89% Savings at CVS Today

I bought $56.43 in food and other items this morning for $6.12.That's a savings of more than 89%! And thanks to my CVS Extra Bucks I only paid $1.02 in cash out of my pocket.

I went to CVS specifically to purchase the Revlon ColorStay Mineral Mousse Makeup, a Bic Soleil razor, and a box of General Mills Fiber One cereal. The makeup is on special this week for $9.99 (reg. $13.99) with $9.99 back in Extra Bucks. I had a $1.00 off coupon from the July 19th Sunday paper which turned my net cost into a $1.00 profit. The razor is on special for $6.99 (reg. $7.99) with $3.00 back in Extra Bucks. My $3.00 off coupon from today's paper reduced my net cost to 99¢. The cereal is also on special this week for $2.50 a box, and I had a coupon for .75¢ off that I got from the internet. The other item that I was planning to buy was a Glade Fragrance Collection soy based candle. There is a coupon in today's paper to get one for free.

If I had stuck to my list and only purchased the four items I was there for, I would have only spent $1.74 for $30.16 in merchandise - a tremendous savings! But I didn't.

I know that this particular CVS always has clearance priced merchandise located in three different parts of the store, so I make a point of scouting out those areas for deals. Today I found one box of Carnation Instant Breakfast for $1.42 (reg. $5.69) and Flavour Ice.

The roommate loves popsicles and frozen novelties, and my youngest son is always rummaging through my refrigerator for a snack when he comes over. And I'm always looking for low-cal snacks. I don't mind keeping extra treats around the house for everyone, but I'm not going to sabatoge my grocery budget to do it. At 20 calories each, and just .15¢ a box (reg. $1.50), the Flavor Ice fits the bill. I bought 12 boxes.

My total for the 13 unplanned items? Three dollars and twenty-two cents!

I didn't get any kind of discounts on the two packs of Extra gum. I only bought them because I needed to spend about two more dollars in order to be able to pay for my purchases with a single Extra Buck coupon that was scheduled to expire soon. I could have bought some more Flavor Ice, or looked through the flier or store for another deal, but I can always use gum and it was a quick pick to meet my purchase requirement.

After I got home I realized that the better choice would have been the Extra gum 3-pk that is on sale for $2.00 - less than I paid for 2 packs. Additionally, if I spend $15 on select candies and gums (including the Extra 3-pk.), I get $5 back in Extra Bucks. Since the CVS candy specials usually run the entire month, and I frequently need to spend an extra dollar or two, it's quite possible that I could meet the purchase minimum before the special expired. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

Well, I'm off to Publix now. They have "Buy Theirs and Get Ours Free" deals as well as the 1¢ mystery coupon today. I'll try to blog my savings when I get home.