Target trip 070411 56.6% savings

I needed some Tom's deodorant and couldn't wait for a sale, so I used coupons to make this trip more enjoyable.

Dove Men's Face and Body Wash - $4.29
Used BOGO Free coupon

Dove Men's Deodorant - $3.99
Used $2/1 coupon

Tom's of Maine Deodorant - $4.24
Bought 2
Used 2 $1 coupons

Tom's of Maine Toothpaste - $4.19
Used $1 coupon

Shelf price: $25.24
Coupons: $9.29
Used Target $5 gift card from Saturday's deals
Total OOP before tax - $10.95
Total savings 56.6% - not bad for not shopping a sale!

JC Penny 070411 87% savings!!

Transaction 1:
Lunch tote - originally $20; on clearance $8
Green sweater - originally $36; on clearance $7
Tan sweater - originally $36; on clearance $5
Red sweater - originally $42; on clearance $5
Total original price - $134; total clearance $25
Used $10 coupon
Total out of pocket - $15 (88.8% savings off original price)

Transaction 2:
Black long sleeved t-shirt - originally $20; on clearance $4
Red long sleeved t-shirt - originally $20; on clearance $4
Pink sweater (not shown) - originally $30; on clearance $9
Black sweater (not shown) - originally $30; on clearance $9
Total original price - $100; total clearance $26
Used $10 coupon
Total out of pocket - $16 (84% savings off original price)

Total value - $234 Total OOP $31 (87% savings total)

Target trip 7/2/11

$20.04 shelf price
$7.00 coupons/savings
$13.04 OOP + $5 gift card = $8.04 final cost (60% savings)

Crackerfuls $2.40
-$1.50 MFR coupon
-$1.00 Target coupon

Crackerfuls $2.40
-$1.50 MFR coupon

Dulcolax $5.24
-$1.00 MFR coupon
-$2.00 Target coupon

Sobe Life Water 10/$10.00
(Buy 10, get a $5 Target gift card free)

Giddy over my latest deal at Rite Aid

My brother has been asking me for razor deals for weeks. I had grabbed a free set of razors at Wal-Mart last week, but they were the cheap disposable ones and only lasted two shaves for him.

This week, I was ecstatic to see the Schick Hydro on sale at Rite Aid and a few other stores. I sat down and tried to pick the best combination - do I go to CVS and buy one with the $4 coupon I had in the newspaper (last week or week before???) and then use the $4 ECB on the next transaction with the $3 coupon from Facebook? Do I go to Rite Aid where it's BOGO free and I can buy both in one transaction? Do I check out the price at Publix or Kroger next time I'm there?

Because I was picking up my brother at the Y, I settled on Rite Aid because it was on our way to Wal-Mart. They had the Schick Hydro 3 for $8.99 and BOGO free. Next to it was the Schick Hydro 5 for $9.99, also BOGO free. We debated it, and my brother preferred the 5 blade razor. So we took our selections to the counter, used our Rite Aid card, the $4 coupon from the paper and the $3 coupon from the Facebook page. We walked out of there for just over $3 for 2 razors!!!! 84% savings. Now, if we had selected the 3 blade version, we could have walked out of there for just over $1.

Great idea for Father's Day gifts or just a new razor for you.

Not bad for an amateur

My mom needed to buy a few things from Wal-Mart, so I quickly threw together a shopping list for Publix which is on the way home.

Here is what I bought:
Precise Cream (from the makers of Tylenol) - usually $7.99. On sale $4.99. Used $5 coupon. $0.01 money maker
Bayer Advanced 500 mg 20 ct - $2.99. Used Publix $2 off coupon and manufacturer's coupon $1.50 off - $0.50 money maker
Suave Shampoo and Conditioner - $2.19/each - used $0.50 off when you buy two, Publix doubled, total paid - $1.69 each
Suave Body Wash - $1.49/each. Used Buy One Get One Free coupon - $0.75/each
Yoplait Yogurt - on sale 20/$10. Bought 6 and used $0.40/6 (doubled = $0.80 off) - total paid $0.37 each
Fresh Express - $3.99 Buy One Get One Free - used $1.00 off - total paid $1.49/each
Listerine Total care - on sale $3.99. Used Publix $1.00 off and manufacturer's coupon $1.00 off. Total paid $1.99.

After taxes, paid $12.55 Total Savings $25.20. 66.8% savings (I think the cashier messed up one of the coupons because my math is off by $0.99....)

Oh well. Not bad for a last minute thrown together deal! I wouldn't have bought the shampoo but I'm completely out.

My mom did almost as good on her purchases with my help (and the BOGO deals for cereal at Publix). She paid $25 and saved $27.80 (52.6% savings). Not too shabby. :) She also stocked up on the Cinnamon Swirl bread by Pepperidge Farms and the Thomas english muffins (both BOGO and both have active coupons....$0.35/bread and $0.50 for the muffins...both doubled at Publix). She also had some Mrs. Dash in there that weren't a great price, but she needed them and with 2 $0.50/each that were doubled...not horrible.

Okay, now I'm rambling. Time to get some rest!

Ad libbing

So I did the unthinkable and joined Twitter...how horrible am I? I don't even have anything to tweet. One of these days I'll think of something clever that will attract followers, but do I want followers? The pressure is already getting to me.

I have been so irritable the past few days. I don't know if it's the storms that have rolled through or picking up on other people's stress. Maybe that means I need to schedule a massage for this weekend. My job is awesome, so I know it's not work stress. There is a lot of change happening at work, so maybe it's just the static that comes with such movement? A coworker pointed out to me today that I am the ultimate therapist friend - every one comes to me with their problems, and even when they don't, I tend to be the one with insight into their issues. The problem with this is that when I see a problem, I become involved. I don't know how not to become personally involved.

Just some random thoughts today. Thanks for keeping up with me. :)

Mine is the Night book review

I love reading books, and I had the opportunity to read "Mine is the Night" and offer my review. See below for my thoughts, and feel free to check it out yourself!

This was a really great book! I rarely have all day to read a book cover to cover, but I was fortunate enough to find just the perfect Saturday for this treasure. I loved the way the story flowed; I was caught up in the story in no time! The characters seemed real, and I was so glad that the romance did not overshadow the rest of the story - it added to the plot every step of the way. I would highly recommend this book!