AMEX Gift Card Rebate - Sweet Deal

1. Go to CVS. There is a special promotion offer if you buy (3) $25 American Express Gift Cards.

•  Receive $10 ECB w/purchase of 3 ($25) AMEX GCs. Use these cards your self at any retailer that accepts AMEX or use as gifts.
• There is an activation fee of $3.95 per card x (3) = $11.85 - $10.00 ECB= $1.85 out of pocket.

2. Go HERE and print a $15 American Express Gas Card Rebate.

•  Results in a profit of $13.15.
• This rebate qualifies for purchases made until 12/31/08 and must be submitted before 1/22/09.

AttentionTargetShoppers.com
AdlibCorner.com
Coupons Rebates & Refunds

Free 5x7 or 8x10 at CVS

With all the pictures that everyone is taking during this holiday season, how about getting a free 5x7 or 8x10 at CVS? All you have to do is add a 5x7 or 8x10 print to your cart and enter the promo code ENLARGE. There is a limit of 1 promo per account and the offer is only good through December 24, 2008.

CVSing on vacation!

We are leaving in 3 hours for the airport, and unfortunately I just don't have enough time to head out in the snow to our local CVS, but FEAR NOT!  Because our destination hosts a number of CVSs, so either after our plane lands tonight, or tomorrow morning, I'm heading out to CVS...while on vacation!

Here's the magic that I plan to weave:

Buy 1 Benefiber Drink Mix 16ct: $7.29
Buy 1 Excedrin Express Gels 20ct: $3.99
Buy 1 Zantac 150 8ct: $4.99
Buy 1 L'Oreal HIP Metallic Eye Shadow Duos: $6.99
Buy 1 ThermaCare Neck to Arm Heatwrap 1ct: $2.49
Buy 1 Arm & Hammer Essentials Starter Kit: $2.99
Buy 1 Listerine Antiseptic 16.9 oz: $2.99
Buy 1 Right Guard Profession 1.8oz: $6
Buy 2 Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine Nail Color ($5.99 each): $11.98
Buy 1 Sleepinal 32ct: $8.49
Buy 1 Slimquick 2pk: $4.99
Buy 1 Zipfizz Energy 3ct: $5.99
Buy 1 Alteril Sleep Aid 30ct: $9.99
Buy 1 Halls Naturals 25ct: $2.59
Buy 1 EAS AdvantEdge bar 2.11oz: $1.69
Buy 1 EAS advantEdge shake 4pk: $7.49
Subtotal: $90.94
Use $2/1 Benefiber mfg coupon (-$2.00)
Use $2/1 Excedrin printable (-$2.00)
Use $1.50/1 Zantac mfg coupon (-$1.50)
Use $2/1 L'Oreal mfg coupon (-$2.00)
Use $1.50/1 ThermaCare mfg coupon (-$1.50)
Use $1/1 Arm & Hammer printable (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 Listerine CVS coupon (-$1.00)
Use $0.50/1 Right Guard printable (-$0.50)
Use $3/2 Sally Hansen CVS coupon (-$3.00)
Grand Total: $76.44 (use $65.68 stash of ECBs + $3.23 Moneycard)
OOP: $7.53 + tax (on CVS giftcard: balance will be $6.95)
ECBs returned: $7.29 (Benefiber) + $3.99 (Excedrin) + $4.99 (Zantac) + $6.99 (L'Oreal) + $2.49 (ThermaCare) + $2.99 (Listerine) + $2.99 (Arm & Hammer) $6.00 (Right Guard) + $11.98 (Sally Hansen) + $8.49 (Sleepinal) + $4.99 (Slimquick) + $5.99 (Zipfizz) + $9.99 (Alteril) + $2.59 (Halls) + $1.69 (EAS bar) + $7.49 (EAS shake) = $90.94

Profit: $14.50 + $90.94 of merchandise!

I'm not sure if I can take a picture of my haul, but time (and resources) permitting, I will try to at least stop by and let you all know how my vacation trip went.  I feel a tad bit silly CVSing while on vacation, but I really do enjoy CVSing, and vacation is all about enjoying your time!  As an added plus, maybe I can convert some family members to the religion joy of CVS!

CVS: what are you doing...?!

On my last trip to CVS, I received a $/$$ coupon at the end of my ECBs.  I had originally thought it was $3/$15, so imagine my surprise when I double checked this morning and it turned out to be a $5/$15!

My plan was very simple - buy 5 packs of Duracell batteries at $3 each, and get back $5 ECBs for having spent $15.  If only it was actually that simple.

When I went to check out, the batteries rang up at $2.99 each.  That's only a cent difference, but the problem though is that I would NOT be able to get my $5 ECBs because I would be five cents short of $15, and would have to buy ANOTHER pack of batteries.  Not cool.

After I pointed out that the batteries are advertised as $3 according to both the price tag AND the ad, the manager decided to take the creative path and have me buy 6 packs of batteries and then refund the 6th pack, just to force the system to print the ECBs.  Sounds complicated, but okay, whatever...he's the manager so he knows what he's doing.

Here's the rather confusing transaction breakdown:

Buy 6 packs of Duracell @ $2.99 each: $17.94
Subtotal: $17.94
Use $5/$15 CVS register coupon (-$5.00)
Use 2 $0.50 Duracell mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use 2 $0.75 Duracell mfg coupon (-$1.50)
Grand Total: $10.44 (use $3.99 + $3.45 + $3.00 ECB)
OOP: $0.20 tax (on CVS giftcard: balance $14.48)
ECBs returned: $5 (Duracell)

Return 1 pack of Duracell batteries: $2.99
Tax: $0.24
Total on CVS money card: $3.23

So, after all is said and done, I paid $10.44 in ECBs and $0.20 on my giftcard, and then got a refund on for $3.23.  My total expense
was $7.21 in ECBs, and I got back $5 ECBs.  That means I paid $2.21 for
5 packs of batteries - not too shabby!

Granted, if only the CVS system was right and rung the batteries up at $3 each instead of $2.99, it would have a lot less confusing, but I'm so grateful to my store for stepping up and making it work regardless. 

