Sign up with SavingStar and get money back

If you're not familiar with SavingStar, it may be worth it for you to check it out and sign up.  With SavingStar, you register your store loyalty cards (I have my cards from Wegmans, Tops, Rite Aid, and CVS registered).  Once you're registered, you can select any available e-coupon offers to be loaded onto all of your cards (they change every month or so and I usually select all of them so I don't have to worry about missing an offer).  If you purchase anything you've registered for during the designated time period (make sure you use your loyalty card!), money will be deposited into your SavingStar account.  Once you reach $5, you can cash out via PayPal, bank deposit, or gift cards.  Keep in mind that these coupons will not lower your grocery bill -- the amounts accumulate in your account and you will get the money back after your reach the $5 minimum.

To be honest, you probably won't make a ton of money from doing this.  Then again, everyone's buying habits are different and maybe you buy more of the products they feature than I do.  I've been using SavingStar since May and I only have $0.40 in my account, so I figure if I ever make it to the $5 mark it will just be a little extra free money I hadn't counted on!

For more information or to sign up, check out the SavingStar website.

Foot care products for under $1 each

My husband often complains of foot pain when he has to be on his feet for long periods of time, so I'm always on the lookout for deals on insoles.  I just picked some up at Rite Aid because of a great deal they are running:

3 Profoot Foot Care products - on sale 3/$15
Used 3 $1 off manufacturer coupons found here, and used $1.50 in +Ups
Paid $11.10 after tax
Submitted the $10 Single Check Rebate when you buy 3 Profoot foot care products (offer #2) at riteaid.com
Final cost = $1.10 or $0.37 each!

Keep in mind that while the $10 rebate is valid now through 8/30, the 3/$15 sale ends on 7/30.

Honest Tea $1 coupon

In the past I have seen Honest Tea on sale for $1 per bottle at some of the drugstores as well as Tops.  Until Friday, July 22 (or until supplies last), you can "like" Honest Tea's Facebook page and get a $1 printable coupon (remember to hit the back button a couple of times after the first print so you can print a second one!).  I'm guessing this will score some free (or at least pretty cheap) tea if there's an upcoming sale.  Since I've never tried this brand before, does anyone else have any opinions on it?

My favorite Rite-Aid deals 6/12 - 6/18

I was happy with a few deals I was able to score at Rite Aid this week.  Here is what I bought:

4 AXE deodorants
On sale 2 for $8.88 plus earn $3 in +UPs when you buy 2.  I bought 4, used 2 Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons from the 5/22 Red Plum coupon insert, so the out-of-pocket cost was $8.88 or $2.22 each.  I came away with $6 in +UPs.

1 Dial body wash
On sale for $3.99 plus earn $1 +UP.  I bought one and used the $2 off coupon in the 6/12 Red Plum coupon insert, so the out-of-pocket cost was $1.99.  I earned the $1 +UP.

2 Arm & Hammer toothpastes
On sale for $3.99 each plus earn $3 +UPs for each one (limit is 2 per person, I believe).  I bought 2, used 2 $1 off coupons from the 5/8 Red Plum insert (I think?), and paid $2.99 each out-of-pocket.  I earned $6 in +UPs.

1 Bayer Advanced aspirin
On sale for $3.99 plus earn $1.99 +UP.  I bought 1, used the $2 off coupon from the 6/12 SmartSource coupon insert, and paid $1.99 out-of-pocket.  I earned $1.99 +UP and submitted the $1.99 mail-in rebate in the 6/12 SmartSource insert, which makes this deal better than free!

1 $25 iTunes gift card
I used the $5 off a $25 iTunes gift card coupon in the Rite Aid sales ad.  I was going to let my kids share it, but decided it will be my reward for all of my couponing efforts.  :-)

1 package Carefree panty liners
They sell for $1 and I used a $1 coupon from one of the Sunday inserts several weeks back (sorry, I don't remember which one!), making them FREE.

The retail cost was $67.37  but after sales, coupons, and $1 +UP I had from a previous order, I paid $37.30 (a savings of  about 55%) plus collected $14.99 in +UPs to be used on another order.

