[newbie2008]

Help! I am preparing my 5/25/08 purchases using the coupon calculator and have attached my spread sheet, hoping all you seasoned CVSers can help me out!

On the calculator, I split the cost of items that were "2/$3" to show that multiple actual items were being purchased, so that the number of coupons presented at checkout would match up( ok be less than)the number of items being purchased.

Granted, I didn't earn back a whole lot of ECBs, but I had some that needed to be used. Also, as ECBs count at coupons, there are 3 ($10, $10, $5) that would be added to the total number of coupons, still keeping me less than the number of items purchased...

Qty Each Item Cost ecb
1 $0.66 French's Mustard $0.66 $-
1 $3.99 revlon nail polish $3.99 $3.00
6 $2.50 HD icecream pints $15.00
4 $3.00 hellmans mayo $12.00 $3.00
1 $1.99 divine cookies $1.99
1 $10.00 CVS gift card $10.00
6 $0.85 sierra mist $5.10

20 ttl items Total $48.74

Qty Each Coupons
1 $0.50 French's Mustard $0.50
1 $2.00 Revlon any color product $2.00
3 $2.00 HD icecream pints $6.00
1 $0.50 hellmans mayo $0.50
1 $1.00 divine cookies $1.00
3 $1.69 sierra mist B1G1 $5.07
1 $5.00 $5 off $15 coupon $5.00

11 ttl cpns CVS $/$$ or CRT
Gain or Total Coupons $(20.07)
Lose Total after Cpns $28.67
ECBS Pay with ECBs $25.00
$22.67 GRAND TOTAL OOP $3.67 $6.00

So, I have several questions:
1. Does this look correct? If not, what suggestions would you make?
2. In giving coupons, Do I give the B1G1 Sierra Mists directly after the clerk rings it up? Or do I give the ECBs, and then manf coupons at the very end, as I've read in other posts? (I'm leaning toward giving them at the end.)
3. Yes, I am trying to swing a GC into the whole transaction too. Did I do this part correctly? If not, suggestions?
4. I have more ECBs to use up within the next few days... should I add 1 more $5 GC into the whole transaction as My "coupon" amounts are higher than the cost of the $5 GC? (I'm not counting the $5/$15 coupon into this equation, as its a CVS coupon, not a manf coupon...But I could be wrong....should I be counting it?)

I've only been doing this about 3 weeks, so I'm hoping that my hours on AFC reading posts are paying off. Please let me know if I've made any grevious errors to the calculator... thank you for your suggestions!

PS OMG! I just read thru the actual items/quantities purchased! I'll apologize in advance if it looks like I sit around all day eating HD icecream, drinking Sierra Mist, doing my nails and eating Divine cookies with mustard...LOL! Because I don't!