Feb 26, 2010

How to Play The Drugstore Game at Walgreens

Updated 5/13/2011

The Drugstore Game is really just the combination of sale prices, store rewards programs, and coupons. Your success in The Drugstore Game will depend on how well you are able to combine these elements to minimize your expenses.

Here’s what you need to know to play The Drugstore Game at Walgreens:

Register Rewards
Register Rewards ("RRs") are coupons that print from a Catalina machine next to the register. (You can see a picture of a Catalina machine here.) They should print at the end of a transaction when you’ve made a qualifying purchase, and can be used to help pay for your next transaction. Generally, RRs expire two weeks from the date they were printed, though this occasionally varies.

RRs are typically part of the following types of deals:

Buy Product X, Receive a $Y RR
Example: Buy Excedrin on sale for $2.50, Get a $2 RR

Buy $X worth of select products, Receive a $Y RR
Example: Buy $20 worth of selected P&G prodcuts, Get a $10 RR

Spend $25, Get a $5 RR
This has happened in December for the last two years.

When purchasing a qualifying item, you can use coupons and still receive the RR. In the first example above, you could use a $2/1 coupon on the Excedrin and get the $2 RR back. In essence, you’ve "made" $1.50 on the purchase. You can do the same in the second example, for instance if you bought $20 worth of Tide, used 2 $1/1 coupons and paid $18 plus tax, you would still get the $10 RR.

Some Register Rewards deals run weekly, and some run monthly. The weekly ones will usually be in the ad, while the monthly ones are frequently advertised only for one week even though they run all month. (A "month" at Walgreens usually starts on the last Sunday of a month and ends on the last Saturday of the next month.)

One thing to keep in mind with RR deals is that you'll only get one RR per deal per transaction. So if the deal is Buy 1 X, get a $Y RR, you'll only receive one RR even if you buy 2 X's in one transactions.

Also, you usually cannot "roll" an RR into the same deal. Thus, you cannot use an RR that you received for buying X to buy another X and still receive an RR. But you can generally buy X, receive an RR, use that RR to buy Y, and receive another RR.

Store Coupons
Walgreens is pretty generous with store coupons. You’ll find coupons in each week’s ad, as well as in the monthly coupon booklet that’s at the front of the store. Sometimes, there are booklets or pamphlets available in the store for free that also have store coupons.

Coupon Policy
Walgreens now has an official coupon policy (yay!).

I’ve never had any problems using printable coupons at Walgreens, unless they didn’t scan. On the rare occasion that that’s happened, some cashiers have pushed it through while others have told me they can’t accept it.

One thing to keep in mind with Walgreens is that you must have as many items as manufacturer coupons, and that RRs count as manufacturer coupons. You do not need to include store coupons in your ratio. For example, say Quaker Oatmeal is $2.50 if you use an in-ad coupon, and you have a 50 cents/1 manufacturer coupon and a $2 RR. That’s 2 manufacturer coupons (the 50 cents off oatmeal and the $2 RR), so you would need to buy a "filler" in order to be able to use the RR. You can use anything you want that doesn’t have a manufacturer coupon attached as a filler; most shoppers will use something cheap like candy or an item that’s cheap after in-ad coupon like novelty pencils.

Another thing to keep in mind is that RRs cannot be used to pay for tax, and cannot be adjusted down. Therefore, your RR must be equal to or less than your pre-tax total after coupons. In the example above, if you had a $1/1 coupon instead of the 50 cents/1 coupon, your pre-tax total would be $1.50, but you’d have a $2 RR. In that case, you’d want your filler to cost at least 50 cents – if it was less, you’d need more than one filler.

Problems with RRs
RRs are a wonderful way to save money at Walgreens, but sometimes you may run into trouble. If your RR doesn’t print, you have a few options:

The first thing you should do is be sure that you bought the right item for the deal, during the promotion period. If you’re sure you should have gotten the RR, then check to see if the RR deal is listed in the ad or tagged on the shelf. This makes it easy for you to say to a store employee, "Excuse me, I bought X and was supposed to get an RR but it didn’t print out." Just show them the ad or shelf tag, and the product you bought, and let them decide how they want to handle it. Some stores issue gift cards for the amount of the RR, some stores try a return/repurchase at a different register, etc.

