Black Friday Pharmacy Deals: Money Maker Heaven!

I don't tend to be a Black Friday shopper, but the pharmacy deals are beckoning me. It's the SUPER BOWL of freebie couponing, and I don't want to miss out. Looking at all the deals, it can be enticing and overwhelming. If you're new to couponing at pharmacies, you may want to pick just 2 or 3 items. If you can't get enough of couponing, here's what I see as the best deals and my plan for getting them. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned because some items will be gone when I get there, but you have to start somewhere. MM stands for "money maker" and there are plenty of them:

WALGREEN'S:

For a few more deals and all the match-ups, go to Southern Savers.

• $4RR wyb 2 Bic Flex 4 disposable razors at $3 each. Use 2 $2 printables = $2MM.
• $2RR wyb Gum Deep Clean toothbrushes 2pk at $2 each. Use $.55 MC (not sure which magazine this came from) = $.55MM.
• $3RR wyb Colgate Total Advanced toothpaste 4oz at $3. Use $1 MC from SS 11/13 = $1MM.
• $2.50RR wyb Crest 3D White Vivid toothpaste 3oz at $2.50. Use $1 MC from P&G home mailers. All other coupons are for 4oz or more and can not be used. = $1MM.
• $2.75RR wyb Preparation H Totables hemorrhoid wipes 10pk at $2.75. Use $2 printable = $2MM.
• $2RR wyb DenTek Floss Picks 75 or 90 pk at $2 each. Use $.75 MC = $.75MM.
• $5.50RR wyb 2 Secret 3 oz body splash or spray at $3.75 each. Use 2 $1 MC = FREE.
• $4RR wyb Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick at $5.99. Use $1 off Revlon Color cosmetic from Walmart insert AND $1 Walgreens coupon=FREE. You’ll need an extra filler for this deal.
• $1.50RR wyb Oral-B indicator toothbrush at $1.50 = FREE. Don’t bother using $.75/2 coupons with this because then they wouldn’t be free.
• $3RR wyb 2 Scunci hair elastics 18pk at $1.50 each = FREE.
• $.99RR wyb Advil PM pain relief 4ct at $.99 = FREE.
• $2.49RR wyb ThermaCare heat wrap neck, wrist, and shoulder or menstrual at $2.49. If this is a 2ct product, you can use $1 or maybe even $3 printables (not sure how they’ll handle that at the register).

My plan, Amounts are OOP= Out of Pocket after coupons noted above:

Transaction #1:

2 Bic razors: $2

1 Thermacare: $1.49 (if it’s not 2ct, move this to transaction #2)

1 Colgate: $2

1 Crest: $1.50

1 Preparation H: $.75

1 DenTek floss: $1.25

1 Gum toothbrush: $1.45

Total OOP: $10.44, get back $18.75 in RR.

Transaction #2:

1 Oral B toothbrush: $1.50

2 Scunci: $3.00

1 Advil: $.99

2 Secret body splash: $5.50

1 Revlon lipstick: $3.99

3 filler items ($.30 or less each)

Use these RRs from Tr. #1: $2.50, $3, $2.50, $2.75, $2, $2

Total OOP: $.23 plus tax and cost of filler items

Transaction #3:

1 Thermacare: $1.49

1 Colgate: $2

1 Crest: $1.50

1 Preparation H: $.75

1 DenTek floss: $1.25

2 fillers

Use $4 and $3 RRs from Tr. #2.

Total OOP: cost of fillers plus tax

Transaction #4:

1 Oral B toothbrush: $1.50

2 Scunci: $3.00

1 Advil: $.99

1 Revlon lipstick: $3.99

1 DenTek floss: $1.25

1 filler

Use $2.49, $3, $2.50, and $2.75 RRs from Tr. #3.

Total OOP: cost of filler plus tax

I still leave with these RRs: $4, $1.50, $.99, $5.50, $2, $3, $2, $4, $1.50, and $.99 = $25.48 and I should spend less that $15. Of course it never works totally as planned, but we’ll see.

CVS (numbers of products are by limit of deals)

For all the match-ups and a few extra deals, go to Southern Savers.

