Couponing-Is it really worth it?

It seems that I have been slacking off when it has come to couponing these past few weeks/months. I used to wake up early to buy the Early Sunday Edition paper on Saturday mornings. Now I have been waiting till Sunday evening to buy the paper and wont go through my coupons until Monday night. This week CVS had a really good sale on certain products that also had amazing coupon values in this past weekends paper. I did not realize how good the sales were until Monday night after I clipped my coupons. I never ever leave my house alone past 7:00pm but this time I ventured off at about 8:00pm. I hate going anywhere by myself that late. I had my list ready and coupons in my binder. In my town there are 3 CVS stores about 5 minutes within each other.

CVS had a grea deal: Buy $25.00 worth of certain Olay product and receive $5.00 ECB

The first CVS is about 5 minutes. The first thing I did was scan my card when I entered the doors. After taking my CVS coupons with me. I headed toward the OLAY facial soap. The shelves were cleared out! I could not believe it. A few coupons that I had expired that night. I was so bummed. I did manage to grab the last 2 Olay body washes which were on sale for $5.99 each. When I scanned my CVS card in the kiosk I received $2.00 off coupon on any 2 body washes. I also had a manufacturers coupon for $3.00 two Olay body washes and a $1.00 coupon off of 2 Mentos gum.

Transaction #1

Mentos Gum 2/$5.00 receive-$1.00 MC=2/$4.00 received $2ECB

2 OLAY body washes @ $5.99= $11.98-$3.00MC-$2.00CVS coupon=$6.98

Total OOP=$10.98

received $1.00 ECB for Green Tag Bag

received $2.00 ECB for Mentos

I got in my car and headed toward the next CVS. Again the shelves were empty. I bought the last 2 Olay face washes.

Transaction #2

Olay Face wash 2 @ $3.74=$7.48-$3.00 MC-$.67ECB=$3.81 OOP



At this point I just wanted to go home. I really don't like having to go to store to store to buy what I am looking for. But I was only 5 minutes away from my next CVS so I drove to it. This time I left with nothing. All the OLAY products that were on sale were gone! In my mind I was wishing that the managers would limit quantities per person. The sale was so good that I probably would have been one of the ones who helped clear the shelves. I was just mad at myself for not buying the newspaper earlier and heading out to the stores before church on Sunday morning. Honestly I wont clear shelves out. I would feel too guilty. No offence to any one who reads this and does clear shelves out♥

Friday is here. I left the house before noon and headed back to the 24 hour CVS and there was only 2 face washes and  OLAY body washes on the shelves. I had a coupon for buy one face wash and get a free body wash. I grabbed a one of the face washes that were on the shelves but it was not on sale. I also grabbing a body wash.

Transaction #3

Olay Body Wash $5.99-$5.99 coupon=Free

Olay Face Wash $4.49-$3.00 CVS coupon (birthday)=$1.49



Received $5.00 ECB after purchasing $25.00 worth of OLAY products

Total OOP=$16.28

Received $8.00 ECB

So in my opinion, YES couponing is very worth it. It does take a few hours to clip and organize my coupons but in the long run it really helps out. Not only for my family but to other families who are in need. I don't think I could go to Walmart and spend only $16.28 on 4 big bottles of Olay body wash and 4 regular size Olay face washes. I did have to drive around to a few CVS and did get frustrated to see empty shelves but thats kind of the fun part too. Getting to the store Friday to buy my last 2 products  made me feel good to get there early before everything was gone again.

Perfect Brownie Pan

Perfect Brownie Pan can be bought at Ross for about $9.99. You can also find them on-line. I think Ross is going to be the best place to buy it. My aunt gave me this pan about 2 years ago for Christmas. This is my second time using it. I wish I would have started so much sooner. The brownies come out so much better in this pan. I don't need to worry about cutting them evenly or trying to eat the corners first. Each slice has 4 perfect sides. Oh gosh they are so much more delicious in this pan.

The pan has 3 different pieces



Main piece-partial pan

base

slicer

This is a must for baking



These brownies are so good. The bottom is brownie and the top is cookie!!!

After putting the base into the pan place brownie mix



Then add cookie mix

place slicer into mixture-then place into oven and bake according to directions

each brownie is individually sliced-just lift up the slice and brownies are already cut perfectly to 18 pieces

This is what was left by the time i got back from couponing. The guys attacked it!!