Some deals aren’t tagged or advertised, which makes it more difficult for your to press your case with an employee. If you are comfortable doing so, go ahead. If you’re not, you can either return the item or go home and call the Catalina company at 1-866-8COUPON. If you provide them the information they need, they should be able to mail your Register Rewards coupon to you. If you used Register Rewards to pay for your item, you should still get a full refund, although it may be placed on a gift card instead of given to you in cash.

As with all coupon issues, please remember to be polite to the store employees, even if they are not polite to you. It helps all coupon users if we all keep a cool head. And, you are likely to return to the store if it’s in your neighborhood and it’s easier to shop when you’re on cordial terms with the staff.

Multiple Transactions
Unless you have many RRs, you will probably minimize your out of pocket expenses by doing multiple transactions. Multiple transactions can feel strange at first, so you’ll have to figure out what you’re comfortable with.

Another reason you will want to do multiple transactions is that you will only get one RR per deal per transaction. For example, if Crest toothpaste is giving an RR, you will only receive one RR even if you buy two toothpastes. However, if you bought Crest and Kotex in one transaction, and both were giving RRs, you would receive both RRs .

Some stores will limit the number of RR-producing items that you can buy. Sometimes the weekly ad states such a limit. Store employees have discretion to ignore or enforce limits, and I’ve never been turned down if I ask if it’s okay to buy something if there’s a good amount of stock out.

I try to limit myself to two transactions per store per trip. I feel that it is not excessive enough to warrant any extra attention from the employees, and I am not getting in other customers’ way. I am also not buying enough to wipe out the shelves. And, I rarely have enough coupons to repeat the same transaction more than twice.

If the stars align, I may do more than two transactions. For me, this usually requires extra coupons, a friendly cashier, and an uncrowded and well-stocked store.

If you can, get to know your store’s employees. If they are friendly toward you and your coupons, it will make your transactions that much smoother. It may also make it easier to do multiple transactions in one visit.

Putting It All Together
Walgreens math can get a little complicated, because you’ve got to consider sale prices, store coupons, manufacturer coupons, RRs, and the coupon-to-item ratio when creating your scenarios to minimize your out of pocket costs. The more you play The Drugstore Game at Walgreens, the easier it will be to understand how all of these elements work together.

I’ll put together "starter transactions" each week to help you get started at Walgreens, so stay tuned!

Feb 25, 2010

How to Play The Drugstore Game at CVS

The Drugstore Game is really just the combination of sale prices, store rewards programs, and coupons. Your success in The Drugstore Game will depend on how well you are able to combine these elements to minimize your expenses.

Here’s what you need to know to play The Drugstore Game at CVS:

ExtraCare Rewards Program
CVS has a store loyalty program called the ExtraCare Rewards Program. You will need to sign up for the ExtraCare program in order to fully play The Drugstore Game at CVS. You can join online, but I recommend signing up in the store so you get your card immediately. You’ll need to have your card scanned for each transaction in order to receive your rewards (the cashiers are pretty good about asking for your card at the start of each transaction).

ExtraCare Rewards are issued in the form of "Extra Bucks," also known as "ExtraCare Bucks," or "ECBs." I use the "ECB" abbreviation here at CFO, as do most other blogs and forums. ECBs are a store-issued coupon that can be applied toward your purchase. For example, if you have a $5 ECB and you are buying $5 worth of items, you can use the ECB to pay for your purchases.

There are several ways to earn ECBs. The primary way is by purchasing qualifying items, which vary by week or month. For example, a common weekly deal is on toothpaste – it might be on sale for $2.99, and giving $2 ECBs. The store expects you to pay $2.99 + tax, and then you will receive a $2 ECB at the end of your receipt, which you can use to pay for your next purchase.

Another way to earn ECBs is by getting your prescriptions filled at CVS. You’ll earn $1 ECB for every two prescriptions you have filled there. You’ll receive your prescription ECBs on a quarterly basis – they’ll either appear at the end of your receipt of your first transaction after disbursement, or you can print them from the red scanners that most stores have near the front of the store. (More on the scanners below.)

You’ll also earn automatic ECBs each quarter, to the tune of 2% of your total purchases in store and at CVS.com. However, if you play The Drugstore Game correctly, your total purchases will be minimal, and your corresponding quarterly ECB will also be minimal. Like the prescription ECBs, your quarterly ECBs will appear at the end of your receipt of your first transaction after disbursement, or you can print them from the scanners.

