Husband and Wife Couponing

Despite the fact that people know that I coupon at CVS (and mention it in Sunday School, haha), I actually don't go very often any longer unless there's a specific need like a medicine refill or for clearance! I saw on Instagram via #cvsclearance that summer things were on clearance! I was actually looking for a few specific items including little bottles of toothpicks that people were getting for $0.25, and it was 2 in a pack!

I was happy to see that the clearance at my store was also 75% off since it usually takes a little longer for our prices to drop. But considering it was already that low, it wasn't surprising to see that most of the items were gone. That meant no toothpicks for me! That's one of those things that you don't really think about buying, but then there are random times when a toothpick is exactly what you need but you don't have them! Haha, one day I'll get them.

Anyway, I did go in knowing I had to spend my $3 ExtraBucks that was expiring soon, so I was hoping to roll it a little bit and then spend it all so I wouldn't feel obligated to go back. The Playtex tampons were a great deal as they were originally $5.29 for the box, but I had a $3 coupon for it making it $2.29. When I showed up at the store, I got a 25% off tampons/pads coupon from the redbox, so that meant saving another $1.33! So the box would have just been $0.96 out of pocket to get $3 ECB back! That was a pretty good way for me to roll the $3 I already had.

I purchased the summer clearance items in this transaction too just to make it easier. Howard and I decided to pick up two of the Freez Paks for ourselves and then I called my mom to see if she needed any since they were only $0.49 each (originally $1.99). There really should be four in the picture, but I left my mom's two in the car instead of bringing them all the way upstairs. Then we also picked up two of the Tundra Freez Paks for $0.32 (originally $1.29), which would be more useful in my Thirty-One Thermal Pouch or the Picnic Thermal for quick errands or for lunches. Lastly, I saw the 24 oz tumbler and liked that it was much larger than the ones I already have, so I got that for  $1.99 (originally $7.99). Basically, we just had to pay for the ice as the ECB I had paid for the other two things.

The next transaction was the vitamins. Isn't it ridiculous that the regular price cost of the bottle at CVS is $15.79? What?! How is that possible? They were on sale last week for $8.29. I had a $2 manufacturer's coupon as well and used the $3 ECB from the first transaction, so it was $3.29 out of pocket, which I think is decent for vitamins especially since I also got $5 ECB from it too!

The third and final transaction was a spur of the moment purchase. Howard was looking for hydrocortisone for his hand, so we saw that the Neosporin one had an ECB deal. The original price was $10.49, so I used the $5 ECB from the previous transaction meaning it was $5.49 out of pocket, but I got $4 ECB back.

The total was $11.56 out of pocket with another $4 to spend for next time, which is more than what is typically spent at CVS, but it included vitamins and ointment. Considering the regular price of the Neosporin was just about a dollar less than what we spent out of pocket, I think it was pretty good unplanned couponing with my standing in the aisles with pen and paper doing the math to figure out the best deal. It also helped that Howard was there to help with mutliple transactions because as I rang up the next purchase, he was ripping off the ECB from the previous receipt! Husband and wife couponing!

Haul: Couponing at Target for Random Items

I went out to do some errands on Friday because we were in need of groceries, and I wanted to snag some good deals. That included Target because I definitely needed some milk and some hamburger buns. My mom has pointed out to me that getting lactose-free milk at Costco would be cheaper than just picking up the Market Pantry half gallon, but since I use gift cards from Swagbucks, free is always going to beat cheap.

Just missing a half gallon of milk!

Everything in the picture above including the milk that was already open and in the fridge cost just $13.54 including tax. I didn't have to pay a cent out of pocket so I was happy about that as always. Who wouldn't be? I'm particularly excited because the Playtex tampons were $6.99 a box, so already that alone would be $13.98 and I paid less than that for more items. Here are the breakdowns of the items:

• Playtex Sports tampons were $6.99 a box. There were $3 manufacturer's coupons on Red Plum online, so I had those printed out and ready to go. I had looked on the Target website to see how much they cost just in case I needed to price match at customer service, but that wasn't a problem at all.
• I knew I wanted to use the $5 off $15 personal care Target coupon, so I needed just a little over $1. I chose the Oral B Pro-Health Stage toothbrush (4-24 months) with a baby Winnie the Pooh on it for $2.54 because I had printed out a $0.50 coupon for it. It'll be included in the bucket of things I've purchased for my sister-in-law's baby. 
• The Up & Up Sport Sunscreen has been a clearance find on Instagram. People were getting it for super cheap when there was the buy 3 get 1 free promo. I had looked for it earlier in the week but couldn't find any. I just randomly spotted this on an endcap by itself. I scanned it for the price, but nothing came up. At the register, I asked the cashier how much it was, and nothing came up there either. I told her that I had seen others get it on clearance, so she just punched in $2 for me. I had a $1 Target coupon and the 5% Cartwheel, so it was $0.95 for all 3. I think that was a pretty good deal even though it's not a high SPF. I don't know if my dad needs it, but if not, it'll get used by us for Disney trips (I don't usually wear any at all except for on my face) and field day at school, haha. It doesn't expire until 2017, so we have time.
• The Up & Up crayons were $0.39 each, but I had printed out a $1.50 off 3 school supplies coupon when it was still available. Once it got out on Instagram that you could get free things with it, everyone printed it until it was gone. I had only printed out two. I kept procrastinating and didn't do it on Howard's computer or the laptop! Stupid me for waiting because I was able to get 6 boxes of crayons completely free! There was no overage, but I didn't mind at all. These will be used for Operation Christmas Child. I know there's a new mobile coupon for $1 off of 2 school items, so I will hopefully get 2 more boxes (or 4 if I get Howard's mobile coupon too).
• The hamburger buns were $1.13 with the 5% off Cartwheel deducted. Even though the milk isn't pictured, it was $3.17 after the 5% off Cartwheel.
• Lastly, I picked up two containers of Wet Ones. They were originally $2.74, but they were on price cut for $1.99. I had Target coupons for $0.50 off along with a manufacturer's coupon of $1 off of 2, so each one ended up being $0.99. These things are perfect for road trips since sometimes you need to actually clean your hands instead of just use hand sanitizer. I purposely picked the sensitive skin one because it said it was safe for babies. I will put one of them in the bucket for my sister-in-law so they can keep it in their car or something too.

Pretty good deals, wouldn't you say? Target hauls are never spectacular or super interesting, but I do like writing them up every once in a while because I have a record of the prices. I'm so glad we have a Target closer to home. Plus, it's right in the same shopping center as Five Below, but I'm getting ahead of myself!

Quick CVS-ing

I've mentioned before that I don't bother going to CVS anymore unless (1) there's a great deal that doesn't require a lot of work or rolling or (2) they send me free Extra Bucks for doing a survey. Today was one of those days where the deal was just too good to pass up that I actually did it on my card and Howard's card. I also have the extra little card to put on the key ring for my mom as well, so I was able to pick one up for her too. I did go to 3 separate stores including the one in the mall since I had to go to return something there anyway.

