What did you do today to save money?

[ohiominnie]

OK, I'm game, tell me more about the CVS thing. My goal is to save enough to pay off the five year car loan in three years--or less. That means an extra $400 towards the car payment each month.

I'm not picky about the brand of "stick-on's" but only use Tampax for the "plug-in's" as DH calls them. (Sorry if I offended anyone.)

Anne

CVS gives out Extra Care Bucks if you buy certain products. You buy them one day, two days later you can use your Extra Care Bucks. For example, let's say there is a product for $4.99 and if you buy it they give you $3 in ECB's. So you spend $4.99 on day one. Two days later you get a coupon for $3. You go and buy that item again, now your total bill is only $1.99. Two days later CVS gives you $3 back for buying that product again. Or you can use your ECB's to buy whatever you want in the store. Plus is you have a mfg coupon for the item, you pay even less! (some deals are limited one per customer, but many are not)
During the month of October last year they were giving back the FULL price for many of their items. For example, Tampax were $3.97. I had a mfg coupon for $2.50 off, so I bought a box for $1.47. Two days later CVS gave me a coupon for $3.97. So I bought another box,...and they cycle went on and on throughout the month. They also were "giving away" Carefree panty liners, ACT flouride rinse, Purell hand sanitizer, and toothpaste (those are the ones I remember b/c those are the things I'd buy....there may have been others for things I wouldn't use so I didn't buy them) Over and over throughout the month I'd go in, buy stuff, two days later I'd go in and basically get the same things for free!
I have gone into CVS and LITERALLY gotten $65 worth of products for under $2. The manager now cheers me on as the prices go down on the register. One time after I handed over all coupons and ECB's, CVS OWED ME MONEY!!! They can't do that....so I had to grab a pack or two of Twizzlers to bring it up to the point where I owed them something like $0.42!!!

LOVE CVS!!!!!

 

[Traveliz]

OK, I'm game, tell me more about the CVS thing. My goal is to save enough to pay off the five year car loan in three years--or less. That means an extra $400 towards the car payment each month.

I'm not picky about the brand of "stick-on's" but only use Tampax for the "plug-in's" as DH calls them. (Sorry if I offended anyone.)

Anne

Ok tomorrow morning - or today if its in your paper a day early - you need to just grab the CVS ad and go through it -

You will need to sign up for a loyalty card so you can get the bonus bucks. CVS works a little different than Walgreens (and I prefer Walgreens BUT I am working to work both stores). But for CVS you give them the card each time you check out and if you purchase items that qualify you will receive bonus bucks (two days later) so...here is an example based on the ad that starts tomorrow.

Stayfree products (shown in ad) are 4.49....(if you have coupons USE those also!)...buy the product and then two days from now 4.49 in bonus bucks (free money to use at CVS for anything but alcohol and cigarettes I believe) will print off the bottom of your receipt.

There are also many other items in the flyer and there are every week...sometimes it just a few dollars off - sometimes you make the entire purchase price back (PLUS you can make money off the deal if you used a coupon for your purchase).

Last week I did the Pantene offer - I purchased twenty dollars in Pantene products, used coupons and got bonus bucks when I went in to purchase my daughter Thermacare a few days later...Thermacare was also on the program last week so the purchase of Thermacare (with coupons) netted me more bonus bucks. It's a vicious cycle of free or almost free shopping!

Someone else might be able to explain it better but hope this helps.

I am now falling off the wagon for my annual bday day with my nephew - his bday and his day - he wants to go to Culver's (I dug coupons out of the garbage when he told me that is where he wanted to go) and who knows what else we are going to do.

Liz

 

[mommanne]

Thanks to this board I've got new ideas. I'm going to buy only what's on my list when I go shopping. I'm going to New Hampshire for my shopping and it will be tax free, as opposed to MA where non-food items are taxable.

I'm going to buy two roaster chickens. One chicken will be for dinner tomorrow and the other will be for sliced chicken and chicken salad sandwiches for lunches. I'll make chicken soup from the bones. That's many meals for under $20.

 

[UTgirl]

This board is getting so long and I LOVE it. But what if we separated out some things and started some separate threads?

I.E. - Your best Cleaning ideas on a budget
Coupons and Sales alert
Best Beauty secrets on a budget

Just some ideas - anyone game for posting some different threads?