Store Coupons
The beauty of store coupons is that they can be "stacked" with manufacturer coupons, so you can use two coupons on one item. CVS is pretty generous with store coupons, at least with some customers. (Not that I feel unloved by CVS or anything . . .)

About those scanners . . . they are red boxes and usually positioned near the front of the store. You can use them to price check items, but the scanner only tells you the price of an item and not whether an item is producing ECBs. (The only way to tell that seems be by completing a purchase.) You can also scan your ExtraCare card at the scanners to obtain coupons, including any pending ECBs you might be due. Some people routinely get great coupons from the scanners, like $3 off a $15 purchase coupon. Others (like me) only get two coupons per day, usually for $1 off specified CVS products. I Heart CVS has a weekly post listing the coupons that are printing from the scanner. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of scanning your card when you walk into the store.

If your store doesn’t have a scanner, it’s out of service, or your forget to scan your card, you may get coupons at the end of your receipt when you check out. These are known in the coupon world as "CRTs," for "cash register tape" coupons.

CVS also sends out printable store coupons via email, so be sure to give them your address when you sign up for your ExtraCare card. Again, some people get more of these than others.

Using Coupons At CVS
CVS does not have an official coupon policy that I am aware of. However, I have never had any problems stacking a CVS coupon with a manufacturer coupon on the same item.

Unlike Walgreens, in most circumstances you need not worry about the item-to-coupon ratio. Thus, you should not need "filler" items to use your ECBs on top of your manufacturer coupons. I have occasionally run into an unclear coupon limit at CVS, when the register simply refuses to accept any more coupons and the cashier insists that she cannot override the register. This has happened only when I’m using a lot of coupons on the same product, so I think it has more to do with quantity than anything else. (For example, most recently, I bought 10 canisters of Clorox wipes, and the register would not accept the last $1/2 coupon.)

Also unlike Walgreens, you can "roll" your ECB into the same deal, until you reach the deal limit. Some items, particularly free items, have a limit of one. So, for example, if Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $2.99 and giving a $2.99 ECB with a limit of one, you cannot use the $2.99 ECB to buy another Colgate and receive another ECB. But you could do it if the limit was two.

Keep in mind that your ECBs are coded for use with your card, so you cannot use someone else’s ECBs and they can’t use yours. Emailed coupons and store-generated coupons are also programmed for use with your card only.

Multiple Transactions
Unless you have many ECBs or an $X off $Y purchase coupon, you will probably minimize your out of pocket expenses by doing multiple transactions. Multiple transactions can feel strange at first, so you’ll have to figure out what you’re comfortable with.

Personally, I try to limit myself to two transactions per store per trip. I feel that it is not excessive enough to warrant any extra attention from the employees, and I am not getting in other customers’ way. I am also not buying enough to wipe out the shelves. And, I rarely have enough coupons to repeat the same transaction more than twice.

If the stars align, I may do more than two transactions. For me, this usually requires extra coupons, a friendly cashier, and an uncrowded and well-stocked store.

If you can, get to know your store’s employees. If they are friendly toward you and your coupons, it will make your transactions that much smoother. It may also make it easier to do multiple transactions in one visit.

Putting It All Together
Playing The Drugstore Game at CVS involves putting all of the elements I just discussed together. Take a sale price on an item that’s giving ECBs, use a coupon or two to make the price even lower, use an ECB to absorb most of the cost, pay a minimal amount out of pocket, and get another ECB back for next time.

I plan to put together "starter transactions" each week to help you get started, so stay tuned!

Feb 24, 2010

How to Play The Drugstore Game at Rite Aid

Updated 10/12/10

The Drugstore Game is really just the combination of sale prices, store rewards programs, and coupons. Your success in The Drugstore Game will depend on how well you are able to combine these elements to minimize your expenses.

Here’s what you need to know when it comes to Rite Aid:

Wellness+ Program
Rite Aid has introduced the Wellness+ program, which is really just their store loyalty program. You'll get a card that you should have scanned with each transaction in order to get the most from your shopping. It will give you exclusive sale prices, access to special deals that yield rewards, and tiered discount, culminating in 20% off all non-prescription purchases.

+UP Rewards
With your Wellness+ card, you can get +UP rewards on certain transactions (you'll see them listed in the weekly ad and/or tagged in store). For example, the deal might be Colgate toothpaste on sale for $2.99, but you'll get a +UP reward for $2, making the toothpaste only 99 cents after +UP rewards (less if you use a coupon). The limits on +UP rewards are unfortunately extremely unclear and seem somewhat random.

