happy with his new free razor :)

Rite Aid

Bought: (1) Crest ProHealth Mouth Wash @ $5.00 (sale price)
Used: $1 off Crest Mouthwash coupon P&G 7/6
Earned: $4.00 UpRewards

FREE!!!!

Bought: (1) Clear Scalp & Hair Shampoo (any type) @ $4.99 (sale price)
Used: $2.50 Clear & Scalp Hair Product RP 6/22
Used: $3.00 Clean & Scalp Hair Product Rite Aid coupon (adperks.com)
Earned: $2.00 UpReward

FREE and MoneyMaker!!!

Bought: (1) Schick Quattro Razor Refill @ $12.49
Used: $2.00 Schick Quattro Razor Refill SS 7/13


Bought: (1) Schick Quattro Razor @ $10.79
Used: (1) BOGO Free Schick Quattro Razor/Refill coupon SS 7/13

FREE!!!

Used: $6.00 UpReward (earned 7/13)

OOP: $9.68
Earned: $6.00 UpRewards

Retail Value: $33.86

A little disappointed at Rite Aid

So  I went into Rite Aid with my purchase mapped out. The goal was to minimize my OOP and maximize the number of UpRewards I would earn. I did get distracted by the fact that Revlon products were 40% off AND I had $8 worth of coupons for them (these items were not a part of my initial plan).  I essentially got the 6 items below for $2.06; however,being the couponing newbie that I am things did NOT go as I originally planned. I will explain below......

Rite Aid

Bought: (2) Revlon Color-burst Lip Glosses @ $4.79 each (40% off)
Used:  (2) $2.00/1 Revlon Lip Product from coupons.com
and (1) $4.00/2 Revlon products (RiteAid adperks coupon)

Bought: (2) Crest 3D White toothpastes @ $3.75 each (sale price)
Used:  (1) $1.50/2 Crest toothpaste coupon P&G 7/6
Earned:  (2) $3.00 UpRewards

Bought: (2) Oral B 3D White toothbrushes @ $3.75 each (sales price)'
Used:   (1) $1.50/2 Oral B 3D White toothbrushes P&G 7/6

*I thought I would earn another (2) $3.00 UpRewards for the toothbrushes based on the Rite Aid weekly aid BUT the at the end of the transaction the cashier explained that the Crest and Oral B were a part of the same offer AND there was a limit of ONE per wellness card. Needless to say I did not earn the (2) $3.00 UpRewards for the toothbrushes :(

Used: $7.00 UpReward (from a purchase last week)
Total OOP: $8.06
UpRewards earned  $6.00

So I essentially got the 6 items for $2.06

Retail Value= $34.54

8 Cover Girl items under $5

So ladies we all have days where we go for the next to nothing make-up look. For me that consists of mascara and lip gloss. Thanks to CVS and Rite Aid, this weekend I scored a sweet deal on some essential Cover Girl products. I was able to get 2 Lash Blast Mascaras and 6 Wet Stick lip glosses for $4.35.

Here is the breakdown: 

Rite Aid 

Bought: 6 CG Wet Sticks @ $1.49 each  (75% clearance item)  

        1 Carmel candy @ $.29 (this item is a filer so I could use my UpReward) 

Used: (2) $4/2 CG Lip product qs P&G  7/6 

       $1 UpReward (I earned this in a deal last week)

Paid: $.83 (taxes) 

CVS 

Bought: 2 Cover Girl Length Lash Blast @ $4.50 (50% clearance item)

Used: (2) $3/1 Cover Girl Lash Blast qs PG  7/6 

Paid: $3.54 

Total OOP: $4.35 

Retail Value: $54.22

If you have trouble following the lingo check out my previous post on some basic couponing techniques. Also, if you have any specific questions about these transactions leave a comment below.

