No refills, No Helping

The Little Prince eats all by himself today.

Oh, I feel ya, Maxine...

Pure Genius

CVS-ing, Defined

I was first introduced to what I call "Extreme Couponing" by my good friend Christina. Click the title of this post for an excellent place to start, if you want to become a Couponing CVSer yourself.

Recentme

Posted for a friend.

CVS-ing

CVS Card #1

Using:
• $13 in Extra Care Bucks from previous transaction
• a gift card with $35.47 remaining balance on it















Transaction #1
1 Suave Shampoo 1.79
1 Suave Conditioner 1.79
1 Suave Shampoo 1.79
1 Suave Conditioner 1.79
1 Johnsons Buddies Easy Grip Soap bar 1.19
1 Johnsons Buddies Easy Grip Soap bar 1.19
1 Ped Egg Refill Cartridge 3-pack 9.99

Coupons
$2 off $10 CVS coupon printable
50 cent off 1 Suave Mfr.
$2 off 3 Suave Mfr.
2 - $1.50 off 1 Johnsons Buddies printable

Used $13 Extra Care Bucks (1 $5 and 1 $8)

Total OOP: $.03 + tax
Earned $2 Extra Care Bucks














Transaction #2...This one I screwed up royally…watch and learn from my mistake!
1 CVS tampon 10 count 1.99
6 Trial size Dove shampoos@.99/ea 5.94
5 trial size Gold Bond powders@.99/ea 4.95

Coupons
$2 off $10 CVS coupon printable
6 - .75 off 1 Dove hair Mfr.
5 - $1 off Gold Bond Powder Mfr. (couldn’t use because item cost less that $1)*

Used $2 Extra Care Bucks (from transaction #1 above)

Total OOP: $5.87 + tax
Earned no Extra Care Bucks**

*I will be returning these powders for a refund of ~$5.40. I should have asked for a void, but the line was backed up and I planned on doing another 5 or 6 transactions while I was there. Sometimes you just suck it up and do the nice thing because you want a good working relationship with your CVS pros. The return will bring my OOP down to ~$1.27

**I wanted to break even with Extra Care Bucks here because I had remaining Extra Care Bucks associated with another CVS card. Otherwise I would have tried to keep the Extra Care Bucks coming as long as possible.


CVS Card #2

Using:
• $5.99 in Extra Care Bucks from previous transaction
• a gift card with $28.31 remaining balance on it














Transaction #1
3 Ambi Facial Bar Soaps@1.99/ea 5.97
1 Purex laundry detergent 2.99 on sale from 5.99
1 Plastic bat/ball set 1.49 on sale from 2.99

Coupons
$2 off $10 CVS coupon printable
35 cent off Purex Mfr.
2 - $3 off Ambi Mfr. Printable (adjusted down .03 by register)

Total OOP: $2.13 + tax
Earned $10 Extra Care Bucks (1 $9 and 1 $1)
CRT $4 off $20 CVS Coupon (printed after Extra Care Bucks)

Transaction #2
1 Bucket of sidewalk chalk 2.49 on sale from 4.99
4 Purex laundry detergents 11.96
2 Schick Quattro disposables 7.99 on sale Buy 1 get 1 free

Coupons
$4 off $20 CVS coupon CRT
4 - .35 off 1 Purex Mfr.
2 - $4 off Schick Quattro Mfr.

Used $9 Extra Care Bucks (from transaction #1 above)

Total OOP: $.04 + tax
Earned $4 Extra Care Bucks




















Transaction #3
1 Roll-a-Bag 4.99 on sale from 9.99
1 Loreal Age Perfect Cleanser 5.99 on sale from 6.99

Coupons
$2 off $10 CVS coupon
$1 off Loreal Age Perfect Cleanser Mfr.

Used $6.99 Extra Care Bucks (1 $1 and 1 $5.99)

Total OOP: $.99 + tax
Earned 5.99 Extra Care Bucks














Transaction #4
2 Kotex tampons, 18-ct, 2 for $6 6.00
1 - 6 oz Chex Mix 1.00 on sale from 1.99
2 Colgate toothpaste, 6 oz 4.18 on sale from 2.79 each

Coupons
$2 off $10 CVS coupon
2 - $1 off Kotex printable
2 - $1.50 off Colgate printable

Used $4 Extra Care Bucks

Total OOP: .18 + tax
Earned no Extra Care Bucks














Transaction #5
3 2L Diet Coke 4.00 on sale 3 for $4
2 12.5 oz bags, mini Butterfingers 2.99 on sale B1G1
2 packs of hair clips , 2.99 ea 5.98

Coupons
$2 off $10 CVS coupon
2 – $.50 off Butterfinger Mfr.

Used $5.99 Extra Care Bucks

Total OOP: 3.98 + tax
Earned no Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OOP for the day at CVS = $13.22

for…

2 Shampoos
2 Conditioners
2 baby bath bars
3 refill plates for Ped Egg
10-ct tampons
6 shampoos for travel
6 powders for travel
3 facial bar soaps
5 bottles of our favorite laundry detergent
A plastic baseball bat/ball set
Large bucket of sidewalk chalk
2 packs of disposable Schick Quattro women’s razors
1 rolling, collapsible shopping bag
Loreal Age Perfect Cleanser
2 boxes of Kotex
Cheddar-flavored Chex Mix
2 full-size Colgate toothpastes
3 - 2L Diet Coke
2 bags, mini Butterfingers
2 packs of hair clips

Check out one of my favorite CVS-ing blogs over at the Centsible Sawyer for more great CVS deals!

Lunchtime

Clean Towels?

Why it's hard for me to stay on top of the laundry...

NORMAN AND PANSY ARE ALREADY THERE!

Benjamin Sargent

If I live to be 100, I will never forget the story my friend Devon told to me one Friday night not too long ago about a little baby boy named Benjamin Sargent, just five months old. I wish I hadn't read this. Do so only with the knowledge that you've been warned. This isn't gore. It's worse. I don't know how else to warn you.

The details of the neglect and abuse he encountered in his tiny little life--I cannot bring myself to type them into this space. I am trying to think of a good reason for posting his picture. The truth is, I wish I didn't know about Benjamin. The night I heard about him, I called my brother and tried to unburden my mind by telling it to him. It didn't work. We both wept easily and violently. I told Rob then, "I think I know what it must have felt like, that first human glimpse into the knowledge of good and evil. There I stood, at a Friday night cookout, the Garden's newest Adam, stumbling naked and nauseous.

It's been well over a month now, but I can't forget. God, I wish I could forget.

This is the house where Benjamin died, now for sale.

The filth masquerading as the human biological variables that brought Benjamin into existence are awaiting trial in November in Peoria. I have such poetic imaginings for their wait. God forgive me and help me to want the forgiving. A searing, white-hot pulse of vengeance radiates from the center of my brain, hurting me with its intensity.

My Latest Published Article

Let's face it; I'm a glorified marketing copy writer, but damn, I love seeing these things in print!