Single Check Rebates
Rite Aid has a monthly rebate program called Single Check Rebates. Each month, there will be different participating products that have SCRs. For example, Colgate Total toothpaste might be on sale for $2.99 with a $2 SCR. The store expects you to pay $2.99 + tax, and give you back $2 via SCR at the end of the month.

You can find the partipating products online at Single Check Rebates. Your store may also have monthly booklets near the weekly ads, especially at the beginning of the month.

You’ll need to register for the SCR program, and then enter your receipt information online. You’ll know within a few days if your rebate has been approved, because the info will be right there when you log in. You can only request one check per month, so it’s best to wait until the end of the month when you’re sure you won’t do any more eligible shopping before requesting your check.

Video Values
The Rite Aid Video Values program is incredibly easy to use. The basic idea is, you watch videos about products sold at Rite Aid and in exchange, Rite Aid gives you printable coupons for those products. Each video is worth "credits" – most are worth one, but some of the longer ones will give more credits. Each month, you’ll be able to print a $4 off $20 purchase coupon after you’ve earned 20 or more credits.

The Video Values coupons are Rite Aid store coupons, so they can be "stacked" with manufacturer’s coupons, and that can make for some fabulous deals. Additionally, the $20 minimum for the $4 off $20 purchase coupon is before coupons, so you can bring your final total down quite a bit with additional coupons.

The best part about Video Values is how easy it is to use. You don’t have to download anything, the video plays smoothly, and your credits are automatically tallied. Most videos are less than a minute long, so it doesn’t take long to earn the 20 credits for the $4 off $20 coupon. The only thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to enter a "captcha" code within 30 seconds of the video ending in order to receive your credits.

Using Coupons at Rite Aid
Rite Aid has an official coupon policy that you should be familiar with, and explains how you can combine store coupons and manufacturer coupons, how you can use coupons with certain sales, etc. You may want to print the pdf of the coupon policy and carry it with you when shopping in case there are some questions about whether you can use your coupons.

Putting It All Together
I find that my out of pocket expenses are higher at Rite Aid, compared to CVS and Walgreens, because the SCR program delays the money I get back from the store. At the same time, I find it easier to "make" money at Rite Aid because there are more "free" items thanks to the SCR program, and coupons turn those deals into moneymakers.

Here’s an example of a typical Rite Aid transaction:

1 Crest toothpaste $2.74 with $2 +UP reward
1 Listerine $4 with $2 SCR
2 Kotex pads 2/$6 with $3 +UP reward
2 Dixie plates $1.99 each
1 Children’s Tylenol $4.99 with $2 SCR

Subtotal: $21.71

- $4 off $20 purchase coupon from Video Values
- 75 cents/1 Crest from Sunday paper
- $1/1 Listerine from Sunday paper
- $1.50/2 Kotex from Sunday paper
- $2/2 Dixie from Video Values
- 2 x 55 cents/1 Dixie from Sunday paper
- $1/1 Children’s Tylenol

Pay: $9.36 out of pocket
Receive: $2 +UP reward for Crest, $2 SCR for Listerine, $3 +UP reward for Kotex, $2 SCR for Tylenol (total received: $9)
Total cost after rewards: 36 cents + tax

Also, some of the products might be part of an SCR promotion to Buy $25 or $50 worth of certain products and get a Rite Aid gift card. The SCR web site will keep track of your eligible purchases, so you’ll be able to see how much more you need to buy to get the gift card and decide if the expense is worth it.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll do my best to answer!

Feb 23, 2010

Oh no! My oven died . . . in search of a frugal solution

I’ve mentioned my love for my top oven in the past, and how it gets the most use in our house because it’s smaller so it heats up faster, cooks faster, and doesn’t heat up the house as much. What I hadn’t mentioned before is that my stove/oven combo is probably original to the house and over 30 years old. They literally don’t make them like this anymore. (It's a free standing unit with an exhaust fan at the top, a small oven right underneath that, then built-in backsplash with a 4-burner stove, a larger oven underneath the stovetop, and a broiler drawer at the bottom.)

As you can tell from the title of my post, my top oven died over the weekend. We had someone out to look at it today, and he found that the igniter had burned out. If he can find a replacement part – which is apparently a big if – it will cost over $250 to fix the oven. So for the time being, we've written that off as an option - $250 is half the cost of an inexpensive new oven.

