[paradisemommy]

So to put it kindly I'm broke. My husband just admitted he cannot handle the finances after he ran our checking account $400 into the negative...so seriously broke.


But I needed to get out this morning and leave my boys (ages 1 and 3) with Daddy for some quiet ME time.

So I gathered up my coupon book and my $3 in spare change and off to town I went. I figured I had a $2 ECB at CVS and I could buy an extra paper for the Q’s and maybe score some of that cheap sunscreen as a filler…well OMG did my CVS manager have a surprise for me!

I walked in the door and grabbed my paper and of course scanned my card….well it spit out a Q for a free tooth brush…of course I smiled…we all love free. I pass my manager on the way to get the tooth brush and she mentions with a huge smile…"go check out the stuff I just clearanced out"…my mind went “crud I’m broke”….but thank god my coupon book drug me over there! Okay here is what I got today for $1.85 cents OOP.

18—CVS brand 2 sided body scrub sponges for .11 cents each…so 1.98 (paired those with a $2 off any CVS skin care item and got a .02 overage)

2 CVS brand anti aging moisturizers for $1 a piece. (paired those with a $2 off any CVS skin care item)…so FREE

5 ROC brand anti wrinkle creams….clearanced for $2 a piece. Okay now about 2 months ago I’d picked up some $3 off any ROC item coupons at Walgreens…man they paid off here…I used 5 of the Q’s and got $5 in overage to fill up with fillers!

1 Energizer batteries pack of AA (4pk) clearnaced for 1.50…paired it up with a .75 off Q…so it made a nice .75 filler.

2 CVS brand after sun wipes packs…sale price was .49 a piece after the $2 off sale.

5 CVS brand sunscreens for .29 cents each after the $2 off sale. (now to make it better I used 2 of the $1 off CVS brand sun care products so I only paid .43 for all that sun care stuff.

2 of the baby bottle pops candies as fillers (also going towards the $10 on candy ECB)

A toy that was clearenced for $1.50 for the gift closet.

Oh and that tooth brush…

My total OOP was $1.85 (I probably could have had her take off something but my head was swimming at that point)

My total in product was….$244.07…before sale prices and coupons….honestly I think I might need to frame this picture and receipt and put it up next to my computer…


So the moral of the story is … you are never too broke to shop with coupons.


Oh and my DUH moment…if I had pulled out all those 2 ($5 off Roc IP’s)…and used them my overage would have been $6 more…but my feebile mind said “save those for the sale.”

Jennifer

[erainwater1976]

AWESOME That had to make you feel so good

[loral]

Nice - Good Job!
I never have that kind o luck.
My CVS never has clearance..

[baybeenurse]

wow..now that's how to shop..WTG!!

[megger]

I am speechless!! That has to be the best trip I have ever seen!!!!

[bluejean43]

This was a great savings. I am so happy that you went at the right time before any one else made off with the great deals. This would sure perk me up I know.

[RoseMcBish]

WOW!!! That must have been a high to carry you through the rest of the day!!

If that doesn't show your husband that you would be better at handling the finances, I don't know what would.

Don't worry, we have all been there... since I have taken over the finances, we paid off the house 8 years after buying it. Which was 5 years after I lost my job, and became a stay at home mom (and yes now I have a little DD, and another DD on the way, while my DS's are in college, and a senior in HS)

It is possible to get financial freedom, even after a set back. Couponing just makes it that much easier.

[smartino]

wow you are amazing... was that all in one transaction??

[dizzymariposa2]

best I've ever seen!

[jennerjames]

I REALLY needed to read a post like this today! (See the "worried" status for my mood!) We are also broke right now. Just got paid Friday and already overdrawn from automatic payments going through. I feel sick in my stomach right now with fear of what to do...where to find money to get us back in the positive before Friday, and how to stop this from constantly happening to us. My recent maternity leave was almost all unpaid, and we are still struggling b/c of it. (My "normal" paycheck returns in 2 weeks....yeah!!!!)

You did a really great job and have made me feel SO much better! Even when we feel like our financial situation is hopeless, the time and energy we put into couponing will be a saving grace!

Jen

[_rori]

i'm sure that was a great 'pick me up' after finding out what dh did!

