$$ recent savings $$

i've been blessed with some exciting savings opportunities lately!

i think i had my best CVS trip to date!!!

i bought $41.94 worth of products for only $1.35 out of my pocket.

here's the proof:

so how did i do this??

here's how (props to southern savers - as usual):

i bought all of these items in 1 transaction...

1 purex laundry sheets ($7.99)

... on sale for $5.99

... used $3 coupon (RP 8/15)

... got back $2 ECBs (paid $0.99)

1 zegereid otc ($12.99)

... on sale for $9.99

... used $4 coupon (all you magazine)

... got back $7 ECB (so i made $2.99 off this item)

1 crest prohealth toothpaste ($4.99)

... on sale for $3.49

... used $0.75 coupon (RP 8/1)

... got back $2.50 ECBs (paid $0.24)

1 glide prohealth floss ($4.49)

... on sale for $3.49

... used $0.75 coupon (RP 8/1)

... got back $2.50 ECBs (paid $0.24)

1 blink tears eyedrops ($9.99)

... on sale for $7.99

... used $1.50 coupon (printable)

... got $7.99 ECBs in return (so i made $1.50 off this item)

1 orbit gum ($1.49) - filler

... on sale for $0.99 (had to spend this to reach $30)

i purchased all of these items, then i:

- used my $5/$30 CVS coupon (emailed to me)

- used my $3 CVS coupon i received in honor of my birthday (emailed to me)

- used my $13.94ECBs from last week

total out of pocket = $1.35

and i received $21.99 ECBs in return!!

so now i can use my $21.99 ECBs & attempt to do this all over again next week by buying the products that are on sale, have coupons, & give you ECBs in return.

i have been trepidatious to try out coupons @ the grocery store but i finally did this past week. kroger was having an awesome mega event sale. i ended up spending less than $35 on over $89 worth of groceries!! praise the Lord!

with the upcoming arrival of our baby, i am striving to be all the more wise with our money and to save in areas that i can. i figure... if there are ways to save over 50% on groceries and even get paid to purchase some items, it's definitely worth my time & effort to learn how!

even in such a mundane thing as grocery shopping, you can give Him glory by being a wise steward of your money. that is my hope!

:) happy couponing!

best savings yet!

so i know a lot of you may not be interested in my couponing endeavors... but... i can't help but share my awesome week of savings! perhaps it will inspire you to save where you can. i am grateful for the Southern Savers website which i would be lost without. here is the snapshot...

Savings #1 = ~$79 in savings

Medco was doing a great deal of $10 off any purchase with only .99 cent shipping. this means, you could put $10 worth of items in your cart, use the -$10 off code and essentially pay .99 cents for shipping to get your items. you have to enter a new email address each time & luckily trent & i together have many many email addresses.

(props to medco... placed 4 of these orders on June 4th

& received those 4 orders today, June 9th)

so here is what i got:

(1) charged $3.07 for... tylenol allergy pills (24c) & neutrogena body wash (typical cost: ~$15)

(2) charged $2.47 for... aussie gigantic 33oz shampoo & normal conditioner (typical cost: ~$14)

(3) charged $2.96 for... 3 glade sense n spray refills (typical cost: ~$12)

(4) charged $1.68 for... neutrogena oil free moisturizer (typical cost: ~$11)

(5) charged $3.48 for... 2 large bottles of contact solution (typical cost: ~$20-30)

(6) charged $1.68 f0r... huggies ultratrim newborn diapers (36c) (typical cost: ~$13+)

... yes - this is my 1st official purchase for baby chambers!! crazy!!

Summary:

... Bought $95 worth of items (all which i needed!)

... Spent $15.61

Savings #2 = $80.11 in savings

Okay here is the rundown of my CVS success... definitely the best ever.

yes, all of these products = $84.23 (!!)

can't believe how much these items cost full price!!

(though i definitely used to pay full price for them!)

Transaction #1

(1) Bought these items...

Gillette ProGlide Razor ($10.99, on sale for $9.97)

6 Deodorants (4 degree, 2 dove) ($3.79-$4.79, on sale for $2.50 each)

2 Windex MultiSurface Cleaners ($4.29, on sale for $2.50 each)

2 Glade candles ($3.99, on sale for $2.50 each)

(2) Used these coupons...

-$4 off Gillette coupon

-3x $3/2 off Dove/Degree deodorant coupons

-$1.50 off Glade coupon

-2x $1 off Windex coupons

Used these ECBs (essentially, CVS gift card)...