• 1 Breathe Rite Strips Bonus Size 10 + 2ct: $5.99, get $5.99. Use $1.50 CVS coupon and $1.50 MC = $3MM. Can’t find MC.
• 1 Benefiber sticks 3 ct: $1.49, get $1.49ECB, Use $3 printable = $3MM.
• 1 Finish Quantum 10ct dishwashing detergent: $2.99, get $2.99ECB. Use $1MC = $1MM.
• 1 L.A. Looks styling gel 20oz: $2.49, get $2.49ECB. Use $1MC = $1MM.
• 2 Colgate Total Advanced toothpastes, various varieties: $2.87, get $2.87. Use $1MC = $1MM. I'll probably use my coupons here instead of Walgreen's.
• 1 Theraflu caplets 8ct: $1.87, get $1.87. Use $2 printable = $2MM.
• 1 Theraflu daytime or multi-symptom travel size: $.99, get $.99ECB. Use $3/2MC = $2MM.
• 2 Listerine pocketpacks: $2.99 each, get $2.99ECB each. Use 2 $.50 MC = $1MM.
• 1 Fiber One brownies: $3.99, get $3.99ECB. Use $.40 MC = $.40MM.
• 1 Carmex lip balm: $1, get $1ECB. Use $.30 printable = $.30MM.
• 2 GUM Super or Micro-tip toothbrushes: $2.99 each, get $2.99ECB each. Use $.55MC from unknown magazine=$.55MM.
• 1 Cepacol lozenges 16ct: $4.99, get $4.99ECB. Use $1 printable = $1MM.
• 1 Balance Bar: $1.69, get $1.69ECB = FREE.
• 1 Starbucks double shot, 6.5 oz: $1.69, get $1.69ECB = FREE.
• 2 Hershey’s king size bar: $.99 each, get $.99ECB each = FREE.
• 4 Mars chocolate singles candy 1.08 – 2.15oz: $.75 each, get $.75ECB each = FREE.
• 1 Advil Pm 4ct: $.99, get $.99ECB = FREE.
• 1 Advil 10ct: $2.99, get $2.99ECB = FREE.
• 1 Be Kool from Fever Discomfort gel sheets: $4.49, get $4.49ECB = FREE.
• 1 CVS dental flossers 90 ct: $1.99, get $1.99ECB = FREE.
• 1 Pepto Bismol 4oz: $2.99, get $2.99ECB = FREE.
• 1 CVS alkaline batteries 4 ct AA or AAA: $3.99, get $3.99ECB = FREE.
• 6 Revlon nail polish: $4.99, get $4RR. Use $1MC= FREE. I'll probably use my 2 Revlon coupons here instead of Walgreen's.
• 1 Softlips single pack: $2, get $2ECB = FREE.
• 1 Kleenex cool touch tissues, 50ct: $1.50, get $1.50ECB = FREE.

I'm starting with $4ECB and will pick the biggest money makers first. I'll keep rolling ECBs into future deals with as few transactions as possible. I don't mind walking out with lots of ECBs because I'm confident I'll use them within four weeks.

So are you ready or is this as clear as Greek? What questions do you have about shopping pharmacies?

Couponing for Charity: Black Friday's freebies & money makers

It's been a little over a year since I began working the deals at Walgreen's and CVS; so I am by no means a pro. Before, I had no idea you could get so much for free and even "make money" on some deals with coupons. Since I began my Couponing for Chairty mission in March, I have been posting weekly about how to score the best freebies, many of which I donate to a variety of local charities. To see my donating totals for the past two months alone, click here.

Though I don't usually get Black Friday fever, I will be shopping at CVS and Walgreen's this Friday to get 45 free items--many which are money makers! Woo hoo! This is like the Super Bowl of Couponing! The best part is that you have more time to get these deals, as they are good Thursday through Saturday (11/25-27). But don't wait too long because the shelves could be empty. If you're new to shopping these stores, first check out Coupon Mommie's tips for Walgreen's and CVS.

If you're going to pick just one store, I'd suggest CVS. You can get 25 items for free and make $7.30 in overage! CVS rewards are good for a month and you don't have to worry about coupon to product ratio. I then compare the match-ups of three bloggers. Sometimes they're different since coupons, prices, and deals can vary by region.

