CVS Trip 3/31 - and why you shouldn't shop when you don't feel well

Despite not feeling well all week, I knew I had to get out at some point and get things done.  I posted my Walgreens trip earlier and there were several more things on my list but I finally just gave up and bought only the items I showed because I just didn't have it in me to focus on the deals.  At CVS I got just about everything I went for (although, again they didn't seem to carry the Clean & Clear body wash yet), I just paid more than I should have.  Luckily, I realized it and went back and corrected the mistake. Evidently, the cashier missed scanning one of my Axe BOGO coupons.

(4) Axe shower gels @ $4.50 each
(3) 3 Musketeer mint bars (only 2 shown, yes I ate one) @ $.99 B2G1 FREE
(2) Snickers Eggs @ 2/$1

- (2) BOGO Axe Shower Gels coupon (cashier initially missed one)
- (1) B2G1 Free 3 Musketeers bars coupons
- (1) $1/2 Mars Easter Candy coupon
- (1) $.25/2 Snickers CVS kiosk coupon

- $4/20 email coupon (had to turn around and go home to print this as I saw on my email literally 1 minute after I left the house, luckily I wasn't even out of the neighborhood yet).
- $2.50 ECB

$7.74+tax = $9.10 - I thought this seemed really high, but it wasn't until I was at the chiropractors office around the corner running the numbers through my head that I really figured it out.  When I left there I looked at my receipt and saw where one of the Axe BOGO coupons had been missed, so I went back and she refunded me $4.50, bringing the final total down to:

$3.24 +tax = $4.60 (got back $5 ECB from Axe purchase)

Rite Aid Trip 3/31

I had two things I wanted on this trip, the Axe body wash (which they were low on) and the Clean & Clear bodywash (which it appears that no one locally carries yet).

I found these Reese's bars on clearance for $.99 each and figured they would be a good match with the Rite Aid Video Values coupon for $.50/2.

(3) Axe Body Wash @ $4.50 each
(1) Axe Detailer @ $4.50 each
(2) Planter's NUTrition bars @ 2/$5
(2) Hydrogen Peroxide @ $.99 BOGO
(2) Reese's bars clearance @ $.99

- (2) BOGO Axe shower gel or detailer coupons
- (1) $1/1 NUTrition bars
- (1) $.75/1 NUTrition bars
- (1) $.50/2 Reese's bars VV coupon

- (1) $3/15 RA Survey coupon
- (2) $2/10 Beauty product VV coupon

- $7 +UP rewards

= $2.72 + tax = $4.15 (plus got back $5 +UP from Axe purchase)

Walgreens 3/31

Despite having plenty of shaving cream on hand (I over-stocked a little before I really learned the ropes), I didn't want to pass up this deal at Walgreens.  It just so happened that Thursday Walgreens was offering their "friends and family" 15% discount, as well, which made this an even sweeter deal.

2 Edge Shave Gel 2/$4 = $1.70/e after F&F discount
2 Bic 3 razor 8pks  $5.94 after F&F discount (on sale B1G1 50%)
- (2) $.55/1 Edge Shave gel coupons (which for some reason they had issues scanning)
- (2) $2/1 Bic disposable razors coupons


-$4 RR (from previous visit)

= $3.21 +tax = $4.19 (got back $2RR from Edge purchase)

Despite Concerns from Couponers, Coupon Value & Distribuation is Increasing

I ran across this interesting article this morning, that details exactly how distributors had increased their coupon offerings in 2010 by over 13% since the previous year, up to $485 billion in savings!  Wow. That's a lot of coupons floating around out there.  The increases they show are both in number of coupons available and in the overall average face value of coupons (which was up 6.6% from the previous year).

I read a lot of concern towards the end of last year and through this year so far about how coupon amounts were shrinking and deals were becoming less and less.  Heck, I was even starting to wonder as I looked through the coupons for the first quarter this year.  Then the second quarter began and WOW! The coupons were looking good.  When the year started we saw Colgate coupon amounts drop from $1/1 to $.75/1 and I was thinking I was really glad I had a great stockpile.  Then last week we saw $1.50/1 and many other really good coupons.

I think it's important that when we see some of our favorite coupons seem to drop in value, we keep our hopes up because the good ones will be back.  This month we may only see $2/1 Bic shavers, in the fall we'll probably see the BOGO coupons again.  Couponing takes a lot of strategy, it can be hard to hold onto those seemingly great coupons, but doing so means a bigger pay-off when you are able to match that BOGO coupon to a BOGO sale and end up with double free product.  Sometimes just matching that $2/1 coupon to a BOGO sale is a great deal too.  The point is, it all works out in the end.  Not every deal is a stock-up deal, sometimes it's just a deal where you grab one or two (because you happen to need them) and then move on and wait.

Coupon: $1/2 Cheez-It's

Click here to print a coupon for $1/2 Cheez-It crackers.

Publix March Pet Coupons

Publix has some new pet coupons available online for pet needs:

• $1 Off Cat's Pride litter
• $1 Off Whiskas Temptations treats for cats
• $1 Off Hartz Crunch n Clean
• BOGO Pedigree canned food
• $2 Off Hartz Ultra Guard items
• $2 Off Our Pets Joint Supplement

These are Publix coupons, so they can be stacked with manufacturer coupons.

Fiber One Coupons

Fiber One has 3 new coupons available on their website....

• $.50/1 FiberOne yogurt multi-pack
• $.75/1 FiberOne cereal
• $1/1 FiberOne bars

"Like" Snuggle for $1 Off

Head over to Facebook and "like" Snuggle's page to print off a $1 Off coupon!

New Coupons on Coupon Network

More new coupons for the new month can be found on CouponNetwork , including...

• $.85/1 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread
• $1/1 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
• $1/8 Stonyfield Oikos greek yogurt
• $1/2 Starbucks Ice Cream
• $.50/2 Green Giant Steamers
• $.75/1 FiberOne cereal
• $.50/2 Betty Crocker snacks
• $1/1 Farm Rich snacks

New Month - New Coupons from Pillsbury!

Pillsbury.com has loads of new coupons available now that the new month has started, and not just Pillsbury coupons either.  Be sure to check it out for over $70 in coupons available today, including....

• $.75/1 Kix cereal
• $.75/1 Cheerios
• $1/1 Tilex
• $1/1 Phillips Laxative
• $1/1 Truvia (on sale this week at Publix for $2.99)
• $.75/1 Kraft Singles
• $3/1 Pedigree (8.8lb or larger)