 

[ducklite]

CVS gives out Extra Care Bucks if you buy certain products. You buy them one day, two days later you can use your Extra Care Bucks. For example, let's say there is a product for $4.99 and if you buy it they give you $3 in ECB's. So you spend $4.99 on day one. Two days later you get a coupon for $3. You go and buy that item again, now your total bill is only $1.99. Two days later CVS gives you $3 back for buying that product again. Or you can use your ECB's to buy whatever you want in the store. Plus is you have a mfg coupon for the item, you pay even less! (some deals are limited one per customer, but many are not)
During the month of October last year they were giving back the FULL price for many of their items. For example, Tampax were $3.97. I had a mfg coupon for $2.50 off, so I bought a box for $1.47. Two days later CVS gave me a coupon for $3.97. So I bought another box,...and they cycle went on and on throughout the month. They also were "giving away" Carefree panty liners, ACT flouride rinse, Purell hand sanitizer, and toothpaste (those are the ones I remember b/c those are the things I'd buy....there may have been others for things I wouldn't use so I didn't buy them) Over and over throughout the month I'd go in, buy stuff, two days later I'd go in and basically get the same things for free!
I have gone into CVS and LITERALLY gotten $65 worth of products for under $2. The manager now cheers me on as the prices go down on the register. One time after I handed over all coupons and ECB's, CVS OWED ME MONEY!!! They can't do that....so I had to grab a pack or two of Twizzlers to bring it up to the point where I owed them something like $0.42!!!

LOVE CVS!!!!!

How do you get the coupon two days later? Can you explain again like you are talking to a two year old please?

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Ok tomorrow morning - or today if its in your paper a day early - you need to just grab the CVS ad and go through it -

You will need to sign up for a loyalty card so you can get the bonus bucks. CVS works a little different than Walgreens (and I prefer Walgreens BUT I am working to work both stores). But for CVS you give them the card each time you check out and if you purchase items that qualify you will receive bonus bucks (two days later) so...here is an example based on the ad that starts tomorrow.

Stayfree products (shown in ad) are 4.49....(if you have coupons USE those also!)...buy the product and then two days from now 4.49 in bonus bucks (free money to use at CVS for anything but alcohol and cigarettes I believe) will print off the bottom of your receipt.
There are also many other items in the flyer and there are every week...sometimes it just a few dollars off - sometimes you make the entire purchase price back (PLUS you can make money off the deal if you used a coupon for your purchase).

Last week I did the Pantene offer - I purchased twenty dollars in Pantene products, used coupons and got bonus bucks when I went in to purchase my daughter Thermacare a few days later...Thermacare was also on the program last week so the purchase of Thermacare (with coupons) netted me more bonus bucks. It's a vicious cycle of free or almost free shopping!

Someone else might be able to explain it better but hope this helps.

I am now falling off the wagon for my annual bday day with my nephew - his bday and his day - he wants to go to Culver's (I dug coupons out of the garbage when he told me that is where he wanted to go) and who knows what else we are going to do.

Liz

So I'd have to go back in a couple days later and the coupon will be on my receipt?

I don't smoke and don't buy my alcohol at CVS (that's such a contradiction in terms to me! ) but what about scripts?
Anne

 

[ohiominnie]

How do you get the coupon two days later? Can you explain again like you are talking to a two year old please?

Anne

There are two ways to get them. One, you can check your ECB card account online. They will show up there two days after you earn them. You can print them out at home and take them in. I've found that to be pretty confusing b/c I can't remember which ones I've used and which ones I haven't. Usually I just go in for a regular CVS trip and on the bottom of my receipt will be my ECB's. I use those for the next trip. Also, b/c I am registered, CVS will send me email coupons now and then. For example, I just got an email yesterday that is for $4 off my purchase. No strings attached (like it's not $4 off a $25 purchase or anything)

I forgot to mention. ....besides the ECB's you get for buying select things, you also get a percentage back each quarter. (I want to say 2%, but don't quote me) My problem is I walked away with hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of CVS stuff last quarter, but the percentage back is based on what you paid OOP for the stuff---which for me was very little) I ended up earning $3 back for last quarter.

Also, you get $1 back for every two prescriptions you have filled at CVS. I have yet to do this b/c I absolutely LOVE my pharmacist at Wal*mart (another Disney addict) who has been great about getting me prescriptions before their time if I'm heading out of town for 2 1/2 weeks. He also saves me coupons for competing pharmacies (like the ones that say "transfer any prescription to our pharmacy and get $20 in free groceries) Maybe he's TRYING to get rid of me!!!

HTH....but feel free to ask any more questions!