The Colgate toothpaste was on sale for $3 this past week, but they were giving everyone a $2 coupon from the red box. This week there was also a $1 off manufacturer's coupon online for any size, so that meant these were completely FREE! I did have to pay $0.18 in tax when I did the transaction in the mall for some reason whereas the other two didn't cost anything. That's okay by me because even if I divide the cost, it's still just $0.06 for the toothpaste that we actually like. Quick and painless ... definitely my kind of couponing and could be yours too!

Who Wants to Play?

A little over two weeks ago, I posted how I finally purchased Scattergories, which was and is one of my favorite games. Well, I added to my game collection this past week when I bought Taboo! This too was and is one of my favorite games! I remember when the wife of one of our former pastors at church introduced the game to us in youth group, and thereafter, so many of us were so eager to play any time we had a chance at a fellowship/barbecue/party at someone's house or at summer retreat.

One of the couples at church has the first edition of Taboo with the card holder and the buzzer. We had so much fun playing guys vs. girls when we had a couples potluck at their house last November. The girls won, of course, haha.

The newer version is a little different in that there is no holder (and I read that they don't fit in the old one) and there's a squeaker instead of a buzzer so there's no need for a battery. It does cost a lot less than the original, but the reason I chose this one was there are new words!

Since I printed out a $5 Hasbro game coupon that expired today, I knew I had to pick it up this past week. I kept checking the product page on Amazon so that I could price match it the same way I did with Scattergories, but the cost kept fluctuating between $9.99 and $16! I reread Target's price match policy and saw that they also will honor the prices at Best Buy, Walmart, Babies R Us, and Toys R Us. I checked Walmart and saw that the game was $11.80 but that there was also a rollback option on select Hasbro games including Taboo for $9.97! Score! A quick trip to customer service and a few minutes later, I was the owner of Taboo for just $5.85 including tax. The wonderful thing is that I used a Swagbucks gift card, so I didn't pay a cent out of pocket. How exciting!

I think that my obsession with word games is due to my mom. When I was young, she introduced Boggle to me, and we'd sit on the bed and the two of us would play rounds of Boggle! I remember how she'd write words that I didn't know, and when I asked her what they meant, sometimes we would look them up in the dictionary. I remember on one occasion, she found the word "gin" and we only knew it from "Gin Rummy," so we looked it up and I learned it was alcohol, haha. I guess those rounds of Boggle and the few times our family played Scrabble (which is, strangely, one of the word games I actually don't like anymore) stuck with me. Even when I was on the social committee for the church's summer retreat, I was the one who always made up games that had to do with words or letters whether they had to be drawn/acted and then guessed. 

Now that I have this game, who's ready to play? 

Recent Target Deals

Followers of my blog will clearly see that Target has started to become my one stop shop even though I still do hit the grocery stores for items that I can't find. At first, I preferred the supermarkets because of their policy on doubling coupons, but when the deal is better at Target. Plus, the added benefit is that lately I have no paid ONE CENT when it comes to my hauls. Though I still use coupons, of course, the reason why I haven't had to take out my wallet is because I've had Shopkick gift cards and been claiming $25 gift cards from Swagbucks. So far I've claimed $240 (a mix of Target and iTunes cards), and I'm waiting on another $50 right now (Target again and Amazon). If you're not using Swagbucks yet, you're missing out! If you decide to sign up, use my link here, please! I do benefit if you go through my referral link.

This was an old deal that I purchased on April 16. The Suave shampoo was the same as this post here. I actually did this deal 3 times, so I got a total of 9 bottles for free as I just kept rolling gift cards. The Frosted Mini Wheats was a great deal. I actually had to search for the 18 oz boxes because those were the only ones included in the promotion. I finally found them behind the cereal next to the other boxes! I wonder if someone tried to hide them, haha. I actually found 6, so my mom was able to get in on this deal too. They were on sale for $2.50 each, but there was a 50% Cartwheel offer and a manufacturer's coupon for $3 off 3 boxes of cereal! You can bet I printed a bunch of those when I had the chance! I could have printed more, but I forgot about it. Thankfully, it was actually a coupon offered on Kellogg's Family Rewards, so I still have at least 2 to use. That meant each box was just $0.25! Score! Lastly, the eggs were on sale that week for just $0.99, but I had Target mobile coupons for $0.50 off a dozen. Recently, the Incredible Edible Egg Facebook page had a rare coupon for $0.55 off any 2 dozen eggs, so I was able to use that as well making each box just $0.22. My mom did a transaction with the eggs as well, but she only needed one carton so that's why I have 3 in the picture. 

One of the deals from this past week was one I found in the Target ad. I didn't really see it on Instagram at all, but since we were in need of Band-Aids, it was a great price for me. The deal was buy 2 get 1 free, but I saw that there was a $2 off 3 coupon on HealthyEssentials. Each box was $6.49, so after the promotion and coupon, each box came out to $3.66 (about $0.06 per bandage). My mom mentioned that it might be cheaper at Costco, but we don't necessarily need all the different sizes. Plus, these were the fabric ones that don't come off when you wash your hands, so I was happy. I should probably put some in my bag, right? That way if I get injured at Stop & Shop again, I'll be prepared!

I actually went back to buy more Band-Aids The plastic strips were, of course, much less. Each box cost $2.29, so after the buy 2 get 1 free and the $2 coupon, it came out to just $0.86 each. On one of the clearance endcaps, they had the Up & Up brand of adhesive bandages for over $2! This was definitely a steal. Now we are completely stocked on Band-Aids, and I don't have to think about it for a while!

This last picture is clearly a luxury and not a necessity. I happened to see that there was a Target printable coupon for $1.50 off 2 bags and a manufacturer's coupon for $1.00 off 2 bags. I decided I was going to take a look at the price and see if it was worth purchasing, and let me tell ya, it was! They were on sale for $3! With the 10% Cartwheel offer, each bag cost only $1.52. That's much better than any clearance Easter candy because Dove chocolate is so decadent! After having one of the almond ones, I picked up the hazelnut ones on another Target trip. Normally I share my chocolate and candy with my former colleagues when I make little cards or treat bags once in a while when I sub, but these might be the ones I decide to hoard for myself, hehe.

There are other less exciting items purchased like sandwich fixings, but these were my favorite deals. And like I said earlier, out of pocket cost was absolutely NOTHING!

Vitamins, Guac, and Vinegar?

These particular items seem so random, but they were exactly what I intended to pick up when I last went to Target with my mom. Since I've been to work these past few days, we've been stopping at stores every once in a while because it helps us clear our heads and gives us more time to talk about what happened during the previous 7 hours when we were off doing our jobs! So even though these aren't major shopping trips, they're still things that I wanted to get since we pass by on the way home. It helps me avoid the long drive from the apartment to the shopping area.

I had been watching the clearance endcaps for the Centrum vitamins ever since I saw it on Instagram. The store never had it until just recently! There were a good amount available, so I decided to wait to see if the price would drop a bit lower. When I saw them at the 50% off price, I was still holding out for 70%. However, when I was at Target on Friday, there was only one more left on the shelf! I grabbed it at $4.98. I was disappointed that there weren't more than that, so my mom suggested I check the aisle where the other vitamins were. I didn't think I'd have any luck, but my mom was right! I spotted another one! I used manufacturer's coupons on each to save $2 so each set was only $2.98. Pretty good deal for vitamins, I think. The expiration date said June 2014, so I opened one today so Howard and I could take these while we pause on our vitamin gummies. I saw that only the smaller bottle has the 6/14 date, so there's no rush for the bigger one!