And speaking of another order, I later used some of those +UPs to score FREE Lysol wipes!  Here's how:

The 35-count canisters of Lysol wipes are on sale 2/$4.  Rite Aid is also running a promotion where you earn $5 +UPs when you buy $15 in select Lysol products.  I bought 8 canisters ($16, which qualified me for the $5 +UP reward) and used 3 $1 off 2 coupons (1 was from the 6/12 SmartSource insert and 2 were from a SmartSource insert in May - 5/22, I think) and a $1 coupon I had from donating to their Children's Miracle Network drive a while back.  Coupons brought the total down to $12, then I used 4 of the $3 +UPs I earned on the transaction above.  I paid only the tax ($1.28) and received another $5 +UPs to use in the future.  The best part?  The cashier told me, "Wow, that's some smart shopping!" 

I will still get annoyed when my kids make their giant messes, but at least I can be happy that the wipes I'm using were free!

Bayer Advanced aspirin deal!

Since it seems like I always have a headache, I was happy to see at least 2 local drug stores offering great deals this week on Bayer Advanced aspirin.  Here are a couple of scenarios you can take advantage of:

CVS
Buy 1 Bayer Advanced aspirin at $3, use the $2 off coupon from the 6/22 SmartSource coupon insert.  Pay $1 out of pocket and receive $1 in ExtraCare Bucks to use on a future order.  Use the rebate form from the 6/22 SmartSource coupon insert (adjacent to the coupon) to get a $1 rebate. 

Rite Aid
Buy 1 Bayer Advanced aspirin at $3.99, use the $2 off coupon from the 6/22 SmartSource coupon insert.  Pay $1.99 out of pocket and receive $1.99 in +UP rewards to use on a future order.  Use the rebate form from the 6/22 SmartSource coupon insert to get a $1.99 rebate. 

I picked a bottle up at Rite Aid today and will be mailing in my rebate form before I forget!

Week of 5/15 - Rite Aid

I did well at Rite Aid this week, due to their sales and awesome coupon policy.  Rite Aid allows the use of 2 manufacturers coupons on a Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal, and I took advantage of it this!  Here is my first transaction:

The Ester-C vitamins were part of a buy 1 get 1 free sale at $6.49 (regular price $6.49 each), and I was able to use 2 $1.00 off any Ester-C manufacturers coupons.  I bought 3 toothbrushes on sale for $2.99 each (regular price $4.99 each), used a $1.00/2 coupon and a $1.50 coupon on them, plus earned $6 in +UP Rewards for my next order.  Remember the deal I mentioned previously, where I took a survey and got a coupon for $3 off a $15 purchase?  I have received them on almost all of my receipts, so I had 1 to use on this order.  After the sales and coupons, my total was $8.68.  Here's my second order:

The Finish dishwashing detergent (love this - it's the only brand that really seems to get my dishes clean) and Jet Dry were part of another buy 1 get 1 free sale.  I bought 2 detergents at $6.49 each and got 1 detergent and 1 Jet Dry free, and was able to use 3 $0.75 coupons and 1 $0.50 coupon.  Sure deodorant was on sale for $1.49 (regular price $3.29) and I used a $1.00 coupon.  I also bought Oral-B dental floss at $2.99 (regular price $4.29), used a $1.00 off coupon, and earned a $2 +UP Reward.  After the sales, my coupons (I also had another $3 off $15 coupon), and $4 in previously earned +UP Rewards I only paid $3.11!

My first free shopping trip!

I was going to start my blog entries with this week's shopping trips, but I had a shopping experience at Rite Aid last week that got me pretty excited, so I decided to include it.  Here is what it included (oh, and please excuse any pictures I post.  I am not a photographer and I live with 3 messy kids!):

3 Tylenol Precise products $5.00 each (regular price $7.99 each)

1 Viactiv calcium supplement $6.00 (regular price $8.99)

My total after the sale prices was $21.00.  At a previous visit to Rite Aid, I had an offer on my receipt to complete an online survey (took me about 2 minutes) and receive a coupon for $3 off a $15 order.  I used this $3 coupon to bring my total down to $18.00.  I also had 3 manufacturer coupons for $5 off any Tylenol Precise (1 came from the Sunday newspaper inserts, 2 I printed online) which brought it down to $3.  I also had a manufacturer coupon for $2 off Viactiv, which brought me down to $1.  From a previous sale at Rite Aid, I had earned a $1 +UP reward (to use as cash on a future purchase) which I applied to this order making everything FREE!  I love it!