7 ECBs + 4 ECBs + 4.99 ECBs + 3 ECBs = 18.99 ECBs total

*Total $ I gave the cashier: $1.73

***Total ECBs (gift card) I got back: 5ECBs + 5ECBs + 5ECBs = 15 ECBs total

Transaction #2

(1) Bought these items:

2 Old Spice Deodorants ($5.49, on sale for $3.99 each)

1 Old Spice Body Wash ($4.99, on sale for $3.00)

1 Venus Breeze Razor ($9.99, on sale for $8.99)

2 Dawn dish soaps ($1.99, on sale for $0.97)

(2) Used these coupons:

-$5 off purchase of $15

B1G1 Old Spice Deodorant

Free Body Wash wyb Old Spice Deodorant

-$2 off Venus razor

-$0.25 off Dawn dish soap

Used these ECBs:

5ECBs from Transaction #1

*Total $ I gave the cashier... $2.39

***Total ECBs I got back... $4ECBs + $2ECBs = $6ECBs

***TOTAL ECBs for my next purchase = $16ECBs***

Summary:

... Bought $84.23 worth of products

... Spent $4.12 out of pocket

... Have $5 rebate to send off

** Essentially, CVS will pay ME $0.88 for $84.23 in products**

... Received $16 ECBs for future use

wow. i praise the Lord for giving me the time to coupon & save $ as i can.

some of you may be wondering... what am i going to do with all of that deodorant?? well, we will use some of it, we will keep some for a "bed & breakfast" basket for guests, and as we increase our 'stockpile' we will most certainly give the surplus to those in need.

happy couponing!

coupons!

decided to start the year off with more of a system for couponing...

it's amazing how something cute can motivate you to get more organized and save $!

My endeavor

so. it's somewhat daunting writing a blog (let alone THE 1st). but here i go. 

why even write a blog? seems to be the trend that prego's start blogs. or families with 12 kids. or someone is going through a hard time or really exciting time. i don't fit into any of those categories... so why start this thing? it's just my feeble attempt of sharing what God is doing in my life - challenging myself to be more vulnerable, more apt w/updating people with life (ahem, leigh anne), more creative. 

so this is me. i dunno what this will look like but hopefully you will stay tuned to see :)

onto menial things...

i am totally jumping head first into this whole couponing endeavor. i never knew coupons could be so scary. yet somehow exciting (who am i??). so i dragged the JT along with me to CVS for my grand entrance into coupon world tonight (yes, he complained and was a grumphead the whole time -- and i tried to remind him, 'dude! i'm doing this so we can save $! so it's worth the 10pm, 1 hour long, chaotic run to CVS' - yeah, he didn't agree. i shall show him). so anyways. i wasn't 100% prepared for my grand entrance but i did manage to spend $15 oop (out of pocket) yet save $15 and earn $10 ECB (extra care bucks) - so i'm heading back there tomorrow in attempts to check out @ the (hopefully nice) cashier 3 times... yes... THREE. DIFFERENT. TIMES. so i'm not entirely insane, i promise. my written out agenda (don't make fun) is to buy lots of things and roll over my $10 ECB's into $16 ECB's w/negligible oop expenses. some things on the 'to buy' list: several shampoos/conditioners, hair color stuff, lotions, toothpastes, razors... so hey, if the plan works, i'll get all this stuff AND have $16 ECB to use for the next CVS shopping spree. i'll keep you updated on how i do... 

in other news. i [finally] purchased p90x. so i've been thinking about this program for oh... 4 months now i think... and more seriously so within the past week. and i turned on to 1 of my favorite channels (...qvc...) and they were totally selling p90x! it was cheaper than normal so it didn't take much for me to commit. i should get the whole thing next week and start it up... it is going to take sooo much intense work i can't even fathom it right now. but i'm looking forward to it. 

so i've got the disciplines of saving $ (coupons), working out/eating well (soon-to-be-p90x)... well might as well make it a full plate and add reading the bible in 90 days to all that, right? whew. i'm exhausted just trying to think of balancing all of this. but God is faithful and strong (mental pep talk). i am SO enjoying this whole 90 day plan - it's intense but it's really an awesome way of getting a broad overview of Scripture and seeing how things fit together. i'm halfway through 1 samuel (ka-chow to God!). 

alright its 2:22am and the JT has been getting onto me lately with how late i stay up... so i best be off. 

i'll be striving to jot down updates on coupon-mania, p90x-psychosis, and 90-day-bible-insanity... and more than all those boring updates, i hope to entertain a few with my random notes, comments, thoughts, etc. it shall be a journey in the least.

g/p/l    (grace/peace/love)