Throwback Thursday

CVS 2/4 (Maureen) – $13.72 PROFIT on $164.66 in Merchandise (108.3% Saved)

NEWS ALERT: Up to 95% OFF Area Rugs (starting at $39.99; OVER 600 DESIGNS), $59.99 (reg. $120) BedStory 3″ Gel Infused Memory Foam Mattress Topper, $140 (reg. $400) Surveillance Security 4 Camera System w/2TB Drive, and $89.99 (reg. $300) INSE E6 Robot Vacuum Cleaner!

February 5, 2021 by Maureen

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

I’ve been reading comments from people upset because their %-off coupons are only deducting a fraction of the expected deduction. From what I understand, since February 1, the CVS registers are programmed to apply the %-off coupons to whatever amount remains after all manufacturer coupons, CVS store coupons, and Extrabucks are applied. I can confirm this sad news. I made it a point to ask the cashier to scan my 30%-off Any L’Oreal Product and 40%-off Garnier Face Product coupons before scanning any other coupons. I had $35.05 in regular-priced L’Oreal face products and $13.98 in regular-priced Garnier face products. After the cashier scanned my manufacturer and CVS Red Machine coupons and totaled the order, the 30% L’Oreal had only deducted $3.32 and the Garnier 40% coupon had only deducted $0.51. Even worse, once I paid for the pre-tax balance of the transaction with Extrabucks and the cashier totaled the order again, both %-off coupons were kicked out completely. I made sure I did not use Beauty Club or force-printed Extrabucks to pay. So it’s true (at least for now). We can hope it’s a coding error that will be fixed, but it’s possibly intentional and here to stay.

Nevertheless, I had a great trip. As with all coupon-policy noose-tightening, we will learn to adjust. For perspective, just think about how much we would be paying if we did not use any coupons or if we lived in a location where coupons and deeply-discounted promotions are a rarity. We are still very, very lucky.

As always, cashback rebates vary (in kind and value) by account. Some offers may no longer be available to activate, and some print-at-home coupons may no longer be available to print.

Happy shopping!

ONE ARM & HAMMER LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT, on sale $1.99 (reg. $6.99)
Used one $1/1 Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent printable coupon or 2/4 SS
NET PRICE: $0.99!
Note: Only the liquids are on sale at CVS. I didn’t even see any pods or scent boosters.

TWO SCHICK QUATTRO YOU DISPOSABLE RAZORS, 4-CT, on sale $9.99 BOGO 50% ($14.98)
Get $5 Extrabucks for buying $15 Schick Disposable Razors (Limit 1)
Used one $3/$12 any shaving needs CVS Coupon from the Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Used two $3/1 Schick Disposable Razor Pack printable coupon
Price at Register: $5.98, but received $5 Extrabucks
NET PRICE: $0.98 (49 cents each)!

ONE SCHICK QUATTRO TITANIUM REFILL (4 + 2 BONUS PACK), reg. $14.99
Get $5 Extrabucks for buying one Schick system razor or refill (limit 1)
Used one $4/1 Schick razor refill CVS Coupon from the Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Used one $4/1 Schick Hydro or Quattro Titanium Razor or Refill printable coupon
Price at Register: $6.99, but received $5 Extrabucks
NET PRICE: $1.99!
Note: The Quattro Titanium system razor price is $11.99. I would have had a $1 profit on that item, but I have the system razor and wanted the refill to give with the razor as a gift for a nephew who will be visiting in March.

ONE COLGATE 360 MANUAL TOOTHBRUSH, on sale $3.99 (reg. $5.99)
Get $2 Extrabucks when you buy one Select Colgate manual toothbrush 1 ct (Limit 2)
Used one $1/1 Colgate Manual Toothbrush CVS printable coupon (no longer available)
Used one $1/1 Colgate 360 Manual Toothbrush 2/4 SS)
Price at Register: $1.99, but received $2 Extrabucks
NET PRICE: FREE + $0.01 moneymaker!

TWO ALMAY LIQUID LIP BALM, reg. $6.29
Get $4 Extrabucks when you buy $12 Almay Cosmetics (limit 6)
Used two $4/1 Almay Cosmetic Product, 1/21 SS (EXPIRES 2/4)
Used one $3/2 any Cosmetics CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Price at register $1.58 but received $4 Extrabucks
NET PRICE: FREE + $2.42 Moneymaker!

TWO MAYBELLINE EXPERT WEAR EYESHADOW, reg. $3.59
Get $5 Extrabucks when you buy two ANY Maybelline (limit 1)
Used one $2 any Maybelline CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (printing for everyone this week)
Used two $1/1 Maybelline NY Shadow or Brow Product 1/28 RP
Price at Register: $3.18, but received $5 Extrabucks
NET PRICE FREE + $1.82 Moneymaker!

ONE REVLON ILLUMINANCE CREME SHADOW, reg. $7.79
ONE REVLON MASCARA, reg. $8.99
Get $4 Extrabucks when you spend $12 on Revlon (limit 6)
Used one Buy One Revlon Eye Cosmetics, Get One Mascara Free 1/21 SS (exp 2/14)
Price at Register: $7.79, but received $4 Extrabucks
NET PRICE $3.79 ($1.90 each)!

ONE L’OREAL REVITALIST BRIGHT REVEAL CLEANSER, reg. $7.49
ONE L’OREAL AGE PERFECT CREAM CLEANSER, reg. $7.19
THREE L’OREAL CLAY CLEANSER, reg. $6.79
Get $2 cashback from ibotta for one L’Oréal Pure Clay Skin Care cleansers or mask
Get $2 cashback from ibottafor one L’Oreal Facial product
Get $10 Extrabucks for spending $30 on L’Oreal Facial Care (limit 1)
Used two $2/1 L’Oreal Paris Skin Care printable coupons (no longer available)
Used three $2/1 L’Oreal Cleanser Product 2/4 RP
Used one 30% off L’Oreal products CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Used one $6/$24 Facial Care CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (for some) *Applied to L’Oreal and Garnier
Used one $10/$35 L’Oreal Facial Product CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Price at register $9.05 but received $10 Extrabucks and $4 from ibotta
NET PRICE: FREE + $4.95 Moneymaker!
Note: The 30% off coupon initially deducted $3.23 when the cashier totaled the order (after MQs and CVS coupons). The $6/$24 CVS coupon was pro-rated across the Garnier and L’Oreal facial products (taking $4.29 off the five L’Oreal facial products), so the 30% L’Oreal coupon applied to the $10.76 that remained after the $10/$35 CVS coupon, the five $2/1 MQs, and the$4.29 pro-rated value of the $6/$24 Facial Products coupon had been applied. The 30% reduction disappeared completely after I paid for the order with Extrabucks.

TWO GARNIER SKINACTIVE WIPES, reg. $6.99
Get $5 Extrabucks when you buy two Garnier Skinactive (excl. masks) (limit 1)
Used one $7/2 Garnier Skincare CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Used one 40% off any Garnier Facial CVS coupon from Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Used two $2/1 Garnier Skinactive Cleanser 1/28 RP
Price at Register: $2.98, but received $5 Extrabucks
NET PRICE FREE + $2.02 Moneymaker
Note: The 40% off coupon initially deducted $0.51 when the cashier totaled the order (after MQs and CVS coupons). The $6/$24 CVS coupon was pro-rated across the Garnier and L’Oreal facial products (taking $1.71 off the two Garnier Wipes), so the 40% Garnier coupon applied to the $1.27 that remained after the $7/2 CVS coupon, the two $2/1 MQs, and the$1.71 pro-rated value of the $6/$24 Facial Products coupon had been applied. The 40% reduction disappeared completely after I paid for the order with Extrabucks.