CVS results

I stopped by CVS today to do my one planned transaction, and not only did everything went exactly according to plan, I also happened upon a couple of treats. In the pharmacy section, they have a whole stack of CVS coupons for grabs. They look like the ones that come in the Beauty magazine, except that I didn't have to pay for these. Definitely a plus.

My second treat came at the end of my ECBs - I received a $3/$15 coupon good for the next 3 days! Since I didn't take advantage of the battery deal, I will probably be heading back to do that soon. My store doesn't have the coupon tear-pads, and I don't think I have enough manufacturer's coupons...but the $3/$15 will help and I need to get rid of some ECBs anyway.

Here are the details on my transaction today:

Buy 1 Powerade: $1.59
Buy 1 Theraflu Warming Relief: $5.99
Buy 1 Complete Eye Solution: $8.99 (December deal limit 2!)
Subtotal: $16.57
Use $2/1 Theraflu mfg coupon (-$2.00)
Use $2/1 Complete printable (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $12.57 (use $4.47 + $7.99 ECB)
OOP: $0.11 + $0.07 tax = $0.18 (on CVS giftcard: balance $14.68)
ECBs returned: $1.59 (Powerade) + $2.00 (Theraflu) + $8.99 (Complete) = $12.58
MIR returned: $3.99 (Theraflu purchase price minus $2 coupon)
Total return: $16.57 ($4.00 profit!)

Not too bad for a 5 minute trip, especially when you take into account the awesome treats that I picked up. And for once, everything that I bought at CVS is MUCH needed in this house. I'm nearly running out of contact solution, and I am STILL not over this monster cold bug thing. I have some resemblance of a voice, but the majority of my day is spent coughing and blowing my nose. Hopefully the Theraflu will help...!

CVSing for 12/7 - 12/13

Click here to check out my CVS results!

I skipped CVSing last week due to the mass chaos family gathering at my house, but honestly there wasn't really anything that great anyway. I am really starting to sweat the $86.51 ECBs that I have from Thanksgiving, since I will be leaving for a CVS-less land in 2 weeks. I'll worry about that though later. Here is the one transaction that I will be doing this week:

Buy 1 Powerade: $1.59
Buy 1 Theraflu Warming Relief: $5.99
Buy 1 Complete Eye Solution: $8.99 (December deal)
Subtotal: $16.57
Use $2/1 Theraflu mfg coupon (-$2.00)
Use $2/1 Complete printable (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $12.57 (use $4.47 + $7.99 ECB)
OOP: $0.11 + tax (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $1.59 (Powerade) + $2.00 (Theraflu) + $8.99 (Complete) = $12.58
MIR returned: $5.99 (Theraflu)
Total return: $18.57 ($6.00 profit!)

I'm going to poke around tomorrow and see if I can plan my scenarios for the next few weeks before we leave - if I don't see anything worth using up my load of ECBs for, I might take advantage of the Duracell and Hershey's deal. This week, buy $15 worth of Duracell Batteries and get $5 ECBs - a pack is $3 right now, so it'll come out to $2 a pack of batteries after ECBs. With the right coupons, it'll be down to $1.50 a pack. Not exactly free, but still acceptable.

And then there's chocolate - buy $20 worth of Hershey's Candy and get $10 back in ECBs. Worse comes to worse, it's ALWAYS acceptable to "blow" ECBs on chocolate-y goodness!

Thanksgiving haul at CVS

My Thanksgiving CVS haul didn't go too badly - $91 of stuff for $3.10 OOP with $71.24 ECBs left for next time!  That's a $12.09 profit, and of course, you can't forget the $91 of free stuff.  And no, I didn't get the pumpkin at CVS - I just wanted to be festive. 

Although things didn't exactly go as planned, it was still a successful run.  I am WAY behind on everything this week, so I didn't even work up my transactions under late Wednesday night.  We didn't make it out to the store until 9am (they open at 7am), but I guess 2 hours really make that much of a difference.  By the time we got there, they were already sold out of a lot of things.  This is depending on your area, of course, but if you haven't done your CVSing yet I wouldn't be too optimistic about things still being in stock. 

Here are my transaction details:

Transaction #1
Buy 1 Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation: $8.99
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health (4.2oz): $3.49
Buy 1 Colgate Total: $2.99
Buy 1 Aussie Hair Care product: $2.99
Buy 1 CoverGirl Smoothers pressed powder: $5.99
Buy 1 Bic Soleil Single Razor: $5.99
Buy 1 L'Oreal Colour Juice sheer lipgloss: $6.99
Buy 1 Sally Hansen max growth nail color: $3.79
Buy 1 Johnson's Soft Lotion: $5.69
Buy 1 Playtex Gentle Glide: $3.99
Subtotal: $50.90
Use $10/$50 CVS card scanner coupon (-$10.00)
Use $3/1 Maybelline mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Use $0.75/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$0.75)
Use $1.50/1 Colgate printable (-$1.50)
Use $1/1 Aussie mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 ANY CoverGirl mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal printable (-$1.00)
Use $0.50/1 Sally Hansen mfg coupon (-$0.50)
Use $3/1 Bic mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Use $1/1 Johnson's printable (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $28.15 (use $15.99 + $9.00 + $1.59 ECB)
OOP: $1.57 + $0.90 tax = $2.47 (on CVS giftcard: balance $15.49)
ECBs returned: $9.00 (Maybelline) + $3.49 (Crest) + $2.99 (Colgate)
+ $2.99 (Aussie) + $5.99 (CoverGirl) + $5.99 (Bic) + $6.99 (L'Oreal) +
$3.79 (Sally Hansen) + $5.69 (Johnson's) + $3.00 (Playtex) = $49.82

My Maybelline ECBs didn't print out, but apparently it's been happening to everyone the entire day.  In fact, the lady behind me had the exact same problem.  It's great that the store can now print missing ECBs on command, because I was able to use the $9 ECBs instantly.  Also, I forgot to fork over my Playtex $1/1 coupon, but the cashier was nice enough to let me lump it in with the next transaction.