And yes, I like my vitamins to taste like candy, haha. It's mainly because I have an issue with swallowing pills. If I have to take my regular medication in pill form, I'm going to choose to avoid taking anything else if I can get it in the form of a gummy. The Centrum ones are similar to Skittles though they do have a vitamin aftertaste. We had tried it a few months ago as a free sample, so I knew that they were decent.

The Market Pantry vinegar was $1.07, but with the 5% Cartwheel offer and the $0.50 Target printable, it cost just $0.54 for each bottle. I read that an easy way to clean the microwave is to put some white vinegar in a bowl or cup (I have to check up on the details) and then microwave it for a certain amount of time. Then it'll make the inside easier to clean. Plus, we needed some white vinegar to clean our new humidifier. Pathmark had the same amount of Heinz white vinegar for $0.98, so I'm happy to know I got twice as much for the same price.

Just as an added note - the great thing about Cartwheel is that they have a feature where you can just scan the barcode of the item to check if there is an offer. I completely forgot about the Market Pantry CW offer when I saw it on Instagram, so I'm glad I take the time to scan my basket to save the extra $0.06!

Lastly, the Wholly Guacamole minis were the regular price of $5.19. I'm not someone who typically enjoys pre-made guacamole anymore ever since my parents started buying fresh avocados. The pre-made stuff just doesn't compare. However, I had requested a freebie coupon a while back and got it recently, so I wasn't going to pass up on it! Plus, the coupon was for anything up to $6.50, and the coupon autodeducted so I got $1.31 in overage that applied to the rest of the items in my cart.

I liked how my total was over $17 when the items were scanned, but then after coupons and Cartwheel, I paid under $6 for it especially when the trip included bottles of vitamins. Yay couponing!

Target, the New CVS

With the many trips I've been taking to Target lately, it has basically become my new CVS. I didn't realize that it was possible to coupon so well at this store mainly because I wasn't used to going to Target except on "special occasions." But once we finally got the second store, I started seeing that it'd be silly to pass up on some great deals! 

A few days ago, I decided to go for the Suave shampoo gift card deal. We really don't need shampoo at all, but this was actually a moneymaker. The only reason I was willing to do it was because I just got enough kicks on Shopkick to get a $5 gift card that I could roll. This entire transaction cost just $1.83 out of pocket, which includes tax, of course.

The Suave shampoo was on sale for $2.89, but I used a $1.50 manufacturer's coupon on each. When you buy 3, you get a $5 gift card. So the bundle only cost $4.17 to get the $5 gift card.

The Palmolive was on price cut for $2.73, but I used a $1.25 Target coupon on each (one was mobile, one was a paper copy that my mom had mailed to her house) along with the $0.50 manufacturer's coupon. I don't need dish detergent either, but I got excited about the fact that they have different scents. When you do dishes so often by hand, it's nice to have variety! I know that sounds silly, but an option of fragrance really makes it a little easier to deal with this chore. I grabbed these particular bottles because they had the little sponges attached to them. It's basically like a freebie!

I have to say that this was one of the easier couponing trips because it was clearly not complex. However, the cashier seemed to be distrusting of me and tried handing back the Palmolive coupons back to me after he scanned one of the Target ones. Before I could say that they were manufacturer's coupons, he must have realized it himself and pulled his hand back to scan them. He also checked my bags to see that I did indeed have enough products for each coupon. I completely understand that it's necessary because there are those who have been committing coupon fraud. All cashiers should be doing that, but I think it should just be part of how they check customers out and not make it seem as if I'm trying to steal from the store. Oh well, I guess there are always going to be dishonest people making it difficult for the rest of us.

For me, it's worth spending the $1.83 out of pocket to get the $5 gift card because I've been hitting Target more often for groceries these days. Couponing really needs to be a personal thing though as you have to ask yourself if it's worth the out of pocket cost. If I didn't have the Shopkick gift card, I would not have done this deal.

Goodbye Again (For Now)

This is the final CVS trip in a while unless they decide to send me another survey to get more ExtraBucks! I went to the  store with $11 ECB to spend. I was actually looking for something in particular. I had seen on Instagram that the Nexcare tape was on clearance for less than $1.50, but it was still givinng $5 in ECB for purchasing one. That's definitely a great moneymaker! Alas, both stores I went to didn't have them any longer. I wasn't really expecting there to be any left since I did check about 2-3 days after the deal was first posted.

However, I did see that the regular price tape was $4.99, so I grabbed two rolls of that. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have it since I did just get a supermarket injury recently! I still knew I needed a little more to use the ECB, so I grabbed one of my favorite snacks that was on clearance - Pop Chips! That meant that when I paid at self-checkout, I just had to put in $0.47 in change. Yay!

I rolled the $10 i got from the Nexcare into my final transaction. Tums are on sale this week for buy one get one 50% off. I know that I can probably find a bottle cheaper elsewhere like at Target, but nothing beats paying pocket change. I chose two bottles of my latest favorite, which is the Ultra Strength 1000 in Peppermint. I can't believe all along I've only been taking 750 when 1000 works so much better. Each was $5.99, so that meant both would be about $9. I still had another $1 in ECB, so I picked up another bag of Pop Chips.

I actually waited on the line again for the second transaction since there were others waiting due to two people being super confused and needing help. I didn't mind because then I had time to carefully tear the ECB fro mthe bottom of my receipt. The transaction was smooth and easy although any time I have high ECB amounts, it needs to be approved.  With another $0.47 (yes, they both came out to that same number, haha), I was done. Woohoo! So basically I consider the change I spent on my recent CVS trips was spent for the sake of the Tums that can be rather expensive. Everything else was just extras!

[edit]

I just wanted to add that I thought it was nice to see there were still a few clearance blankets left for $0.99 when I was there that day. I know some people were able to get them for $0.39 elsewhere. If I had more ECB to spend, I definitely would have gotten some of these too. Couponers everywhere are picking them up because they're a great last minute small gift or good for gift baskets or for donations.

Couponing Ecards

I follow a few couponers on Instagram and also check a few hashtags while on the app, so I've come across a few of these when on the quest for a good deal. There are more than the ones I'm posting down below, but I find these particularly funny!

Thankfully, I've never had any one have an issue like this before. Well, at least not to my knowledge! I know that I've had a handful of people watch me especially at Target as I hand over a stack of coupons and then have mobile coupons and Cartwheel scanned on my phone. I've seen how they look at the cashier's screen too to see how much the final price decreases. It's pretty fun sometimes! Other times I see people in front of me check out for items I know have coupons, and I cringe knowing that they could get it cheaper. If I had them on me, I'd totally share, but since most of my coupons are internet printables, I only print what I use. 

I have definitely forgotten to use coupons in the past, but the only time I go back to get it corrected is if I haven't yet left the parking lot. I don't think it's worth the gas and time to go back, so that's why I watch the screen as the cashier scans each one and I check the receipt. In the supermarkets and Target, I usually check before I leave the store or if it's extremely detailed, I sit in my car and check it against my shopping list. 

