My Mother's Day Shopping Trip

Since it was Mother's Day, my husband accompanied me shopping.

First Stop: CVS

Sodas were on Sale, buy four 12-packs for $11, get one Free ($2.20 a 12-pack)

• 1 12 -packs Nestea Lemon
• 1 12-pack Vanilla Coke
• 1 12-pack Orange Fanta
• 2  12-packs Coke Classic
• 3 Tube Colgate Total Advance $2.99 ea.
• 2 Trial sizes of Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste. $.99each

Cost (with taxes) before coupons = $22.68

Used 3/$1.00 coupons for Colgate, two coupons for free trial size of Aquafresh and used $4/20 CVS coupon.

After coupons and using extra bucks from previous trips, I paid $7.30 out of pocket.

The cashier remarked that he needed to go shopping with me so he could learn something. I also received another $4/20 CVS Coupon to use next time and $6.00 in extra buck awards for purchasing the colgate.

Second Stop: Lowe's

•  Outdoor light for the deck = $32.20
• 2 Boots for running the heating and AC ducts in the new addition. 5.67 ea.

Total with tax = $54.15

Used $10 off $50 coupon.

Final Out of Pocket = $44.15

I charged to my Discover card, which awards 5% for home improvement purchases, to earn another $2.21 back in rewards.

Third Stop: Home Depot

• 2 Light Fixtures for new addition$14.97
• 2 candy bars (not shown, we ate them on the way home) .89 each

Cost with tax = $33.84

Used Gift Cards from cashing in reward points on my Master Card.

Final Cost = Free.

BTW, .89 cents is too much to pay for a candy bar - but that's what happens when you shop with your husband. Things have a way of appearing in the basket.

Fourth Stop: Walgreen's

• 3 boxes of Puff .89 ea.
• 3 12-packs of Diet Mountain Dew
• 1 12-pack of Pepsi
• 1 12-pack of Diet Pepsi 

Total after taxes = $14.27

I used my Citibank card which gives 5% back on purchases at drug stores to earn .72 cash back.

When I was at CVS, I found a mail in rebate form to get $10 when you buy four 12-packs of Pepsi Diet Products. I rarely buy soda - but it is summer and we hope to have at least one BBQ this year, so now was the time to stock up and put it away.

Original Cost of Products = $124.94

Total Coupons used = $14.98

Gift Cards = $33.84

Mail-in Rebate = $10.00

CVS Extra Bucks Received = $10.00

Credit Card Cash Back Rewards = $2.94

Total Savings: $71.76 (57%) off the sales price.