Transaction #2
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health (4.2oz): $3.49
Buy 1 Colgate Total: $2.99
Buy 1 Aussie Hair Care product: $2.99
Buy 1 L'Oreal Colour Juice sheer lipgloss: $6.99
Buy 1 Philips universal remote: $6.99
Buy 1 CoverGirl Smoothers liquid makeup: $7.99
Buy 3 Gatorade ($1.49 each): $4.47
Buy 1 5hr energy drink: $3.99
Buy 1 Hersey's King size bar: $1.00
Subtotal: $40.90
Use $5/$30 CVS emailed coupon (-$5.00)
Use $0.75/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$0.75)
Use $1.50/1 Colgate printable (-$1.50)
Use $1/1 Aussie mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal printable (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 ANY CoverGirl mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 Playtex mfg coupon (-$1.00) missed from last transaction
Grand Total: $29.65 ($4.99 + $5.00 + (from last transaction) $3.49 + $6.99 + $9.00 ECBs)
OOP: $0.18 + $0.45 tax = $0.63 (on CVS giftcard: balance $14.86)
ECBs returned: $3.49 (Crest) + $2.99 (Colgate) + $2.99 (Aussie) + $6.99 (L'Oreal) + $6.99 (Philips) + $7.99 (CoverGirl) + $4.47 (Gatorade) + $3.99 (5hr energy) + $1.00 (Hersey's) = $40.90

CVS run - numbers review
Total Merchandise Total: $91.80
ECBs spent: $36.57 (on hand) + $19.48 (from today's transactions) = $56.05
Total OOP: $3.10
Total ECBs returned: $90.72
ECBs left for next time: $71.24

TOTAL SPENT (ECBs + OOP) = $59.15
TOTAL ECBs LEFT = $71.24
Total profit: $12.09

Technically, I spent absolutely nothing OOP since I paid with my $25 CVS giftcard.  When this giftcard finally runs out in March or something ridiculous, I plan on reloading it with $10.  It's a GREAT way to really put things in perspective at CVS.  It's a scary thought that I forked over $56.05 in ECBs to pay for everything today, but when you take into consideration that I've used the same $25 CVS giftcard since last month, it really puts things into perspective. 

Thankful for CVS

Here are my CVS transactions for Thanksgiving.  I'm about to head out the door to get them, but it's already been 2 hours since they opened so I'm a bit nervous.  Hopefully they have everything!!

Transaction #1
Buy 1 Complete Multi-purpose solution (12oz): $8.99
Buy 1 Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation: $8.99
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health (4.2oz): $3.49
Buy 1 Colgate Total: $2.99
Buy 1 Aussie Hair Care product: $2.99
Buy 1 CoverGirl Smoothers pressed powder: $5.99
Buy 1 Bic Soleil Single Razor: $5.99
Buy 1 L'Oreal Colour Juice sheer lipgloss: $6.99
Buy 1 Sally Hansen max growth nail color: $3.79
Subtotal: $50.21
Use $10/$50 CVS card scanner coupon (-$10.00)
Use $2/1 Multi-purpose printable (-$2.00)
Use $3/1 Maybelline mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Use $0.75/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$0.75)
Use $1.50/1 Colgate printable (-$1.50)
Use $1/1 Aussie mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 ANY CoverGirl mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal printable (-$1.00)
Use $0.50/1 Sally Hansen mfg coupon (-$0.50)
Use $3/1 Bic mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Grand Total: $26.46 (use $15.99 + $9.00 ECB)
OOP: $1.47 + tax
ECBs returned: $8.99 (Complete) + $8.99 (Maybelline) + $3.49 (Crest) + $2.99 (Colgate) + $2.99 (Aussie) + $5.99 (CoverGirl) + $5.99 (Bic) + $6.99 (L'Oreal) + $3.79 (Sally Hansen) = $50.21

The $1.50/1 Colgate printable is available after you sign up and go to the savings center - otherwise all you see is a $1/1.  The $1/1 L'Oreal printable requires that you register for the website and fill out their online look consultation thingy.  After you're done, it will be on your right hand side.  Don't worry, the whole process took about 2 minutes. 

Transaction #2
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health (4.2oz): $3.49
Buy 1 Colgate Total: $2.99
Buy 1 Aussie Hair Care product: $2.99
Buy 1 L'Oreal Colour Juice sheer lipgloss: $6.99
Buy 1 Bic Soleil Single Razor: $5.99
Buy 1 CoverGirl Smoothers liquid makeup: $7.99
Subtotal: $30.44
Use $5/$30 CVS emailed coupon (-$5.00)
Use $0.75/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$0.75)
Use $1.50/1 Colgate printable (-$1.50)
Use $1/1 Aussie mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal printable (-$1.00)
Use $3/1 Bic mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Use $1/1 ANY CoverGirl mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $17.19 ($4.99 + $1.59 + $5.00 + ($3.79 Sally Hansen from transaction #1))
OOP: $1.82 + tax
ECBs returned: $3.49 (Crest) + $2.99 (Colgate) + $2.99 (Aussie) + $6.99 (L'Oreal) + $5.99 (Bic) + $7.99 (CoverGirl) = $30.44

Transaction #2
Buy 1 Garnier Nutrisse Cleaning Towelettes (25ct): $5.99
Buy 1 Johnson's Soft Lotion: $5.69
Buy 1 Playtex Gentle Glide: $3.99
Buy 1 Philips Headphones: $6.99
Buy 3 Gatorade ($1.49 each): $4.47
Buy 1 5hr energy drink: $3.99
Subtotal: $31.12
Use $5/$30 CVS emailed coupon (-$5.00)
Use $1/1 Garnier mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 Johnson's printable (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 Playtex mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $23.12 (use $8.99 Complete + $8.99 Maybelline + $3.49 Crest ECBs from transaction #1)
OOP: $1.65 + tax
ECBs returned: $5.99 (Garnier)  +  $5.69 (Johnson's) + $3.99 (Playtex) + $6.99 (Philips) + $4.47 (Gatorade) + $3.99 (5hr energy drink) = $31.12

CVS run - number review
Total Merchandise Total: $111.77
ECBs spent: $36.57 (+$25.26 from planned transactions) = $61.83
Total OOP: $4.94 + tax
Total ECBs returned: $111.77
ECBs left for next time: $86.51

TOTAL SPENT (ECBs + OOP) = $66.77
TOTAL ECBs LEFT = $86.51
Total profit: $19.74

That's a $20 ECBs profit, not to mention the $111 of stuff that I will have.  Granted, I am a bit nervous about having $86 in ECBs, especially since I'll be on vacation in a CVS-less land for 2 weeks in December, but I think I once read about a vacation hold for ECBs or something.  Either way, it's too great of a deal to pass up.