This is definitely me! I like a variety of companies because of the coupons or the possibility of wins/prizes. Sometimes it's the best place to go for coupons for specific items. Recently, I was able to get high value coupons for Tribe Hummus, which is the only reason I tried the product. I've tried to convince my mom to sign up for an account solely for the connection to companies!

The last trip when I actually had time on my hands to check all the endcaps, I got so disoriented! Part of me still isn't used to the new Target because I really only go to certain areas. Any time I try to check the center aisles (more of the home stuff), I feel as if I get lost and have to figure out where the front of the store is, haha. The older Target is better with clearance though because I feel as if not as many people go there anymore. 

The other day I had a itsJudysLife vlog on where Julianna was pushing around a shopping cart in the kitchen. It reminded me of the cheap plastic red and yellow shopping cart I used to have when I was a kid and was telling Howard how much sturdier toys like that are nowadays. I also joked that our kids would push a cart around and pretend they're shopping, but I'd be like, "Okay, so you have the cheese and milk; do you have your coupons?" 

This last one is my FAVORITE! Haha, it's so true because coupons really are MONEY! Couponers always say that others pay with cash, and we just pay with coupons. That's why there's fraud with coupons because when people misuse it for the wrong products or don't put it in the couponing slot for self-checkout, it's basically a form of stealing. The store needs to submit the coupons to the manufacturer to be reimbursed, and some people just ruin it. Boo to all those couponers who do it dishonestly and make it harder for the rest of us. Anyway, it's pretty cool especially when you get high value coupons because it covers more of the cost of the product. Personally, I love $0.75 coupons on single items as I know they'll double to $1.50 in the supermarkets. That's a lot to save on one item, wouldn't you say?

If you haven't yet started, maybe it's time for you to give it a try! I feel that even if you don't do the "extreme couponing" route and instead save one dollar on each trip, that's still one more dollar you keep in your pocket instead of giving to the store. If you do grocery shopping once a week, that's $52 in a year! Pretty awesome deal, I think, just for using one or two coupons per trip!

How Much?

I don't watch many YouTubers, but the one channel I absolutely love is itsJudysLife. Judy and Benji do a daily vlog, and it's so fun having been able to watch their daughter Julianna's first year of life and also see the recent addition of their new twin girls, Miya and Keira. Benji is a food fanatic, and he loves trying out new recipes and perfecting them to their liking. Once he makes a new dish, he often asks the person tasting it, "How much would you pay for this?" 

Every time I take a picture of a haul and post it on my blog, I'm so tempted to just start off the update by asking, "How much do you think I paid for this?" Cuz seriously, I get so super happy about not having to pay much for FRESH FOOD!

Well, the total of today's Target run was $4.96, which included tax! I was rather thrilled because that included, as you can see, a pound of ground beef, a bag of Brussels sprouts, and a box of Driscoll's strawberries! Here's the breakdown and the deals that helped me get all of this for a few dollars:

The ground beef is on sale for 15% off this week. The package is supposed to be $3.99, which is actually a LOT for just a pound of meat, but there was also a 5% Cartwheel offer and a mobile coupon for $1 off $1 or more of fresh meat. It made sense to pick it up for $2.22 especially since I probably will be too tired to do the homework and the errands next week when I'm going to work for four of the five days.

This week the Driscoll's strawberries originally $3.47 were on sale for $1.79. There was a 5% Cartwheel offer on fresh berries plus a mobile coupon $1 off $1 or more fresh fruit purchase. That made the whole box just $0.79! That's even cheaper than what we got this past Sunday in Chinatown! The ones from Target are also a lot bigger and redder, so hopefully they're sweet since we did have to add sugar to our strawberry and mango mix.

The bag of Brussels sprouts were $2.79, but I used the mobile coupon for $1 off $1 or more fresh vegetable purchase. Seriously, I am so in love with these mobile coupons that can be used on fresh food items! It's so rare to get coupons for these things, so it's a good play on Target's part because I often look there instead of just at the supermarkets.

We already have plenty of dish detergent even after giving some bottles to my family. I just kept picking up Dawn bottles at CVS when there was a sale and coupon because I usually needed some items to soak up the overage of my manufacturer's coupons, redbox coupons, and ExtraBucks. But you know how I am about leaving free things in the store! The Seventh Generation dish detergent is a HUGE bottle on sale for $3.19. I used a 10% Cartwheel offer, a $1 manufacturer's coupon, and a $1 Target printable coupon to get it down to $0.97. That price would have been good enough for me to try out a new eco-friendly product, but there's also a $1.00 offer via ibotta (click here to sign up through my referral link), so it was kind of free since I already submitted my receipt. I don't consider these things completely free because I still had to pay $0.97 out of pocket right now. The extra apps that I use are more for bonuses.

The Up & Up foam scrubbers are just $1.19 regular price, but I used the $1 off Up & Up household cleaning item mobile coupon to get it for $0.19. It's always nice having sponges like these for cleaning.

Okay, so I saved the best for last. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember that a while ago I picked up Renuzit cones from CVS. I put them on the shelf in the bathroom for a simple, clean scent. They were on sale for $1.02 each, but I had seen on Instagram that the "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" coupon was autodeducting the full amount! That meant that instead of paying $2.02 for all 3 cones, I got them for free with $1.11 in overage since the coupon deducted $4.17! Ahh, autodeducting is the greatest. 

I think that I was pretty successful in stretching that $5.00 today!

Couponing Even at Michaels

When I buy the packs of Recollections paper for my card bases and to cut in my Cricut, I refuse to pay anything over $2.00. The regular price is $3.99 each, so half off is a must considering I technically could get them one at a time each time there's a 50% coupon. This past Sunday, however, was an even better deal as they were on sale 5 for $10 and there was an extra 20% coupon only valid for 4 hours. 

It worked out since my parents needed us to drive to their house that day for church instead of picking us up along the way, so we were in the area. I only picked up 5 packs of white and 2 other packs that included a light blue since I used it up in my last mass produced custom order. If we had the room, this definitely would have been the time to stock up, but despite great prices, I remind myself that I have to use more to purchase more! It's just so difficult to only grab what's needed at the moment instead of truly taking advantage of the sale.

However, the greatest thing about low prices in the majority of stores is that 95% of them do come back again because of sales cycles. Just gotta wait until next time!

La La La ... I Love Target!

As I mentioned in yesterday's update, I don't like posting about couponing so many days in a row, but i just feel that it needs to be done in case anyone is stopping by CVS or Target today before the deals are up. This is my latest Target purchase for only $4.79 out of pocket! 

The Kotex pantyliners is a deal I've done before. This is actually the third time so it's nothing too complicated. The Target coupon is just $1.50 off 2 Kotex products, so getting the 16 pack of pantyliners at $1.09 each means that it only costs $0.34 per pack.

The Suave shampoo was free with overage. Each bottle was just $2.74, and there happened to be a $1.50 manufacturer's coupon and a $1.50 Target printable coupon. We don't need shampoo, but it was free! Plus, we change out shampoos once we finish a bottle. I didn't check out the scents in the store, but at home, I took a whiff. I like the Awapuhi Ginger and Honeysuckle one over the Macadamia Oil and White Orchid. 

