78% Savings - Good Enough?

I spent a bit of time planning a trip to Target today.  I think it's best for me to go later in the week, after all the deals are known a little more and the unadvertised sales are more known.  I had originally planned on $42 sale for about $10.  But I ended up with 3 transactions, $144.51 in total for $31.13, 78% savings.

And how do I feel about this shopping trip?  I spent too much and blew my budget and some for next week. But shouldn't I be happy that I saved 78%?  Yes and no.

I did a good job in saving lots of money, but I spent over 3 times what I had planned.  However, I hadn't updated my spreadsheet the last couple of days, just added on a few more deals.  So maybe I didn't have the right totals.  I also want to spend less then $10 per store per week, which this one went way past.  I guess I'll have to chalk this one up to experience.

There were a few things that I got that weren't on my list, too such as pickles, garbage bags and paper towels.  Here's the rundown on what I got with the amounts after coupons and deals:

• 2 boxes of Wheat things $1.50 ea
• 2 Schick Skintimate shave gel $ .85 ea
• 9 Schick Quatro razors 3 pack -$.01 each
• 4 Colgate mouthwashes $ .25 ea
• 2 Almay eye make up removers -$ .53 ea
• 2 Up & Up kitchen trash bags 50 pack $ 2.14 ea
• 2 rolls Up & Up paper towles $ .50 ea
• MP Bagels $ .84 ea
• Glad trash bags $1.14
• Up & Up paper plates $.58 ea
• 6 boxes Honey Bunches greek yogurt cereal $1.49 ea
• 2 boxes Hersheys Cookies & Cream Cereal $1.89 ea
• Received 2 - $5 gift cards for the cereals
• 2 jars Vlassic garden pickles $1.91 ea
• Cambell's Go Soup -$.30
• 2 Starbucks iced coffees $ .50 ea
• 2 packs Stoneyfield greek yogurts $2.59 ea
• MP pasta sauce & box of noodles $.66 ea
• MP chunk cheeses $2 ea

The funny part was my last transaction.  Because you can only use 4 like coupons in a transaction, I had to split my Schick razors into 3.  The cashier forgot to give me my bag credits on the 2nd transaction, so she applied it to the last one.  I quickly grabbed a candy bar because Target isn't supposed to give overage.  My total came to $ .01 and she gave me the penny!  She said she's never seen that before.  Neither have I, at Target.

Well, I am pretty tired now and it's time to put the rest of this stuff away.  Hopefully there won't be as many deals next week so I can take a break.

$5.00

I just did a Walgreens, Cub and Target circuit and was amazed at the really great deals this week.  So here's a list of things you can get at each store for around $5.00.

Cub

• 10 ears of corn - $1
• 2 pounds Everyday Essential butter $3
• 2 boxes of Ronzonii pasta $ .88 each, apply $1/2 (SS 6/2) = $ .76

= $4.76

Walgreens

• Select Glade scented products 3/$3, apply 3 - $1 coupons (from coupons.com) = free
• 2 Betty crocker cookie mixes for $3.00, use coupons.com $ .75/2 = 2.25
• 2 - 14oz bottles of Walgreens peroxide = 1.32
• Walgreens first aid bag = free with peroxide
• Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaner starter kit 2/$6, apply $4.00 from their facebook page = $2

= $5.57

Target

• 3 - Colgate 8.4oz mouth washes $2.99, but 2, get 1 free = 5.98, apply 3 - $2.00 Colgate coupon from coupons.com = free
• Benadryl Itch stick $2.39, apply $2.00 coupon from SS 6/9 = $ .39
• Mott's Tot Juice $ 1.99, apply $1.00 coupon from SS 6/9 - $ .99
• Silk Almond Milk $3.00, apply $1.00 Target.com, $1.00 coupons.com coupon = $1.00
• 2 - Keebler Fudge Shop cookies $1.99 each, apply $1/2 coupons.com coupon and Target Carthweel 5% deal = $2.78

= 5.16

Rolling Toothpaste at Walgreens

When I was at Wags on Sunday to use my $10 off $35 coupon, I found I had gotten the wrong toothpaste.  We fixed it at the register (my cosmetic counter cashier rocks) and continued on.  Then I went home and I stayed awake thinking about the possibilities of rolling toothpaste.

I didn't think both these deals were advertised in the flyer, but they are so similar that I probably overlooked them.  Here's what they are:

1. Crest Pro Health toothpaste 6 oz $3.49 each, buy 2, get 3,000 BR
2. Crest Pro Health clinical toothpaste 4oz 2/$7.00, receive $5.00 RR

They are basically the same price, except one is 2 oz smaller.  However, with the $1/1 Crest coupon from the 4/28 SS, they come out to the same price: FREE.  I didn't see any of the couponers that I follow mention this deal, so I wasn't sure if I was missing something.  But when I went and double checked it online, it looked like it should work.  So I popped into my Wags today and tried it out to see if I could do it.

Just a note - I had a $5.00 RR from Sunday and if you want to try this, you'll need at least 4,000 BR to start, OR skip Transaction #3.

Transaction #1

4 - Crest Pro Health 6oz @$3.49 each = $13.96

4 - $1/1 Crest coupons = $9.96

I used the $5.00 RR from Monday's toothpaste deal

Received 6000 BR

= $7.92OOP with tax  (yikes, this thing better work or I screwed up my budget for the week)

Transaction #2

2 - Crest Pro-health clinical toothpaste $7.00

2 - $1/1 coupons

= $5.00

Redeemed 5,000 points for $5 off

Received $5.00 RR

= $ .48 (whew, it's working!)

Transaction #3 

2 - Crest Pro-health clinical toothpaste $7.00

2 - $1/1 coupons

= $5.00

Redeemed 5,000 points for $5 off

Received $5.00 RR

= $ .48 

Transaction #4 

2 - Crest Pro Health 6oz @$3.49 each = $6.98

2 - $1/1 Crest coupons = $4.98

2 - Skinny cow candies $.50

Used bogo coupon = $.25

I used the $5.00 RR from previous deal

Received 3000 BR

= $.56

In summary I got:

• 6 boxes Crest Pro-Health 6oz paste
• 4 boxes Crest Pro-Health clinical 4oz paste
• 2 skinny cow candies
• 1 - $5.00 RR left
• 1 - bogo Vidal Sasson Catalina

All for $9.44 

And if I had planned it better without just walking in and flying by SOP I could've just gotten 2 boxes in the first transaction and had only about $5.00 OOP.  And, I should have gotten 2 more of the 6oz Pro-Health at the end to bring my BR back up to better than it was.  But I can always stop by tomorrow.  I have 1 more $1/1 coupon and a $.50/1 to use and can pay for it with the $5 RR.  I'll update this list when I do it since it's connected with the same deals.

Cartwheeling for M&M's

I tried out the new Target Cartwheel program for the first time yesterday.  It worked flawlessly!  The best deal I got with it was for M&M's.  Here's how it went down:

1 bag Peanut Butter M&M's - $3.19
1 bag regular M&M's - $3.19
1 bag Pretzel M&M's - $3.19
1 bag mini M&M's - $2.99

= $12.96 (yikes!)

Coupons:
2 - $1.50/2 Target printable coupons
2 - $1.50/2 Manufacturer coupons

= $6.56

Target Cartwheel 10% discount (taken after Target coupons) $1.96

= $4.60 for 4 bags of M&M's or $1.15 each

If you don't mind the mini M&M's, you could get them for about $1 each.

The only way it could've gone better would've been a sale on the M&M's.  If they go on sale next week, you better believe I'm going back for more.