 

[barbmouse]

Today I:

switched from high speed internet to a "lite" version still faster than dial-up
dropped voicemail..have this on cell phone....hum... may drop that too!! This saved about $20/month

discontinued Proactiv automatic shipment of products..saving $50 every 2 months


I need more info on saving on fem products at CVS and Walgreens!! How do I get the bonus bucks and free stuff!! I don't shop CVS often and we just got Walgreens..please advise!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Sigh...I miss CVS. We don't have it in central MN, but when I lived in Brooklyn it was LITERALLY right next to my apartment!! very, very dangerous!

 

[neatokimmo]

I LOVE CVS!

Here in a minute I'm going to go buy my shampoo. I have a raincheck for 12 at 1.97. I have $1.50 coupons for each. Then I get a $5 bonus buck on top of that. It's going to cost $2.88 for 12 bottles because of tax. $23.00 saved today for something I'll use up this year, yay!

If you want to trim down your budget CVS is the way to go.

You can find the ads online a couple of weeks in advance. Then you can match up coupons from your paper or if you want to go all out, buy bundles on Ebay and stockpile your multiples.

Just be warned, it's addicting

Kim

 

[ohiominnie]

Sigh...I miss CVS. We don't have it in central MN, but when I lived in Brooklyn it was LITERALLY right next to my apartment!! very, very dangerous!

It's not dangerous for me b/c I go in there and ONLY buy what's on mega sale, what I have coupons for and what I get ECB's for. I won't pay full price for their stuff. I won't pay full price for much anymore!!

the grocery game recommends stockpiling....so when toothpaste is on sale you buy so much your dh starts to wonder what's up....but then you don't need to buy it again for a long time and as you're getting low the sales come back around and you stock up again. They have it figured out so that everything is about on a 12 week cycle....buy enough for 12-13 weeks and by the time you're running out, you'll have sales coming up again.

At first, as I was stockpiling, my grocery bills went up b/c I was brining home a LOT of food and health and beauty supplies....
Pre-grocery game I was spending about $550 a month for a family of 4.

Eary grocery game I was spending about $600 a month (for about 2 months) as I accumulated my stockpile.

Now I spend about $200 a month on groceries. (sometimes a bit more b/c I do like the Market Day stuff and that stuff never goes on sale)

 

[ducklite]

There are two ways to get them. One, you can check your ECB card account online. They will show up there two days after you earn them. You can print them out at home and take them in. I've found that to be pretty confusing b/c I can't remember which ones I've used and which ones I haven't. Usually I just go in for a regular CVS trip and on the bottom of my receipt will be my ECB's. I use those for the next trip. Also, b/c I am registered, CVS will send me email coupons now and then. For example, I just got an email yesterday that is for $4 off my purchase. No strings attached (like it's not $4 off a $25 purchase or anything)

I forgot to mention. ....besides the ECB's you get for buying select things, you also get a percentage back each quarter. (I want to say 2%, but don't quote me) My problem is I walked away with hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of CVS stuff last quarter, but the percentage back is based on what you paid OOP for the stuff---which for me was very little) I ended up earning $3 back for last quarter.

Also, you get $1 back for every two prescriptions you have filled at CVS. I have yet to do this b/c I absolutely LOVE my pharmacist at Wal*mart (another Disney addict) who has been great about getting me prescriptions before their time if I'm heading out of town for 2 1/2 weeks. He also saves me coupons for competing pharmacies (like the ones that say "transfer any prescription to our pharmacy and get $20 in free groceries) Maybe he's TRYING to get rid of me!!!

HTH....but feel free to ask any more questions!

Thanks! I think I get it. I've just been giving them DH's account number when I get scripts filled, but I don't think he is fully utilizing the program. Time to get my own account. I'm going to start having the Sunday paper delivered, it's half price if you do it online and pay in advance, so I'll be able to check the ads and be a better shopper. I realized today that last week I spent $2.89 on 12 ounces of green beans that were pre-washed and the ends snipped. Today I bought a pound of green beans that need to be washed and snipped for $1.75. OK, so the ends account for some weight, but even if you take off four ounces, that's still over $1 I saved by doing a few minutes of cutting myself. (Or having DS do it! )

Anne

 

[ohiominnie]

You can find the ads online a couple of weeks in advance. Then you can match up coupons from your paper or if you want to go all out, buy bundles on Ebay and stockpile your multiples.

Just be warned, it's addicting

Kim

Where do you find the ads before they come out? That would help me a lot!