I had to grab some super inexpensive cereal too! The boxes of Special K were cheap because there was a 50% Cartwheel offer that could be used on only 2 boxes. Each box was originally $2.99, and I had a $0.50 coupon on the Red Berries variety. That meant it was only $1 for each.

The Up & Up toilet brush was normally $1.19, and I used a $0.75 off Target printable. It'll soon become a $0.44 germ holder that will have to be eventually thrown away.

Lastly, my favorite part of the haul was the shorts! I've read over and over again that having cute workout clothes makes you more willing to go workout. I found these C9 shorts in the clearance section for just $5.08 each. I snagged them because they were originally $16.99 and now 70% off. I love that there's a layer underneath that's more like bike shorts but still has the swishy material on top. I hate having to worry about wearing loose shorts when using the weight machines, but I also don't want to wear tighter shorts because of the underwear line, haha. This gives me the benefit of both! They only had one medium left for both, so it was a great deal for me. I also used the $3 off 2 women's apparel coupon.

The subtotal after coupons and Cartwheel was $9.74, but I was able to snag another $5 Target gift card through Shopkick before I even showed up at the store, so that covered half of it! Thus, all this stuff for just $4.79 including tax. Score! Now here's to putting the shorts to good use and getting back on track with exercise ... um, starting Monday?

Back To Where It All Began, CVS!

As a personal "rule," I don't usually like posting couponing updates in a row on my blog, but considering the deals were from this past week, I figured I'd do it now just in case any readers want to run to CVS or Target tomorrow. So yes, that means this will be on my blog once I'm done writing it AND I will write and schedule the post of my more recent Target haul tomorrow the moment it becomes Saturday!

I headed back to CVS after not going to the stores for so long, but they drew me in because they emailed a survey to me that gave me $5 ExtraBucks. My initial thought was I'd go use it to pay for the majority of another bottle of Tums Ultra Strength 1000 in Peppermint because those things are quite amazing for my reflux. I take it after having something like tomato sauce so that I can prevent feeling sick afterwards. Plus, who wouldn't want some more calcium? 

Well, that week I was going to use it, I started seeing this preview deal for Culturelle. This 30-ct box of probiotics is normally $23.99, but it was on sale for $10 with $10 ECB. With a $3 manufacturer's coupon I printed online with the $5 ECB from the survey, I only paid $2 out of pocket to get $10 ECB back! That's a pretty great deal because I knew I'd be able to use the ExtraBucks on things I needed and only have to pay a minimal amount out of pocket. I've been told to take probiotics or eat more yogurt after being sick, so now I have them for those moments. 

The perfect opportunity to roll those $10 ECB came this week! Even though I said I wouldn't take the time to deal with CVS like I used to, I couldn't just spend it knowing there was a way to get items for free and still have the money to spend on Tums afterwards.

The Nature Made gummies vitamins are originally $15.79 but were on sale for $5.99 with $4 ECB. I had a $2 CVS redbox coupon for vitamins and was able to print a $1 Nature Made manufacturer's coupon from the website. That made it a $1 moneymaker. 

The Almay Intense I-Color eyeliner was also a great way to roll ECBs. I can't stand the thought of having to buy eyeliner anywhere near full price, so when I can snag them like this, I don't pass at the chance. The original price of just one is $9.29, which is ridiculous when in reality, women don't NEED to wear makeup at all! The deal was that they were on sale for $5.99 with $6 ECB back when you buy 2. There was a $5 off 2 Almay product coupon on coupons.com that I was able to print out when it was reset because I missed it the first time not thinking I'd need it for anything. That means that it would be paying $6.98 out of pocket to get $6 back making each eyeliner only $0.49! Score!

Since I had the $10 ECB, I needed to spend all of it at once or it'd beep, so I added on two new nail polishes even though I clearly do not need them. The Wet n Wild brand was on sale buy 1 get 1 for 50%, and I had $1 manufacturer coupons. I got the Megalast in Club Havana for $1.99 and the Wild Shine in Caribbean Frost for half off at $0.50, so both polishes only cost $0.50 after the coupons, which is exactly what I needed to use my ECB.

In short, I used my $10 ECB to pay for my haul after coupons and only had to pay $0.52 out of pocket to get another $10 ECB back. The one thing I wanted to get was the vitamins, so I see it as paying $2.52 out of pocket for it if I include the cost of the Culturelle. Definitely worth it for us. 

I ended up stopping by the CVS near my mom's house too to check for clearance. The items at my store weren't marked down enough. The redbox was also out of order, so I couldn't scan to check the prices! I had to ask an employee if I could scan at self-checkout to check and then she had to void the order. I was most interested in the cereal because Howard and I go through phases where we eat a lot of cereal. I guess that's what happens when you have a small fridge/freezer and can't stock up on other breakfast items. Cereal will keep for quite some time! Plus, it's cheaper to be paying less than $2 for a box of cereal that will be many meals or snacks for the two of us. But alas, my CVS was still only 50% off. Can you believe that in NY, the cereal at CVS is close to $6 a box?! WHO WOULD BUY THAT?!

At my mom's CVS, I was successful in finding two boxes of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal for just $1.37. The Corn Chex was $2.64, so I wasn't going to get that. But then I thought about it. If I bought just the Kashi, I'd be paying $2.74 out of pocket. There was definitely a better way to do this especially since I also had the vitamins coupons to use on Howard's card.

I basically did the same vitamins deal as I did above, paying $2.99 out of pocket. Then I just ripped the $4 ECB from my receipt to use on cereal. I needed to use it all at once, so I did pick up the last box of Chex and a $0.60 manufacturer's coupon. That meant I only had to pay $0.78 for the second transaction. A total of $3.77 for a bottle of vitamins AND 3 boxes of cereal? Um, yes! That's just $1.03 more for the vitamins and Chex compared to just buying the Kashi out of pocket. 

And yes, as always, I paid for ALL three transactions with change. I know it's kind of ridiculous standing there feeding tons of pennies into the self-checkout machine, but I'm STILL using the change I had saved from years of years of tossing spare coins in my Keroppi bank and my Pochacco bank. It makes it feel as if I'm not really spending money at all because that money has been sitting in those banks for so long. If there's no one waiting on line for me to finish paying, I don't worry much even though I know the employees watch me, haha. 

I'm doing a pretty decent job with my more "casual" couponing for food and necessities these days, don't you think?

Hauling Food for Less Than $6

If you've been reading my blog since my first couponing adventures at CVS, you'll notice that the items I get nowadays have changed drastically. Since we're well-stocked on shampoos and soaps, it gives me plenty of time to focus on couponing for food! Now that we have the Target right by the supermarkets, it's especially easy to stop there for good deals instead of just being limited to Stop & Shop and Pathmark. 

This past Saturday, Howard and I stopped by Target before heading to my parents' house for my dad's birthday dinner. This is what we were able to pick up for just $5.69 out of pocket! Isn't that awesome? The 5lb box of Cuties clementines is $7.99 regular price and was on sale for $5.99, so the fact that we paid less out of pocket for the entire haul makes me an extremely happy camper because frugal is the name of the game.

I'm so glad I did all the "homework" ahead of time because we had to limit ourselves when we were in the store because we also had to stop by Mother Mousse before heading over. Here's the breakdown of what we got.

