CVS Trip this Week

I love shopping at CVS! It is so much fun! Sunday I realized that in my area, I'm not the only one. We were late getting up that morning and I didn't make it to CVS until 8:30 (the horror! :) ) and they were already out of the contact solution! Darn! And I actually needed contact solution...it wasn't something that I was just buying because it was free. Well I was talking to the cashier and she said that when there is good free stuff, people are lined up at the door! Mental note taken! So since I had $15.99 in ECBs from last week I had to do some quick thinking. I didn't earn as many ECBs as I wanted but I got them down to a more manageable size. 15.99 is hard to spend some weeks to roll them over.

Okay for my shopping trip:

Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation $8.99 ECB
Dial Soap Gold $1 ECB
Toilet Paper (we needed some)
Newspaper
Coke and Milkyway (to bring my total up)
Tape (donated to the troops and to get my total up)

Coupons

$3 off maybelline foundation

15.99 ECB

Total oop: $0.20!!!!! Such a wonderful feeling!

Now I realize that I spent my money a little foolishly but in my defense I was so hungry that morning and we didn't have time to make breakfast so it helped my stomach stay quiet during church!

I earned $9.99 in ECBs for next week, which I think is much more manageable. I also got a coupon for $2 off any L'oreal skincare and I got an email for $4 off cosmetics which I didn't have a chance to print off yet.

On a different note I was looking at my receipt and total savings so far $107.46 since I started CVS shopping! Wow! That is pretty exciting since I have only been doing this since the end of September! I love CVS!

Go visit Money Saving Mom and Deal Seeking Mom for more CVS deals and scenarios!

I Love Freebies!

Wanted to share more freebies with y'all. Please share with us if you know of any!

Free sample of NicodermCQ® clear

Free sample of LACTAID® Fast Act Dietary Supplements

Free sample of Tena® male guards

Free sample of Myoplex®

Free Xtreme X20® Sample Pack

Free One Touch® Blood Glucose Meter

Free sample of ACTIV-FLEX® lightweight cohesive tape

Enjoy!

How to Create a Budget Series

I think that I am going to start a "How to Create a Budget" series. During these hard economic times you wonder how many people even have a budget. We have a budget but are not following it very well. Now that I have a job and we can pay more of our bills, I have created a new budget and plan on following it. Before I start this series, I would like to know a few things.

1) Who has a budget?

2) Do you follow your budget?

3) What are your categories?
-without becoming too personal....I don't need to know that you are paying on an American Express card and a private student loan; just list the general categories

4) What would you like to know about budgeting?

5) How do you handle your flexible expenses (e.g. food, gas, entertainment)?
-do you use only cash, credit cards to track, envelopes, etc.

6) What would you like to change about your budgeting system?

Thanks for all of your help and I will be sharing my responses as well! Hopefully I will be able to help some people out and learn some things from my readers in the process!