It IS addicting when the manager of CVS is cheering you on. He asked me in January if I got one of their Christmas cards? I said...uh...no. He said "they go out to the top 25 customers for each store." Then he said "oh, wait, that's based on what you pay OOP, and you probably don't spend enough to be one of our top 25!"

He also will make a comment if my total is $5 or more....he'll say "wow, that's high for you!"

 

[ducklite]

BTW--I use Biolage shampoo and hair products in general, and JC Penny's sometimes has them buy one, get one for a penny. The last time they had that sale, I bought two bottles of shampoo, enough for a year! A friend who is a hair dresser gave me a GALLON of Biolage conditioner a couple years ago and I'm still using it. SHe had to switch to something more deep conditioning because she used a lot of processors on her hair. So I've had free conditioner for two years, and still have half a gallon left!

Anne

 

[nyccajun]

WOW!

Thanks for the info on CVS... I just signed up online and am anxiously awaiting my card.. they said it could take up to 2 weeks to get the number

I don't have a CVS that is very close but it definitely sounds like its worth going a bit out of my way..... and I see for orders over $50 there is free shipping and $10 off for the first order so I think my first order will be online .

Anyone use the CVS papertowels? the price is reasonable , I'm wondering how they compare to Bounty


This is soooo cool and I had no idea at all !

Thanks!

 

[minnie1928]

I've been doing CVS for about 5 months now...I was keeping track of my savings, and then I stopped. I figure that I've saved about $200 with CVS.

I went one day this week and had 3 seperate ECB coupons. When I got home I realized that the cashier had only used 2 of them. I went back to the cvs website and found the one that wasn't used and printed it out again. Today I went back to CVS to pick up some Tide (great deal!) and used that printed ECB without any problem. Much easier than arguing with the cashier/manager about a $5 coupon problem.

Back to the Tide deal. They were offering $5 ECB if you purchased $20 of P&G products. Basically that's 25% off. They had Tide for $4.99. I bought 2 bottles and had a $1 coupon...each bottle works out to be $3.25! I also bought Bounty towels (with coupons) to get me to the $20 mark.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Today was both a save and a not-so-save. This is TKD testing weekend, so we always go eat at our favorite seafood restaurant for lunch on Saturday - that's 6 times a year. It usually runs close to $40 with tax and tip, even with DH and me splitting a meal. I decided instead of going out, I'd make a meal, but everybody else wanted to go out, so even though i knew we didn't have enough in our dining out budget, I knew I could skim some from the grocery budget if necessary.

Anyway, long story short, we came out at $33 (family of four) because DH didn't get a side-salad and I ordered water They even comped us the yummy seafood dip they have! And the bill was $28.01 - so the cashier just took the penny from the penny cup

Then we took the kids and their report cards to Krispy Kreme doughnuts where we got 1 1/2 dozen FREE for the A's on their report cards from two weeks ago. Now, we wouldn't have bought doughnuts today, so I can't really say "saved" - but it was nice to get them free!

Followed up with a trip to Publix, list in hand. Saved over $33 with the ads and coupons and stayed within budget. I got several of the BOGO deals for food that we needed and / or are staples for us (Cheerios, macaroni, microwave popcorn for DS).

Keep up the great work everyone! We're nearly done with our first month of conscious thinking about how to save $$ -- the little things we do every day WILL make a difference!

 

[Carrie772]

Today is wash day...just used cold water. I wonder how much that saves us? Is there a website with those stats? Hmmmmm

 

[twinklebug]

Saved $30 today by not buying the kids' basketball photos (they did pose for the team shots). It was hard, but as I look at the boxes of old photos I realized just how many hundreds on hundreds of dollars I've spent on these over the years and that I can get a few decent, although not professional, pics myself with my kodak.

 

[Chickysmom]

For those that use it instead of fabric softener or Jet Dry, do you substitute with the same amount? Meaning, do you fill the fabric softener to the same mark with vinegar as you would for fabric softener? And vice versa for Jet Dry?

BTW, as I re-read this I wanted to clarify...I'm not using Jet Dry as a fabric softener and I'm not using fabric softener to remove spots on my dishes .

I've just started with this process and for the Jet Dry I just poured the vinegar right in the door where the Jet Dry would go, until it was filled.

I think for the laundry it was being put in a Downy ball and the same amount was being used as liquid softener would have been. But if you can catch the rinse cycle you could probably just pour it right in the load....the old fashioned way!