However, thinking about it more, a new oven would cost more than the cost of the oven. As I mentioned, our current stove/oven comes with a built-in backsplash and fan. If we take the unit out and replace it with a free-standing range, we’ll have to also pay for a backsplash of some kind and an exhaust fan. Plus, I’m afraid of what we’ll find if we move the unit out – I have no idea what condition the floor and wall are in. But I’m expecting that something would need to be done. And if that something turns out to be painting the walls and redoing the floors . . . well, suddenly we’re looking at a much bigger expenditure than I’m willing to consider at the moment.

I do still have a useable oven – the bottom, big oven, which currently serves as storage for my many cookie sheets, cooling racks, and such. I rarely use the big oven because it takes so much longer to heat up, but I guess it will now become "the" oven.

Unless I can find a countertop toaster oven that’s more powerful than the Cuisinart I currently have. I do all kinds of things in my Cuisinart, but one thing I’ve discovered is that it can’t handle casseroles. I once put in an 8x8 Pyrex filled with baked ziti and it cooked the top but not the interior.

I remembered a review at Lunch in a Box from two years ago about a counter top convection oven, and I’m considering it. I’m also looking at other models to try to find the best one out there. I really don’t like using any oven during the summer, so I don’t mind learning to live with a counter top oven for daily use and the big oven for once-a-week batch cooking.

We’ll see how things play out - any recommendations?

Feb 22, 2010

Ways to Make and Save Money #8: Instant Cash Sweepstakes

You can read the rest of the Ways to Make & Save Money series here.

Instant Cash Sweepstakes is a market research site that offers cash payouts for taking surveys. The payouts are tiny - 1 to 4 cents, usually per session (you can take multiple surveys per session; the number per session varies). You can cash out via PayPal when you have at least $2 in your account. And each survey earns you "tickets," which are entries into a daily $50 lottery.

Some of the surveys are true market research. Most of the surveys are kind of silly, and written by other ICS users, who get 100 lottery tickets for each survey. And the rest of the surveys are used to gauge your truthfulness - ICS gives you a "TrustScore," which you'll see displayed at the top right corner. I'm not quite sure how it works, since I started with a 9 and now am down to a 6, even though nothing's changed in how I answer the questions.

It took me a little less than three weeks to reach the $2 payout level, and my money was in my PayPal account within hours. ICS definitely won't make you rich, but it's not a bad way to spend a few minutes a day if you believe, like I do, that every penny adds up.

Plus, by inviting people to join ICS, you'll increase your payout because you'll receive 100% matching of their prizes. So, if they win 4 cents, you win 4 cents. If they win the $50, you'll win the $50. In fact, Kimberly of My Good Cents has won $700 since last April.

If you're new to ICS, I'd love it if you'd sign up using my referral link - your pennies + my pennies will help me reach my savings goal that much faster. Thank you!

Feb 15, 2010

Ways to Make & Save Money #7: Tax-Deductible Donations

You can read the rest of the Ways to Make & Save Money series here.

It can be a time-consuming process, but itemizing your tax deductions can save hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of dollars on your tax bill. One thing that can be itemized on your taxes is tax-deductible donations – and that's especially easy when it comes to donating things like clothes, toys and other items that we simply don't use anymore.

As I started thinking about ways to achieve my financial goal this year, I immediately thought of clearing out clutter and cleaning my house. That made me realize that I feel richer when my house is clean and organized. So one huge benefit of my goal is going to be a house that makes me feel wealthy – that's a worthwhile benefit even if I don't reach my end goal!

The two most important things when it comes to saving money with your non-cash charitable donations is to have a place to stash your donations, and to itemize them before you donate them. I've designated one corner for donations, so anything that's getting donated gets placed there. When I have the time and am ready to make a run to Goodwill or Salvation Army, I itemize the various items for my tax records. I've previously discussed how I keep track of non-cash charitable donations:

Works for Me: How I keep track of charitable donations
and
Calculating my non-cash charitable contributions

I've tried DeductionTraq and Turbo Tax's free service It's Deductible Online, which were recommended by readers as an easier way of tracking donations. I didn't love either, but I'm going to give It's Deductible another try this year – maybe I've evolved enough that I'll be more comfortable with it.

I expect to save a couple of hundred dollars in taxes thanks to our non-cash donations to charity, and I hope our donations find their way to people who really need them!