It also comes with this lid that snaps close on both ends. Lets your brownies remain fresh or if you are going to take them somewhere they are easy to take along.

5-hour Energy-smiley360 mission

smiley360.com
5hourenergy.com
I received this product to test and review from Smiley360 and 5-hour Energy
This is my first mission with smiley360. I was very surprised to get an invite. I have been a member for a while now but never was active. About 3 weeks ago, I received the invite for 5-hour Energy and I decided to accept the mission. I always see these drinks at Wal-Mart or Krogers on the check out isle. I question if they actually work. I really never bought one because of the price. I mean the bottle is so small and paying over $3.00 was just to much for me. Yes I was very skeptical. I drank my first bottle Monday morning. My nephew was staying the night with us so that meant that I not only had to get breakfast,lunch and dinner ready for my son but for my nephew as well. I also clean my house and do laundry on Mondays. My son also has practice to go to as well. I had a big stack of coupons that need to be cut and organized. I had a very busy day ahead of me. I opened the small bottle of pomegranate 5-hour Energy and took a sip. Boy was it sweet. Yes its sugar free but has such a sweet taste to it. It took me about 4 drinks to finish the bottle. It was very good even with the sweetness. I waited for the kids to finish breakfast to get started on the house work. On any typical Monday, i would finish my house work before 5:30pm which  meant that it took me all day to do it. I would take breaks in between and a nap on the couch. I actually finished cleaning and sweeping and mopping in less than 2 hours. I was on it!!! I did not feel the need to take breaks or nap. Its funny too that I did not get hungry at all.  I ate 2 slice of pizza for dinner and that was all I ate all day. There is no bad after taste or no crashing feeling.  I even clipped and organized my coupon. I even went couponing in the evening. I really did like the energy I had. I went to bed peacefully. I wont drink this everyday maybe only on Mondays

My smiley360 package contained one bottle of pomegranate and one bottle of berry 5-hour Energy. It also contained a information packet of 5-hour Energy

DIY-BirchBox & Earrings

I love these Birchboxes more than I usually love the things that come inside of them every month.

Outline the top of the box. If you tape the whole box all around the box becomes to hard to open.

I chose to paint the inside and sides on the box white.

Duct tape the side first and make the cuts straight. I used an exacto knife

Place the duct tape to the line that you traced earlier. It will make opening the box easier.

Bottom of box

Top and bottom of box

Looks so cute!!

OK this Hello Kitty duct tape is kind of expensive. It was $8.99 at Hobby Lobby but I used a 40% off coupon, which brought it down to $5.34. I think that's about how much I would spend on a birthday bag and tissue. I am using this box to put a birthday present in it. Yes I did use the pink tissue that comes in the BirchBox

Hello Kitty Birthday Box/Keepsake Box

I have been eyeing these cute flowers at Hobby Lobby for a while to make earrings out of them. They never seem to be on sale when I go. Today they were 50% off as well were the earring findings. Both if these items cost $3.24.

I love the color

I used this super duty glue to glue the earring posts to the flowers

I made 2 sets.

Walgreen $10.98 OOP-Coupons

Today was my day to go to Walgreens. Unfortunately, I was unable to buy the Sunday paper so I only used the coupon that I already had in my binder. I was prepared to stop at 4 different Walgreen's in my area but thank goodness everything I needed was in the first Walgreens I stopped at. I was very surprised actually. The deals this week were great. I am starting to shop more at Walgreen's than CVS!

 2-$.75 off coupons

These $1.00 off coupons where in my Influenster Mom VoxBox

no coupons

no coupons

no coupons-I was not sure which Listerine was on sale for $4.99-The UltraClean is the one that is on sale

First Transaction:
DenTek Flossers  2/$4.00-$2.00=$2.00 received $2RR

Second Transaction:
2/$7.00-$2RR from last week and $2RR from first transaction=$3.00 received $4RR

Third Transaction:
$4.99-$4RR from transaction 2=$.99 received $4RR

-

Fourth Transaction
2/$6.00-$4RR from third transaction=$2.00 received $4RR

Fifth Transaction:
Buy one get one free
$4.49-.$75 coupon-$.75coupon=$2.99
I payed this with a gift card.

So in reality my OOP was $7.99 for all the items I purchased or $.89 each item.

I have this $4RR that I might use for some more of the above items depending on what is going to be on sale next week.