[bargainshopper]

my DH was all about me couponing, my friend came over and told me that she got all these diapers and some other dtuff for like $17 or something like that. I can't remember but it was back in November and he told me you really need to embrace that and take it on. At first he was all about me getting him beer for about $2.00 at most and then I would obviously pick up some free items (monitors) that I really wouldn't use and they started to pile up and now he is so irratated at my couponing. I am going to have to turn a bedroom into a computer/couponing room here soon to get it out of his hair. , but what he doesn't understand is that without coupons we would be so bad off right now. I have always done the finacing, but since i have become a stay at home mom he sometimes has that frame of mind that "I make the money so I can spend it however I want"

anyways your trip was
Way to go and what a great pick me up!

[NoahsMomma]

wow!

[paradisemommy]

Originally Posted by smartino

wow you are amazing... was that all in one transaction??

Yep all one transaction. My cashier knows me and so she will just push through Q's like the CVS skin care ones instead of having to do multiple transactions. Her manager is okay with it and so am I. Her manager gets a kick out of watching me coupon in her store.

[lifeworthliving]

Great Job. Shopping always makes me feel better. And your trip would put me on top of the world!

[susanb1960]

[abigirl]

I hope I can walk in CVS and find some day too.

Awesome deals!

[paradisemommy]

Originally Posted by jennerjames

I REALLY needed to read a post like this today! (See the "worried" status for my mood!) We are also broke right now. Just got paid Friday and already overdrawn from automatic payments going through. I feel sick in my stomach right now with fear of what to do...where to find money to get us back in the positive before Friday, and how to stop this from constantly happening to us. My recent maternity leave was almost all unpaid, and we are still struggling b/c of it. (My "normal" paycheck returns in 2 weeks....yeah!!!!)

You did a really great job and have made me feel SO much better! Even when we feel like our financial situation is hopeless, the time and energy we put into couponing will be a saving grace!

Jen

That is almost exactly what happened to us. Bank of American instituted a new policy in March (one I did not read...but they swear they put it on our statements) that even if you do not go overdrawn (meaning you get like a cash advance into your account to cover possible overdrafts) they are still going to charge you the $35 NSF for every pending transaction you have out. Now mind you we had taken a family vacation to Reno and had TONS of pending transactions by the time hubby realized he'd gotten his math wrong. So B of A had a hay day charging us...and as soon as I get this account to zero I'm closing the account. I've already opened up a new account with a local bank to put our direct deposits for the rest of the month in to...had I not we would have not been able to pay the electric, garbage or phone bill...thanks to B of A's new fees. So they are just going to have to hang tight with their overdraft and fees till I can find the money to give them. I was very upset with Hubby but also pretty proud that he finally admitted that he could not do it.

[6boyds]

Congrats! What a great deal!!

[paradisemommy]

Originally Posted by lifeworthliving

Great Job. Shopping always makes me feel better. And your trip would put me on top of the world!

It put me on cloud 9! I just about floated through Walgreens my next stop...

[332pca]

Excellent job!!!

[mandarn]

I am so happy for you!!!! My CVS never has clearance either. I have been really bummed here lately too. I just started my unpaid maternity leave last week. (I am due Sept 1st) I was working prn at a hospital in Ky while my DH was deployed to Iraq. (so no maternity pay at all)And before that, I was doing a travel nurse assignment and my contract ended right before he left so I could go home (to Ky). So once again, no maternity leave money I can't help but worry about money since we have been so used to having two incomes. I pray all the time that the Lord will help me stop worrying, but hey, I am only human. So anyways,(sorry this is long) I am happy to read your post. I will be praying for you and your family too!!! Finances STINK!!!!

[sweetsali]

Just shows that you can have a good shopping trip at CVS with very little money. Thanks for sharing your story and picture. I wonder why more people who have not found AFC read how couponing really works. Stories like yours are part of the reason why we shop the way we do.

People laugh at me when I tell them about my shopping trips to CVS. I tell them I have the last laugh when I walk out with 75+ worth of brand named products for under $2!

[Tamana812]

Great job, and you don't even need to use any EB.

[focadima]

I love that my cvs shopping can give me the same *high* that regular mall shopping can--LOL and lots cheaper!!