Another Fun CVS Trip!

I am telling you . . . . I am loving the CVS deals. I won't be posting pics every time I go . . . . how annoying! But I wanted to post this time because I think this week really shows what you can do with the ECB's and how you can keep using them to get more stuff with little or no out of pocket expense.

If I had purchased these items with no coupons and no ECB's, I would have paid $45.64 for all of this. But, using $20 of my ECB's from last week I got all of this PLUS they gave me back $6 in ECB's. So it is like I only spent $14 in ECB's for all of this. I paid nothing out of my pocket this week. The shampoo's would have cost that much by themselves (I got them for $1 a bottle!)

Here is what I got:

• One bottle Gain Laundry Soap (32 loads) $4.99 on sale, then got $2 back in ECB's
• 2 bottles of Herbel Essence Shampoo - these were 2/$5, I had a coupon for $3 off two so that made them all $1 a piece (I used 2 coupons)
• 2 bottles of Herbel Essence Conditioner
• 2 Colgate Toothpaste (55 cents each!) These were buy on get one free, and I had a coupon for $1.50 off.
• 1 roll of Bounty (had a $1 off coupon)
• 2 jars Welches Grape Jelly - buy one get one free
• 1 tube of Neutragena Mascara - $5.99 and got $4 back in ECB's

I LOVE CVS! I can't wait until next week! It is so much fun to go see what I can get for free!

My Coupon Binder

I know for me, it was helpful to go over to my friend's house and actually see her binder she made so I could understand it better. So I thought I would take pictures of my binder for you to see. This is the outside of my binder. I just made an insert for the front and titled it The Grocery Game.

This is the first page of my binder. Used photo pages that has 3 separate places (for 4x6 photo's). You can get these at Walmart for $1.98 for a pack of 10. I bought 3 packs and used each page. As you see on the first page I have CHECK OUT, THIS WEEK'S COUPONS, and COUPONS TO REFILE. As I go through my list and get my coupons ready, I place them in the THIS WEEK'S COUPONS pouch. As I go through the store and place that item in my cart, I then move that coupon to the CHECK OUT pouch. Sometimes you may get to the store and decided not to buy something or it isn't on sale anymore . . . . that is when you just put that coupon into the COUPONS TO REFILE pouch.

This is actually my last page in my binder. My friend was so kind to send me a list of everything in her binder so I could label all my pouches. She has hers in order of our local Publix but it would work for any store. If you would like this list, just email me or leave a comment with your email address and I will be happy to send this to you as well. Now up in the right hand corner I cut a label in half and wrote what was on each page that way as I flip through my book I can just look at that instead of having to look through each page. I did put tabs on my binder as well but sort of wishing I hadn't done that. It seems too much . . . . but I still love it!

I put the Publix and CVS add in the front of my binder. It is also helpful to have a small pair of scissors in there as well in case you need it. Also, did you know that Publix takes competitors coupons? If you get the midweek paper, it will have an Albertson's flier in it. They have been having a coupon in there for $5 off a $50 order. You can use that at Publix! You can use WinnDixie coupons too at Publix. (the manager at Publix told me and my friend that Publix just bought out Albertson's) We do not have an Albertson's here in our town, but I sure loved using that $5 off coupon the other day! Woot, Woot!

Okay, so there you have it. My new addiction. It is a good addiction to have though. I am so thankful that God has brought this to me. I have been praying and asking God what I could do to serve my husband better. He loves that I am saving him money! He has been cheering me on the whole way. He even spent his day off on Monday going grocery shopping with me so he could better understand what I am doing. Isn't that sweet? He also went to CVS with me last night and it was so much fun doing that together. He was thrilled he got a 20 oz. diet soda that is normally $1.50, for 50 cents! They had them 2/$2 then you got back a $1 in ECB's making it essentially 2/$1. He had said when we got to the store that he was so thirsty . . . . I said, oh good, they have pop on sale!

Grocery Game - Week 2

Here is what I got this week from CVS:

• 2 cans reduced fat Pringles (Weight Watcher's friendly!)
• 2 Febreeze Fabric Refresher
• 1 Febreeze Air Effects
• 10 Ultra Dawn dishwashing liquid (this will last a year!)
• 2 Gillette shaving gels
• 2 Sure deodorant
• 4 Olay Body Wash
• 2 Pantene Pro-V conditioners
• 1 Venus Vibrations Razor
• 24 pack of water (free!)
• 2 diet Pepsi's

Can you believe all of this only cost me under $14.00? I used some coupons from this past Sunday's paper, and used my $20 Extra Care Bucks from last week.