TWO GARNIER FRUCTIS SHAMPOO, 12-12.5oz, on sale 2/$7 (reg. $3.99)
Get $2 Extrabucks for buying two Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner (Limit 1)
Used one $4/2 Garnier Fructis shampoo, conditioner, treatment, or styling 1/28 RP
Price at Register: $3.00, but received $2 Extrabucks
NET PRICE $1.00 (50 cents each)!

ONE L’OREAL ELVIVE CONDITIONING TREATMENT, (5.1 oz tube), on sale 2/$8 or $4.25 each (reg. $6.99)
ONE L’OREAL ELVIVE SHAMPOO, on sale 2/$8 or $4.25 each (reg. $5.29)
ONE L’OREAL PARIS ADVANCED MOUSSE, on sale 2/$8 or $4.25 each (reg. $5.49)
ONE L’OREAL PARIS HAIR SPRAY, on sale 2/$8 or $4.25 each (reg. $5.39)
Get $0.50 cashback from ibotta for one L’Oreal Advanced Shampoo or Conditioner
Get $1.00 cashback from ibotta for one L’Oreal Advanced Treatment
Get $0.25 cashback from ibotta for any shampoo
Get $0.25 cashback from ibotta for any conditioner
Get $0.25 cashback fromibotta for any receipt
Get $5 Extrabucks when you spend $15 select L’Oreal Advanced or Elvive Hair Care (Limit 1)
Used one $4/2 L’Oreal Elvive or Hair Expert Shampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment Product 1/21 RP
Used two $2.00/1 L’Oreal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Product printable coupon or 1/21 RP
Used one $3/$10 any L‘Oreal Hair Care CVS Coupon from the Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Price at Register: $5, but received $5 Extrabucks and $2.25 from ibotta
NET PRICE: FREE + $2.25 Moneymaker!

I also will earn $9 in Beauty Club Extrabucks from this trip, so an extra $9 is factored into the final.

Retail Value: $164.66
Net price paid (not including tax): $13.72 Profit
Savings Rate: 108.3%

CVS 8/11 (Steve) – $8.93 PROFIT on $70.86 of Merchandise (112.6% Saved)

January 1, 2021 by Steve

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

I had a great trip to CVS today! I was a little bit concerned due to a few horror stories from visitors about their experiences with the changes in the CVS coupon policy, but my trip had no issues at all. I split this trip into two transactions so I could use the Extra Bucks from the first transaction to pay for the second one.

I also used a $4/$20 purchase CVS store coupon I was emailed last Thursday. Those extra $4 of savings are reflected in the statistics at the bottom of this post. (For those of you that don’t know, you get four days from the date you print or send your email coupon to your card. I sent mine on Sunday, so I had all the way until this evening to use it.)

ONE SNICKERS ALMOND CANDY BAR 1.76 OZ, on sale $0.99 (reg. $1.19)
Get $0.75 Extra Bucks for buying select Mars Candy Single (limit 1)
Used one $0.50/1 Snickers Crisper, Original, Almond or Xtreme Single or Sharing Size Bar 1.41-3.59 oz printable coupon (preclipped)
Price at Register: $0.49, but received $0.75 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE + $0.26 MONEYMAKER!

ONE BLACK FOREST ORGANIC GUMMY WORMS 4 OZ, on sale $1.49 (reg. $1.99)
Get $1.49 Extra Bucks for buying Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears or Worms (limit 1)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $1.49, but received $1.49 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE!

TWO TRESEMME BOTANIQUE SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER, on sale BOGO 50% OFF $5.99 ($8.98 for two)
TWO DOVE ADVANCED SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER, on sale BOGO 50% OFF $5.29 ($7.93 for two)
Get $5 Extra Bucks for buying $15 of Tresemme or Dove Hair Care (limit 1)
Get $1 cashback from SavingStar for buying Tresemme Shampoo/Conditioner
Get $3 cashback from SavingStar for buying two Dove Hair Care
Used one $3/$15 Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine (for some – received previously)
and used one $4/2 Tresemme Botanique coupon, 8/7 RP insert
and used one $3/2 Dove Hair Care coupon, 8/7 RP insert
Price at Register: $6.71, but received $5 Extra Bucks and will get $4 from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $2.29 MONEYMAKER!

TWO BAN DEODORANT 2.6 OZ, reg. price $3.79
ONE DEGREE MEN TRAVEL SIZE 0.5 OZ, reg. price $1.49
Get $5 Extra Bucks for buying two Ban Deodorants
Used one $2/$8 ANY Deodorant CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine (for some)
and used two $1/1 Ban Deodorant coupons, 7/24 SS or 8/7 SS inserts
Price at Register: $5.07, but received $5 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $0.07 (or 2 cents per item!)

ONE ORAL-B REPLACEMENT BRUSH HEADS 2 CT, on sale $6.99 (reg. $8.49)
Get $4 Extra Bucks for buying Oral-B Replacement Heads 2 ct or Battery Toothbrush (limit 2)
Used one $3/1 Oral-B Replacement Brush Heads CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine (for some)
Price at Register: $3.99, but received $4 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE + $0.01 PROFIT!
***FYI – There’s a $3/1 Oral-B Replacement Brush Heads coupon in the 7/31 P&G insert, BUT it is 3 ct or larger and does not match this deal.

TWO COLGATE TOTAL MOUTHWASH 500ML, reg. price $5.29
Get $5 Extra Bucks for buying $10 of Colgate Mouthwash or Battery Powered Toothbrush (limit 3)
Used one $2/$6 ANY Mouthwash CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine (for some)
and used two $2/1 Colgate Mouthwash 473ml or larger coupons, 7/24 SS insert
Price at Register: $4.58, but received $5 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $0.42 MONEYMAKER!

TWO GILLETTE MACH3 1 RAZOR & 1 CARTRIDGE PACKS, reg. price $8.49
Get $10 Extra Bucks when you buy one Gillette/Venus Razor and one Gillette/Venus Cartridge (limit 1; ad says you must buy both but Extra Bucks are printing when you buy two razors)
Used one $3/$12 Razors, Cartridges or Shave Cream/Gel CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine (for some)
and used two $3/1 Gillette Razor OR 2 ct or larger Disposables coupons, 7/31 P&G insert
Price at Register: $7.98, but received $10 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $2.02 MONEYMAKER!

My $4 of savings from my $4 off $20 CVS store coupon are also included in the statistics below.

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $70.86
Net Price Paid for Everything: $8.93 PROFIT!
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 112.6%

CVS Black Friday Sale Shopping Trip (Steve) – $10.50 PROFIT on $106.97 of Merchandise (109.8% Saved)

January 1, 2021 by Steve

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

I had a nice little trip to CVS on Thanksgiving morning. Unfortunately, I’m just getting the trip written up now. Stephanie went with me and we both have a CVS card. That’s why you see some of these deals done twice.

This entire trip was a mess, because our store was ravaged by the middle of the night shoppers. There weren’t any free razors (Schick or store brand) to be found, plus there was only one Glade product in stock, no Scott Bath Tissue, one package of Viva Paper Towels, no freebie 7Up/A&W/Crush 2L soda bottles and only one Trolli Gummy Candy left. I think there were a few other deals we couldn’t get, but they don’t come to mind right now.

Just looking at my photo, here are the deals that I know have a limit higher than one: Viva Paper Towels (limit is three) and Wet N Wild Gift Sets (limit is three.) All other Extra Bucks deals below have a limit of one for the period of 11/24-11/26.

I had a $5 off $25 CVS total purchase store coupon that I received in my email on 11/23. I used that in one of my transactions, so there’s another $5 of profit beyond what is listed with the items below. That extra $5 of savings is reflected in the final statistics of this trip.

