Free pens + Jen rambles incessantly about peeper removal

If the only thing you seem to be successful at lately is getting older (like me), and you have not yet started to slather creams on your face morning, noon and night (like me) and you read that article in InStyle that made you realize you should have been slathering yourself for at least the last ten years but you haven’t so your face is probably going to shrivel up and fall off before you turn 35 (like me)…this post is for you! No super great deals. Just mediocre deals on skin care.

I’m not a product snob about many things (just Viva paper towels, Seventh Generation dish soap & detergent, Diet Dr. Pepper, and anti- Apple), so I decided to give the CVS skincare products a go. They are B1G1 50% off this week. I picked up the Age Renewal Anti-Oxidant Day Lotion (that InStyle says I should have started using in my twenties) and the Age Renewal Deep Wrinkle Moisturizer (cause InStyle says you should use something with Retinol in it when you hit your thirties).

I also picked up a bottle of Nuance (by Salma Hayek) Dual Phase Makeup Remover. I take serious issue with most makeup removers. Here’s why: I’m super crazy about mascara. I want people to look at me and think “geez, those lashes are so thick and dark and long and insane; they must be super heavy; how does she keep those peepers open?” EVERY makeup remover I have EVER tried has been a disappointment. I have to scrub my lashes with a q-tip until I swear my eyes are about to fall out. I want a remover that I can gently swipe across my lashes and that’s it. No more scrubbing and cursing the day makeup remover was born. Cause I’m a lady.

Anyway, the Nuance remover is really pretty – it’s pink and clear and has iris silhouettes on it. Salma – Sally – I’m gonna call her Sally (Salma makes me wanna brush my teeth) – says (on the bottle) her products are inspired by her grandmother and are designed to help every woman enhance her individual beauty. Grandmothers are one my favorite types of people. And I want to be beautiful. It’s made of fun things like cucumber and rosewater and prickly pear. (BTW, the best margarita I ever tasted was prickly pear.) (I’m such a sucker for the word “rosewater”. Maybe it’s that is sounds a little old-fashioned-y. Maybe it’s that it sounds like something sweet girls would use and I often think about being sweeter.) Down to business: the remover is regularly $7.99 and is now on clearance for $3.49. Not sure why it’s on clearance since it’s not even supposed to come out until next month. I don’t know exactly when it hit shelves in Milton but it can’t have been long ago since it shouldn’t be there yet. Maybe putting something new on clearance is the retail version of “what, this old thing”.

I made two transactions – first an 8ct pack of PaperMate pens for $1.99 with a $1.99 ECB. Second, the skin care. I used the $1.99 ECB and a $5 off $30 from the magic coupon printer during the second transaction.

Be sure to stop by the magic coupon printer. I got another $5 off a purchase of $30 or more coupon today (and something else that I don’t remember – it was lame).

Original Prices: $43.96
Sale Prices: $31.46
Total Paid:$24.46
Total Savings: $19.50 or slightly over 44%

Beauty and the Beast

The ECBs and RRs have been consistently disappointing over the last few weeks. If you are in the market for hair care, some Pantene products are 2 for $6.97 with a $2ECB at CVS. And if you are still hanging on to the $3 off 2 Pantene products coupon from the June 19 Smart Source like I was, you can bring it down to $3.97 (coupon expires July 31). I also picked up two packs of Cottonelle flushable wipes on sale for $1.99 each and used a 75 cents off two coupon from a the July 17 SmartSource. The magic coupon printer gave me a $1ECB, so I used it on this transaction as well. I wasn't thinking clearly and made my second transaction consist only of an 18 pack of Cottonelle toilet paper. It was on sale for $8.99. I had a 75 cent coupon from the July 17 SmartSource and the $2ECB from my Pantene purchase. So I had to add a filler item - remember, ECBs count as coupons and you must have an item for each coupon. I should have purchased the wipes along with the toilet paper instead of in my first transaction. Oh well, I had a caramel for dessert today.

I also dropped by KMart, which is rare. They have Organix shampoo and conditioner B1G1 this week. I adore the coconut milk! (BTW, I stopped by the closing KMart on Airport last week. Don't waste your time. The "big" sale is currently only 20-40% off. Maybe watch for the percentage to go up. Maybe not. It is interesting to note that a closing ransacked KMart looks almost exactly like a regular KMart.)

Original Prices: $43.86

Sale Prices: $27.06

Total Paid: $19.56

Total Savings: $24.30 or slightly over 55%

60 for $1

Walgreens and CVS are at it again. Five 12 packs of Dr. Pepper or Pepsi for $13...hurry!

I had $10 ECBs from last weeks CVS Hawaiian Tropic expedition and wanted to spend them on my 5 packs of Diet Dr. Pepper. OF COURSE all the stores near to my zip code were sold out by the time I got out of church Sunday. Grrr. So my dear sweet sister, Sarah, took my card and my ECBs and my monies to the CVS in Gulf Breeze. Apparently Gulf Breeze either stocks their shelves more appropriately than every other CVS I've ever been to or Gulf Breeze people don't raid it. Not only was she able to find the soda and use my $10 ECBs, but she was also able to use 2 coupons found in store for $1.00 off 2 12 packs. So my total was $1! Props to Sarah. Visit her at the Gulf Breeze Library. They have books. For reading.

