Welcome to Southern Savers, where finding deals and steals is simple and rewarding!

See I told you, this would help!

Coupon Abbreviations
  • SC = Store Coupon
  • MC = Manufacturer Coupon
  • SS = Smart Source
  • RMN = Retail Me Not
  • PG = Proctor and Gamble
Coupon Terms
  • WYB = When You Buy
  • B1G1 = Buy One Get One Free
  • .75/1 = 75 cents off one item
  • .75/3 = 75 cents off three items
  • EXP = Expiration Date

Going Nuts? I can help you understand coupon terms and abbreviations

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.

I think most of you know my love affair with CVS.  This week they got all my attention with a huge trip.  I had $30 in ExtraCare bucks (ECB) that expired on Monday, so I went out Monday evening to make the best use of them I could!

We left with $164 worth of products and only spent $1.86 on everything.  I also have $14 in ECB to use the next time we grab deals.

You would never want to head in and buy all of this in the same transaction.  If you do you’d spend a lot out of pocket.  Instead split transactions up so that you pay with what ExtraCare bucks you have and then get more bucks back to buy more items.  You’ll see below how that worked for me.  If I put this all on the counter together my total out of pocket would have been $37.86 after coupons.

First I had a 20% off your total purchase coupon they recently mailed to me (make sure they have your correct address in your account online).  So I started by putting all the items that were not on sale together in the same transaction.  The percent off coupons will only work on “regular priced items” but they can still give you ECB back.

Here’s what we did:

Transaction #1:
Bought
(3) Aveeno Body Wash, $8.29
(4) Excedrin 24 ct., $6.49
(2) Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, $5.99
Used:
-20% off CVS store coupon
(3) -$2 off Aveeno body item, excl trial size, SS 04/02
(4) -$2 off Excedrin product, 20-ct.+, SS 04/09
(2) -$3 off Maybelline mascara, printable
-$30 ECB from past trips
Total Due: 25¢
Got Back: $23 ECB

Transaction #2:
Bought
(2) Zantac 150, 24 ct., $8.99
(2) Garnier Fructis Hair Care, $3.50
(1) Boiron Calendula Cream, $8.49
(1) Orbit Gum, $1
(6) Mentos NowMints, B1G1 at $2.49
(2) Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Toothbrush, $5.99
Use:
-$2 off Zantac, Pepcid, Nexium 24hr or CVS heartburn relief, $10+, printing at CVS Coupon Center
(2) -$5 off Zantac product, 24 ct.+ or DUO Fusion, 20 ct.+ printable
(2) -$2 off Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Treatment, RP 04/09
-$3 off Boiron Calendula cream printable

(3) -B1G1 Mentos NowMints tin, up to $2.49, SS 03/26
-$3/2 Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Battery Toothbrush printable
-$23 ECB from transaction #1
Total Due: $1.45
Got Back: $18 ECB
Submit for:
-.50/1 Mentos NOWmints, 1.09 oz tin, Checkout 51 mobile coupon
-$3 off Boiron Calendula Cream, 2.5 oz tube, Ibotta App mobile coupon

Transaction #3
(1) Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel, $2.99
(3) Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner, $2.99
(2) Dove Hair Care, $4
(2) Herbal Essences Hair Care, $3.50
(1) Gallon of Milk, $3.19
Use:
-Free Scrubbing Bubbles bath product, wyb (1) Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaning gel printable
-$2/2 Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaning items, SS 03/12
-$3/2 Dove Hair Care Products, excl DermaCare, Men+Care and trial size, SS 04/09
-$4/2 Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioner or Styling Products, RP 04/09
-$18 ECB
Total Due: 16¢
Got Back: $9 ECB

Note: Some areas will have milk print a $1 ECB, ours is not one of the lucky areas.  I just needed milk and wasn’t making another trip.

If you count in the mobile apps of $3.50, we came out ahead on this whole trip!!  I also earned another $5 Beauty Club reward, so we have $14 in ECB to start with for a future weeks deals.

How was your week?  Share your savings in a comment or head to our facebook page and share a picture.