ONE KOHL’S $50 GIFT CARD, $50
Get $15 Extra Bucks for buying select $50 Gift Cards (this is advertised in the 11/20-11/26 and is still good through 11/26 even if not tagged at your store; limit ONE per cardholder for the entire week)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $50, but received $50 Kohl’s Card and $15 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE + $15 MONEYMAKER!
***The value of this gift card is not included in the statistics for this trip, because I paid them $50 of cash and put the gift card in my wallet (which is like putting $50 of cash back into the wallet. Only the $15 of profit is included in the statistics for the trip.

FOUR M&M’S CANDY SINGLES, on sale $0.77 (reg. $1.25)
Get $0.77 Extra Bucks for buying Mars Candy Singles (limit 1 per card)
Used two BOGO M&M’s printable coupons (preclipped)
Price at Register: $1.54, but received $1.54 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

ONE COLGATE TOTAL ADVANCED TOOTHPASTE, on sale $3 (reg. $3.99)
Used one $2.50/1 Select Colgate Toothpaste CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine for everyone 11/24-11/26
and used one $0.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste printable manufacturer’s coupon (preclipped)
NET PRICE: FREE!

TWO GREEN GIANT VEGGIES, on sale $0.99 (reg. $1.87)
Get $0.99 Extra Bucks for buying Green Giant Canned Veggies (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $1.98, but received $1.98 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

TWO CVS NICOTINE GUM, on sale $4.39 (reg. $4.99)
Get $4.39 Extra Bucks for buying CVS Nicotine Gum 10 ct (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $8.78, but received $8.78 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

TWO DIET MTN DEW, on sale $0.77 (limit 3; reg. $2.27)
No coupons used
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.54 (or 77 cents each!)

ONE TROLLI GUMMY CANDY 7-8 OZ, on sale $2 (reg. $2.77)
Get $2 Extra Bucks for buying Trolli Gummy Candy 7-8 oz (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $2, but received $2 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE!

TWO PHYSICIANS FORMULA MASCARAS, on sale $9 (reg. $9.99)
Get $9 Extra Bucks for buying select Physicians Formula Mascara or Liquid Eyeliner (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $18, but received $18 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

TWO ORBIT GUM SINGLE PACKS, on sale $1 (reg. $1.37)
Get $1 Extra Buck for buying select Candy/Gum (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $2, but received $2 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

SIX WET N WILD COSMETIC GIFT SETS, reg. $4.99
Get $4 Extra Bucks for buying Wet N Wild Gift Set (limit 3 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $29.94, but received $24 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $5.94 (or 99 cents each!)

TWO CVS AA/AAA ALKALINE BATTERIES 4 CT, on sale $4.39 (reg. $4.99)
Get $4.39 Extra Bucks for buying CVS AA/AAA Alkaline Batteries 4 ct (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $4.39, but received $4.39 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

TWO CVS PANTILINERS 20 CT, on sale $0.99 (reg. $1.29)
Get $0.99 Extra Bucks for buying CVS Pantiliners 20 ct (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $1.98, but received $1.98 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

TWO CVS BABY WIPES TRAVEL SIZE, on sale $0.99 (reg. $1.37)
Get $0.99 Extra Bucks for buying CVS Baby Wipes Travel Size (limit 1 per card)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $1.98, but received $1.98 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

ONE VIVA PAPER TOWELS 6 CT, on sale $3.77 (reg. $8.99)
Get $1 Extra Buck when you buy one select Viva, Cottonelle, Scott or Kleenex (limit 3 per card)
Used one $0.75/1 Viva Paper Towels printable manufacturer’s coupon
Price at Register: $3.02, but received $1 Extra Buck
NET PRICE: $2.02 (33 cents per roll!)

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $106.97
Net Price Paid for Everything: $10.50 PROFIT!
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 109.8%

If you completely disregard the Kohl’s Gift Card part of my deal, I paid $4.50 for everything – still pretty awesome (96% saved.)

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past! Monica’s $44+ PROFIT Black Friday Walgreens Marathon from 2014 (NEARLY $500 of FREE + PROFIT STUFF!) #TBT

January 1, 2021 by Monica Bragg

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

With things slowing down now that Christmas is nearly here, I decided to help fill the day with some posts to reminisce on coupon deals past. Isn’t that what the holidays are about…memories? Also, make sure you claim your FREE 3-pack of Olay Samples if you haven’t done so yet either. Finally, don’t forget about the FREE 8×10 Photo Enlargement ($3.99 value) at Walgreens.com through 12/25! Merry Christmas!

So…this is not even Monica’s best ever Black Friday shopping trip. She had one in 2012 or 2013 that made this one look like it was nothing, but I can’t seem to find it. The post below is how this post was originally written in 2014, but obviously all coupons are no longer available or expired. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. Yes…this is what Black Friday at a drugstore used to look like!

Well, I ran a Walgreens marathon today! Since there are so many transactions done I just grouped all the like items together in order to make it easier to write up and allow me more time with my family today. Just note that if you are doing these deals yourself to watch your items closely and do not do like items in the same transaction unless you have to in order to get the reward! Here is how my morning went!

FIVE LISTERINE COOL MINT FLOSS – on sale $2.99 (regular price $3.49)
Get $2 Register Reward when you buy one Listerine Floss
used one $1/1 Listerine Floss printable manufacturer’s coupon (preclipped)
Price at register: $9.95 but received five $2 RR
Net Price: $.05 MONEYMAKER

TWELVE CREST 3D WHITE TOOTHPASTES 4 oz – on sale $3 (regular price $3.99)
Get $3 Register Reward when you buy one Crest 3D White Toothpaste
used four $1/1 Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel PG 10/26
used four $.50/1 Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel RP 11/23
used four $.50/1 Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel PG 11/30 (I already have my upcoming coupons!)
Price at register: $28 but received twelve $3 RR
Net Price: $8 MONEYMAKER

EIGHT GILLETTE VENUS EMBRACE RAZORS – on sale $4.99 (regular price $8.29)
Get $2.50 Register Reward when you buy one Gillette Venus Embrace Razor
used four $3/1 Venus Razor PG 10/26
used four $3/1 Venus Razor RP 11/23
Price at register: $15.92 but received eight $2.50 RR
Net Price: $4.08 MONEYMAKER

EIGHTEEN SPEED STICK GEAR DEODORANT – on sale 2/$5.98 (regular price $4.99)
Get $4 Register Reward when you buy two Speed Stick Gear Deodorant
used six $2/1 Speed Stick Gear printable manufacturer’s coupons (preclipped)
used six BOGO Speed Stick Gear Deodorant printable (no longer available)
Price at register: $23.88 but received nine $4 RR
Net Price: $12.12 MONEYMAKER

TWO RELIEF OTC ANTACID – on sale $3 (regular price $3.99)
Get $3 Register Reward when you buy one Relief OTC Antacid
used no coupons
Price at register: $6 but received two $3 RR
Net Price: FREE

EIGHT SCUNCI ELASTICS 18 ct – on sale 2/$3 (regular price $2.99)
Get $3 Register Reward when you buy two Scunci Elastics
used no coupons
Price at register: $12 but received four $3 RR
Net Price: FREE

FOUR WALGREENS PERFECTION TAMPONS 3 CT – on sale $1.50 (regular price $1.99)
Get $1.50 Register Reward when you buy one Walgreens Tampons
used no coupons
Price at register: $6 but received four $1.50 RR
Net Price: FREE

