If you answered “no” or “what is that?” to this question then you are truly missing out!  Stop by the CVS Advisor Panel website and get signed up!

Yesterday evening I received an email asking to do a survey.  If I qualified, I would earn $5 Extra Care Bucks.  Well, it was easier than ever to qualify & even easier to complete the survey! I am $5 Extra Care Bucks richer and that makes up for my having to spend $3.60 from my gift card last weekend…YAY for CVS & ECBs!!

Well, I made my plan, clipped my coupons, thought I would be a real smartie and shop 2 stores and guess what?  Bad idea!  The first CVS store I stopped at was a MESS!  They still had Christmas stuff up and unopened boxes of new products all over the place!  I didn’t get to use the scenarios I planned but I still think I came out a winner.  Here is how it went:

Starting ECBs for 2010 balance: $18.00
Starting GC Balance: $75.00
Coupon from CVS email: $5.00 off $25.00

Transaction #1 (the CVS Store from h3ll!)

Items Purchased:

Colgate Total Whitening 6oz – $2.50
Colgate Max White 6oz. – $2.50
14″ Floppy Christmas Doggie – 75% off – $1.99
Nivea Pure Moisture Lotion -$4.00 (said $7.99 but rang up $4.00!)
Colgate 360 Manual Toothbrush – $2.99
Gold Emblem Sour Gummies – .99
Gold Emblem Sour Gummies – .49
Nivea Lip Balm – $2.99
Nivea Cherry Lip Balm – $2.99

Coupons Used:

$5/$25 CVS Coupon from email (it was used before the lady told me I bought the wrong Nivea – I didn’t realize it until I got home and totaled everything)
B1/G1 Free Nivea Lip -2.99
$1.00 off Colgate Max White
$1.00 off Colgate Total Adv. Whitening
$2.00 off Nivea Lotion 13.5 oz.
$1.00 off 2 GE Candies

ECBs used $7.00
ECBs earned $3.00 (ouch!  The price on the Nivea is why I didn’t get the 5 ecbs but I took care of that in transaction #2)

Total merchandise value: $21.44
Total paid by GC .47 cents

Transaction #2 – my CVS that I love!!  Nice & clean and had all of the bonus items in their place!!

Items Purchased:

GE Energy Smart Bulb – $2.99
Oust Surface & Air Sanitizer – $3.99
Oust Surface & Air Sanitizer – $3.99
SoyJoy Mango Coconut 6pk – $6.00
Nivea Body Wash – $6.99

Coupons Used:

$1.00 off GE Lightbulbs
$2.00 off Nivea Body Wash
B1/G1 Oust -$3.99

ECBs used – $14 (ouch!)
ECBs earned – $19 (YAY!)

Total Value: $23.96
Total GC: $3.13

So for $3.60 off of my gift card I got $45.40 worth of merchandise & even earned a ecb back.

ECB Balance: $19.00
CVS GC Balance: $71.40
Merchandise Value: $45.4o

I was going through my papers from last weekend, preparing for my shopping trips this weekend and I found an insert from Kroger Pharmacy that had a few manufacturer’s coupons in it plus a coupon that offers $20 in free groceries when you transfer your prescription to Kroger.

Here are the coupons that were included:

$2.00 off ANY Sundown Naturals Vitamin/Supplement  EXP: 02/06/10
$2.00 off ANY Disney Vitamin EXP: 02/06/10
$2.00 off ANY Ester-C product EXP: 02/06/10
$1.00 off ONE (1) box of Tazo Filterbag Tea or Tea Latte Concentrate EXP: 03/21/10
$1.00 off ONE (1) Slim-Fast product excluding single bars EXP: 03/27/10
.55 off any 18.5 oz. FUZE Single Bottle EXP: 02/27/10
.55 off when you buy 2 bottles of Glaceau  products EXP: 02/27/10
Buy 3 Get 1 free Powerade ION4 or Powerade Zero EXP:02/27/10
$2.00 off ANY Nature’s Bounty Vitamin/Supplement EXP: 03/08/10

Looks like this is going to be a great weekend to grab a few extra newspapers!!  I noticed a few of the sales at CVS, Walgreens & Kroger had some great coupon match up deals.

Here is just a small sample of what you will find (varies by region) in your Sunday coupons.  To see the full list (and trust me, it’s BIG!) check out Sunday Coupon Preview!

