Shopping Trip - 12/18/11

Better late than never, right?

I spent a bit more out-of-pocket than usual, but I bought some Christmas gifts and essential items, like toilet paper and drinks. I purchased these 57 items for a total of $43.54 plus tax. My out-of-pocket with tax was $54.53 with $19 rewards and a $10 gift card remaining. The total retail was $173.94 plus tax. That means I saved $132.17 or 71%! I did use up a lot of soon-to-expire rewards this week. I was glad to find some good deals and earn some new rewards in the meantime.

Purchased items include 2 packs Angel Soft 9-pk toilet paper, 2 bags Popcorn Indiana cinnamon sugar kettle corn, 2 bags Popchips, 2 boxes Rice Krispies cereal, 2 boxes Mrs. Field's cookies, 2 bottles Welch's grape juice, 2 bottles Fuze, 2 bottles Fuji water, 2 boxes Hershey's Pot of Gold candy, 2 Reese's trees, 3 packs Orbit gum, 2 Icebreakers Mints, 2 Toblerone candies, 2 bags Hershey's Kisses, 2 bags holiday M&M's, 3 bags Hershey's Bliss chocolates, 1 glittered star tree topper, 4 red velvet decorative bows, 1 bag Burt's Bees cough drops, 1 Lysol Healthy Touch automatic soap dispenser, 1 box Hello Kitty band-aids, 3 Nivea lip balms, 2 bottles Excedrin PM 100ct, 2 bottles Bayer Advanced aspirin 20ct, 3 Coke product 12-pks, 1 Glade Sense & Spray air freshener, 1 Glade Lasting Impressions air freshener, 1 Leap Frog learning book, 1 Nerf disc blaster, and 1 automatic rotating photo cube. 

Here's a breakdown of each store. 

Rite Aid              

I started with $3 UPs from last week.

Transaction # 1

3 Coke product 12-packs @ $3.33 = $9.99 (regularly $5.39 each)
Used (2) -$0.50 VV coupons
Cost: $8.99, earned $2 UPs (making these $6.99 or $2.33 each)

3 packs Orbit gum @ $1.00 = $3.00 (regularly $1.29 each)
Used -$0.25 VV coupon
Cost: $2.75, earned $3 UPs (making these FREE + $0.25 profit)

Lysol Healthy Touch automatic hand soap system $7.99 (regularly $14.99)
Used -$5.00 VV coupon
Cost: $2.99, earned $3 UPs (making this FREE + $0.01 profit)

2 Ice Breakers Frost mints @ $1.50 = $3.00 (regularly $2.29 each)
Used -$1.00/2 VV coupon
Cost: $2.00, earned $2 UPs (making these FREE)

Transaction # 1 total before coupons: $23.98 + tax = $25.20
-$7.25 coupons
-$3.00 UPs from previous purchase
My OOP: $13.73 + tax = $14.95, earned $10 UPs

Transaction # 2

2 Figi Natural Artesian waters @ $0.88 = $1.76 (regularly $1.39 each)
Used -$1.00/2 VV coupon
Cost: $0.76 (making these $0.38 each)

Burt’s Bees honey lemon cough drops $1.69 (regularly $1.99)
Used -$1.50 Rite Aid coupon
Cost: $0.19

3 Nivea lip balms @ $2.00 = $6.00 (regularly $2.99 each)
Used -$3.00/2 mfr coupon
Used -$1.00/1 mfr coupon
Cost: $2.00 (making these $0.67 each)

2 Reese’s Peanut Butter trees @ $0.50 = $1.00 (regularly $0.99 each)
Used -$1.00/2 VV coupon
Cost: FREE

3 bags Hershey’s Bliss chocolate candy @ $3.00 = $9.00 (regularly $4.99 each)
Used -$3.00 B2G1 free mfr coupon
Used -$1.00/2 VV coupon
Cost: $5.00, earned $2 UPs (making these $3.00 or $1.00 each)

Transaction # 2 total before coupons: $19.45 + tax = $21.18
-$11.50 coupons
-$7 UPs from Transaction # 1
My OOP: $0.95 + tax = $2.68, earned $2 UPs

Rite Aid total before coupons: $43.43 + tax = $46.38
My OOP: $14.68 + tax = $17.63, with $5 UPs remaining
Savings: $28.75, 62%

CVS

I started with a $10 CVS gift card and $42.97 in ExtraBucks.