Feb 13, 2010

Meet Chief Family Officer's New Drugstore Game Padawan: Hayden from California

Thank you to everyone who applied to be the next Drugstore Game padawan. It was even tougher to make a selection this time around, but I had to. And I hope that everyone who wasn't selected will still find this series helpful.

I'm happy to introduce our new Drugstore Game Padawan, Hayden. I asked him to tell us a little about himself, and here's what he said:
My name is Hayden and I’m 18, male, and a high school senior. I plan to attend college this fall and will likely move out of my house this year or the next. I have taken on the responsibility of purchasing various household products for my family because my parents feel that finding ways to save money in the future is not only practicable but necessary.
I simply couldn't pass up the chance to help someone so young develop smart shopping habits!

Like me, Hayden lives in Southern California and has good access to all three major drugstores. He doesn't have a big coupon stash, but has ready access to printable coupons. We'll be back soon with his first transactions!

Feb 12, 2010

Drugstore Game Padawan Update: Last words from Nicole

If you're just tuning in, I'm mentoring Nicole in The Drugstore Game. If you've always wanted to play but weren't sure how to get started, follow along with Nicole as she becomes a Drugstore Game Master. You can read all of the posts in this series here, in reverse chronological order. Please read my Drugstore Game Primer and Common Sense with Money's FAQ to get an overview of the Drugstore Game and definitions.

I had an absolute blast working with Nicole, and I'm so impressed at how she caught on to The Drugstore Game so quickly. She's graduated to Drugstore Game Master status, and I'll be introducing our new Padawan very soon. But before we say good-bye to Nicole, I asked her to share a few tips she picked up. Here's what she had to say:
1. Shop early in the week. It's no fun to have an AWESOME transaction planned, only to have that transaction AND an alternate foiled by the other TDGers out there.

2. Be brand flexible. I know that there are some things out there that we won't budge on--for us, it's our contact solution. For others, it's toilet paper, or toothpaste. The key to really succeeding at TDG is allowing yourself to try new products. After all, if you're not paying for them, what's the harm in it.

3. Check out the deals that are available ahead of time. There are great resources out there--blogs that publish coupon lists ahead of time, I Heart Wags and I Heart CVS. [CFO note: And I Heart Rite Aid.]

To anyone that is just getting started, start small. My first transactions were bitty--Moneymakers that gave me 2 RR's, but from those 2 RR's, you can grow an entire week of deals, if you plan things right.

Other than that, have fun with what you're doing! Even if you have to change a transaction in the store, seeing the difference in what your OOP [out of pocket] cost should have been, and what it actually was is amazing.
Thanks again, Nicole - and continued Happy Shopping!

Feb 10, 2010

The Hardest Part of Being a Parent

Before I had kids, I thought the hardest part about being a parent was having to deal with the crying, whining, back talk, and lack of sleep. And don't get me wrong, they are hard to deal with.

But the worst part of parenting is feeling helpless to help your child.

The first time I experienced that helplessness was when Alex had a conflict with another child, and I just knew that the right thing to do was to let him handle it - even though I desperately wanted to step in and make things right myself.

But there's a little solace in that kind of helplessness, because it's accompanied by the knowledge that such growing pains are necessary for my child's proper development as a person.

That kind of solace doesn't exist with medical conditions. I learned that last year, when my son was hospitalized. My only comfort was in knowing that what we were dealing with was incredibly minor compared to what most other patients in the same ward were handling. And we were lucky, because after some serious conditions were considered and then ruled out, we were left with what was, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively minor diagnosis.

Sometimes, I wish I could go back in time and put things in perspective for my younger self: Nothing I endured before becoming a parent compares to the pain of not being able to help my own child.

What do you think is the hardest part of parenting?

Feb 9, 2010

Walgreens this week: Why are prices always higher where I shop?