CVS:

Southern Savers (extensive list)

Coupon Katie (local & paired down)

Walgreen's:

Southern Savers

Coupon Mommie

Coupon Katie

The idea is to spend as little OOP (out of pocket) as possible without irritating the clerk with a ton of transactions. Go to the back of the line if necessary. I'll be starting with $8 ECB from a previous trip. I've rounded most of these up for simplicity. I'm getting the max number of products allowed. If I'm under for any reason, I'll throw in an extra Reese's to each transaction. Here's my plan for CVS:

Transaction #1:

• 1 Gillette Odor Shield Deodorant ($4, get $4ECB, use $2 MC =$2MM)
• 2 Colgate Sensitive Toothpastes ($4, get $4, use 2 $1 MC=$2MM)
• Use $8ECB from previous trips

Total Due: just tax

ECBs earned: $12

Transaction #2:

• 1 Eucerin lotion ($7, get $7ECB, use $1 MC=$1MM)
• 2 Herbal Essences shampoo ($4, get $4ECB, use $1/2 MC=$1MM)
• Use $12 ECB from transaction #1

Total Due: $1 plus tax

ECBs earned: $15

Transaction #3:

• 2 Listerine pocketpaks ($3, get $3ECB, use $1/2 MC = $1MM)
• 1 Carmex lip balm ($1, get $1ECB, use $.30 MC = $.30MM)
• 1 Philips in-ear headphones ($7, get $7ECB=FREE)
• 1 Advil PM 4ct ($1, get $1ECB=FREE)
• 1 Excedrin 8ct ($1, get $1ECB=FREE)
• 1 Reese's Singles 1.4-2oz ($.79, get $.79)
• Use $15 ECBs from transaction #2

Total Due: $.50 plus tax

ECBs earned: $16.79

Transaction #4:

• 1 L.A. Looks Styling Gel ($3, get $3ECB=FREE)
• 2 Renpure shampoos ($5, get $5ECB=FREE)
• 4 Reese's singles ($.79, get $.79=FREE)
• 5 Mars king size assorted ($1.60, get $1.60=FREE)
• 1 Bioluxe trial size shampoo ($1.99; free with coupon you must register for by 11/24)
• 1 Minute Clinic hand sanitizer wipes (free at the Minute Clinic with coupon found here)
• Use $16.79 from transaction #3

Total Due: $7.37 plus tax

ECBs for next time: $24.16

I'll probably pick and choose my goods at Walgreen's more carefully because their rewards are good for only two weeks and it's more of a puzzle getting the coupon to product ratio correct. I'll have to go through my coupons to make sure I have what I need to make each item truly free or a money maker and make sure they are goods charities really want. Their good deals on Kleenex and Huggies will make it worth my while. The list of freebies includes:

• Soft drinks
• Advil
• Oral B toothbrush
• Gum eez Flossers
• Colgate toothpaste
• Crest toothpaste
• Scunci hair bands
• Secret body splash
• Old Spice body spray
• Dial for Men body wash
• Nivea for Men shave gel
• Olay body wash
• Bic razors
• Centrum Silver vitamins
• Thermacare heat wraps
• Robitussin to go
• Fiber One fruit tablets
• Planters nuts
• Gillette skin care
• Just for Men shampoo & conditioner

I'll post the specific deals I got later on. Nothing ever goes truly as planned. Let me know if you go and how your experience was. It can be a lot of fun and highly addictive!

Thank you to the group of Knoxville Money Saving Momma Bloggers that have teamed up to bring you lots of great posts this holiday season: Coupon Katie, Coupon Mommie, Couponing in Critical Times,Coupons Are Money, Frugalissa Finds, Frugally Farming Family,Knoxmoms.com, Knoxville Mamabelle,Knoxville on a Dime, Sharing Savings with You.

Couponing for Charity 10/3- 9 & Update #23

Here are this week's picks for freebies for charity or for your own stock-pile. I made it to Walgreen's today but won't get to CVS til later in the week. I think they're both worth checking out this week for different reasons. If you have RR that will expire, head to Walgreen's for sure.

WALGREEN'S: Click here for Southern Saver's match-ups and here for Coupon Katie's picks. I tried to get a good deal on Milano cookies, but the Middlebrook Pike store didn't have that size in stock. The Playtex rubber glove coupon didn't match the product on sale; it might work, but I didn't want the fuss if it didn't. I decided to get the free Schik razor deal at CVS since I like their rewards better, but you could use one at CVS and one at Walgreen's. And the Hershey's deal wasn't possible because the bag was too small for the coupon. Again, it might work, but I try to be true to buy specifically what the coupon is intended for.

Here's what I bought since I had 2 $2RR and 2 $1.50RR expiring this week.