Okay...we are on our way out the door!  Although I'm hitting the store 2 hours past opening, hopefully they will have everything left for me...!  Fingers crossed!

Mess of a CVS results

Technically, my CVS trip went according to plan, but that was not without a lot of work.  You can see my original plan here.

When there's a L'Oreal free after ECB item, I just don't even bother going to my favorite CVS anymore.  They just don't have it.  So this morning I headed out to the other CVS down the street.  I really don't like this CVS - the employees there ALWAYS give me a hard-time about coupons, and basically deny coupons on a whim.  Today was no different.

When I went to check-out with my two free Glade warmer peelie coupons, I was told that I couldn't use it.  The reason was that I was already getting the warmer for free, according to the package.  Never mind that right next to that pack was an identical Glade warmer and 0.71 oz refill - the only difference was that the other pack didn't say "free warmer" on the package and wasn't part of the ECB offer.  Otherwise, they were exactly identical. 

So I asked for my coupons back, and went on my merry way.  My plan was to call their 1-800 on Monday, but I had the $5/$30 that was expiring TODAY.  I headed 3 blocks down the street to my favorite CVS, but they didn't have the L'Oreal.  I couldn't exactly break up my transaction since I needed to reach the $30.  At least the cashier was really nice and told me as I walked in the door that they don't have any L'Oreal so I didn't have to bother grabbing everything.

But I HAD to use the $5/$30 coupon!  My deal would not be a mad moneymaker if I didn't use it!  So...I went back to the first CVS and bought the stuff anyway, without my 2 free Glade warmer coupons.  My plan was to buy it, and then call corporate on Monday.  Worse case scenario, I could just return them.  Well, as I was checking out I noticed that they had signs around the store that had the district manager's number on it.  I saved it to my phone and called it in the parking lot - I just wanted to get business hours, but to my surprise the district manager answered!

I explained my case to him, and he said that I should have been able to use the coupons.  He called the store on the spot, and I was able to get my money back.  However, the interesting thing is that he said coupons cannot be combined with any other offer because their system won't allow it.  He said specifically that if you use coupons on an ECB-returning item, the ECBs won't print.  He also said that you can't use a B1G1 coupon with a B1G1 sale.  Uh...WRONG.  I've spoken with corporate on BOTH of these matters, and you CAN use coupons on a ECB-deal item and use a B1G1 coupon with a B1G1 sale to get both for free.  Not to mention that I generally don't buy anything at CVS without a coupon, and my ECBs have always just printed fine.  Obviously I didn't argue this point with him, but I just find it rather sad that a company's own employees don't have their facts straight. 

So, here's what ended up happening:

Transaction #1
Buy 1 L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro Calcium: $15.99
Buy 1 Xantrex-3 Insta-shot 2pk: $4.99
Buy 2 Glade plugins warmer ($2.99 each): $5.98
Buy 2 Glade glass scents ($2.50 each): $5.00
Subtotal: $31.96
Use $5/$30 email coupon (-$5.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal moisturizer coupon (-$1.00)
Use B1G1 Glade glass scents coupon (-$2.50)
Grand Total: $23.46 (use $1.29 + $11.99 + $4.00 + $4.00 ECB)
OOP: $2.18 + $0.15 tax = $2.33 (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $15.99 (L'Oreal) + $4.99 (Xantrex) + $5 (Glade) = $25.98

Technically, this was still a small money-maker, but I just get so ticked when I go to lengths to make sure I'm following all of their policies and the coupon fine print, and I'm still denied.  It's a different story if I just made a mistake, but I DIDN'T and I spend a lot of time and energy to make sure I'm playing by the rules.

Transaction #1b (return)
2 Glade plugins warmer ($2.99 each): $5.98
Tax on 2: $0.48
Total CASH refund: $6.46

I was surprised at the cash refund, considering I used ECBs and a giftcard.  I even handed him the giftcard for the refund, but he just ignored it and pulled out cash.  Oookay...whatever.

Transacvtion #1c (re-purchase w/ coupons)
Buy 2 Glade plugins warmer ($2.99 each): $5.98
Use 2 FREE Glade Plugins warmer peelie coupon (-$5.98)
Pay tax: $0.48 (paid $0.46 cash from refund)

Technically, this whole return mess ended in my favor.  I spent $2.33 on a giftcard, and at the end of the day I had $6 cash.  And since the manager refunded and did a re-purchase on the Glade, they count towards my ECB-payout.  Right now, my receipt says "Amount Needed to Earn Reward: $3.04" on the Glade. 

Obviously, I'm not out to trick CVS or anything.  I would much rather my transaction have went according to plan.  For any CVS newbies out there, please do not get discouraged by my most recent experience.  This is the FIRST time such a huge mess happened to me - most of the time the biggest "mess" is that they ran out of stock.  Just know your rights as a consumer, know your store policies, and know your resources, and you will be fine. 

CVSing for 11/16 - 11/22

UPDATE: You can read about my CVS results here.

I'm on a roll! I'm early again with my CVS deals! Well, part of the reason that I'm early again is that I need to go on Sunday in order to take advantage of my $5/$30 email coupon that expires on 11/16. It's a decent week at CVS, and I'll have a chance to unload the $11.99 ECB or $9.00 ECB that I got last week. I despise having to hang onto high value ECBs like those.

We SO don't need more Glade stuff around the house, but it smells good and it's a nice little treat - especially when it's better than free. This week, get $5 ECB when you buy $10 of the following Glade products:

• Glass scents Decorative Air Freshener: $2.50
  B1G1 coupon expires 11/23
  
• Jar candles: $2.50
  $1.50/2 coupon expires 12/6
• Plugins Scented Oil Warmer: $2.99
  FREE warmer pink peelie expires 6/30/10
  
• Plugins Scented Oil twin refill packs: $3.99
  Buy 1 Refill, get a warmer free coupon expires 12/14, 1/31
  $1/1 green peelie expires 6/30/10

There are ALWAYS coupons out for Glade, so you should have no problem getting something for close to free. Or if you were one of the lucky ones like me to run into that awesome FREE warmer pink peelie, you'll actually end up with a small moneymaker. I got my peelies from a Walgreens Glade deal that I did a while back, but keep an eye out while you're at CVS - they could crop up there as well!

