It occurred to me this week that I haven’t highlighted any of my shops for you guys recently (I’ve been so preoccupied with the deals!), so I thought that it was time. Many of you are new to couponing, so hopefully this will help you get in the groove of what can be done.
I ran out to CVS yesterday to get some Huggies GoodNites. That was the entire purpose of my shop, but when I go to CVS or Walgreens, I always try to incorporate as many of the free items as I can. If you can get them for free now, you won’t have to pay for them later!
Here’s what I did (starting with no Extra Care Bucks):
Transaction #1
1 Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush $6 (Used $3 from 6/5 P&G)
1 Crest Pro-Health Rinse $4.50 (Used $2 from 6/5 P&G)
Final Price: $6.52
Got back $5.50 ECB ($3 Oral-B, $2.50 Crest)
Total Cost $1.52
Transaction #2
1 Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush $6 (Used $3 from 6/5 P&G)
1 Crest Pro-Health Rinse $4.50 (Used $2 from 6/5 P&G)
2 Excedrin 8 ct $1.98 (Used $2 Excedrin product from red magic coupon machine)
Used $5.50 ECB from previous transaction (reduced to $2.48)
Final Price: $1.06 (all tax)
Got back $7.48 ECB ($3 Oral-B, $2.50 Crest, $1.98 Excedrin)
Total Cost: $.92 Moneymaker
Transaction #3
1 Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste $2.79 (Used $1 from May All You)
1 Caramel $.33 (filler – a gift for the hubby)
Used $1.98 ECB from previous transaction
Final Price: $.44
Got back $2 ECB
Total Cost: $.42
Transaction #4
1 Huggies GoodNites $8.99 (Used $1.50 from recent sample)
Used $7.50 ECB from previous transactions
Final Price: $.87 (all tax)
Total Cost: $8.37
All in all, I ended up spending $9.39 out of pocket. Remember that the GoodNites by themselves are $8.99, so I essentially got everything else for free. Not to mention that tax in Chicago is 9.75%! If you were to do these same transactions in your area, you’d probably end up paying even less.
Happy Shopping!

Alli is a Chicago based wife and mother of two children. She has turned money-saving into a game and enjoys searching out the best deals to help you save money! Alli shares her insight, tips and up-to-the-minute deals for local and national retailers and brands. Her hope is that you will play the game and learn to save money at the same time!