Life gets busy. Houses get unorganized. Unexpected things happen.

Then, the worst of all, CVS Extra Care Bucks…gulp…expire.

There. I said it. YesIletallofmineexpire!

*Deep Breath* But that’s…okay. Rebuilding is the name of the game and I plan on winning. I finally, finally, FINALLY got my coupons together and headed to my beloved CVS today. Come to mama, baby.

Whenever I hit these “rebuilding” stages (and yes, they DO happen every now and then), I try to slowly build my ECB’s buy buying items that are on special, that I have a coupon for AND that I NEED. Just going out and buying a bunch of stuff you don’t have a use for, only to earn ECB’s, is quite silly and a huge waste of money. Don’t do it. Have a little patience.

So, I didn’t spend my usual “under five bucks” but I did pick up some items we had to have…such as the necessary Pumpkin Reese’s Cups. Now, the Prilosec on the other hand? Meh. Priorities, people, priorities.

Here’s the breakdown:

• 2 Welch’s Juices: $6.00 – $1.00 Sunday Q & $.75 Sunday Q = $4.25 w/ $1.00 ECB
• Ghirardelli: $3.00 – $3.00 FREE incentive Q = FREE
• 4 Boxes Cereal: $8.00 – (2x) $1.00/2 Q’s (These came in some product) = $6.00 for FOUR
• 2 Reese’s: $1.00 (Priorities, remember?)
• 3 Dawn: $2.88 – (3x) $1.00 P & G booklet Q’s = THREE FREE + $.12
• 42 ct. Prilosec: $24.99 – $2.00 product Q = $22.99 w/ $7.00 ECB

Total: $45.87

Coupons: $12.74

My total with tax: $35.36 with $8.00 ECB in return.

Stay tuned to see how I can turn this $8.00 into LOTS MORE!

Didn’t happen.

Some of you are saying, “FOURTEEN?” Others are saying, “ONLY fourteen?”

I do know someone who got SIXTY. *snicker* Love it.

If you missed out on last week’s free Sobe deal, don’t fret. The drinks are only $.77 each this week…which makes them only $.39 per bottle with the coupon. If the need is there, a nice time to stock up.

Here is what I have gotten so far this week:

• 2 John Frieda products: $10.00 – (2x) $3 Sunday Q’s = $4.00 for TWO with $5.00 ECB back
• Complete eye solution: $7.99 – $2 Sunday Q = $5.99 with $7.99 ECB back (can you say MON-EY MAK-ER? Woot!)
• Gal. Milk: $2.69 with $1.00 ECB back
• Fizzy Skittles: $.89 (because I needed enough to use all of my ECB’s – oh…and remember those Fizz Its when we were a kid? That’s what these are like, but with the fizz on the outside instead of the middle)

Total: $20.68

Minus$8 coupons and $12.99 prior ECB’s

My CASH total with tax: $1.66 – Received $13.99 back in ECB’s

Oh…AND…the limit on the John Frieda deal isn’t one…so guess who’s heading back tomorrow with more coupons? *wink*

How did you do?

$5 CVS Challenge at Kingdom First Mom

Have you been playing the Sobe Cap game lately? If not, you absolutely must. I’m not exactly sure if anyone EVER loses; I have won every time. You can play every day even if you don’t have a Sobe cap. The giveaway doesn’t end until 9/12/2010 – so…as you can imagine…that’s a LOT of Sobe to be gettin’.

Here’s the clincher – be sure to hit the “back” button and keep printing the Buy One Get One Free coupons. And, guess what? Even better…CVS has them already on sale for BOGOF this week! You know what that means…all together now…”THEY ARE ALL FREE!“

Don’t quite understand how that works? Let me try and explain. The register itself will only accept one coupon for every item you buy (regardless if it’s free or on sale.) For instance, if I buy a Sobe ($1.59), I automatically get one free ($0.00) because of the store sale. Right now, my total is $1.59 for two bottles of Sobe.

Are you with me so far?

When I give them the coupon, it takes off $1.59 for a Free Sobe. So now, I’m left with a balance of $0.00 for two drinks. If you don’t understand, let me know and I’ll keep explaining until 1.) your ears fall off 2.) your brain explodes or 3.) you totally understand. I prefer #3.

The moral of the story: Using your BOGOF coupons on already BOGOF store sales equals free product! We all like that…don’t we? *wink*

Speaking of free product, here is my second (and last) CVS trip of the week:

• Milk: $2.69 w/ $1.00 ECB back
• Biotrue solution: $2.99 w/ $2.99 back
• 6 Sobes: $9.54 – $4.77 sale – $4.77 printables = six for FREE

Paid with $2.99 prior ECB.

Total: $15.22

My Subtotal: $2.69 + $.54 tax (you still have to pay tax on free stuff)

Cash total: $3.23

Received: $4.99 ECB ($1 milk, $1 green bag tag, $2.99 Biotrue)

How did you do?

