i’m starting to realize i don’t need that many things, now that i’ve been CVSing religiously for two months or so 
i’ve reorganized the linen closet quite a few times already to make room and the food shelves in the basement are overflowing. maybe i should have a yard sale to get rid of some of this stuff! i caught myself putting free things back–you have no idea how hard it is for me to put something back on the shelf that i know i can take home for free!!!–because i simply don’t have room for it. a yard sale to get rid of the extra could help a couple ways: make more room to further fuel my addition to freeshopping, and at the end of it i’d have another nice payment to get rid of that pesky credit card and/or save for christmas shopping later in the year. i have quite a few ECB’s built up at the moment, $38 on my card and $74 (!!!) on the card i do for my grandmother. she wants a disposable camera, denture cleaner (ew), cookies and a couple other grocery type things. easy enough. it definitely helps stretch her income, being able to get so many necessities and a fair amount of groceries at CVS….we have several of the big big 24h ones around. they have LOTS of pantry and refrigerated type foods. i haven’t gone yet for myself this week but here’s what i plan on getting. i’m so sad the $5/$15 coupon is no more! 
Transaction #1:
12 Balance bars….17.88 (1.49 each)
2 Chex Mix….2.00 (sale price 1.00 each)
-0.55/1 balance bar coupon (12)
-$1/1 Chex mix printable coupon (2)
-$4/$20 CVS coupon from updating my email address
-$6 ECB’s from last week
Final Cost: 0.28 out of pocket, earned 9 ECB’s
Transaction #2
4 Listerine Smart Rinse……..$13.96 (3.49 each)
1 Chex Mix……1.00
-$3/$15 CVS coupon
-$1/1 Chex mix printable
-$1/1 Listerine smart rinse (4)
-$7 ECB’s
Final Cost: ZERO DOLLARS SPENT plus $13.96 ECB’s earned
i’m never good enough to make the out of pocket balance come out to exactly zero. for this one i the amount due after coupons/before ECB’s is $6.96 and my closest ECB is $7, so i technically will lose $0.04 on this transaction. i’m ok with that though
Transaction #3
3 OralB twin pack toothbrushes…….20.97 (6.99 each)
-$4/$20 coupon
-Buy two, get one free oral B coupon from the sunday paper
-$10 ECBs
Final Cost: zero dollars out of pocket, $20.97 ECB earned
Transaction #4 (last one)
gallon of milk 3.89
Tiday Cats cat litter 5.99
Land O Lakes butter 2.99
dozen eggs 2.19
Complete contact lens solution 6.99
-$4/$20 CVS coupon
-$2/1 contact solution coupon
-$1/1 land o lakes butter coupon
-$1/1 tidy cats printable coupon
Final Cost: $14.05, which i will pay for completely with ECBs.
Totals for the week: i will end up with $77.86 worth of stuff, most of it groceries, for $0.28. i’m starting the week with an ECB balance of $38 and ending with a balance of $45. rock.