Betty Crocker Fruit Shapes, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-ups, or Fruit Stickerz, boxes – 50 cents off any 2 (x2/27)
Fiber One Box Muffin Mix – 50 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
Fiber One Chewy Bars, box – 40 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
Fiber One Complete Pancake Mix, 28.3oz – 60 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
Fiber One Frozen Muffins – $1.00 off any 1 (x3/27)
General Mills Cereals, listed – $1.00 off any 3 (x2/13)
Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables – 60 cents off any 3 (x2/27)
Green Giant Just for One Vegetables – 50 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
GreenGiant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen vegetables – 40 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
NatureValley Granola Nut Clusters, bag – 50 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls – 40 cents off any 2 (x3/27)
Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands Biscuits – 30 cents off any 2 (x3/27)
Pillsbury Sweet Rolls or Grands Sweet Rolls – 40 cents off any 2 (x3/27)
Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries – 55 cents off any 2 (x3/27)
Progresso Soups – $1.00 off any 4 (x2/27)
Progresso Soups – 50 cents off any 2 (x2/27)
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites Dinner Kit – $1.00 off any 1 (x2/27)
Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit – $1.00 off any 1 (x2/27)
Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Multipack – 50 cents off any 1 (x2/27)
Yoplait Frozen Smoothie – $1.00 off any 1 (x2/27)
Yoplait Go-Gurt Yogurt – $1.00 off any 2 (x2/27)
Yoplait Yogurt Cups, includes Original, Light, Thick & Creamy or Whips, or Yoplait Original or Light Smoothie – 40 cents off any 6 (x2/27)
Yoplait Yogurt Cups, includes Original, Light, Thick & Creamy or Whips, or Yoplait Original or Light Smoothie – 50 cents off any 8 (x2/27)
YoPlus or YoPlus Light Yogurt 4pk – $1.00 off any 1 (x2/27)

That is only one insert!  There are going to be at least 4 in this Sunday’s paper.  I know that paying $5.00 for the double papers in my area is a given because I save AT LEAST that much in coupons!

Happy Frugal Saturday everyone!  I am off to Wal-Mart to pick up my papers and a new Convection Oven.  Mine croaked New Years Eve night and in my house, we can’t live with out ours!

If I spot some good deals while I am out I will be sure to post them for you!

2010 Sunday Coupon Insert Schedule

January
1/03: (2) SmartSource , (2) Red Plum, General Mills
1/10: SmartSource , Red Plum
1/17: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G
1/24: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
1/31: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

February
2/07: SmartSource
2/14: No Inserts
2/21: SmartSource ,  General Mills ,  P & G
2/28: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

March
3/07: SmartSource, Red Plum ,  P & G
3/14: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
3/21: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
3/28: (2) SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G

April
4/04: No Inserts
4/11: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
4/18: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
4/25: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

May
5/02: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P &G
5/09: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
5/16: 2 SmartSource ,  Red Plum
5/23: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
5/30: No Inserts

June
6/06: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G
6/13: SmartSource
6/20: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
6/27: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

July
7/04: No Inserts
7/11: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
7/18: SmartSource
7/25: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

August
8/01: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G
8/08: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
8/15: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
8/22: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
8/29: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G

September
9/05: No Inserts
9/12: SmartSource ,  (2) Red Plum
9/19: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
9/26: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

October
10/03: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G
10/10: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
10/17: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
10/24: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
10/31: SmartSource ,  Red Plum

November
11/07: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G
11/14: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
11/21: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
11/28: No Inserts

December
12/05: SmartSource ,  Red Plum ,  P & G
12/12: SmartSource ,  Red Plum
12/19: No Inserts
12/26: No Inserts

Since August, when I first started this blog, I have learned some pretty cool things about saving money.  I am only a little sad that it took my husband losing his job for me to really grasp how easy it was.  I could kick myself for not learning about the great ways to get “something for almost nothing” at CVS.  I guess like a lot of people, I used the excuse that I “didn’t have time” to figure all that mess out.  Well, thanks to some really awesome sites out there, I don’t have to.  At least not too much.  Great sites like iheartcvs & slickdeals do much of the work and we get to reap the benefits.  Now this doesn’t mean that there is no work involved at all.  I mean, I do have to collect & file my coupons, figure scenarios for items we use and do the shopping.  Walking out of CVS with $50.00 worth of merchandise for little or nothing gives me such a rush, even after almost 5 months in to it.

I started CVSing in August with a $20.00 bill and a hand full of coupons.  I walked out with close to $50.00 in merchandise, $6.00 in change and $14.00 in ECBS (Extra Care Bucks).  In essence, I got my purchases for FREE.  Since that day, I make an effort to visit CVS at least once a week.  For me and CVS, the year ended well.  I came out with $100.00 in CVS gift cards, one of which I gave to my daughter in her stocking, and the other $75.00 for me to use in 2010.  I also have a balance of $18.00 Extra Care Bucks and just today I got a coupon in my email for $5.00 off of a $25 purchase.  It seems like I get something about ever 2 weeks from CVS.  I would highly recommend signing up for offers via email from them!  My 2010 goal is to see just exactly how much I can get for the $93.00 – I would love to be able to roll all of my future purchases in to ECBs and not have to spend any cash out of pocket for the whole year!  As long as I don’t have an emergency and have to use those GCs, I don’t intend to.  I will keep my readers updated weekly as to how it’s going.  Sunday is the start so keep checking back to see how I did!