TWO ZIM’S MAXFREEZE – on sale $7 (regular price $9.99)
Get $5 Register Reward when you buy one Zim’s Max Freeze
used two $2/1 Zim’s Product printable
Price at register: $10 but received two $5 RR
Net Price: FREE

TWO ADVIL PAIN RELIEVER 4 ct – on sale $1 (regular price $1.49)
Get 1000 Balance Reward Points when you buy one Advil 4 ct (value $1-$1.25)
used no coupons
Price at register: $2 but received 2000 BRP
Net Price: $.50 MONEYMAKER

FOUR FUNGICURE – on sale $5 (regular price $11.99)
Get $5 Register Reward when you buy one Fungicure
used no coupons
Price at register: $5 but receive $5 RR
Net Price: FREE

EIGHT NEIL MED SINUDRIP GEL OR SPRAY – on sale $5 (regular price $7.49)
Get $5 Register Reward when you buy one NeilMed SinuDrip Gel or Spray
used one $1/1 NeilMed Sinufrin 0.5 oz in the Walgreens Answers Cold & Flu Booklet (deducted $8)
used one $1/1 NeilMed Sinufrin 0.5 oz in the Walgreens Answers Allergy Booklet (deducted $8)
used two $2/1 NeilMed Products peelies (found on package)
Price at register: $20 but received eight $5 RR
Net Price: $20 MONEYMAKER

TWO OUTBACK PAIN RELIEF – on sale $10 (regular price $19.99)
Get $10 Register Reward when you buy one Outback Pain Relief
used no coupons
Price at register: $20 but received two $10 RR
Net Price: FREE

EIGHT URGENT RX UPSET STOMACH POWDER – on sale $1 (regular price $1.59)
Get $1 Register Reward when you buy one Urgent RX Powder
used one BOGO Urgent RX Powder SS 10/26
Price at register: $4 but received four $1 RR
Net Price: FREE

ONE NEILMED NASABULB 2 ct – on sale $4 (regular price $7.99)
Get $4 Register Reward when you buy one Neilmed Nasabulb
used no coupons
Price at register: $4 but received $4 RR
Net Price: FREE

ONE VIVIOPTAL VITAMINS – on sale $10 (regular price $15.99)
Get $10 Register Reward when you buy one Vivioptal Vitamins
used no coupons
Price at register: $10 but received $10 RR
Net Price: FREE

ONE HEALTHY DELIGHTS VITAMINS – on sale $7 (regular price $11.99)
Get $7 Register Reward when you buy one Healthy Delights Vitamins
used no coupons
Price at register: $7 but received $7 RR
Net Price: FREE

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $480.84
Net Price Paid for Everything: $44.75 PROFIT!!
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 109.3%

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past! My INSANE $23 MONEYMAKER CVS Trip from September 2016 #TBT

January 1, 2021 by Steve

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

Gosh…what a memory. So many times I used to run to CVS in the middle of the night to scoop up hot deals. This is a trip from September 2016 when I absolutely looted them and got over $150 of items for free, plus I made over $23 profit too. The original write up of the shopping trip is below. Obviously, it has been a few years and all the coupons listed below are expired and/or no longer available. Enjoy the trip down memory lane!

I had an incredible trip to CVS in the middle of the night/early Monday morning. I had a plan for a huge shopping trip, but things just kept getting better. My store had the CVS 5 Minute Whitening tagged as an inclusion in the “Buy Crest White Strips or select CVS Whitening product, Get $10 Extra Bucks” deal, even though it was priced at only $6.29. It did not print the Extra Bucks, but my cashier forced it to print.

I also had two other pleasant surprises. On my first transaction, my cashier missed one of my Extra Bucks. Instead of trying to figure out which one she missed, she decided to void the transaction and ring it up again. When she voided it, a $10 off $60 coupon printed for me. She then used that coupon on the transaction when she rang it up again.

The other transaction had a pleasant surprise too. It was a different CVS card and I got a $10 off $60 on my receipt for that one too. I hadn’t used this card in probably six months or more, but it got a 30% off email coupon last Thursday. When I found the card in my desk, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Here’s what I bought, along with the coupons used…

TRANSACTION #1
TWO CAMPBELL’S CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUPS, on sale $0.88 (reg. $1.99)
ONE CAMPBELL’S CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP, on sale $0.88 (reg. $1.99)
ONE CAMPBELL’S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, on sale $0.88 (reg. $1.39)
Get $0.10 cashback from MobiSave for buying ANY Soup
Used one $1.20/4 Campbell’s Condensed Soups printable coupon (preclipped)
Price at Register: $2.32, but received $0.10 cashback from MobiSave
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.22 (or 56 cents each!)

ONE CVS 5 MINUTE WHITENING KIT, reg. price $6.29
Get $10 Extra Bucks when you buy Crest White Strips or select CVS Whitening (limit 2; this item was tagged as included, but the Extra Bucks had to be printed manually)
Used one $5/1 Crest White Strips or CVS Whitening CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine recently (for some)
Price at Register: $1.29, but received $10 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE + $8.71 MONEYMAKER!

ONE SCHICK HYDRO SILK DISPOSABLE RAZORS, on sale $5.99 (reg. $13.99 – awesome inclusion in this sale!)
TWO GILLETTE VENUS RAZORS, reg. price $8.99
ONE GILLETTE MACH3 RAZOR, reg. price $8.49
Get $2 Extra Bucks for buying Schick Disposable Razors (limit 1)
Get $10 Extra Bucks for buying three Gillette or Venus Razors or Refills (limit 1)
Used one $5/$20 Mach3 Cartridges or ANY Razors CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine recently (for some)
and used one $3/$12 Razors or Shave Cream/Gel CVS store coupon, Red Coupon Machine recently (for some)
and used one $3/1 Schick Disposable Razors printable coupon (preclipped)
and used two $3/1 Venus Razor OR 2 ct or larger Disposables coupons, 8/28 P&G or 9/11 RP insert
and used one $3/1 Gillette Razor OR 2 ct or larger Disposables coupon, 8/28 P&G or 9/11 RP insert
Price at Register: $12.46, but received a total of $12 Extra Bucks ($2 Schick & $10 Gillette/Venus)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $0.46 (or 12 cents each!)

TWO OREO COOKIES, on sale $0.99 (reg. $2.37)
Get $1.15 cashback from Checkout51 for buying two Oreo Cookies 4.5 oz or larger (limit 1)
Used one $0.75/2 Nabisco Cookies or Crackers coupon, 8/14 SS insert
Price at Register: $1.23, but received $1.15 cashback from Checkout51
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $0.08 (or 4 cents each!)

THREE GARNIER FRUCTIS SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER, on sale 3/$9 (reg. $4.49 for two; $4.29 for one)
Get $3 Extra Bucks for buying three Garnier Fructis on sale 3/$9 (limit 1)
Get $3 cashback from SavingStar for buying two Garnier Fructis Shampoo/Conditioner (no longer available to activate)
Used one $3/2 Garnier Fructis Shampoo/Conditioner coupon, 8/28 RP insert
and used one $1/1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo/Conditioner coupon, 8/28 RP insert
Price at Register: $5, but received $3 Extra Bucks and $3 from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $1 MONEYMAKER!

TWO PUREX CRYSTALS, on sale $1.97 (reg. $6.29)
Get $2 cashback from SavingStar for buying Purex Crystals (no longer available to activate)
No coupons used (but I would have used a $2/2 printable coupon that I printed some time ago and is no longer available to print, but I couldn’t find it!)
Price at Register: $3.94, but will receive $2 cashback from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.94 (or 97 cents each!)

ONE BLACK FOREST ORGANIC CANDY 4 OZ, on sale $1.50 (reg. $1.99)
Get $1.50 Extra Bucks for buying Black Forest Organic Candy 4 oz (limit 1)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $1.50, but received $1.50 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: FREE!