I'm only going to do one transaction this week, and here it is:

Buy 1 L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro Calcium: $15.99
Buy 1 Xantrex-3 Insta-shot 2pk: $4.99
Buy 2 Glade plugins warmer ($2.99 each): $5.98
Buy 2 Glade glass scents ($2.50 each): $5.00
Subtotal: $31.96
Use $5/$30 email coupon (-$5.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal moisturizer coupon (-$1.00)
Use 2 FREE Glade Plugins warmer peelie coupon (-$5.98)
Use B1G1 Glade glass scents coupon (-$2.50)
Grand Total: $17.48 (use $1.29 + $11.99 + $4.00 ECB)
OOP: $0.20 + tax
ECBs returned: $15.99 (L'Oreal) + $4.99 (Xantrex) + $5 (Glade) = $25.98

I will make a profit of $8.50, and walk away with nearly $32 worth of stuff! I love being paid to make my house smell clean. And since all the outlets are at doggie-level, they inevitably become doggy perfume/cologne too. I can't remember when I last gave them a bath, but they smell SO good...and that's just not natural, as much as Chloe wills it to be.

I'm going first thing on Sunday morning because I really don't want to risk them running out of the L'Oreal, and I will be sure to share how I do!

CVS $5 Charity Challenge: 11/9 - 11/15

I seem to be an early bird this week, so I've already done my CVSing for the week.  You can view my original plan here, and my resulting haul here.  But I'm still going to be participating in the $5 Charity Challenge, even though I won't be able to carry out the exact transactions.  The $5 Charity Challenge is a great learning tool and a great starting point for newbies.  I tend to plan my transactions to suit the coupons and ECBs I have on hand, and since my latest trip resulted in a $9 ECB and a $11.99 ECB, chances are I won't be able to do any less-than-$5 transactions anytime soon.  But time permitting, I will still try to participate in the $5 Charity Challenge for educational purposes.

Without further ado, here are my transactions:

Transaction #1
Buy 1 Listerine Cool Blue: $3.99
Subtotal: $3.99
Use $1/1 Listerine printable (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $2.99
OOP so far: $2.99
ECBs returned: $3.00 (Listerine)

Transaction #2
Buy 1 Glaceau Vitamin Water: $1.59
Buy 1 Garnier Fructis shampoo/condition/styling product: $2.99
Subtotal: $4.58
Use $1/1 Garnier mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $3.58 (use $3.00 ECBs)
OOP so far: $2.99 + $0.58 = $3.57
ECBs returned: $1.59 (Glaceau) + $2.00 (Garnier) = $3.59

Transaction #3
Buy 1 Listerine Cool Blue: $3.99
Subtotal: $3.99
Use $1/1 Listerine printable (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $2.99 (use $2 ECBs)
OOP so far: $3.57 + $0.99 = $4.56
ECBs returned: $3.00 (Listerine) + $1.59 (Glaceau from transaction #2): $4.59

I could keep going by buying a Crest ProHealth and another Listerine, but that would require me to go $0.45 over my $5 limit.  But, I'll also end up with $6.49 in ECBs...it's a tough judgment call.  You'll also need access to a second computer for just one more Listerine printable.  For you big spenders, here's the costly fourth transaction:

Transaction #4
Buy 1 Listerine Cool Blue: $3.99
Buy 1 Crest ProHealth: $3.49 (November monthly ECB deal, limit of 2)
Subtotal: $7.48
Use $1/1 Listerine printable (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $5.48 (use $4.59 ECBs)

OOP so far: $4.56 + $0.89 = $5.45 Scandalous!  $0.45 over!!!
ECBs returned: $3.00 (Listerine) + $3.49 (Crest) = $6.49

Merchandise total: $20.04
OOP spent: $5.45 (I'm such a big spender)
ECBs left over for next time: $6.49

Technically, I didn't go over, considering the last time I did the $5 Charity Challenge I only spent $3.98 and had $3 ECBs left over.  Not even counting my ECBs, that means I should have $1.02 to play with.  But either way, $0.45 shouldn't break the piggy bank.  But $0.45 can get a lot, considering I bought $28.54 of stuff for $0.47 OOP (on CVS giftcard) this week...read all about my haul here.  

CVS $5/$30 emailed coupon

Did you get an email from CVS this morning titled "Veterans Day Savings of $5 at CVS"?  Check your email, because it contains at $5/$30 printable coupon that's good until this Sunday (11/16).  Again, the offer is valid only for the intended recipient, which is why I have not provided a link to it.  But iff you get this email, it SHOULD contain the coupon considering the $5 savings is advertised in the title of it. 

$5/$30 isn't the best, but it's better than nothing!  There are a few great things at CVS this week, and my trip yesterday subtotaled at $28.54, and it wouldn't be too hard to pump that up to $30. 

Since this coupon is good until Sunday, don't forget that you can use it towards next week's sales as well!

CVS results!

The entire time I was going to CVS, I was sitting on pins and needles.  The last time the L'Oreal Revitalift deal came around it seemed like no one actually carried the product.  I guess they learned something from that fiasco and made sure all stores had enough. 

My transaction would have gone as planned, except that I forgot to factor in the free Glaceau Vitamin Water for $1.59 with $1.59 ECB returned.  Life is good though, because I just recalculated which ECBs I would spend and I ended up paying $0.06 OOP (and $0.41 tax) after all was said and done.

Here's the details on my transaction:

Buy 1 Garnier Fructis shine spray thingy: $2.99
Buy 3 Listerine Cool Blue ($3.99 each): $11.97
Buy 1 L'Oreal Advanced RevitaLift Anti-Wrinkle Serum: $11.99
Buy 1 Glaceau Vitamin Water (1 liter): $1.59
Subtotal: $28.54
Use $5/$25 CVS emailed coupon (-$5.00)
Use $1/1 Garnier mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use 3 $1/1 Listerine printable (-$3.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand total: $18.54 (use $18.48 ECBs)
OOP: $0.06 + $0.41 tax = $0.47 (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $2.00 (Garnier) + $9.00 (Listerine) + $11.99 (L'Oreal) + $1.59 (Glaceau) = $24.58

Not a bad haul, considering I made a profit of $6 in ECBs.  I'm a tad worried though, considering I am now the owner of a $9 ECB and a $11.99 ECB.  Hopefully there will be some AWESOME deals for Black Friday. 

