Getting on the CVS bandwagon

I took a coupon class lately and have really been trying to use my coupons when I'm out shopping. Its fairly easy to do when I go to the grocery store because I already have a list made and I can check that list to see if I have any coupons that match what I'm already going to buy. I've saved quite a bit of money and have been really happy with my thriftyness.

So now to CVS. I've heard many good things about CVS and all the deals that you can get, but I was a little intimadated. The system is a little tricky, but totally doable.

One night I called the "coupon lady" to come to my house and teach me how to do CVS. We spent an hour coming up with the PLAN. Then she was even going to go to the store with me and walk me through it, but by that time it was almost 10:00 and I needed to feed the baby and go to bed. Needless to say the next morning I didn't go to CVS.

Then I kept not going, until my sister took the coupon class and went to CVS and got amazing deals. She told me that I HAD to do it and cme over last night and made a plan and then took me to the store.

After getting our coupons ready we found an amazing deal on Money Saving Mom that said we could get FREE chapstick at Walgreens. I told my sister that I didn't think I could tackle Walgreens and CVS in one night. BUT she was optimistic and told me that Walgreens would be easy because it was only one item.

So we headed out (with 3 of my kids) to Walgreens first because it was going to be easy and would get me excited for CVS.

On the way the baby fell asleep, so my sister told me that she would stay in the car. All I had to do was buy the chapstick and maybe some chocolate to cover the cost. The other 2 kids in the car heard chocolate and jumped out of the car to go in the store with me. I found the chapstick and then headed to the Valentine section that had 1/2 price chocolate. We got to the register and everything was fine until the coupon wouldn't ring up. The sales girl didn't know what to do, so she called the manager. The manager yelled at the girl because her station was messy, and then told me that I couldn't use both the manufactuers coupon and the Walgreens coupon because then they would owe me money. BUT that is exactly the reason that I bought the chocolate, so that it would cover it. Bottom line is I didn't get the FREE chapstick and I felt like a failure. When I got back out to the car and told my sister the saga, she said she was disappointed. I did only spend $3.95 and I saved $8.44, but that $3.95 was haunting me.




Feeling sad (except for the kids who are now feeling a sugar rush) we headed for CVS. Would I fail again?






NOPE! I DID IT!!!!!! I followed the plan and got $25.60 dollars worth of stuff and only paid $8.01 PLUS I got $4 in ECB's for next time.


And yes there will be a next time (if my sister will help me with my plan, because she is way better at it than me) Check out her savings here.