TWO COLGATE TOTAL DAILY REPAIR TOOTHPASTE 4 OZ, on sale $2.99 (reg. $3.99)
Get $2 Extra Bucks for buying Colgate Total Toothpaste (limit 2)
Used two $2/1 Select Colgate Toothpaste (including Daily Repair) coupons, 9/11 SS insert
Price at Register: $1.98, but received $4 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $2.02 MONEYMAKER!

As mentioned in the intro, I used a $10 off $60 CVS store coupon on this transaction, so there’s another $10 of savings that are factored into the stats at the bottom of this post = $10 EXTRA SAVINGS!

TRANSACTION #2 – MY ANCIENT CARD
TWO COLGATE TOTAL DAILY REPAIR TOOTHPASTE 4 OZ, on sale $2.99 (reg. $3.99)
Get $2 Extra Bucks for buying Colgate Total Toothpaste (limit 2)
Used two $2/1 Select Colgate Toothpaste (including Daily Repair) coupons, 9/11 SS insert
Price at Register: $1.98, but received $4 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $2.02 MONEYMAKER!

ONE CVS WHITENING KIT 5 TREATMENTS, reg. price $12.99
***My 30% off regular price items coupon applied to this item, but those savings are mentioned later in the post
Get $10 Extra Bucks when you buy Crest White Strips or select CVS Whitening (limit 2)
No coupons used
Price at Register: $12.99, but received $10 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE: $2.99 (plus savings from 30% off regular price items coupon!)

TWO COLGATE TOTAL MOUTHWASH 500ML, reg. price $5.29
***My 30% off regular price items coupon applied to this item, but those savings are mentioned later in the post
Get $2 Extra Bucks when you buy Colgate Mouthwash (limit 3?)
Used two $2/1 Colgate Mouthwash 500ml or larger coupons, 9/11 SS insert
Price at Register: $6.58, but received $4 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.58 (or $1.29 each; plus savings from 30% off regular price items coupon!)

TWO MAYBELLINE LASH SENSATIONAL MASCARA, reg. price $8.99
***My 30% off regular price items coupon applied to this item, but those savings are mentioned later in the post
Get $5 Extra Bucks for buying $15 of Maybelline Mascara
Get $3 cashback from SavingStar for buying Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Used two $3/1 Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara coupons, 8/28 RP insert (regional)
Price at Register: $11.98, but received $5 Extra Bucks and $3 cashback from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $3.98 (or $1.99 each; plus savings from 30% off regular price items coupon!)

THREE GILLETTE MACH3 RAZORS, reg. price $8.49
***My 30% off regular price items coupon applied to this item, but those savings are mentioned later in the post
Get $10 Extra Bucks for buying three Gillette or Venus Razors or Refills (limit 1)
Used three $3/1 Gillette Razor OR 2 ct or larger Disposables coupon, 8/28 P&G or 9/11 RP insert
Price at Register: $16.47, but received $10 Extra Bucks
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $6.47 (or $2.16 each; plus savings from 30% off regular price items coupon!)

My 30% off regular price items CVS store coupon I received in last Thursday’s email deducted $20.11, so that’s $20.11 EXTRA SAVINGS!

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $169.67
Net Price Paid for Everything: $23.14 PROFIT!
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 113.6%

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past! Monica’s $12.52 MONEYMAKER Trip to Target in July 2015! #TBT

January 1, 2021 by Monica Bragg

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

Remember our friend Monica? For about five years, she split the duties with me over at Couponaholic, but eventually she ditched the deal-hunting and went back to the regular workforce. She used to have some amazing trips. Below is one example. Back in July 2015, she headed to Target and loaded up on items and made OVER $12 PROFIT too. So…if you were wondering what couponing looked like in the good old days, this was it…all the time! The complete original write up is below, but keep in mind that the coupons listed below are (obviously) no longer available and Target policies have changed a lot since this great trip. Enjoy!

I had a great trip to Target today! I wasn’t expecting to find all of the goodies that I found in stock but I did. They were completely out of the 54 ct Playtex Liners but the coupon did not exclude the pads and they were included in the gift card promotion too so I just went with them! I lucked up and found Barilla Collezione Pasta on clearance so I was able to use those high value coupons to get them super cheap!

TWO BARILLA COLLEZIONE PASTA – on clearance $1.53
used two $1/1 Barilla Collezione Pasta printable (preclipped)
Net Price: $1.06 ($.53 each!)

TWO NIVEA BODY WASH – on sale $3.79
used two $3/1 Nivea Body Wash Target Store Coupon (no longer available)
used one 5% off Nivea Body Wash Target Cartwheel (will deduct $.08)
used one $3/2 Nivea or Nivea for Men Body Wash printable (no longer available)
Net Price: $1.50 MONEYMAKER!!

SIX PLAYTEX SPORT PADS 18 ct – regular price $3.99
Get $5 Target Gift Card when you buy three Playtex Sport Products
used three BOGO Playtex Sport Pads, Liners or Combo Pack printable (preclipped) (deducted max value $7.99)
Price at register: $.03 OVERAGE but received two $5 Target GC
Net Price: $10.03 MONEYMAKER!!

SIX BANANA BOAT AFTER SUN LOTION – regular price $4.99
Get $5 Target Gift Card when you buy two Banana Boat Products
Get $5 cashback from SavingStar for buying $25 of select Banana Boat, Wet Ones, Mezzetta, Dixie or Vanity Fair products
used three $4/2 Banana Boat Sun Care 3 oz or larger printable coupons (preclipped)
Price at register: $17.94 but received three $5 Target GC and $5 Savingstar deposit
Net Price; $2.06 MONEYMAKER!!

FIVE HERBAL ESSENCES MOUSSE – regular price $2.99
ONE HERBAL ESSENCES MOUSSE – regular price $3.39
Get $5 Target Gift Card when you buy three Herbal Essences
used three $3/2 Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioner or Styling Product PG 7/5
Price at register: $9.34 but received two $5 Target GC
Net Price: $.66 MONEYMAKER!!

ONE DAWN DISH WASHING LIQUID – regular price $.97
used one $.30/1 Dawn Dish Detergent printable (preclipped)
Net Price; $.67

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $83.83
Net Price Paid for Everything: $12.52 PROFIT!!
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 114.9%

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past! ONLY $5.17 for a GIGANTIC Whole Pork Loin and almost $200 of Personal Care at Publix (December 2014)

January 1, 2021 by Steve

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

This is a pretty awesome Publix trip that was originally posted in December 2014. Publix had a massive clearance in personal care items and we had matching high-value coupons. Using a dollars off competitor coupon too, I managed to get everything for about $5…including that massive pork loin that was worth almost $35! The full original trip write up is below; obviously…all the coupons listed expired years ago. Enjoy!

I made a second trip to two Publix stores today, hoping they would have more Kraft Chunk Cheese after the truck arrived. Unfortunately, none came on the truck. However, we stumbled on a HUGE clearance in the health and beauty aisles.

We did one transaction at each store, using a $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie store coupon at both of them. We also did a gas card deal at the second store. Between the two Winn-Dixie coupons and the $10 gas card coupon, we saved an extra $20 beyond what is listed with the items below. Those savings are carried through to the bottom line stats for the trip.

FYI – If you are interested in my first trip of the day, which was a moneymaker trip including Kraft Chunk Cheese, Coca-Cola products, Jose Ole and more, GO HERE to view it.