As stated above, the Cuties clementines was the 5 lb box. The $7.99 item was on sale for $5.99, but it was an even sweeter deal because I used a $1.00 off fresh fruit Target mobile coupon. I was excited to get these because when we have fruit at home, Howard and I usually have to split it because it's too much acid for me at once. Now I can just eat one or two when I'm craving fruit or just want a snack. Huh, I just noticed the box says California Mandarins, haha. Is there a difference? Anyway, they're a bit tart but not too bad. I just know they're not sweet enough for my mom yet. I wonder if they'll improve as this is just the start of the season.

The Nutella was on sale for $2.99 when the original price was $4.19 each. I had printed out a "buy one, get one free" coupon maybe about a month ago and was waiting for a good deal. The even better thing was that on a quick shopping trip to a grocery store, someone had left a Nutella hangtag coupon in the basket for $1.00 off for the 13 oz jars too, so that meant extra savings for me! The coupon could have autodeducted, but the cashier plugged in $1.00. I had caught it and said that $2.99 should be taken off instead, and he just went back and deleted one of the jars, which I'm pretty sure was not a good thing since I was taking a jar out of the store. But in terms of price, that meant I paid only $1.00 for each jar. That works for me because now that I typically stay away from peanut butter, I use more hazelnut things instead.

The 4 packages in the front are a strange buy, I know. They're the Oscar Mayer P3 Protein Power Packs. I got the turkey, chicken, and ham, which is basically one of each. It's basically just cheese, nuts, and the meat in a little plastic package, but I figured it would be a good thing for Howard to take to work since once in a while, he doesn't have the chance to grab lunch. Each packet is normally $1.79, which I personally think is ridiculous. I wouldn't even pay $0.25 for a pack considering I pay for CVS hauls with my precious quarters. But these were on sale for $1.50 each with a 50% off Cartwheel offer and a $0.75 manufacturer's coupon. So that means I had to pick them up because you know my policy of "If it's free, I can't leave it in the store!"

The little magnetic paper clips were on clearance for $1.58, but I used a 20% off Cartwheel offer and a $1.00 school supplies coupon to pick them for just $0.46. They were originally $3.19 and not something I would really pick up, but I clip my coupons together when I prepare my shopping trips, and I liked the idea of having the magnets since sometimes the regular paper clips annoy me. There are 8 in the pack, so I'm happy with the purchase.

The final deal includes the 3 boxes of cereal and 2 boxes of waffles. Target was having a deal where you get a $5 gift card when you buy 5 breakfast items. The cereal was $2.75 per box and the Eggo was $2.25. These are not purchase prices for me, but with coupons and the gift card deal, it was worth getting. The better deal would have been to get 4 boxes of waffles and just 1 box of cereal, but we just don't have that kind of room in our freezer! Thankfully, I didn't go to the store earlier because the day I was supposed to go, Kellogg's Family Rewards emailed a $1.00 off 2 boxes coupon. Yay! That meant each box was $1.75. Then I had $0.50 coupons for the cereal, so each box was $2.25. The total amount of the 5 items was $10.25. But the fantastic thing was that I knew I was going to use a $5.00 Shopkick gift card on it and get the $5.00 back, so the only money that I actually had to pay was $5.25 for all the items! That's a GREAT deal on these breakfast items especially since we were running low on cereal.

I did actually use my other gift card from the Shopkick app too, so thanks so much, Shopkick* for paying for 2/3 of my Target haul! The sales associate said to me, "You came prepared!" and I said that it took a good amount of time doing my homework ahead of time, but it was just SO worth it. Hooray! I don't mind paying for fruit and vegetables because you can't really coupon for those things, but I appreciate the mobile coupons from Target to save $1 here and there on fresh food. That's why I like seeing this haul as paying for the fruit and getting everything else for FREE! Free, my favorite word.

Coupons Make MY World Go 'Round

Solo adventure time again for me on Thursday! It was a little less daunting because there was no need to stop by the mall and my grocery lists were shorter than last time. The lineup was Michaels and Stop & Shop because they're right next to each other and then Pathmark and Target because they're also right next to each other. I really like hitting the stores like that because I only have to park twice. Whether it's cold or hot out, I'd much rather walk to each store and then back to the car if I have to put anything in the trunk, so it helps save gas. I usually also plan out the order of the stores depending on what food I'm getting, but because of these freezing temperatures, I don't have to worry about refrigerated or frozen items getting too warm!

The first store was Michaels. Once I walked through the door, I saw this small display for Cricut items. I glanced briefly in the bin to see if there were any $19.99 cartridges worth getting, but even then, I feel that it's only worth getting a cartridge for $9.99 these days. I thought it was interesting to see Design Studio being sold for $59.99 when you can just download Cricut Craftroom for free as long as you have an internet connection.

I wanted to see how much their candle warmer was even though I had looked for it in the past. It was only $4.99 if I'm remembering correctly, but I don't need it at this exact time, so I waited on using my 50% coupon on it. I will get it eventually so that when the wicks on my candles extinguish the flame on their own OR I'm halfway done with my newer candles, I'll use the warmer. I've read that it makes the candles last even longer than burning them, which is comforting because the burn time on the newer Bath & Body Works candles has decreased. 

I continued to browse the store looking for the clearance aisle. It wasn't there anymore! I was a little taken aback because it's usually such a mess, and instead it was changed to scrapbook storage and organization. I did find another aisle farther back that was labeled for clearance, but there was nothing in there at this point. I wonder how they'll organize items in the future because it's usually difficult to look because things are hastily tossed onto piles. 

The aisle of the inexpensive goodies (these things used to always be just a dollar in the past) was fun to examine though because there was a whole section of Minnie Mouse goodies! When we have our own kiddies, I'm going to buy a few of these things for our road trips to Disney World. I'd like to encourage them to write down some memories while we're traveling. I'll also be buying these types of goodies to spoil our nieces and nephews just because I can, haha. Plus, those things will definitely be Disney-related so as to begin the indoctrination at a young age just in case my brother and Howard's sister don't do it themselves. No apologies will be made. 

They had a section of My Little Pony stuff. I immediately saw Rainbow Dash. For some odd reason, Howard designed his emblem on Battlefield 4 to be Rainbow Dash. I have a strange husband. If the socks were bigger, I would have gotten a pair as a gag gift and then worn them myself after the fact.

The last section I looked through was for Star Wars merchandise. Clearly, Howard's interest in Star Wars has gotten me to notice these things too. This Darth Vader notebook caught my eye, and the notebook itself was so well-made. Plus, I'm so drawn to journals that have the little elastic around them because hubs bought me my Secret Santa gift years ago at church that was a small journal with a band around it.

I didn't purchase any of the above things because they just weren't necessary, but I did pick up some Zig 2 way glue. They didn't have the smaller one with the chisel tip, so I actually purchased that chubby one for $7.49. Of course, I used the 50% off coupon because you just NEVER buy anything from Michaels or any other craft store without a coupon! I'm so happy that I can just get the coupon on the app on my phone too because I don't have to waste paper, and I always have them on me whenever I do end up at the store.