Couponing 101

So a few people have asked how I coupon and where did I go to get started. The very first site I stumbled across was thekrazycouponlady.com and it still is my #1 go to site. Take some time to check out the page. They do a great job of listing deals at various stores,  showing you the breakdown,  AND providing links to printable coupons. In this post I will provide you with a few tips and lingo that should be helpful in getting you on your way to couponing. 

1. Chose one or two store to become familiar with. Sign up for their loyalty card and check out their weekly ads. I've become familiar with CVS and Target. I just recently began to explore Rite Aid. Keep in mind that in the beginning your out of pocket expense will be higher at stores since you are a couponing newbie. Once you get rolling and earning rewards you will be able to roll rewards into new deals to minimize your out of pocket expense and maybe even get some items for free :)
2. Purchase a small according folder for your coupons (save the binder and pocket sheets for when you are an extreme couponer lol). NEVER leave home without your coupon folder! There are always great deals lurking in stores when you least expect it. 
3. Sign up to have the Sunday paper delivered to you or purchase the paper every Sunday. The Washington Post had special that made the Sunday paper $.79  a week for a year. I took advantage of that. Also, harass friends and family members for their coupon inserts :) 
4. Check out coupons.com weekly for items that you have use for. You can often print these coupons 2-3 times on one computer. Remember photocopying coupons is illegal.
5. Use social media to your advantage. Search hashtags such as #couponing #cvs #riteaid #couponingcommunity to find deals that people across the nation have found.
6. Become familiar with your favorite store's coupon policy. Most store allow you to use one store coupon and one manufacture coupon per item. Some stores even allow you to uses coupons on BOGO deals when one item is free. 
7. When you are feeling comfortable explore coupon buying. Several people sell multiples of particular coupons for a small fee. The amount you will save using the coupons is often worth the small fee.  I've found these individuals on Instagram and they often use PayPal for payment. I haven't tried this BUT if I don't potty train my 16 month old in the next 2 month I'm going to stay buying diaper coupon sets.
8. Even though you may be able to use coupons to get an item for free remember that you will still have to pay taxes on your total prior to coupons. I wasn't initially aware of the "prior" part. 8) Lastly, a little advice.....I watch the extreme coupon shows and although they really inspire me to coupon, I am a realist. This means I only buy things my family needs, I know I will NOT have time to collect 100 coupon inserts from each Sunday paper weekly, nor will I stay at the grocery store for 10 hours doing 50 separate transactions lol. My couponing hauls are often small and very realistic! 

Coupon Glossary

BOGO-Buy one get one

catalina- coupons printed on or with your receipt. These can be uses on future purchase and are often store specific. 

coupon stacking/stack- using both a manufacturer and store coupon together.

ECBs- Extra Care Bucks are earned at CVS and can be used like cash for future purchase. You may use ECBs printed on your receipt for a separate transaction. 

filer- a low price item used to reach a particular total in order to trigger a deal manufacturer coupon- issued from a manufacturer and can be used at any store.

moneymaker- items that end up giving you a store reward or money after coupons.

OOP- out of pocket (how much your actually pay after coupons and not including any earned rewards).

P&G- Proctor & Gamble insert from most Sunday papers. So if you see "P&G 7/6", that means the coupon was in the Proctor & Gamble insert in the Sunday paper from Jul 6th. 

qs- coupons

RP-Red Plum insert from most Sunday. So if you see "RP 6/15", that means the coupon was in the Red Plum insert in the Sunday paper from June 15th. 

SS- Smart Source insert from most Sunday papers. So if you see "SS 6/29", that means the coupon was in the Smart Source insert in the Sunday paper from June 29th. 

stockpile- a collection of surplus items you have as a result of couponing. 

store coupon- a coupon that can only be used at a specified store. 

UP Rewards- are coupon like rewards earned at Rite Aid. These cannot be used immediately,  as they are not activate until 6am the day after your transaction. You cannot use partial Up Rewards, this means your total must exceed the amount of the UpReward in order to redeem it.