Here is what we bought, along with the coupons used:

NINE HERBAL ESSENCES STYLERS, on clearance $1.18 (regular price $2.95)
EIGHT HERBAL ESSENCES SHAMPOOS/CONDITIONERS, on clearance $1.41 (regular price $3.19)
Used three $3/3 Herbal Essences Hair Care coupons, 11/16 SS newspaper insert
and used four $2/2 Herbal Essences Hair Care coupons, 12/14 SS newspaper insert
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $4.90 (or 29 cents each!)

FOUR PANTENE STYLERS, on clearance $1.33 (regular price $4.99)
FOUR PANTENE ARGAN OIL TREATMENTS, on clearance $1.33 (regular price $5.99)
Used four $2/1 Pantene Styler or Treatment coupons, 11/30 P&G newspaper insert (exp 12/31)
and used four $2/1 Pantene Styler or Treatment coupons, 12/28 P&G newspaper insert
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $5.36 MONEYMAKER!

THREE PANTENE SHAMPOOS, on clearance $1.33 (regular price $3.99)
Used one $5/3 Pantene Product coupons, 11/30 P&G newspaper insert
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.01 MONEYMAKER!

TWO SECRET CLINICAL STRENGTH ANTIPERSPIRANT, on clearance $3.19 (regular price $7.99)
Used two $2/1 Gillette or Secret Clinical Publix store coupons, Refresh & Renew Booklet (mailed)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.38 (or $1.19 each!)

TWO GARNIER CLEANSERS, on clearance $3.89 (regular price $6.49)
Used two $3/1 Garnier Skin Care printable manufacturer’s coupons (no longer available)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.78 (or 89 cents each!)

FOUR VIDAL SASSOON STYLERS, on clearance $1.59 (regular price $3.99)
Used four $2/1 Vidal Sassoon Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler coupons, 12/14 RP newspaper insert
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.64 MONEYMAKER!

SIX HEAD & SHOULDERS 2-IN-1 SHAMPOO/CONDITIONERS, on clearance $1.99 (regular price $4.99)
Used three $3/2 Head & Shoulders Full-Size Product coupons, 11/30 P&G newspaper insert
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.94 (or 49 cents each!)

ONE CENTER CUT BONELESS PORK LOIN, on sale $16.18 (regular price $34.06)
No coupons used
NET PRICE: $16.18

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $216.88
Net Price Paid for Everything: $5.17
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 97.6%

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past: Almost FREE Turkeys at Publix ($1.44 each!) #TBT (NOV 2014!)

January 1, 2021 by Steve

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

This is a Publix trip from November 2014. Remember when they’d have great overlapping promotions and we could get whole turkeys for nearly free? In this trip, I paid $2.87 total for everything, which meant I picked up the two turkeys for $1.44 each and got the tea bags and V8 for free. Gosh I miss those days. The trip as originally written is listed below. Obviously, the links to coupons aren’t any good; these coupons are from years ago 😉

We had a great trip to Publix this morning! One nice thing about shopping early was having the choice of turkeys. We actually chose smaller ones so that we aren’t making a commitment to eating turkey all week when we make one, plus they fit nicely in the freezer 🙂

The Lipton bottled teas aren’t pictured, because we were thirsty! FYI – The coupon beeps on the bottled teas, but there are no issues on the boxes. We used a $5 off $30 Winn-Dixie competitor coupon on our order, so there’s an extra $5 of savings beyond what is listed with the items below. Here’s what we bought, along with the coupons used:

SIX V8 100% VEGETABLE JUICE 46 OZ, on sale BOGO $2.83
Used six $1.50/1 V8 100% Juice 46 oz Publix store coupons, Best Meals Happen at Home Newsletter (exp 11/13!)
and used three $1/2 V8 100% Juice 46 oz printable manufacturer’s coupons
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $3.51 MONEYMAKER!

FOUR LIPTON FANCY PYRAMID TEAS, regular price $1.99
Used four $0.75/1 Lipton Tea excluding Ready-to-Drink Publix store coupons, Best Meals Happen at Home Newsletter (exp 11/13!)
and used two $3/2 ANY Lipton Tea printable manufacturer’s coupons (preclipped)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.04 MONEYMAKER!

TWO LIPTON READY-TO-DRINK BOTTLED TEAS 20 OZ, regular price $1.29
Used one BOGO Lipton Tea Bottle 20 oz Publix store coupon, Grocery Advantage Flyer (deducts $1.29)
and used two $1/1 ANY Lipton Tea printable manufacturer’s coupons (preclipped) – beeped on this product
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $0.71 MONEYMAKER!

ONE PUBLIX YOUNG TURKEY (approx 10.3 lbs), on sale $6.10 (regular price $15.40)
ONE PUBLIX YOUNG TURKEY (approx 11.9 lbs), on sale $7.03 (regular price $17.75)
No coupons used
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $13.13 (or $6.56 each!)

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $60.67
Net Price Paid for Everything: $2.87
Savings Rate: 95.3%

FYI – None of these items are taxable here in Florida 🙂

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past! My Amazing Walgreens Marathon – $411 of stuff for FREE + $19 PROFIT! #TBT

January 1, 2021 by Steve

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

This is a trip from April 2017 when there were lots of awesome deals over at Walgreens. There was a crazy Almay deal going on too. There were tons of eyeshadows on clearance 75% off, plus it was overlapping with coupons and a $5 Catalina for buying three. There were numerous other crazy deals available that week too, plus back in these days you could redeem 40,000 points in a single transaction to get a $50 discount, meaning that every 1000 Balance Rewards points were worth $1.25 instead of $1. Anyways…here’s the original post, but you should know that (obviously) all the coupons listed below are no longer available 😉

I don’t have any family commitments until later this afternoon and today’s a much slower day for deals, so I decided to visit a few Walgreens stores a little further away from my home. I was hoping to find more Almay clearance and I hit the jackpot at two stores. Between the two stores, I found TWELVE clearance Almay i-Color Eye Shadows (#130, #140 and #145) for only $2.19 each. One store didn’t have them marked, but a price check revealed that they were on clearance at that price.

Altogether, I visited three stores this morning/afternoon. At the first one, I only bought Almay (three transactions.) At the second one, I did my last Almay transaction and then did the first Schick/Wal-Dryl transaction. The last store I visited was one closer to home, and that’s where I did my last Schick/Wal-Dryl deal and my big transaction at the end.

I found lots of lip balms and makeup removers in stock, but I didn’t buy any, because I don’t have any more $3/1 Almay coupons 🙁

Points listed in the transactions below are valued at $1.25 per 1000 points earned, because I (almost) always redeem my points in groups of 40,000 since they are worth $50 that way (and that’s $1.25 per 1000 points earned.)

Here are some points that aren’t listed with the individual items below:
Transactions #1-#4 had 80 total Everyday Points earned ($0.08-$0.10)
Transactions #5-#6 had 640 total Everyday Points earned ($0.64-$0.80)
Transaction #7 had 490 Everyday Points earned ($0.49-$0.61)
I earned two more 5000 point rewards for completing two $50 increments of qualifying Beauty items – 10,000 Balance Rewards points earned ($10-$12.50)
Total for all these points not listed with individual items = 11,210 ($11.21-$14.01 value; I will be using the $1.25 per 1000 value of $14.01 extra savings in the stats for this trip.)

TRANSACTION #1
THREE ALMAY I-COLOR EYE SHADOWS, on clearance $2.19 and on sale BOGO 50% OFF ($2.19, $1.09 and $2.19 with sale) – reg. $8.29
Get $5 Catalina (unadvertised) for buying three Almay Cosmetics
Used the $4/2 Almay Cosmetics Walgreens store coupon, Walgreens April Savings monthly coupon booklet (deducted $2 for the two $2.19 items and the full $1.09 for the $1.09 item)
Price at Register: $0.38, but received $5 Catalina
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $4.62 MONEYMAKER!