I went to Walgreens with my transactions planned out, as I detailed for you on Saturday. But when I got to the first store, I discovered that the Children’s Tylenol was $5.29, not $4.49, which was the price I’d used in my calculations. Since I was only buying the Tylenol for my stockpile and not because I needed it immediately, I decided it wasn’t worth it at that price. So I had to adjust my transaction, and ended up with the following:

Transaction #1:
1 Dove Men+Care $5.99
1 Super Poligrip $2
3 Kleenex 89 cents each
2 Valentine’s pencils 20 cents each with in-ad coupon

- $1.50/1 Dove Men+Care printable coupon (registration required)
- $1/1 Poligrip from 1/3 RP
- 50 cents/3 Kleenex from 1/3 SS
- $6 RR + $2 RR from last week

Paid: 6 cents + tax
Received: $6 RR for Dove + $2 RR for Poligrip

I got the pencils instead of the Disney Activity Pads because the store was out of those. The pencils were cheaper so I didn’t mind too much. The store didn’t have many Men+Care, so I didn’t want to buy another one there right away. Instead, I headed to another store, hoping that their Tylenol would be $4.49. It was $4.99, which was a little better than $5.29 - I stood there in front of the shelf for a minute or two, punching numbers into my cell phone’s calculator, but since I only had a $7 RR to work with, and maybe another $2 if I didn’t buy another Poligrip, I decided it still wasn’t worth it. Especially when I could get really cheap Kleenex again. So my second transaction looked a lot like my first one, only I needed one less filler (because I was using only one RR) and had to pay a little more out of pocket:

Transaction #2:
1 Dove Men+Care $5.99
1 Super Poligrip $2
3 Kleenex 89 cents each
1 Valentine’s pencils 20 cents with in-ad coupon

- $1.25/1 Dove Men+Care from 1/31 RP
- $1/1 Poligrip from 1/3 RP
- 50 cents/3 Kleenex from 1/3 SS
- $7 RR from last week

Paid: $1.11 + tax
Received: $6 RR for Dove + $2 RR for Poligrip

In sum, I paid $1.17 + tax and have $16 in RR for my next transactions, and got cheap Kleenex and better-than-free men's body wash.

The full ad for the next two weeks doesn’t seem to be available, so I’m not sure if there will be good opportunities to roll the RRs. However, as I’ve said before, having RRs (with their relatively short 2-week expiration date) can stress me so I don’t mind not rolling them if I’m paying a good price for things I want or need.

Feb 8, 2010

Ways to Make and Save Money #6: Use the Snowflake Method

You can read the rest of the Ways to Make & Save Money series here.

Many people are familiar with the "Debt Snowball," in which you direct all of your extra money to pay off one debt, then take that monthly payment and add it to another monthly debt payment you make, and so on until all of you debts are paid off. It's a tremendously effective method, because the cumulative sum of all of the payments adds up quickly.

One of my favorite bloggers, PaidTwice (who alas, doesn't post very often these days), came up with the "Debt Snowflake," in which you collect small sums to apply toward your debt. We're talking about a quarter you found on the ground, extra income, monetary gifts, etc. The basic premise of the Debt Snowflake is that small amounts of money can add up to big amounts, and therefore every penny counts.

I've often applied the Snowflake Method towards a savings goal – basically, any extra money goes into savings instead of being spent. And that's exactly what we'll be doing this year: any extra money will help us meet our savings goal. Again, every penny counts – now more than ever!

Feb 7, 2010

Artisan Bread Update: This Recipe Has Changed My Life!

Background: For Christmas, I received a book about making artisan bread in five minutes a day. You can read my progress thus far here, in reverse chronological order.

To say that Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Dayhas changed my life isn’t an exaggeration. The most important change has been in feeding my kids dinner. Even if they dislike the entree – which, alas is more often than not – they’ll eat the fruit and freshly baked bread that’s on their plate. So they still get enough calories and I don’t worry that they’re going to bed hungry. (Read my previous posts about feeding the boys.)

The artisan bread method works unbelievably well. It really is as simple as mixing up a batch of dough, letting it rise on the counter for a couple of hours, and then parking it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. I was thrilled to find this FAQ on the authors’ web site yesterday, because it suggests a great weekday method for people like me, who come home in the evening and then make dinner: the refrigerator rise. I’m excited to try it, because I’ve previously discussed my timing issues.

Now that we’re at the end of January into February, I’m wondering what I will do when the weather warms up and I no longer want to use my regular oven on a daily basis. I’ve had some success baking bread in my toaster oven, but it’s not my favorite because I keep worrying that the bread will rise too much and be too close to the top of the oven. I’m contemplating a new toaster oven that has more height, but I hate spending money on a new toaster when I’ve got a perfectly good one already.

One word about leftover bread – it really doesn’t taste as great when it’s not fresh. I’ve taken to putting it in the freezer, and when there’s enough, I make a strata.

Note about the image: It's a pizza wheel I made using the authors' directions. These have been great to keep in the freezer and have on hand for fast and easy lunches.