More $5 CVS Challenge at Kingdom First Mom

Yes, today is July 4th and I should be enjoying the holiday – which I am. Although, I DID have $5 worth of ECB’s expiring today…along with the M&M’s coupon that would not be good tomorrow…soooo…off to CVS I went.

Good thing.

I might have missed out on THESE deals!

• 8 Sobe Lifewaters: $12.72 – $6.36 BOGOF sale – (4x) BOGOF printables = eight FREE
• 2 Skinny Cow Ice Creams: $1.98 – (2x) $1.00 printables = two FREE
• Biotrue solution: $2.99 with $2.99 ECB
• 2 Gillette Body Washes: $7.00 – (2x) $2.00 insert Q’s =two for $3.00
• 2 M&M’s: $1.00 – $.75 on 2 Sunday Q = two for $.25

Used $5.00 prior ECB

Paid: $2.18

Received ECB’s: $2.99 from solution & $3.00 quarterly rewards

How did you do this week?

More $5 CVS Challenge at Kingdom First Mom

Today is June 30th….JUNE 30TH.

I realized this at 8:30 tonight. Of course, I almost panicked when I remembered that some of my CVS Extra Care bucks were expiring TODAY (isn’t that the first thing on EVERYONE’S mind at all times?)

What do I do? Is the store going to close? Where are my coupons? I can.not let them expire. That’s EIGHT dollars!

Whirlwind. Whirlwind. Five minutes and my plan is done.

Oh please, oh please have all of the items I want…otherwise my CVS mojo will be ALL messed up. Lucky for them, everything was in stock.

Check this out!

• 2 Extra Detergent: $3.00 – (2x) $1 Sunday Q = $1.00 for TWO
• 2 M&M’s: $1.78 – $.89 BOGOF sale – $.75 on 2 Sunday Q = $.14 for TWO
• 6 Warm Delights: $5.28 – 3 $1.00 on 2 peelies = $2.28 for SIX
• Oust Air Sanitizer: $2.50 – $1.00 Sunday Q = $1.50
• Glade Air & Fabric Spray: $2.50 – $1.00 Sunday Q = $1.50
• 2 Glade Oil Refills: $5.00 – $2.00 on 2 prior package insert Q = $3.00 for TWO

Total: $19.17
Coupons: $9.75
Prior ECB’s: $8.00
Subtotal: $1.42 + $.97 tax
My Cash Total: $2.39
Received: $5.00 ECB (Spend $10 on Glade/Cleaners get $5 ECB Deal)

Not THIS week!

I must say, the deals aren’t really the best. But, I managed to find a few items. I may go back for a second trip – not sure how I can work it yet.

Here is what I scored:

• 3 Wheat Thins: Rain check for $1.00 – (3x) $1 printables Q’s = FREE
• Ban Deodorant: $2.99 – $1 Sunday Q = $1.99 + $2.00 ECB
• 3 Suave Kid’s Shampoo: $6.00 – $1 Magazine Q – $.50 Magazine Q = $4.50 + $2.00 ECB
• 2 Scope Mouthwash: $7.98 – (2x) $1 P&G Mailer Q = $5.98 + $4.00 ECB

Total: $19.97
Coupons: $7.50
Prior ECB: $8.00
My Total: $4.47 = $1.19 tax = $5.66 CASH
Received: $8.00 ECB

I just haven’t had time to organize my trips and go. *GASP* I know, right?

But…I’m back…and here is what I scored today.

4 Vitamin Waters: $4.00 – (2x) $1/2 Sunday Q = $2.00
3 First Aid Kits: $2.97 – (3x) $1 Sunday Q = THREE FREE
2 Oral B Toothbrushes: $5.98 – BOGO Sunday Q = $2.99 w/$2 ECB
Puffs w/Lotion: $1.50 – $1 Vocal Point Q = $.50
2 Fig Newtons: $2.00 – (2x) $1 Facebook Q = TWO FREE
Biore/John Frieda Deal: $18.49 – $6.00 Biore BOGO Sunday Q – $2.50 John Frieda Printable = $9.99 w/$5.00 ECB

Total: $34.94
After coupons and prior ECB’s, I paid…

$.98 + $1.48 tax = $2.46.
Received $7.00 ECB
Yup…for all of that.

Also – do you have a CVS coupon printer at your store…ya know…the one where you scan your shopper card and it spits out store coupons? Today I received four coupons and one was for $5 off $40! Had the Colgate Clinical been in stock, I would’ve used this coupon immediately (BTW, I did get a rain check for the toothpaste. Don’t fail to do that!) Though, with the Nivea deal going on, I figured I would be back again this week.

What did you find for under five bucks?

Find more CVS Deals at Keeping The Kingdom First, The Centsible Sawyer and Money Saving Mom.

**Also, don’t forget to enter my giveaway for an Energizer Recharge Smart Charge HERE – Ends April 29th!**