TRANSACTION #2 was a copy of Transaction #1.
TRANSACTION #3 was a copy of Transaction #1.
TRANSACTION #4 was a copy of Transaction #1.
Those transactions added another $13.86 of profit.

TRANSACTION #5
THREE SCHICK HYDRO SILK DISPOSABLE RAZOR PACKS, on sale $6.99 (reg. $12.99)
***FYI – $6.99 sale price is an unadvertised monthly sale. These were tagged at my store, but it should still work at your store even if not tagged.
Get $10 Register Rewards for buying $20 of select Schick (advertised weekly deal)
Used two $4/1 Schick Disposable Razors coupons, 4/9 SS insert
and used one $3/1 Schick Disposable Razor Pack printable coupon (preclipped; coupon reset Friday night)
Price at Register: $9.97, but received $10 Register Rewards
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $0.03 PROFIT!
***For some reason, the $3/1 coupon beeped and had to be entered manually.

FOUR WAL-DRYL ALLERGY RELIEF 24 CT, on sale 2/$6 (reg. $4.49)
Get 5000 Balance Rewards points ($5-$6.25 value) for every two purchased
No coupons used
Price at Register: $12, but received 10,000 BR points (value up to $12.50)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $0.50 MONEYMAKER!
***If you’re wondering why I keep buying this stuff…I needed some fillers so I could use those Almay Register Rewards I’ve been accumulating!

TRANSACTION #6
THREE SCHICK QUATTRO YOU DISPOSABLE RAZOR PACKS, on sale $6.99 (reg. $9.49)
***FYI – $6.99 sale price is an unadvertised monthly sale. These were tagged at my store, but it should still work at your store even if not tagged.
Get $10 Register Rewards for buying $20 of select Schick (advertised weekly deal)
Used two $4/1 Schick Disposable Razors coupons, 4/9 SS insert
and used one $3/1 Schick Disposable Razor Pack printable coupon (preclipped)
Price at Register: $9.97, but received $10 Register Rewards
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $0.03 PROFIT!

Now we’re too the more interesting stuff. I decided to do a huge transaction so I could redeem some Register Rewards and 40,000 Balance Rewards points. In case you’re wondering why the Ziploc Containers aren’t pictured, I found the bag with them after I had taken this beautiful photo of my haul. I didn’t want to take the time to rearrange everything, especially because I don’t think the picture would’ve been as nice.

TRANSACTION #7
TWO ZIPLOC CONTAINERS, on sale 2/$5.50 (reg. $3.99)
Get $1.50 Register Rewards for buying two select Ziploc
Used two $0.75/1 Ziploc Containers printable coupons (preclipped)
Price at Register: $4, but received $1.50 Register Rewards
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.50 (or $1.25 each!)

FOUR BARBASOL RAZORS 3 CT, on sale $4.99 (reg. $7.99)
FOUR BARBASOL SHAVING CREAMS, FREE with purchase of Barbasol Razors (reg. $1.99)
FOUR PURE SILK RAZORS 3 CT, on sale $4.99 (reg. $7.99)
FOUR PURE SILK SHAVING CREAMS, FREE with purchase of Pure Silk Razors (reg. $2.39)
Get $2 cashback from Checkout51 for buying Barbasol Razors (limit FIVE)
Get $2 cashback from Checkout51 for buying Pure Silk Razors (limit FIVE)
Used four $2/1 Barbasol Razors coupons, 2/26 RP insert
and used four $2/1 Pure Silk Razors coupons, 2/26 RP insert
Price at Register: $23.92, but received $16 total cashback from Checkout51 (eight $2 offers; four Barbasol and four Pure Silk)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $7.92 (or 49 cents for each of the 16 items!)

TWO L’OREAL VOLUMINOUS BUTTERFLY MASCARAS, on clearance $4.79 and on sale BOGO 50% OFF ($7.18 for two) – reg. $9.49
Used two $2/1 L’Oreal Paris Eye Product printable coupons (preclipped; coupon reset Friday night)
and used the $1/1 L’Oreal Eye Product Walgreens store coupon, Walgreens April Savings monthly coupon booklet (deducted $2)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.18 (or 59 cents each!)

TWO L’OREAL VOLUMINOUS EVERYDAY VOLUME COLLAGEN MASCARAS, on clearance $4.89 and on sale BOGO 50% OFF ($7.33 for two) – reg. $9.49
Used two $2/1 L’Oreal Paris Eye Product printable coupons (preclipped; coupon reset Friday night)
and used the $1/1 L’Oreal Eye Product Walgreens store coupon, Walgreens April Savings monthly coupon booklet (deducted $2)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.33 (or 66 cents each!)

FOUR L’OREAL TRUE MATCH FOUNDATION COMPACTS, on clearance $6.49 and on sale BOGO 50% OFF ($19.46 total for four with sale and clearance) – reg. $12.79 each
Used four $2/1 L’Oreal Face Product printable coupons (preclipped; coupon reset Friday night)
and used four $2/1 L’Oreal True Match or Visible Lift Foundation, Primer, Concealer, Blush or Powder Walgreens store coupon, Walgreens April Savings monthly coupon booklet (deducted $8)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $3.46 (or 86 cents each!)

ONE TROLLI SOUR BRITE CRAWLERS GUMMY CANDY, on sale $1.50 (reg. $2.69)
Get $1.50 Register Reward for buying Trolli or Black Forest Gummy Candy
No coupons used
Price at Register: $1.50, but received $1.50 Register Reward
NET PRICE: FREE!

TWO RIGHT GUARD XTREME DEODORANTS, on sale $3.49 (reg. $4.49)
Get $3.50 cashback from SavingStar for buying two Right Guard Xtreme Deodorants
Get $1 cashback from SavingStar for buying one Right Guard Xtreme Deodorant (older offer; not sure if still available to activate)
Used one BOGO Right Guard Deodorant coupon, 4/9 RP insert
Price at Register: $3.49, but will received $4.50 total cashback from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $1.01 MONEYMAKER!

EIGHT WAL-DRYL ALLERGY RELIEF 24 CT, on sale 2/$6 (reg. $4.49)
Get 5000 Balance Rewards points ($5-$6.25 value) for every two purchased
No coupons used
Price at Register: $24, but received 20,000 BR points (value up to $25)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $1 MONEYMAKER!

Total Retail Value of All Merchandise: $411.01
Net Price Paid for Everything: $19.17 PROFIT!
Savings Rate (excluding tax): 104.7%

Ghosts of Coupon Deals Past! Maureen’s October 2017 Publix Trip – $174 of stuff for FREE + PROFIT! #TBT

January 1, 2021 by Maureen

Never miss a hot deal again! Subscribe to the Savings By Steve newsletter! Get our Best Deals delivered FREE - Subscribe Now!

This is a great trip that Maureen (a member of our team) had back in October 2017. She went to Publix and took almost $175 of their stuff…and she was paid to do it! Obviously, this trip is ancient, so none of the coupons are still available today, but I thought you would like to have a glimpse at what a pleasure shopping at Publix used to be previously. Enjoy!

I shopped the new Publix ad Friday night and took advantage of the $10/$50 gas card coupon found in the weekly ad (valid through Sunday). To use this coupon, you buy $50 in groceries and a $50 gas card of your choice. The $10/$50 coupon will take $10 off the top, then you apply whatever other coupons you have. I had $100 in groceries, so my store allowed me to get two $50 gas cards and use two $10/$50 coupons in a single transaction. Since I have to buy gas anyway, I consider the gas card deal to be a discount on the groceries rather than on the gas. An extra $20 discount is factored into the final tally for this trip.

