When the shopping story is better than the trip :)

Did you ever have one of those days where you thought you were going to run a quick few errands and get home to what you wanted to do (bake, relax, and read- in my case)?  Well, if you don't want the story and you only want the bottom line savings skip to the bottom because this is a long story- Sorry ahead of time!!

Well, I was ready to just go home but we had things that we needed and I decided that it would only be a few minutes and I would get home to make jam shortbread bars and whole wheat bread with enough time to sit on the couch and read my book before I had to go back and pick up my son from school.  HA!!!  I am starting to think like my mom if I think that I am going to get things done as quickly as they happen in my mind.

I started at CVS to stop and pick up a prescription that I had been putting off a little because the insurance company denied the medicine that I knew worked to give me the stuff that it yucky and doesn't work as well.  Just ask my sister in law about my rampage the other night at dinner because I was fit to be tied on how insurance is trying to save money by only going with medicine that has generics so that they can save money.  I know that they haven't met me but if I am willing to pay $20 for a prescription instead of $7, I really want the other medicine.  I can't justify a lot of things to spend the money on but "trying" the first medicine isn't really trying since I would have to pay for the second medicine if the first one doesn't work!!!  Okay, sorry for the anger bubbling to the surface but it really does get to me.

So here I was in CVS and I decided to scan my card at the machine before getting my medicine.  I got a boat load of coupons spit out of the machine.  I looked them over while walking towards the pharmacy but I couldn't manage all of the things in my hands.  I saw one coupon that was interesting which was $4.99 off the Clear Shampoo or Conditioner.  I was wondering how much they were for sale for. 

I headed to pharmacy and saw the ad sitting right there and saw that they were free after coupon.  Woo Hoo!!!  I now also had the ad in my hand so I decided to use the counter to clean up my mess and put things into my bag.  Of course, after a long wait, the pharmacy decided to take that time to take the next customer who was not me and take them at the register area that I was all over!  REALLY!

I apologized a bunch of times and then waited back in line to get my prescription.  It was soon my turn and I grudgingly paid my $7 and took my prescription.  Then, headed to the shampoo aisle.  No shampoo but they still had conditioner.  I picked up two- one for my card and one for my husband's and head to the check out.  I saw my couponing buddy, Gloria.  I was talking to her and we were both checking out in self check out at the same time.  I decided to get the one and then clear the register for someone else to use.

Gloria asked if I had a coupon for the mouthwash she needed.  I actually had all my coupons in the trunk of my car so I ran out and grabbed it for her.  After getting that for her, I decided that I really wanted to get the shampoo so I was holding on to the second coupon so that I could use it towards shampoo instead of a second conditioner.

Total OOP $0.25
Total Savings $5.99

Then, I went to Giant.  I looked at lunch meat first and realized that I still hadn't cut the coupons for the week that I needed the coupon and they were sitting at home!! UGH!  I looked quickly at the price of the cooking oil that I needed so that I could work out my plan in my head.  I left Giant and went home to start my baking while cutting coupons.

Okay, still not home yet because I decided to stop at the other CVS on the way home and see if they had stock of the shampoo.  They didn't so I left and headed home for another try at my "relaxing" morning.  I worked on preheating the oven while cutting the coupons that I needed to go back to Giant later that morning.

Leaving a little early for picking up my little guy but not early enough, I ran into CVS (yup, this is the third CVS for the morning) and they had shampoo.  I was super excited but wanted to double check and make sure that I didn't look at the shampoo and pick up the conditioner in my hurry to get out of the store.  I checked out and grabbed my copies of the local newspaper with coupons and was headed to pick up my little man at school.

Total OOP $0.25
Total Savings $5.99


We went to Giant together- this time armed with the right coupons and a shopping list.  Ham, eggs, and oil with my rain check, Giant community credit, sales, coupons and bag credits.  I was ready and even though I had a tired 4 year old and had to move quickly, we got it done.

Total OOP $3.68
Total Savings $29.65

Not too bad for a bad planned day of shopping over $45 worth of stuff for $4.18!!!  Can't do that every day but it is really nice when you can :)  I also got the jam shortbread bars made but not the bread so you can't win them all.