CVSing for 11/9 - 11/15

UPDATE: The St. Ives printable will NOT work - it is for St. Ives Elements products, and the body wash that is on sale is NOT an Elements product.

Check out the results of my trip here.

Someone jot the date down, quick! I'm actually on top of my deal planning and have a CVS transaction BEFORE the sale week begins?! It's a historic moment, people.

I wish I could say that it was a historic moment for CVS in terms of deals, but it's not too bad. Nothing eye popping, but it's not pathetic either. I was one of the lucky ones to receive a $5/$25 email coupon that expires on Sunday, so I will be heading out Sunday morning. Sorry to all those of you who got the email but not the $5/$25! I guess maybe it was a local promotion?

The interesting thing though is CVS seems to be giving the L'Oreal Revitalift ECB deal another shot. This came by back in September, but I guess since a lot of people was unable to get it, they're going to try again with hopefully a lot more stock. I actually called my regular CVS and actually asked them how much they currently have (they've got 8) so I know how early I should head out, so if this is a major thing for you, I suggest that you do the same. It's a Sunday & Monday only deal, so you'll need to head out on one of those days to grab it if you're interested.

Anyway, without further ado, here is my one transaction:

Buy 1 Garnier Fructis style product: $2.99
Buy 3 Listerine Cool Blue ($3.99 each): $11.97
Buy 1 L'Oreal Advanced RevitaLift Anti-Wrinkle Serum: $11.99
Subtotal: $26.95
Use $5/$25 CVS emailed coupon (-$5.00)
Use $1/1 Garnier mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use 3 $1/1 Listerine printable (-$3.00)
Use $1/1 L'Oreal mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand total: $16.95 (use $16.48 ECBs)
OOP: $0.47 + tax
ECBs returned: $2.00 (Garnier) + $9.00 (Listerine) + $11.99 (L'Oreal) = $22.99

It's not the best transaction ever because I end up with a $9 ECB from the Listerine that I can otherwise break up. It's always better to have ECBs in smaller denominations - you can combine countless ECBs, but you can't tear up an ECB into half and use it for half the value. However, the $9 ECB is a necessary evil since I needed to pump my value up to $25 to use the $5/$25 coupon. BUT, the good news is that the ECBs from this transaction should not expire until sometime in December, so I can use them for some Black Friday goodies.

UPDATE: The St. Ives printable will NOT work - it is for St. Ives Elements products, and the body wash that is on sale is NOT an Elements product. Obviously, you're free to try it, and you might have a cashier that'll push the coupon through anyway, but just so you know, the coupon states "any one variety of St. Ives Elements", NOT "any one variety of St. Ives products".

St. Ives body wash will also be on sale for $3.99, and through Monday you will get a $3 ECB back. You can make this into a small money-maker with the $2/1 St. Ives printable, but I will not be taking advantage of this since I already printed my limit for Walgreens' RR deal.

I'll be going first thing on Sunday morning, and will be sure to report back on how I do!

CVS $5/$25 coupon

Did you get an email titled "Earn Triple Extra Bucks for the Holidays!" from CVS today? If so, don't delete it, because there is a $5/$25 coupon inside!

It's good until Sunday 11/9, but states that it's valid for intended recipient only (which is why I have not posted a link).

I will definitely be using this for my CVS deals next week! Looks like I'll have to make a trip out on Sunday again!

CVS haul & coupon book

I received a $5/$30 coupon in my email, and it expired today so I made a quick trip out alone while hubby stayed home with the baby. It is so nice to be able to go to CVS alone with both hands free for my shopping pleasure. For the most part, everything went according to my plan, sorta.

For some strange reason, they only had Jumbo packs of Pampers in newborn, and in size 2. The princess is wearing size 1s right now. Even the manager has no idea why the size 1s are missing, but he said that they're getting a truck tomorrow and that I can just do an exchange if the size 1s show up. And oh yea...I guess that diaper-count change that everyone's been talking about happened...because there's only 40 diapers instead of 44.

I was also unable to use one of my coupons - I planned to use a Hersey's coupon on the Hersey deal, but my coupon was for chocolate bars, and the ECB deal was for mini-size 8 packs. It's a grand difference of $1, so I'm not too worried.

Here's the breakdown of my transaction:
Buy 8 Ice Breakers Ice Cubes 10ct ($1/1): $8.00
Buy 2 Hersey's bar ($1/1): $2.00
Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health Whitening 4.2oz: $3.49
Buy 2 Pampers Diapers jumbo pk size 1 44 ct. ($10/1): $20.00
Subtotal: $33.49
Use $5/$30 emailed CVS coupon (-$5.00)
Use 4 $1/2 Ice Breakers mfg coupon (-$4.00)
Use $1/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use 2 $1.50/1 Pampers mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Grand Total: $20.49 (use $19.96 ECBs)
OOP: $0.53 + $0.17 tax = $0.70 (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $5.00 ECB (Hershey's) +$3.49 (Crest) + $5.00 (Pamper's) = $13.49

My total ECB "loss" is $6.47, but that's for 2 packs of diapers and a seemingly lifetime supple of gum. I also picked up a copy of their free "diabetes guide" - it was advertised in their ad, but my pharmacy didn't have it out and I ended up having to ask for it. The following coupons are inside:

• $1.50/1 Bausch & Lomb Ocuvite Eye Vitamin
• $1/2 South Beach Living Cereal Bars
• $1/1 Johnson Johnson Red Cross product
• $1/2 Planters Nuts
• $1/1 Listerine 500 mL
• $1/2 100 Calorie Packs 6ct
• $1/1 Pepcid or Mylanta liquid
• $1/2 Triscuit or Wheat Thins Crackers
• $2/1 Serenity product
• $1/2 Post Honey Bunches of Oats, Shreed Wheat, Trail Mix Crunch, or LiveActive Cereal
• $1/2 LiveActive Chewy Granola Peanut Butter Bars
• $0.50/1 Ocean Spray

These are all CVS coupons, and may be combined with manufacturer's coupons for maximum savings. Make sure to pick one up at your pharmacy...!

