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.