Is it worth it? My cheap eats

Yes, I think couponing and bargain shopping is worth it.

This is what we had for dinner the past two nights:

Saturday-
3.99 broiled turkey tenderloin (Favorite four at Acme, minus $1 coupon)
Cheesy hash brown casserole-
2.50 hash browns (still on sale at Acme for this price)
free can of chik soup (coupons that doubled)
free shredded cheddar cheese (Kraft catalina deal combined with coupons)
0.33 sour cream ( a third of a 0.99 container)
free box of Green Giant veggies (GM catalina deal combined with coupons)
1.00-incidentals, pat of butter for casserole, salt, pepper, seasonings

Final-$7.82, total of six servings or $1.30 each.
BTW-I really liked the Hash Brown Casserole. I left out the onions because hubby didn’t want them, and I wasout of corn flakes. Very yummy!

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Sunday-
2.83 chicken scallopini (clearance chicken!)
0.59 box of penne
free jar of alfredo sauce
0.88 fresh broccoli
1.00 incidentals, bit of olive oil for sauteeing, garlic, salt, pepper

Final-$5.30, fed the four of us tonight, enough pasta left over for boys to take for lunch one day.
So about $1.25 per serving.

Yes, this is why I think it’s worth it. The boys had free Eggos for breakfast, topped with almost free syrup (I think it was $1 a bottle, but I really limit how much they can use). And a banana, but what does a banana cost? And milk. For lunch they had a free gogurt, a PB&J with free PB&J, I only paid for the bread. And milk and they split an orange which was $0.50. And above I listed our dinners. So yes, I absolutely think it’s worth the extra effort. Now, if I can just keep up with the boys as hungry teenagers!

CVS this week, some matchups

Looks like CVS is back to offering some decent deals. Here are some highlights, all are Limit 1 per card unless otherwise specified. Keep in mind that if I say it’s “Free” that’s because I’m paying with Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). Some of you may have to make an initial cash investment to get some ECBs to roll.

To get started, fuel yourself up with some sugar-

Hershey’s drops or Reese’s cup minis king size 2.1-2.5 oz $1.59, get $1.59 ECB. 100% return on your investment.

Now, go to the card scanner and scan your card. You should get a $0.50 coupon for Dove. Go buy an $0.89 Dove bar, use the coupon, pay $0.39 and you should get an $0.89 ECB back. Now you have roughly $2.50 in Extra Care Bucks to begin rolling.

Spend $10 on Select Pantene or Clairol products = $3 ECB
Buy 2 Clairol Nice n’ Easy hair colors $5.99 each
Use 2 $2/1 coupons found in the 12/26 inserts and your 2.48 in ECBs.
Pay 5.50.
Get back a $3 ECB
Who needs contact lens solution?
Clear Care or Aquify Solution twin pack 24 oz total $13.99 = $5 ECB
Use the $5/1 coupon found in the 1/9 inserts and your $2.48 in ECBs
Pay $6.51
Get back a $5 ECB

Gas X! I’m excited about the Gas X because I keep in on hand for the dogs.
Spend $20 on Select Maalox, Gas-X, Prevacid, or Benefiber = $10 ECBs
Buy four Gas-X Prevention capsules (20 ct) $6.29 each = $12.58
Buy 2 Maalox liquid 12 oz $5.49 = $10.98
Total = $25.16
Use four $4/1 Gas-X Preventions coupons found here or in the 12/12 SS
Pay 9.16, get $10 ECBs back.
**If you use Maalox, there are $2 coupons in today’s paper that can make this a bigger, better deal.

Spend $30 on Select L’oreal Products = $10 ECBs
There are always lots of L’oreal coupons out there.

Buy Crest Whitestrips advanced seal 14 ct, 3D white 2-hr express 4 ct, stain shield, vivid, professional effects 10-23 ct = $10 ECBs (limit 2)
Buy Crest Vivid Whitestrips $31.99
Use the $5/1 coupon found in the 12/26 PG
Pay $26.99
Get back a $10 ECB

Spend $10 on any L’oreal Cosmetics = $3 ECBs
Buy 2 L’Oreal single eye shadows $5.49 each
Use the $5/2 coupon found in 11/14 inserts
Get back a $3 ECB

Spend $20 on Select Lysol, Finish, or Air Wick Products = $10 ECBs
**There were lots of coupons for these items in the 1/2 paper. Lots of mix & match opportunities here to get freebies and moneymakers if you have access to multiple inserts. Still cheap stuff even if you don’t have multiple inserts.

Pampers Cruisers or Swaddlers 48-96 ct $19.99 = $3 ECB
Use the $1.50/1 coupon found in the 12/26 inserts.
I’m only doing this one if I build up enough ECBs to pay for at least half of them. Or, I have $17 in ECBs now, so I could blow them all on diapers, then start building them back up again with the moneymakers. What to do, what to do.
For me, it’s all about the free diapers. From 2006-2009, I rolled ECBs continuously, I was never without some. I went to CVS at least once a month to keep them alive (they always have a one-month exp date) and most of the time I went weekly, taking advantage of any freebie and moneymaker I could. I have not really paid for diapers since then, even with two in diapers. I’ve probably only paid for diapers with actual money, maybe 5-10 packs in four years.

Select Household Cleaners (Shout, Scrubbing Bubbles, Fantastik, Windex) or Ziploc 2/$5 = $1 ECB
Lots of coupons in today’s paper to go with these brands.

Spend $25 on Select Kleenex, Cottonelle, or Scott products = $10 ECBs (limit 2)
I have some coupons for these products from the December inserts, but I can’t compile any combination of products to make this stuff even close to being free. Good deal though, if you do already have ECBs and need toilet paper and tissues.

Spend $20 on Select Pepsi Products, get  $10 ECBs, reported online to be limit two
Pepsi, Starbucks, Izze, Lay’s, Doritos, Amp, and SoBe
CVS used to always include Gatorade in this deal, at $1 for the 32oz bottles and I would always do the deal. I’m really disappointed it’s not included this time.

Walgreen’s…couldn’t find the pens, but…

Still got an almost free deal. FYI-the Avondale store on the corner of Penn Green road does not have the 1.99 pens. I was so looking forward to getting them and giving away all of our ballpoints. I have a decent stockpile of ballpoints, they’re always free around back to school time.

But…Cover Girl makeup is buy one, get one 50% off. And, it works on clearance, and there was a bunch of Cover Girl clearance. And, there was a $2.50 off 2 Cover Girl items in the 12/26 inserts. I got a blush and a mineral powder for $1.94. Go me!

Another wine deal

Here–to order some wine online. $25 for a $75 gift certificate. Can purchase up to three. And here is a magazine deal to go with it.