Drug Store Shopping This Week - 1/25

I hit my normal 3 stores this week and still need to go back to CVS tomorrow.

CVS
2 Gillette Shampoos - 4.99 ea
2 Energizer watch batteries - $11.98 together
2 Atlanta Journal Constitution newspapers - $2.00 ea.
1 box of BandAids on 75% off clearance - $1.00
1 Timex Alarm Clock for my husband - $19.99
1 caramel - $0.33

- 10/50
- 2 $2/1 Gillette
- 1 $1/1 Energizer
- $17 ECBs

= $15.49 OOP Earned $6.00 in ECBs, Saved $35.00

After careful scrutiny of my receipt, I learned that I am 2 cents short of getting ECBs for the Energizer batteries - so I will be making another trip to CVS tomorrow - good thing I actually do need a few more watch batteries. :)



Walgreen's
1 Colgate Total - $2.99
1 Colgate Toothbrush - $2.99
8 Reese's Whipps - $.89 ea

- 4 $1/2 Reese's
- Reese's BOGO WAGS ad
- 1 $1/1 Colgate Total

= $4.97 OOP - nothing earned - I needed the Colgate for the Travel Bag deal.


Rite Aid - easy one here.
1 Garnier Fructis Body & Volume Shampoo or Conditioner - $2.99

-$1 Garnier Fructis Hair Care

= $2.17 OOP, Earned $2.99 SCR # 71 - Thus made $1.00 PROFIT

Guest Blog at My Supercharged Life

Scott says…

Today’s tip is a guest blog on my friend Jeff’s blog My Supercharged Life. He’s on vacation this week. Jeff’s blog is a favorite of mine and I read it daily. He’s got some great ideas, especially on small business and finance.

This particular blog is a primer on negotiating for consumers. So if you’ve never negotiated anything or only a few things, this is a great post. Take a minute and check out my guest blog while Jeff suns himself in Cozumel!

2 cents shy of $4 in Extra Care Bucks

Imagine my surprise when I looked carefully at my CVS receipt today.

At the bottom it said:

Energizer, Spend 12 Get 4 ECB
Amount Tward this Reward 11.98
Amount Needed to Earn Reward .02

I am 2 cents away from 4 Extra Care Bucks - Yiiipes - better get back to CVS before Sunday !

So, how did this happen? I went to CVS the other night for my weekly visit and needed to get some watch batteries. I got 2 packs - one for $6.99 and the other for $4.99.

I saw no little stickies about ECBs on the watch battery rack so I assumed that the deal did not include them. How wrong was I?

When the ECB didn't print, I didn't think anything of it since I had already decided that it wouldn't. I didn't even examine my reciept like I normally do...

Then for some reason, I started really looking at it this morning when WHAMMO - I saw that.

CVS - Here I come - can't turn down $4 in ECBs just waiting for me.


Marie

Couponics Education

INTERNET POWERED COUPON SHOPPING

Do you find yourself saying...

"I don't have the time to cut coupons."
"There is never a coupon for what I buy."
"Store brands are cheaper so I just buy those."


Come learn how you too can use the Internet and coupons to save up to at least 50% off your grocery and drug store shopping.

Couponics will teach you the system and methods to save more than you ever thought possible with coupons and information available to you on the Internet.

Once you start saving and seeing how far your money really can go - you'll be addicted and convinced that you will never pay full price AGAIN.

• Types of Coupons
• Where to Find Coupons - paper and electronic
• Methods of Coupon Organization
• How to Best Use Coupons - matching to store sales. stockpiling, pricebooks, stacking, etc.
• Specifics on some locals stores - CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, Kroger and Publix

Email me at marie@rainydayfinances.com for more information and details !

$1.00 back for every Huggies bought in 2008

Hurry - only 3 days left !!

If you bought Huggies Diapers, Pullups, Overnites, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Supreme Gentle or Supreme Natural Fit in 2008 AND saved your original receipts - you can get $1.00 back for each bag purchased from The Caregiver's Marketplace.


Here is how it works:

1) Enroll at the Caregiver's Marketplace site
2) Print a Cash Back request form for 2008
3) Gather your 2008 receipts - you must have 5 qualifying items to send in a form - items do not have to be 5 of the same thing.
4) Complete the Cash Back form and get it postmarked by Sat. January 31st!
5) 4-6 weeks later - get a check in the mail !


Caregiver's Marketplace is a free program specifically designed to offer cash back on products not typically covered by insurance or Medicare.

Other products eligible for cash back include nutrition, digestive health, incontinence, bathing and skin care, and aids for daily living. The cash back request form has a complete list.

Now, where did I put those receipts.... Yes, I did save them - somewhere...

Happy receipt hunting.


Marie

Annual Rate of Return - do you know what exactly that is?

Check out this new article from Trent at the Simple Dollar -Personal Finance 101: How Much Money Is That Investment Really Earning Each Year?

In this post, he explains why the compound annual growth rate is the data point that you should focus on when considering investments instead of the average annual rate of return.

Check it out. I've learned something new today. :)

Ignore The Rules

The rule is: ignore the rules. I’m one of these people that thinks that rules are made to be broken or at least bent until they squeak. My wife hates this about me! So many rules we come up against are just arbitrary or put in our way to solve some other little problem that came up years ago. My policy is that the minute you hear the word RULE, POLICY, or PROCEDURE, challenge it.

A hotel that I use for traveling charged me a ten dollar fee for parking my car in their uncovered parking lot outside. I told the person at the counter that I don’t think it is fair for me to be charged this fee since I can park for free across the street and the lot is neither covered or protected.

“Sorry, sir, but that is our policy,” replied the clerk.
“Who’s policy?”
“The Hotel’s policy,” she said.
I leaned over and spoke to the hotel wall with a giggle and said “Mr. Hotel, I’d like to talk to you about your policy!”
The clerk laughed and said “No, it is the manager’s policy!”
“Oh, ok. Can I speak to the manager?” I said.
“Well, he is out right now.”
“Fine, just have him call my room when he gets in, please,” I stated firmly and walked away before she could make an excuse not to have him call.

The manager called me and told me how the fee came about. Mainly it is to discourage people from bringing their cars and to use the transit system which leaves them less liable for damage to guests’ cars. Apparently the cars are broken into rather frequently and they have had to pay out some money for damages. I told him that my insurance would cover the cost of a break in and would he kindly put it in my file not to charge me for parking. He agreed.

A few things happened here. The most important is that I got to the root cause of why the policy was made and I demonstrated that it didn’t apply to my case. Secondly, I used humor with the clerk along with firmness to get her attention and to show that I was serious about questioning the policy. The third is that I didn’t take the policy at face value.

Question policies and demonstrate that it doesn’t apply to you and you’ll save money!

Have a question about negotiating? Send it to us at scott@rainydayfinances.com!