I was quite happy with the deals in the weekly ad. It’s often the case that when we have a gas card coupon, the ad is a bit weak. Every now and then, we get the gas card with a decent ad and/or on a weekend when we get a new green or purple flyer. This week, we have both. Be sure to check your printables for the Smithfield and Crave dog food coupons. They were available recently (the Smithfield was available a few days ago) or within the last three weeks (Crave). If you haven’t used your digital coupon for a free Publix Premium Pancake mix, there is a maple syrup and pancake mix deal you won’t want to miss.

I’ll be going back Sunday to use another gas card coupon with the new deals in the purple health & beauty flyer that starts on Saturday, October 7. I’ll be getting Robitussin, Advil, Crave wet cat food, and Maybelline. You can see a preview of the new purple flyer match-ups HERE. I am waiting until Sunday because I hope my ibotta rebates reset by then. Freebies, cheapies, and moneymakers are your best friends during gas card weeks because they help you to reach $50 in groceries, which means the $10 discount covers more of the cost of items that have higher post-coupon costs.

As always, ibotta cashback offers vary by account (both the offers and the values), and some SavingStar offers may no longer be available to activate.

TWO SMITHFIELD DICED HAM, Fully Cooked, 8 oz, BOGO $3.29
TWO DOLE CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, 8-oz, reg. 5/$5
Get $1.50 cashback from ibotta for buying Smithfield diced ham and Dole canned pineapple (varies by user)
Used two $1/1 Smithfield Anytime Favorites product printable coupons (no longer available)
Used one $0.50/2 Dole pineapple 9/10 SS
Other option: $0.75/2 Dole 20-oz Dole pineapple printable coupon (no longer available)
Price at register $2.79, but received $1.50 from ibotta
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.29 (32 cents each)!

TWO CAMPBELL’S WELL YES! SOUPS, 16.1 to 16.58 oz, BOGO $2.69
Get $1 cashback from ibotta for buying two Well Yes! Soups, Any Variety, 16 oz+ (varies by user)
Used two $0.75/1 Well Yes! Soup printable coupons (no longer available) or 10/1 SS
Price at register $1.19, but received $1 from ibotta
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $0.19 (10 cents each)!

TWO LAVAZZA GROUND COFFEE BAGS, 12 oz, BOGO $8.99
Get $1 cashback from SavingStar for buying one LavAzza coffee (Select varieties)
Used one $5/2 Lavazza products Publix Digital Coupon (no longer available)
Price at register $3.99, but received $1 from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.99 ($1.50 each)!

TWO FRANK’S REDHOT SWEET CHILI SAUCE, 12 oz, BOGO $3.29
Used two $1/1 any Franks RedHot Sauce 12 oz 10/1 SS (regional)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $1.29 (65 cents each)!

SIX CRAVE DRY DOG FOOD, 4 lb bag, BOGO $9.99
Used six $5/1 Crave dry dog food 4 pounds or larger printable coupon (no longer available)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $0.03 PROFIT!
Note: Check your printables. Mine expired on 10/10 and 10/15, so I printed these about 3-4 weeks ago.

TWO PILLSBURY ORIGINAL CRESCENT DINNER ROLLS, 4 oz can, on sale 10/$10 (reg. $1.59)
Get $1 cashback from SavingStar for buying two Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods Products (Excludes Pillsbury’s Best Pizza Dough)
Used one $1/2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods Products printable coupon (no longer available)
Price at register $$1, but received $1 from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE!

ONE PUBLIX PREMIUM MAPLE SYRUP, 100% Pure, U.S. Grade A amber, 12.5 oz., reg. $6.69
ONE PUBLIX PREMIUM PANCAKE & WAFFLE MIX, reg. $3.99
Get a FREE Publix Premium Pancake & Waffle Mix, Blueberry Flavored, Chocolate Chip Banana, Gluten Free, or Pumpkin, 16 oz, wyb Publix Premium Maple Syrup, 100% Pure, U.S. Grade A amber, Rich Taste, 12.5 oz Auto-deduction at register (deducted $3.99)
Used one FREE Publix Premium Pancake & Waffle Mix Publix Digital Coupon (deducted $3.99 – no longer available)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $2.70 for 100% pure maple syrup and FREE pancake mix!

ONE CENTRUM SILVER MULTIVITAMINS, on sale $5.99 after $4/2 auto-deduction (reg. $7.99)
ONE CALTRATE 60-COUNT CALCIUM CHEWS, on sale $5.99 after $4/2 auto-deduction (reg. $7.99)
Get $1 cashback from SavingStar for ANY ONE (1) Centrum product (exp. 10/16)
Get $1 cashback from SavingStarfor ANY ONE (1) Caltrate product (exp. 10/16)
Get $2 cashback from SavingStar for any Centrum® Silver® Multivitamin, 60ct or larger (exp. 10/16)
Used one $3/1 Centrum Regular or Silver, 10/01/17 RP (exp 10/16/17) [60-ct.+; Excludes multigummies and vitamints]
Used one $3/1 Caltrate Calcium & Vitamin D3 Supplement, 10/01/17 RP (exp 10/16/17)
Used one $4/2 Centrum or Caltrate Publix Coupon from October Pharmacy Booklet, exp. 10/31
Price at register $1.98, but received $4 from SavingStar
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $2.02 PROFIT!

TWO TROPICANA TROP50 JUICE BEVERAGE, 59 oz, 3/$10 (reg. $3.99)
Get $1.50 cashback from ibotta for Trop50 Orange Juice, 59-oz. bottle (limit 2 per receipt) (varies by user)
No coupons used
Price at register $6.67, but received $3 from ibotta
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $3.67 ($1.84 each)!

TWO SMITHFIELD BACON, 16-oz, BOGO $8.99 [RAIN CHECK]
Used two $1/1 any Smithfield bacon printable coupon (no longer available)
NET PRICE FOR ALL: $6.99 ($3.50 each)!

ONE HIGH ROAD CRAFT ICE CREAM, reg. $5.29
Used one FREE pint of High Road Craft ice cream printable coupon (no longer available)
NET PRICE PAID: FREE!

TWO QUORN MEATLESS PRODUCTS, on sale $4/2, (reg. $4.00)
Get $1.00 cashback from ibotta for buying Quorn product (limit 2) (varies by user)
Get $2.00 cashback bonus from ibotta for redeeming Quorn offer on three separate trips
Used two $1.25/1 any Quorn Product printable coupons (no longer available)
Price at register $1.50 but received $4.00 from ibotta
NET PRICE FOR ALL: FREE + $2.50 PROFIT!

ONE PERFECT PROTEIN BAR, reg. $2.50 (these are in the dairy case near the yogurt)
Get $2.25 cashback from ibotta for buying one Perfect bar, any variety (varies by user)
Used one $1/1 Perfect bar printable coupon (no longer available)
Price at register $1.50 but received $2.25 from ibotta
NET PRICE PAID: FREE + $0.75 PROFIT!

ONE PUBLIX HALF & HALF, reg. $1.89
No coupons used
NET PRICE PAID: $1.89

ONE SUCCESS BOIL-IN-BAG TRI-COLOR QUINOA, 12 oz, on sale 2/$4 through 10/13 (reg. $2.50)
Get $1 cashback from ibotta for buying Success Quinoa (limit 2) (varies by user)
Used one $1/1 Success® Tri-Color Quinoa, 12 oz. printable coupon (no longer available)
Price at register $1 but received $1 from ibotta
NET PRICE PAID: FREE!

Retail Value: $174.44
Net Price Paid (not including tax): $4.29 Profit
Savings Rate: 102.4%