CVS 11/2 - 11/8

It's not the best week at CVS since there's only one money-maker, but there is a reasonable diaper deal going on.  Buy 2 Jumbo Pampers for $20 and get $5 ECB back.  Combine that with two $1.50/1 manufacturer coupons from a recent insert, and it becomes $6 a pack after coupons and ECBs.  For a 44ct pack of size 1s, that's $0.13 per diaper. 

I have NEVER bought diapers above $0.10, and I'm not about to start.  But I received a $5/$30 CVS coupon in my email that good through today (I'll be going out tonight for my diapers).  I'll be taking advantage of the Hersey's "Buy $10 get $5 ECB deal" in order to bring my total up to $30, and after all of my coupons, discounts, and ECBs, my diapers become a mere $4.33 a pack - for size 1s, that's $0.09 per diaper.

Here is the one transaction that I'm planning for tonight:

Buy 8 Ice Breakers Ice Cubes 10ct ($1/1): $8.00
Buy 2 Hersey's bar ($1/1): $2.00
Buy 1 Credt Pro-Health Whitening 4.2oz: $3.49
Buy 2 Pampers Diapers jumbo pk  size 1 44 ct. ($10/1): $20.00
Subtotal: $33.49
Use $5/$30 emailed CVS coupon (-$5.00)
Use 4 $1/2 Ice Breakers mfg coupon (-$4.00)
Use B1G1 Hersey's mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use $1/1 Crest mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Use 2 $1.50/1 Pampers mfg coupon (-$3.00)
Grand Total: $19.49 (use $19.56 ECB - lose $0.07)
OOP: tax (on giftcard)
ECBs returned: $5.00 ECB (Hershey's) +$3.49 (Crest) + $5.00 (Pamper's) = $13.49

I don't exactly make money or even "break even" in this transaction, but that's to be expected since I did buy diapers.  My total "loss" in ECBs is a mere $6.00, but that's for 2 packs of diapers and then some.  And considering I've been good about growing my ECBs in the past, I've sure that that $6 "loss" is covered by my crazy ECBs money-makers a few weeks back. 

After my shopping trip tonight I will hit the CVS books again and bring up a $5 Charity Challenge transaction, but I'm not too confident since there's not too much at CVS this week. 

CVS haul

This is just a tad late, considering I went shopping on Monday. But better late than never! Things didn't go quite as planned...but then again, they never seem to go quite as planned when there are "Sunday and Monday" deals involved. Beyond my candy though, the one thing that they didn't have that I really wanted was the Bic razors that would have been a money-maker at $4.99 with $4 ECB back and my $2 coupon. I'm going back for that one. They also didn't have two of the FAE (Free After ECB) October items either. This is how my ONE transaction ended up happening:

Buy 6 SoyJoy Bars ($1/1): $6.00
Buy 1 CVS Pharmacy Vitamin D-400 (100ct): $2.99
Buy 1 Crest Spinbrush Pro: $4.99
Buy 1 Advil PM Liqui-gels (8ct): $0.99 they only had one
Subtotal: $14.97
Use 2 B2G1 SoyJoy mfg coupon (-$2.58) -$1.29 each! That was the price w/o card.
Use $2/1 Crest printable (-$2.00)
Use $2/1 Advil printable (-$0.99 ADJUSTED) They've never done this before!!!
Grand total: $9.40 (use $0.99 + $7.99 ECB)
OOP: $0.42 + $0.17 tax = $0.59 (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $4.00 (SoyJoy) + $2.99 (Vitamin monthly October deal) + $2.00 (Crest) = $8.99

In case you're wondering where I got my $25 CVS giftcard, it was a prize from Carrie over at Money Saving Methods for winning her September Raffle. So far, in the two weeks that I've had it, I've used a grand $2.62. I am so very interested in just seeing how long $25 will go at CVS. At my current average of $1.30 a week, it should last another 19 WEEKS!

I failed to "make" money on this transaction, simply because I was counting on the overage from the Advil to cover the $0.99 cost of the Crest Spinbrush after coupon and ECBs. The damage was softened by the fact that they took off $1.29 for each bar instead of $1.00, giving me $0.58 of overage. Granted, I would have preferred my $1.00 overage from the Advil instead.

My CVS has routinely been sold out on "Sunday and Monday" deals. I love them to pieces, but this is starting to get ridiculous. Last week, I headed out around noon and they were out of pumpkin pails already. Granted, this week I headed out on Monday, but it's JUST CVS!!! I really shouldn't have to be there the SECOND that they open in order to take advantage of their advertised deals.

I'm a tad bit disturbed by the adjustment on the Advil coupon. Things will surely get very dim and unexciting at CVS if this is the trend that they are going towards. Has anyone else had this happen to them at their CVS?

CVS $5 Charity Challenge: 10/26 - 11/01

It's another week of CVSing!  It's a bit of a crazy week since I'm doing a mix of weekly ECB deals, monthly ECB deals, and Sunday/Monday only deals.  Sorry that this is going up so late that you probably won't be able to do the Sunday/Monday deals, but it's just been so super crazy here that I'm surprised I was able to put up transactions at all.

Anyway, there will be FIVE transactions this week.  Again, I do not recommend that you go into your CVS and carry out five back-to-back transactions since they might not like you too much afterwards, so please treat the scenarios as an educational tool to help you create your own deals to match the ECBs and coupons that you have on hand.


Transaction #1
Buy 1 Bic Comfort3 Advance Shavers (4ct): $4.99
Subtotal: $4.99
Use $2/1 Bic mfg (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $2.99
OOP so far: $2.99
ECBs returned: $4.00 (Bic)

Transaction #2
Buy 6 SoyJoy Bars ($1/1): $6.00
Subtotal: $6.00
Use 2 B2G1 SoyJoy mfg coupon (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $4.00 (use $4.00 Bic ECB)
OOP so far: $2.99
ECBs returned: $4.00 (SoyJoy)

Transaction #3
Buy 1 WellPatch Arthritis Relief Pads (3ct): $5.99
Subtotal: $5.99
Use $1/1 WellPatch mfg (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $4.99 (use $4.00 SoyJoy ECB)
OOP so far: $2.99 + $0.99 = $3.98
ECBs returned: $5.99 (WellPatch monthly October deal)

NOTE: The WellPatch deal has a limit of 5, so if you only have 1 coupon (like me), you could buy 4 more WellPatches in 4 different transactions, and still be able to continue with the plan.  Do I recommend it?  No, because your CVS probably won't let you make 10 transactions in a row.  Anyway, onwards we go!