Transaction #1:

1 EOS organic lip balm (normally $3.49, on sale for $3, get $3RR=FREE)

1 Crest toothpaste (normally $2.49, on sale for $1.99, get $1RR, with $1/1MC=FREE)

2 Nivea lip balms (normally $2.99 each, on sale for $.99, with $1/1MC from All You magazine=FREE)

1 Russel Stover chocolate ($.29 for filler item)

--Used 2 $2RR from previous trips

--Used $1/1 Crest coupon

--Used 2 $1/1 Nivea coupons

Total spent: $.95

Total saved: $12.27

RRs for next time: $3 and $1

Transaction #2:

1 EOS lip balm

--Used $1.50 RR

Total spent: $1.78

Total saved: $1.99

RR for next time: $3

Transaction #3:

1 EOS lip balm

--Used $1.50 RR

Total spent: $1.78

Total saved: $1.99

RR for next time: $3

Note: I could have gotten another $.29 filler item and used 2 $1.50RR in transaction #2, but I wasn't thinking and hey--more to donate.

CVS: Click here for Southern Saver's match-ups and click here for Coupon Katie's picks. I plan to get the free razor, free multi-purpose solution, and free nail polish. There were no more prints for the B&L or Revlon when I went to print those coupons. Make sure you scan your card at the kiosk before shopping to see if you get the $7 off $15 Revlon coupon that will make it a great money-maker when you buy 4 nail polishes. I may also pick up some CVS earth essentials (toilet paper made from recycled paper.)

KROGER: I didn't see any free hygiene products this week, but you can get 10 free packs of cream cheese (on sale for $.99, use 2 $5/5 printables). That will be for my stockpile and not to donate.

UPDATE 10/8:

From my CVS trip, I picked up the following:

1 hydro razor (normally 9.99, on sale for $8.97, get $5ECB, used $4MC=FREE)

1 Renu multi-purpose solution (normally $8.99, on sale for $7.99, get $7.99ECB, used $1MC=$1MM)

1 apple scent candle from Halloween section ($.99; got for FREE after buying that plus two other items I kept and using the $5 off Halloween accessories ECB from kiosk)

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE THIS WEEK: 4 lip balms (I'm keeping 1), 2 toothpastes (one toothpaste came with a bonus tube attached), 1 razor, 1 multi-purpose solution, 1 candle

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS TO DONATE THIS WEEK: $35.42

TOTAL SPENT THIS WEEK: -$1.04

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE TO DATE: 1 lotion, 3 toothpaste, 2 heat wraps, 6 lip balms, 1 body wash, 1 shaving gel, 1 razor, 1 lipstick, 1 multi-purpose solution, 1 candle

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $72.33

TOTAL SPENT: -$2.04 (that's negative two bucks)

$34 shorts for 22 cents

I used to hear about women getting these amazing deals on clothes and thought, "That would never happen for me." But today it did. I purchased a pair of ladies shorts from Kohl's that originally retailed for $34 for only 22 cents. I was giddy excitement. Here's how.

After signing up for the Kohl's emails months ago, I receive something from them about once a week. The subject line: "$10 Gift to celebrate your newly remodeled Knoxville West Kohl's store" particularly caught my eye. Tip: If you sign up for the Kohl's emails, you'll get $5 off your next in store purchase. After reading all the fine print, this was truly $10 off anything in the store (sales items not excluded) but you had to spend at least $10 before tax, it had to be redeemed by today and I could only use it once. So my mission became how close can I get to $10?

My first plan was to get some new Bakugans for Bobby's birthday next month. I was excited to see that all toys were were B1G1 half off. I found them for $5.99 and $9.99. But then I decided to check the clothes clearance racks just in case. A few months ago I had bought a Dockers skort here that I wear all the time (was wearing it today) and thought it would be great to have one in another color. Though I didn't find a skort, I did find similar Dockers shorts...in my size...70% off. I was stunned to see the marked down price was $10.20. It fit like a dream and I was sold. Since they only charged me sales tax on the $.20, my total after the coupon was just $.22! That's a savings percentage of more than 99%!

Now that I've revealed my secret to my friends, they will probably tease me when they see me wearing my $.22 shorts, but I can handle it. And since I splurged on myself today instead of my kids, please let me know if you see any great deals on Bakugans before Oct. 2. Thanks!

Note: I do not have any affiliation with Kohl's and was not compensated in any way for writing this post--I just like passing on great bargains.

Couponing for Charity 7/11-17

Miss me? I'm back! I didn't want to publicize that I was going on vacation, but we just returned from a wonderful trip to the CT shoreline with family. I have lots to share and will get to those in future posts, including Bobby's first fish and his first visit from the Tooth Fairy!