Made any awesome ECB purchases? Tell us about 'em.

Original Prices: $24.90

Sale Prices: $13

Total Paid: $1

Total Savings: $23.90 or slightly over 95%

Scouting the Hawaiian Tropics

CVS is offering tons of ECBs this week. $10 ECBs with the purchase of two Hawaiian Tropic products is one such offer. And lip balm counts! Purchase two Hawaiian Tropic lip balms for a total of $5.98 to receive your $10 ECB. You make $4.02!

My scouts and I have searched local stores and found that the Gulf Breeze CVS does carry the lip balm. Stores that do NOT: Milton, Pace, Olive Rd, 9 Mile, 9th Ave, Brent. Shout out to Sarah for making the find in Gulf Breeze.

Soda Shop

Hello, my name is Jen and I am addicted to diet soda. Diet Dr. Pepper is my poison of choice but I enjoy most diet sodas (Pepsi and Root Beer being the exceptions). This week, Walgreens has Dr. Pepper products on sale 3 for $10 and CVS has Coke products on sale 5 for $13! Being an addict, I took advantage of both. That's $23 for eight 12 packs (96 cans!) - which is great, but I also had 4 ECBs which brought my purchase down to $19 or about 20 cents per can.

Original Prices: $40.82

Sale Prices: $23

Total Paid: $19

Total Savings: $21.82 or slightly over 53%

Shake Your Money Maker at CVS

Dirty mouth? Don't chew gum, that's dumb. Brush your teeth and brush 'em with toothpaste that CVS paid you to take home. This week CVS has Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste for $2.79 with a $2ECB. Combine this with a $1.00 coupon from the 6/12/11 SmartSource and you make 21 cents!

Don't know what ECBs are? Check out "Fillers, RRs, ECBs...huh?" on your right, under "Good to Know".

Walgreens Switch-A-Roo = Free-er Tampons!

I hate buying feminine products. They are expensive, no fun to buy and certainly no fun to use! Walgreens is helping make it a little easier this week. They are giving away an 18 ct box of Playtex Sport or Gentle Glide tampons when you purchase a 36 ct box. The 36 ct box is $8.49 and the 18 ct box is normally $5.29. Combine this with two of the $1.50 manufacturers coupons from the 5/22/11 SmartSource and you get both boxes for $5.49! That’s a savings of $8.29 or over 60%. It’s like you are getting the larger box free!

So that's 36 ct tampons + 18 ct tampons = $5.49
(Walgreens sale + 2 $1.50 manufacturer's coupons = $8.29 savings)

If you are currently in need of tampons, you'll probably like this deal: pop on over to CVS where you can get $5.99 in ECBs on a $5.99 bag of Hershey's Bliss. That's free - you have to pay $5.99 for the Bliss - a $5.99 Extra Care Bucks "coupon" will print on your receipt that you may use on your next purchase. Go ahead and use it right away if you want. Buy your chocolate then turn right around and buy a few things you need that add up to $5.99 (like bread, pet food, etc) and use your ECB just like a coupon! You walk out of the store with your Hershey's Bliss and other item(s) that equal $5.99 all for $5.99! Consider the Bliss free or the other stuff free, either way, you left with free stuff!

To the Couponer go the Spoils

Target
2 shirts (sale & store coups)
2 dresses (sale & store coups)
Walgreens
Blistex (sale & rr)
Scar Zone (sale)
3 tubes Colgate (sale & manus)
2 Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaners (store coup)
3 Bayer Advanced (manu coup & rr)
3 Peanut Butter M&Ms (sale) - filler items (I'll do a post on fillers)
Butterfinger (sale) - filler item
Sample of Renpure
CVS
3 Falsies Mascaras (sale & ecb)
Bread (used ecb on this)
4 cans Friskies (used ecb on this)
3 Tic Tac Big Packs (sale & manu)
NYC Lipstick (used ecb on this)

Original Prices: $148.52
Sale Prices: $73.07
Paid: $44.30
Total Savings: $104.22 or slightly over 70% AND I have a few mail-in rebates to submit!

Update: check the right hand side of the blog under the "Good to Know" section for more info on RRs, ECBs and Fillers.

Publix Display of Affection

Today I made my first Publix shopping trip since I began couponing. Publix accepts competitor coupons (such as Target - check your store for details) and allows overages! Publix
Bayer Advanced Asprin (sale + manu coup + store coup)
2 Mrs. T's Pierogies (B1G1 + manu coup)
2 Hormel Canned Chicken (B1G1)
2 Aunt J Frozen Pancakes - whole grain! (B1G1)
Off Botanicals (manu coup + store coup)
CVS
5 Cans Cat Food (sale)
Tide Stain Release (sale + manu coup)
2 Garnier Hair Stylers (sale + 2 manu coups)
Walgreens
2 Morton Salt (store coup)

Original Prices: $45.02
Sale Prices: $30.62
Paid:$18.88
Total Savings: $26.14 or slightly over 58%