Disclosure: I'm an Amazon affiliate, so any purchase you make after entering Amazon through a link on Chief Family Officer supports this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Feb 4, 2010

Update on my New Year’s Resolution: End of January

Last month, I shared my financial resolution for this year, which is to save a crazy amount of money to create a large cash cushion. I promised a monthly update, so here it is: we saved 3% of our goal in January.

So now I’m wondering if I was overly ambitious in setting my goal. The fact that we didn’t even come close to 5% really bums me out. Looking at our purchases, the only room I see for cutting back is in my stock-up purchases on things like shoes and clothes. But then I worry that not stocking up when I can will lead to greater expenses down the line. And, as the boys get older, they’re eating more, their clothes are getting more expensive, they’re getting involved in more activities, and so on and so forth – all of which costs more money. At least having two boys means items can be handed down, which saves on future expenses.

However, I do believe that even if we don't quite achieve our goal this year, we'll still be closer to it than we would have been otherwise. And, I'm keeping the story of Crystal from Money Saving Mom in mind to get me through the rough times.

As for the 3% that we did save, here are some of the specific ways we added to our savings account:

We paid ourselves first - This is the most basic and important key to saving consistently. Read more about this here.

Blog income - As always, thank you for your visits and clicks to boost my ad, affiliate and referral links income. Also as always, I reiterate my commitment to be as honest, transparent, and reliable as possible. (Read the full CFO disclosure.)

Swag Bucks - If you don’t know about Swag Bucks, start here. I redeemed $50 worth of Amazon certificates from Swag Bucks in January, and bought things I would have paid cash for (it’s fair to say "cash" since I pay off my credit cards every month).

Surveys - I’ll write more about making money through online surveys in the future, but I did want to note that I brought in a few dollars this way.

Online "garage sale" at Amazon Marketplace - I’ll write more about this in the future as well. In the meantime, you can read what I’ve written before about selling on Amazon.

We ate in - As I mentioned last week, my goal to save money has really motivated me to menu plan and cook, so we’ve been eating in almost exclusively. We’re not only saving money, we’re also eating healthier. There have been some marginal meals, but for the most part, our meals have been varied and delicious. Our eating out has been minimal, and I expect that trend will continue.

I'll have another update at the end of the month!

Feb 1, 2010

Ways to Make & Save Money #5: MyPoints

You can read the rest of the Ways to Make & Save Money series here.

MyPoints.comI've mentioned MyPoints several times in the last few years (here's my first review from a year and a half ago). It's a really easy way to earn free gift cards – simply accumulate points, then redeem them for selected rewards. There are several different ways to earn points:

Emails - If you agree to receive emails from them, you'll get several each day. Many of them will be offers for 5 points if you click through, with more points if you take an additional step. Some of the emails will be surveys, which will get you 10 points if you don't qualify, and quite a few more if you do.

Print & redeem coupons - MyPoints is a portal for Coupons.com and SmartSource, so you can earn points if you print coupons through MyPoints and then redeem them in-store.

Toolbar searches - If you download the MyPoints toolbar and use it to search, you'll earn points.

Easy Points - These are offers that you can sign up for (I believe they're usually, if not always, free). I've always stayed away from them because they often ask more information than I'm willing to give out and I am ultra-cautious about online offers. (I'd always rather forego a few bucks than risk someone stealing my identity.)

BzzAgent - BzzAgent is a word-of-mouth marketing company that uses its members to spread the word about certain products. You can earn MyPoints through BzzAgent for doing certain things, such as submitting Bzz Reports (which is an explanation of how you spread the word about a campaign you joined).

Shopping - You can earn lots of points by shopping through MyPoints, but my personal preference has always been to go through a portal like Ebates or Mr. Rebates.

One word of caution - some people have had negative experiences with MyPoints, as reflected in the comments to my original review. However, my own experience has been quite positive. You definitely won't get rich with MyPoints, but it takes me about 5 to 10 minutes a week to got through their emails, and I print as many coupons as possible through their site. And you know I print a good number of coupons every week :)

I earn $50 to $100 worth of gift cards each year just by clicking through emails, redeeming coupons, and receiving occasional points from BzzAgent, so that's a worthwhile payoff to me for less than 10 minutes of my time per week.

MyPoints
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links, and may refer to items that were sent to me for review. However, all opinions are my own. You can read Chief Family Officer's full disclaimer and disclosure policy here.