For the bargain shoppers, it's already time to save on back to school products. Remember even if your child may not need some of these supplies, non-profits can always use office supplies. I recommend heading to CVS, Staples, and Walgreen's TOMORROW if you get a chance.

If you only have time for one store, I'd recommend CVS. For all the CVS match-ups, click here. For Coupon Katie's picks, click here. Through 7/13, you can get 10 free pens and a free pair of scissors. Other deals include free multi-purpose solution (I can't find the coupon that makes it a $2MM), two free bottles of John Frieda shampoo (it's worth wading through the steps to get 2 $2.50/1 coupons), and two free packs of CVS pantiliners. And I'll admit I'm going to get the Neutragena wrinkle treatment ($5MM with rebate this week only)--I'm not getting any younger!

Staples has several dollar deals for supplies, but how can you pass up the penny deals good through 7/14? You can get $.01 pocket folders (limit 10), $.01 pack of 8 pencils (limit 2), and 500 sheets of multi-purpose paper for $.01 (after easy rebate; limit 2). There's also a $5 off $30 purchase coupon here.

For all the Walgreen's match-ups, click here. For Coupon Katie's picks, click here. As for Walgreen's, there are no great freebies this week, unless you count the SalonPas hot patch noted by Coupon Katie. I may stop in to get dry erase markers ($2 for 4 or I'll see if the Expo washables are on sale to use the $3/6 pack in the July coupon book), a few mini highlighters for $.09 each, and Penway memo books (5/$1 with the extra coupons you can print at the end of the flyer online).

And while you're grabbing the best deals in town, Kroger is having a decent mega event (save $5 on 10 select items). I'll be stocking up on cheese for sure.

Once I've made my trips and have my totals, I'll publish another update. Happy shopping!

Seize the Deal is Coming to Knoxville!

I never tire of finding ways to save money, especially on goods or services I would have bought at full price. I've recently learned that Knoxville has been chosen to be one of the next markets to reap the savings from a website called Seize the Deal. They're still in the marketing and deal planning stages, but NOW is the time to register for their FREE daily emails.

If you sign up between May 1-15, you will be entered in a drawing for a $250 Target gift card. Who doesn't want that?! Now that's what I need to stay under budget.

So here's basically how it works. Every day (starting at midnight and ending at midnight), they will feature only ONE hot deal for local restaurants, salons, spas, entertainment, adventures, or other services. On Fridays, the deal runs through the weekend. By leveraging "the power of the group," each deal is 50-90% off retail!

The only catch is there is a minimum amount of people that are needed for the daily deal to be "seized." If that number isn't met, nobody is out any money, but no one gets the deal. So if it's something you really want, you should share the details with your friends fast so that you can all reap the benefits.

Since I think this is a great concept that helps local businesses, saves consumers money, and helps stimulate the economy, I've entered a marketing partnership with Seize the Deal and will be highlighting a few of my favorite daily deals as they come up. By clicking on the "Sign Up" button on the right at the top of my site, you're helping support my writing and deal finding efforts. For that, I thank you.

So what are you waiting for? It's FREE and you could win $250 from Target! Go, click, save! :-)

FREE organic chocolate truffles, rotisserie chicken, & photo collage 2/12 only!

If you're looking for a hint for the hubby or if you want to take the initiative to get yourself your own special treat, Earthfare can hook you up today, Friday, February 12 with a FREE box of organic chocolate truffles and a FREE humanely certified rotisserie chicken (saving you $14). The chicken deal is today only; you can get the truffles through 2/16 or while supplies last. Here's how.

With this coupon, if you spend $10, you get the free chicken (worth $8). There's two more coupons here for $1 off a lobster tail and $3 off a tenderloin filet if you want to go all out. It's not hard to spend ten bucks at Earthfare!

With this coupon, if you buy any floral purchase (I bought one red rose for $4), you get a box of truffles for free (worth $6 on sale, normally closer to $10). They have bunches of flowers for $15, but I went the less expensive route.

You can create your own 8x10 photo collage from the comfort of your computer and get it printed for FREE at any Walgreens through 2/12 (I think). Just enter the code "VDAY" at check-out. I did mine last night and can't wait to pick it up. They also have 15% off special items today only as well. Print out the coupon here.

Now I've got dinner, flowers, chocolates, and a gift at great prices. Happy Valentines. Pass it along.