Transaction #4
Buy 1 CVS Pharmacy Vitamin D-400 (100ct): $2.99
Buy 1 Crest Spinbrush Pro: $4.99
Buy 1 Advil PM Liqui-gels (8ct): $0.99
Buy 2 Nestle Fun Size (2/$3): $3.00 sunday/monday only deal!
Subtotal: $11.97
Use $2/1 Crest printable (-$2.00)
Use $2/1 Advil printable (-$2.00)
Use 2 $1/1 Nestle printable (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $5.97 (use $5.99 WellPatch ECB)
OOP so far: $3.98
ECBs returned: $2.99 (Vitamin monthly October deal) + $2.00 (Crest) = $4.99

Stop here if you don't have access to a second printer, or you feel like your head is about to explode, or if you feel that your CVS might take out a restraining order from you for doing so many transaction.  If none of the above conditions/fears apply to you, move along!

Transaction #5
Buy 1 Ayr Saline Spray (0.75 oz): $3.99
Buy 2 Nestle Fun Size (2/$3): $3.00
Subtotal: $6.99

Use 2 $1/1 Nestle printable (-$2.00)
Grand Total: $4.99 (Use $4.99 ECBs from transaction #4)
OOP so far: $3.98
ECBs returned: $3.00 (Ayr monthly October deal)

At this point, I'm going to stop.  You could keep going and spend your $3 left over ECBs on candy or advil since those are just sales and have no limit on them, but just don't overdo it to the point where your CVS wants to close for an "emergency" whenever you pull into the parking lot.  Here is your summary for this week:

Merchandise total: $35.94
OOP spent: $3.98
ECBs left over for next time: $3.00

Not too shabby at all!

CVS trip!

I actually went out to CVS on Sunday before our Pumpkin Patch trip, but unfortunately my store was sold out of the pumpkin pails ALREADY.  We have 2 CVSs within a mile of each other, but I weren't THAT desperate for pumpkin pails so I just decided to let it go and grab two non-ECB $1 items instead.  In my original plan I had 4 transactions, but I actually made 2 instead to match the amount of ECBs that I had on hand.  This is what ended up transpiring:

Transaction #1
Buy 1 Brach's: $1.29
Buy 1 Funlights: $0.99
Buy 1 Hair Accesories pack: $1.00 (Pumpkin Pail substitute)
Buy 1 Colgate MaxFresh: $2.99
Buy 1 Gum toothbrush: $3.99
Buy 1 Excedrin Express: $1.99
Buy 1 Just for Men: $7.99
Buy 1 Prowerade 32oz: $1.69 (Not in picture because hubby drank it at the pumpkin patch!)
Buy 2 Progresso soup (B1G1 $2.69): $2.69
Subtotal: $24.62
Use $1/1 Colgate CVS coupon (-$1.00)
Use $2/1 Excedrin mfg printable (-$2.00)
Use $3/1 CVS Excedrin coupon (-$3.00)
Use $2/1 Just for Men printable (-$2.00)
Use $1/2 Progresso printable (-$1.00)
Grand Total: $15.62 (use $8.00 + $5.00 + $2.29 ECB)
OOP: $0.33 + $0.24 tax = $0.57 (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $1.29 (Brach's) + $0.99 (Funlights) + $2.00 (Colgate) + $3.99 (Gum) + $7.99 (Just for Men) + $1.69 (Powerade) = $17.95

I did a major goof-up on this transaction.  I completely forgot to take my regular Colgate coupons, so I ended up with the Colgate CVS coupon from the Reinventing Beauty magazine.  I also made the big OOPSIES of doing the Excedrin and the Progresso soup in the same transaction.  There was a rebate form for the Excedrin in Sunday's paper, and there's also a Progresso soup rebate.  They both require an original register receipt, so I decided to send off the Excedrin with the CVS receipt instead.  The soup rebate has a later expiration date, plus there are more places that I can get it dirt cheap at (i.e. the commissary).  There is also the Just for Men rebate, but since I have already submitted it I won't be eligible for it again. 

Buy 1 Brach's: $1.29
Buy 1 Funlights: $0.99
Buy 1 food covering thingy: $1.00 (Pumpkin Pail substitute)
Buy 1 Colgate MaxFresh: $2.99
Buy 1 Gum toothbrush: $3.99
Subtotal: $10.26
Use $1/1 Colgate mfg coupon (-$1.00)
Grand total: $9.25 (use $4.98 + $4.00 ECB)
OOP: $0.27 + $0.16 tax = $0.43 (on CVS giftcard)
ECBs returned: $1.29 (Brach's) + $0.99 (Funlights) + $2.00 (Colgate) + $3.99 (Gum) = $8.27

I could have done better if I had gotten my act together and separated my Progresso and Excedrin, but I didn't do too badly, even though the store ran out of Pumpkin Pails.  It's only a total of a $2 difference in ECBs returned, and I actually needed both substitute items, so it wasn't a complete waste. 

Merchandise total: $34.88
OOP expense: Nothing! ($1.00 on CVS giftcard)
Total savings: $33.88
Total Charity Pot contribution: $3.38 (to date: $9.14)
ECBs used: $24.27
ECBs returned: $26.22

We won't be needing more toothbrushes or toothpaste, so those are going directly to the USO.  My charity pot is up to $9.14, but I think I have enough items to take a small bag to them later this week.  Most of the things that I can get from CVS are non-necessities, but since I can grow my ECBs...essentially they are paying me to buy and donate them.

There is also a Huggies diaper deal going on this week, but since we're pretty loaded up on diapers and I don't have any mega awesome coupons to make it work, I figured I'd just skip it.  I've noticed that these "$5 ECBs back when you buy $25" deals roll around every so often, so I'm not worried in the slightest bit.