Transaction # 1 (my card)

2 Excedrin PM 100ct @ $11.49 = $22.98
Used (2) -$1.50 mfr coupons
Used -$5.75 25% CVS email coupon
Cost: $14.23, earned $10 EBs (making these $4.23 or $2.12 each)

Transaction # 1 total before coupons: $22.98 + tax = $24.56
-$3.00 coupons
-$5.75 25% email discount
-$6.00 EBs from previous purchase
Total: $8.23 + tax = $9.81
-$9.81 CVS gift card from last week’s promotion
My OOP: $0.00, earned $10 EBs (with $0.19 gift card balance remaining)

Transaction # 2 (mom’s card)

2 Fuze drinks @ $1.00 = $2.00 (regularly $1.69 each)
Used (2) -$0.75 mfr coupons
Cost: $0.50 (making these $0.25 each)

2 bags Hershey’s Kisses @ $2.50 = $5.00 (regularly $3.49 each)
Used -$1.00/2 mfr coupon
Cost: $4.00, earned $2 EBs (making these $2.00 or $1.00 each)

Hello Kitty band-aids $2.99 (regularly $3.99)
Used -$0.50 mfr coupon
Cost: $2.49, earned $2 EBs (making these $0.50)

The following items were part of this week’s gift card promotion.

2 boxes Mrs. Field’s cookies @ $2.50 = $5.00 (regularly $4.19 each)

2 Toblerone chocolate candies @ $1.50 = $3.00 (regularly $2.27 each)

2 bags Popchips @ $2.00 = $4.00 (regularly $2.99 each)

2 bags holiday M&M’s @ $2.50 = $5.00 (regularly $3.99 each)
Used -$1.00/2 mfr coupon
Used -$1.00/2 CVS coupon

2 Hershey’s Pot of Gold @ $3.99 = $7.98 (regularly $5.99 each)
Used -$1.00 mfr coupon
Used -$3.00/2 CVS coupon

Glade Sense and Spray air freshener $5.00 (regularly $10.79)
Used -$3.00 mfr coupon

Glade Lasting Impressions plug-in air freshener $5.00 (regularly $10.49)
Used -$3.00 mfr coupon

(Gift card promotion total was $34.98 before coupons. I used $12 in coupons.)

Transaction # 2 total before coupons: $44.97 + tax = $48.53
-$15.00 coupons
-$27.97 EBs from previous purchases
Total: $2.00 + tax = $5.56
-$0.19 CVS gift card from last week
My OOP: $2.00 + tax = $5.37, earned $4 EBs and $10 CVS gift card

Transaction # 3 (mom’s card)

LeapFrog interactive book $14.79

Photo cube $5.99

Transaction # 3 total before coupons: $20.78 + tax = $22.30
-$5.20 25% CVS email coupon
-$4 EBs from Transaction # 2
-$9 EBs from previous purchase

My OOP: $2.58 + tax = $4.10

CVS total before coupons: $88.73 + tax = $95.39
My OOP: $4.58 + tax = $9.47, with $10 EBs and $10 gift card remaining
Savings: $85.92, 90%

Walgreens

I started with $4 RRs from last week and $5 off $30 Jingle Cash. 

4 red bows @ $0.25 = $1.00 (regularly $0.99 each)

Star tree topper $1.59 (regularly $5.99)

Nerf Vortex Blaster toy $7.49 (regularly $14.99)

2 Angel Soft toilet paper 9ct @ $4.00 = $8.00
Cost: $8.00, earned $1 RR (making these $7.00 or $3.50 each)

2 Kellogg’s Rice Krisipies cereal @ $2.00 = $4.00

2 Welch’s 100% grape juice @ 2/$9.00
Used -$3.00 in-ad coupon
Used -$0.50/2 mfr coupon
Cost: $5.50 (making these $2.75 each)

2 bags Popcorn Indiana cinnamon sugar kettle corn @ $1.99 = $3.98
Used (2) -$1.00 mfr coupons
Cost: $1.98 (making these $0.99 each)

2 Bayer Advanced aspirin @ $3.36 = $6.72
Used -$2.00 mfr coupon
Used -$1.00 mfr coupon
Cost: $3.72, earned $3 RR (making these $0.72 or $0.36 each)

Walgreens total before coupons: $41.78 + tax = $44.93
-$8.50 coupons
-$5/$30 Jingle Cash
-$4 RRs from previous purchase
My OOP: $24.28 + tax = $27.43, with $4 RRs remaining
Savings: $17.50, 39%

I had $5 UP rewards, $4 Register Rewards, $10 ExtraBucks, and a $10 CVS gift card remaining. It was a relief to get rid of all those ExtraBucks! I was in constant fear of losing them. I used the $5 UP rewards towards the purchase of gift sets at Rite Aid later last week, so those won't be in play for next week's shopping trip. I've got a nice stockpile of items now, so I plan to scale back in the new year and only buy items that are moneymakers, freebies, super deals, and items I absolutely need. Happy shopping!