Learning the Hard Way: Get there early, and split transactions!

Okay, so I spent a couple hours last night couponing (while watching Desperate Housewives: get more for your time AND your money). I organized my coupons into little baggies for each store, printed out the shopping lists and planned out my transactions. I was going to split transactions to minimize my out of pocket costs. This means, for example, you buy something at Walgreens that has money back in Register Rewards, pay, get the RR, and then use the RR to pay towards your next transaction. I had four transactions planned, and my total would have been six dollars out of pocket, with five RR left over, so I would have gotten a TON of stuff for $1.

After work, Courtney and I headed over there...only to find out a lot of the things I wanted (the Walgreens maxi pads, the Remington razor, the cough syrup)...were sold out. So I couldn't use their Register Rewards. Then, I was flustered because my beautiful plan was messed up...and I made a mistake. I split my transactions into only two instead of three, and while I do have 5 RR to use for next week, I could have split it and had five dollars less out of pocket.

This leads me to two couponing lessons:

GET THERE EARLY -- This is Monday. The sale started yesterday. They were out of a lot of the things I wanted. Actually, now that I think about it, they were out of the things that were free without coupons. For example, buy Walgreens maxipads for $2, get $2 back, so even people who don't coupon can do those deals without working too much. The ones that were free or a moneymaker WITH coupons (like my razor: 8.99-5 dollar coupon = 3.99-5 RR = 1 moneymaker) there still were some left. Though not many of those either. I am going to have to start going Sunday. Which is rather stinky.

In fact, since at the moment there is no Walgreens in Danville, I may be missing out on some of the deals because while I love to save money, it's not worth driving to SoBo on the weekend. Though the lady at the register told me they were opening a Walgreens in Danville.

SEPARATE Transactions! I messed up at Walgreens, but I did it right at CVS and did three separate transactions. To be polite, just ask the cashier if this is okay, and go to the back of the line if they are busy.

First transaction:
Buy 2 Softsoap for $6, get 4 Extra Care Bucks (like a gift card, if you didn't know)
 - 1.00 coupon of any one Softsoap body wash
 - .50 coupon of any four pack of Softsoap bar soap

Cash due: 4.80
ECB printed: $4

Second transaction:
Quatro for Women Razor 8.99, get 4 ECB
 - 5.00 coupon off any Quatro for Women (printed from coupons.com)
- 4 ECP

Cash due: .45
ECB printed: $4

Third trasaction:
Kotex Buy 2 for $7, get 1 ECB
 -1.00 coupon off one at website
-1.00 coupon off one at website
- 4.00 ECB

Cash due: 1.35
ECB printed: 1

Total spent at CVS: 6.60


This can be a pain keeping it all straight. You also have to keep in mind what deals are better. Walgreens was running a sale on Softsoap, but I would have ended up getting them for like $2, and with ECB, I got them for .50 for both. But, I think this is kinda fun, so it's entertaining on top of saving money. Next week I am going to go and do my regular monthly shopping trip, but all I am going to buy are meat, eggs, milk...and they may be it. So that will be a big savings.

I didn't go to Piggly Wiggly today; I was tooo tired! But I will try to go tomorrow and let me readers (reader?) know about their coupon policy.

I made a couple mistakes today, but here is the "haul:"


Total OOP: 32 - 6 RR and ECB to use next time = $26.

Happy shopping!