• Got $111.86 worth of products
• Paid $44.85 out of pocket
• Plus I got $31 back in Extra Care Bucks for future purchases
  

Here is what the Extra Care Bucks look like. They print them out on the end of your receipt.

This week's total savings with CVS, Publix, & WinnDixie:

• Total Purchased: $349.44 worth
• Spent: $170.80
• Saved: $178.64 (that's 51%)
• Plus I have $31 Extra Care Bucks for future purchases at CVS

I am really shocked at how much I am saving with the grocery game. I think after my trial period is over, I will only sign up with Publix and CVS. I seem to be saving so much at these stores. WinnDixie is good too, but I usually just go there for their buy one get one free deals and all of those are in their ad so I can just look at it and see if I want to go there that week.

I have spent almost $300 so far this month in household items and groceries together. I only have $200 left for the month . . . . we will see how it goes! Oh I wanted to mention I am understanding the idea of stock piling much better now that I am doing it. Like for instance, CVS had the Dawn Dish Soap on sale 2/$2. For every 2 you buy you get $1 back in ECB's. So I got my limit, which was 10 bottles for $10 but I got $5 back in ECB's so it was like paying only $5 or 50 cents a piece! That is why I bought so many. I can put them in the pantry and have them for a very long time. I won't have to buy any until next year! YAY! This is so much fun!

Weighing In . . . .

Well today officially ended week 2 of Weight Watchers. I have lost a total of 7 pounds so far. I am ready for another week. I am taking it one day at a time and that has been very helpful! Thank you all for your prayers and comments. It does help to just put it out there so others can hold me accountable.
On other news. . . . . I had blood work done last week since I had a doctor's appointment today. He wanted to check my iron and make sure I was doing okay and that the hysterectomy was indeed helpful in correcting my anemia. Good news . . . . for the FIRST time in my life, my blood work was normal! It is low normal, but none the less, normal. I am so happy about this. I am no longer anemic! Praise God! I am so thankful that God has provided the greatest doctors for me. They have cared for me like no other doctor I have had. I actually enjoy going to the doctor now. I do not have to go back for another 6 months and that is to check my blood levels once more. If everything is still okay then he said I wouldn't have to come back for a year. I am on no medication except a Vitamin B12 shot, which Lynette will enjoy giving to me! I start this tomorrow. This will give me more energy and hopefully help with the weight loss. This has been a long process but I am so happy it is all over with and I am finally normal . . . .can you believe it? Me? Normal? HA!
Thanks again to all who have prayed for me, and served my family during my recovery time. You all are the best. I love you all very much and am so thankful for each one of you. It has been 12 weeks today since my surgery and I feel so much better already. God is so good to me!

Happy Fourth!

Happy 4th of July . . . . . doesn't it make you want a hot dog real bad? HA! You can! With Oscar Mayer 98% fat free hot dogs! These hot dogs only have 40 calories, 1 g fat, 3 g carbs and 5 g of fiber in each link. Other hot dogs have 4 times the amount of calories in them. So for Weight Watchers these are only one point per hot dog. So go ahead . . . enjoy the 4th with a yummy hot dog . . . or two!

Pray you all have a fun and safe day celebrating our freedom. God Bless America!

The Grocery Game

Have y'all heard of The Gorcery Game yet? I kept hearing about it and even saw it on a morning show a few months back. I went on the website and looked it over and even signed up for $1 trial month. Well I cancelled it before I did anything with it because I didn't understand it. I am such a visual learner! Well I found out a friend of mine has been doing it for the past several months and she said it really has saved her hundreds of dollars a month! So our families got together and she and I sat down and she walked me through the whole thing! I came away that night so excited to try again. I re-registered with the site and printed my lists and today was the big day. (I wish I had taken a picture of all the stuff I bought!) The children and I went out for our first day of shopping with coupons in hand and our list prepared. I am shocked at what I got today.

Bought $315.16 worth of stuff

Spent $122.90

Saved $192.26 (61%)

Plus I walked away from CVS with $19.97 in Extra Credit Bucks (ECB) to spend before the end of the month.

John went to Sam's today and bought meat, butter and laundry soap. I don't think we will have to return to Sam's until next month - and we use to spend ALOT at Sam's.

Our goal is to get our budget set under $500 a month for groceries and household items. We'll see if we can do it. With The Grocery Game I think we can!

A big thanks to my friend (you know who you are)! You are an example of Titus 2. You took time out of your schedule to sit with me and give me instruction on how I can serve my family better with this "game". I really appreciate your example!