Stop & Shop was my next stop. I just popped the glue pen in my bag so I could walk over and spend less time in the cold. The main reason for going was to get Eggo waffles ($0.99), a 5-lb bag of potatoes ($0.99), and butter ($1.88) using the coupons in the circular with a $25 purchase. I also bought meat because we were running low. One of the guys in the meat department was restocking the ground beef, and he struck up a conversation with me about the freezing cold temperatures that night. He pointed out which package to get too because he said they make it on premises, so I appreciated that. I'll have to keep it in mind for the future. I'm guessing they package some S&S stuff off premises and then deliver it to each store because the one I had picked up was also their brand. I only used 3 manufacturer's coupons along with those 3 store coupons. It seems so strange that I only had a stack of 6, but I didn't buy that much and there are very rarely coupons to be used on meat and fresh veggies.

I drove over to the next area and went to Pathmark. I took a picture of the lactose free milk on the bottom shelf ($3.58) that we normally get so I can keep track of prices. Getting it from Target makes more sense now because even at $3.59, it ends up being $3.41 with Cartwheel. Even though $0.17 doesn't seem like much, it will add up! I usually buy two at a time because we don't do grocery shopping every week, so even if we only go through 24 cartons a year, we'd still save an extra $4.08. Why not, right?

The few things on my list weren't available. I was hoping they would have the Dawn Hand Renewal, Power Clean, Bleach Alternative, or Oxi because the $0.50 coupon would double to cover the full $0.98 price. Alas, they only had three other alternatives. I know that sometimes it's so tempting to just attempt to get it anyway, but that would be fraud. And even if the store doesn't catch you, GOD KNOWS! I know it sounds so silly, but that was a temptation I faced when I first started couponing. I never dealt with the temptation to drink, haha, but misusing coupons did cross my mind! God helps me stay on the straight and narrow. 

There are so many opportunities to get good deals. The only thing I ended up getting was shredded cheese because $1.50 or less is definitely a stock up price for me. It's so easy to just toss these bags in the freezer to help them last longer. Then I don't have to watch for prices in a while. I ended up getting 3 bags of sharp cheddar and 3 bags of Mexican blend. Although cheese can be fattening, I like that it's also a good source of calcium.

There were no baskets when I first walked in and none when I looked at self-checkout, but it ended up being okay since I only had to carry bags of cheese! I wonder what people thought I was doing with them all as I walked to the front with everything so close to overflowing from my arms.

Target was the next and final stop. I thought it was interesting to see that a 4-pack of these Scotch-Brite Greener Clean sponges was $4.99, but on one of the endcaps, there was a 9-pack on clearance for $4.88. Haha, sure, I'd love to pay $0.11 more and get 5 fewer sponges! It pays to check @targetclearance and #targetclearance on Instagram and then take your time looking for those red stickers and browsing the endcaps!

I Shopkicked for a bit in the store too because I'm starting to get the know the layout fairly well. I'm all for walking around a little more to eventually get free money! Before I went to check out, I had to go through my list to make sure I had all my Target printable coupons, the mobile coupon, and Cartwheel. I was thrilled when I paid though because 3 of my free item manufacturer's coupons autodeducted! Yay! The total was just $13.02, but I still had some money on a gift card, so I only paid $4.09 out of pocket for all of this! 

I picked up two half gallons of milk. We normally only drink 1%, but two of the three that were left seemed as if someone took them out and put them back in, so I just grabbed the one in the back and then a 2% as well. Looking at my receipt now, I see that there's actually a price difference of $0.30. I used the 5% Market Pantry milk Cartwheel on them. The bag of peas necessary for a random night of "I'm-too-tired-to-make-a-big-dinner-so-I'm-making-fried-rice" was just $0.22. They were $0.99 but there was a $0.75 Market Pantry frozen vegetables mobile coupon and a 5% Cartwheel as well. 

This was the rest of the haul that didn't need to go in the fridge/freezer right away so I set it up for a quick picture.

The bags of cotton balls were $0.97, but I only paid $0.42 after $0.50 printable coupons and 10% Cartwheel. The pasta was $1.59, but I only paid $0.45 per box because they were on sale for $1 and then there was a $1 off 2 Target printable and 5% Cartwheel. Clearly, I just love Cartwheel! I mean, you just choose your offers and only need one scan for all the products you picked. The Kotex was just $0.34 each after a $1.50 Target printable. My bathroom cabinet is stocked, but if you buy things when they're super cheap or get them when they're free, you save money in the long run!

As for the clearance items, I did get the pack of 9 sponges for $4.88, which is kind of awesome considering the amount I paid out of pocket was less than that. I also picked up the envelope opener so I can avoid potential paper cuts when I open the mail. It was on clearance for $0.94. The Up & Up 10% Cartwheel and then the $1 school supplies coupon I had meant that it was free with overage. 

The next section of the haul was with free item coupons from the manufacturers. This is why I absolutely love Freeflys and other coupons/freebies sites like FreeStuffFinder, FreebieShark, and CouponProBlog. I got a coupon to try Aquafina Splash. They were only $0.79 each at Target, so I decided to get two so we could have a special drink with dinner one night since we typically only have water. The coupon ended up autodeducting the full $1.49 so the extra one was only $0.09. The almonds were the GREATEST freebie! Blue Diamond had a promotion on their Facebook page during the Olympics. Whenever the US won in skiing or snowboarding, you could claim a coupon for a free can of almonds that would be sent to you. I don't know how both Howard and I got them the first time they came out. I guess most people didn't know about it at first because thereafter, the coupons were only available for like, a minute or two once they were released, so I always ended up missing the other ones. But we each got a can so it was fantastic! What was even better was that they were on sale for $3.12 and each coupon autodeducted $5.29.

The last part of my haul came from searching the women's clearance section. I found a long-sleeved white tee and a t-shirt for $3.88 and $2.70. The 15% off mobile coupon saved me a bit, but I also had a $3 off 2 women's apparel coupon, which also works on clearance, which means I only had to pay $2.99 for both. I see it as buying the white shirt (I wanted an extra because I wear them in the fall with a Disney t-shirt on top) that I wanted and getting the t-shirt for free. You know I love my v-necks, haha.

Ahh, another successful day of couponing! These hauls are so different than my CVS hauls because I am more focused on couponing for groceries. Those CVS hauls were so worth it at the time though because for the past few months, I no longer get the emailed coupons on Thursdays for $ off $$ or a percent off. I'm glad I was able to stock up on non-perishables when I did because now we just pull what we need from the closet. I haven't had to even think of shampoo or toothpaste or toilet paper in months! I'm glad I can focus on Target instead especially since right now it's the most difficult one to plan for what with manufacturer's coupons, Target printable coupons, Target mobile coupons, and Cartwheel. But in the end, if it means we get to save money just by spending time online planning out the deals instead of spending time online watching Netflix, it's just plain ol' worth it. 

Are YOU couponing yet???

Even Hawks Love Great Deals!

Yesterday I had to go to my cardiologist's office for an echo, so that meant that I was going to be passing by the mall and other stores on the way home since I still refuse to hop on the highway. Having places to go after things like this make it easier to deal with because I'm just not a fan of doctors' offices despite having been to so many in my life.

At the mall, I parked by JCPenney, which is fairly normal, but nowadays, I'm sure to do it so that I can get some kicks for Shopkick. Then as I was walking through the department store, I realized I forgot to put Vinylmation in my bag, so I had to head back to the car and grab them from the glove compartment! Going out forces me to exercise especially when I do absentminded things like that. 

