Diapers and Snacks, Oh My -- A Super CVS Shopping Trip

Thanks to the Grocery Game and fellow bloggers like Money Saving Mom and Be Thirfty Like Us, I found some great bargains and freebies at CVS this week. Used my coupons, took advantage of sales and rolled my ExtraCare bucks and spent just under $9 out of pocket for a trunkload of stuff. (Granted, my trunk is loaded down with a stroller, a bin of essential baby gear and my reusable grocery bags. But I still got a lot of stuff.)

Here's the breakdown of what I bought at two different stores, using two different ExtraCare cards in three different transactions.

Store 1, Transaction 1:

• Venus Breeze Razor
• Adidas Deodorant
• Cheez It twin pack

Total cost: $20.98

Coupons redeemed: $4 off Venus Razor, $4.99 free deodorant from All You magazine, $3 off $15 CVS coupon (Thanks I Heart CVS!)

ECB Spent: $7.99

OOP: $1.39

ECB earned: $7.99

Store 1, Transaction 2:

• 2 PlaySkool Jumbo Pack diapers (2/$19.99 plus used $2 off PlaySkool diapers coupon from Very Best Baby -- thanks Be Thrifty Like Us)
• 3 cans of Pringles (used $0.30/3 coupon
• Bounce dryer sheets (used $25. coupon)
• 2 Pampers Baby Wipes (used $2/2 coupon)
• 4.4 lb bag of Purina dog chow ($1.50 coupon)
• 2 cans Gold Emblem Peanuts (BOGO)
• Real Simple magazine ($1 coupon)

Total cost: $46.27
Coupons redeemed: In addition to those listed above, I had a CVS $3/$15 coupon)
ECB Spent: $33.98
OOP: $3.78
ECB earned: $0

Store 2, Transaction 1

• 2 packages PlaySkool Diapers
• 1 package Cheerios

Total cost: $21.98

Coupons redeemed: $2/2 PlaySkool diapers, CVS $3/$15. I had intended to use a $0.75 Cheerios coupon, but the store didn't have Fruity Cheerios and wouldn't take the coupon for another variety. But I decided we needed them anyway.

ECB Spent: $15

OOP: $3.72

ECB earned: $0

Total savings of about 90 percent. I'm new to this, so I'm tickled with the deals I got. And I still have ECB left -- only about $4.99, but still.

I'd love to hear your savings scenarios or your strategy for stretching your dollars and ECB further.