savings sunday {5.31}

ok, don't expect *savings sunday* every week, but i couldn't resist the alliteration when i decided to post this...

recently i've been trying to shop smarter. i have always been a coupon clipper (mainly from the sunday paper), but that's about the extent of it. i have now started clipping coupons online at places such as coupons.com, or from manufacturer's sites. i've also started reading the grocery ads to try and match up coupons and sales (not sure why i never did this before). and i've started frequenting blogs that provide saving information. my favorite is southern savers because it talks about chains found in the south. the whole thing is kind of addictive :)

today i broke the cardinal rule of "holly shopping" (a.k.a "lazy shopping"). i went to multiple locations...not just two, but THREE! my normal grocery store is bi-lo (preferably the lake wylie store). but when i saw that harris teeter was offering tripled coupons, i couldn't resist going there too. then i decided to try my hand at the 'art of CVSing"...fun stuff. i'm so excited about my savings, i have to break it down. i doubt anyone will read this boring junk, but whatever :)

stop #1 - harris teeter (triple coupons)
i consulted the ad, and the website mentioned above, to help create a shopping list to take advantage of the tripled coupons. they only triple coupons that are 99 cents or less, so i only paid attention to those. i also added a few items that were on "super sale" (which is my personal term for something that's a great deal, causing me to buy it earlier than i normally would).

i am trying very hard to remember that it's not *saving* money if you buy crap you don't need. so i'm only buying things that we need right now, or things that won't expire and we use enough that i know we will use it.

so, this was definitely my biggest bargain stop, for obvious reasons.
subtotal $103.49
vic savings $9.20
coupon savings $40.74
total saved $49.94
total paid $53.55
how awesome is that??? i saved almost as much as i spent???

stop #2 - cvs (first time working the ECBs)
thanks to the website mentioned earlier, i've learned the "art of CVSing". i had no idea there was such a thing. as we all know, drug stores tend to be over priced. however, there is a way to make this not the case at all. some people are able to spend a little money up front and then get tons of free stuff, barely paying for anything. i'm not sure if i'm that good, but i had to give it a try.

i spent $107.35 out of pocket. this seems like a LOT for a drug store, i know, but let me elaborate. when CVSing, the first time you shop, you pay cold hard cash. so, this was the beginning. the catch is to purchase items that will give you 'extra care bucks' (ECB) when you check out (these are the coupons that print out with your receipt). here's a play-by-play...

i asked the cashier to do two transactions.
first transaction:
these items were on sale and had ecb
- zantac @ 19.99 (saved $2.30; got $5 ECB) - matt uses this enough to justify purchasing it before we were out.
- zyrtec @ 18.99 (saved $4.00; got $3 ECB) - spencer takes this daily, again justifying the purchase
-deoderant @ 2.49 (saved $1.00; got $1 ECB) - this was my normal brand, again justified
items below were not on sale, only had ecb
- two body washes (irish spring/softsoap) ($4.99 and $5.29; $4 ECB) - we are not body wash snobs, so we will use these
- 5 aveeno products: $10 in ecb for every $20 in products (I spent almost $50, receiving $20 in ECB) - though i've never used this brand of products (other than body wash), they had several things i needed, so though i spent a lot of $$, it was justified because these products will be used in the very near future). i had a $1 coupon for one of the aveeno products.
total spent after savings: $107.35
second transaction:
anything that did NOT have an ECB, I saved for the second transaction.
- cheerios @ $2.50 (super sale - saved $1.99)
- axe pomade @4.99 (super sale and needed item - saved $3)
- huggies diapers @8.99 (super sale and of course needed - saved $3 + $1.50 coupon)
- maxwell house coffee x 2 @ $4.89 (BOGO, much needed - saved $4.89 + $1.50 coupon/2)
total before any savings = $34.25
total after savings/coupons, before tax = $18.37
I used my $20 ECB from the first transaction and paid nothing.

I have $13 in ECB remaining, as well as two coupons for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more. Apparently the "secret" to CVSing, is to use ECB coupons to purchase items the following week(s) that will give you more ECB coupons. But you also have to be careful not to let them expire, and therefore waste. The ECB coupons are good for a month and the $5 off $25 are good for two weeks. I also feel the *key* thing here is to NOT buy things you don't need just to get the ECBs. I had to ask the cashier if many people do this, and he said YES (even had a few pointers...pretty funny).

Stop #3 - Bi-Lo (88 sale)
since this is my normal shopping store, i got anything that was leftover on my list here. i still tried to take advantage of "super sales" or BOGO offers, and any coupons that were $1 or more (if they were less, I used them at the teeter, remember?). i purchased 11 items that were not on sale, nor did i have a coupon. The longer i do this, the less i expect such things!
*as a disclaimer, i'd like to add that the numbers below include almost $60 in gift certificates that were purchased as gifts, so they shouldn't really count :)

one of the things i've been keeping close tabs on is our baby formula and getting a good deal on it. i was recently able to get a *great deal* on 3 cans at cvs.com but right now a 24 ounce can only lasts about 6 days so i'm eager to stock up if i find a good deal. bi-lo had enfamil on sale for $23.39 and I had one of the $5 manufacturer coupons. The lowest non-sale price for our formula is $24.99 for that size can, so I knew it was a deal. I try to combine the coupon with a sale when I can. Thenormal low price (available at bi-lo and babies r us) comes to $1.04/ounce and I paid less than $0.77/ounce.

total before savings/coupons = $205.22
bonuscard savings = $29.10
coupon savings = $7.60
total savings = 36.70
total paid = $166.30

TOTALS:
total before coupon/savings = $459.61
total savings = $130.19
total paid = $329.42 (28% savings)

Looking at the totals, it seems a little crazy high. But since it's early in my "savings" process, I think this will gradually lower. For instance, today I bought two of some BOGO things since it was a good deal. Now I won't need mustard or dill pickles for awhile (as an example). Since this was my first time CVSing, it was the most out-of-pocket, also. And, again, this includes $50-60 in gift cards that certainly aren't part of my normal "grocery shopping". And some of the things purchased at CVS will replace much more expensive Arbonne products.

OK, I'm done. If anyone actually read this mess - bless you!