The mall was pretty empty, but I guess that's how it is at 11 in the morning on a rainy Wednesday. I was a fan! I really don't enjoy the possibility of bumping into people I know especially since it happens way too often on this borough. But I immediately feel at ease once I make it to the Disney Store. I browsed clearance really quickly and also checked to see if there were any Vinylmation on sale. There was nothing worth getting, but I did see they had plenty of John Lassetire cars! Super cute for only $3.99 on sale if I recall correctly.

Though I didn't purchase anything, I was there to trade Vinylmation, of course. The CM that helped me actually pulled out the 3 in the mystery portion of the clear box too, which I always appreciate! Yay for him because this Dory was in there, so of course I traded for that! We've actually gotten most of Pixar Series 2 in trades alone since we're still using the Vampire Goofy and Werewolf Pluto to trade.

Bath & Body Works was next! That's another place I enjoy going to even if I have no intentions to purchase. I love how everything is set up in the store and being able to test out new scents. 

When I first walked in, I was greeted by an employee. I asked him right away if I could use the coupon that expired on Monday based on the 3-day grace period for coupons that I had read about online. He said it was absolutely fine, so I was excited because that meant I could use a 40% off coupon on the candles! I was also extremely happy that they changed the sale price back to 2 for $22 instead of 2 for $25. The funny thing is that while I was browsing with a few other people, the employee was telling everyone, "It's on sale 2 for $22, so you actually pay $0.50 less to get another candle for free since one by itself is $22.50." Isn't that silly?

A lady asked me if I had used their candles before, and I said that I love them because the throw is great and they can be such great deals with the coupons. They're really SO much cheaper than Yankee Candle, and she was saying that that's where she normally gets them. She asked me which ones I liked, so I pointed out a few to her but said that I like the fruity scents especially the citrus ones. 

I also texted my cousin because I talked to her the night before about the candles and how if the coupon could be used, each one would only be $6.60 instead of $22.50. I wanted to see what scents she wanted, but she was in a meeting so I picked up two that I'm hoping she will like! 

When I went to checkout, I saw the bakery scents and sniffed those too just out of curiosity because I don't like sweet scents. I can see why people like them though. I was surprised to see two of the Cinnamon Sugar Donut candles because I know it's the favorite of many people; I was excited to see what it was about, but it just wasn't for me.

The sales associate who rung me up was so nice! I've never had a bad experience at my store, so that makes me a happy customer. I also make sure I greet everyone I see with a smile too, and they usually respond in kind. She saw that I had a mystery coupon and said she always gets excited to see what people get. I knew already from my UPC code that I had 40% off, but she celebrated when the price of the candles dropped so low. I told her that I stocked up with fall/winter scents and thought I'd be set, but with the desire for warmer weather, I just wanted some fresh, clean scents! I'll post the new candles in a separate update.

I was hungry at this point especially since I had only eaten a granola bar for breakfast. I stopped by Burger King to pick up a Whopper Jr. because I wasn't in the mood for chicken, which is what I normally get at a fast food place. I got it to go so I could eat it in the car, but I had to walk around to a few more places to get kicks! I got some more from Macy's and Aerie, but I couldn't get it to work at American Eagle even though I was standing inside the store. Oh well. I couldn't keep trying because my arms were tired from lugging around candles.

When I got to the JCP door, I saw that it was pouring outside! Whoops! I didn't have an umbrella, but I didn't really care because I was so hot in my jacket walking around the mall that I just made sure I was zipped up and just headed out into the rain. I sat in the car and nom nom nom-ed my burger, which was actually really tasty! The onions and pickles were a great addition. Haha, yes, I just reviewed a BK burger, but that's because I very rarely get fast food anymore. Isn't it funny that once you have the option of getting it whenever you want, the desire to have it just isn't there anymore? It's so different from when I was a teenager. Maybe if there was a Chik-fil-A nearby, I'd be having fast food more often! Of course, I had to take a picture because I know everyone wants to see a half eaten burger.

Because of the rain, I chose not to go to Stop & Shop and instead headed to Target. I had a few items on my list to get and some clearance I wanted to check for in the store. Of course, Target also has a ton of items to scan for kicks. I think it's funny when I stand in front of the Poise pads searching for the items as if I need it for light bladder leakage, haha. It's worth it for kicks though! Since I was in the healthcare/medicinal aisles, I also went to check out the price of the Tums because I will need some more soon. I still have the fruit flavored ones, but I've found that I like the Ultra 1000 Peppermint ones, and I wanted to see if it was cheaper here or at CVS depending on sales so I snapped a picture. 

My main intention for going to Target was to get bread because of the Cartwheel offer. There's also an Ibotta offer for bread, so yay for that because I'll be able to get another $0.50! I never buy things purposely because of Ibotta so I don't accumulate the money as quickly, but after I submit this receipt, I'll have $7. Just $3 and I can cash out with a $10 iTunes card! I needed a basket since I decided to pick up lactose free milk here instead of at Pathmark and saw Babybel. Yum. I snapped a picture so I could do price comparisons for this too because I still have a coupon.

I checked out Valentine's clearance and strolled around for the Shopkick items (yay, I have enough kicks now for a $5 Target gift card!). Endcaps are also a ton of fun because you never know what's going to be on sale! I really like that I know items will continuously be marked down from 15 to 30 to 50 to 70 to 90% if it even gets to that point. Supposedly any price that ends in an 8 is also going to be marked down again. It helps having that Target knowledge! Lastly, I picked up a small pack of Kotex because there was a mobile coupon for $1.50 off, and the item was less than that, which means free stuff! Oh how I love it! No clipping required, and the employees can never say I can't use Cartwheel or mobile coupons because it's from the company and not a manufacturer's coupon.

As I left the store with my purchases, I noticed a family packing their things in their minivan, but one of the girls was pointing her camera towards Old Navy. I was wondering why she was doing it, and she must have seen me looking at her so she pointed to THIS! Can you see that?

Um, that thing was HUMONGOUS! It flew down to a cart, which was hilarious because it looked like it was peering through the minivan window. A car passed by and saw us standing there with our phones taking pictures, and pretty soon there was about a group of 8 of us just looking at it. A lady farther down asked what it was because she thought it was a turkey, and this other woman clarified that it was a hawk!

I started recording in case it started flying away, but it just flew to the roof of another car. This was such a crazy thing to see! I couldn't believe I was witnessing this with my own eyes! Pictures just don't do it justice. I admit I was slightly afraid that it'd fly towards us though.

Eventually it flew to the top of Target and even in this photo, it looks really large, doesn't it.

I guess I'm not the only one who likes searching for deals, right? Hawks are all for Target as well, but who can blame 'em when you can save so much money just by shopping around! 

I did stop by CVS on the way home to do a moneymaking deal since I have a free $5 ExtraBucks from answering a survey. I'll probably mention that again when I actually spend the $10 ExtraBucks that I now have. The rest of the night was also fun as Howard and I went out for dinner with my parents and Matt, but I'll write about that in another update because I was suddenly hit with severe dizziness, so I think I should go lie down. Good night all!