Walgreens Savings

I have been a slacker, I know. It has been a while since I've posted, and I've had a really good excuse - promise! :) I'll fill you in on some of those details at a later date...but for now, I wanted to tell you about some fun I had today shopping at Walgreens :)

Let me start with this: I love coupons. Though I could never be like those crazy people featured on the Extreme Couponing show (I could not dedicate 40+ hours a week of my time to do it...nor would I want to)...but I do love saving money. Therefore, I love coupons, and I also love finding a good deal.

One of my favorite things about Walgreens is that they have a weekly ad that comes in most Sunday papers. It is full of in-store deals, as well as Walgreens coupons for select items each week. Even better...Walgreens honors both their store coupons as well as manufacturer coupons that you can get online and/or from Sunday paper inserts.

When I cut coupons, I cut just about anything I think I may use or could use at some point. However, I do try really hard to not buy something just because I have a coupon....the point is the save money, not spend it on things you don't need. So when I use coupons, I try really hard to only use coupons on stuff I would purchase anyways.

All that being said, I had a good time when the Walgreens weekly ad came out this week. I looked through it and found quite a few things I can use :) There were a few things in the ad that I already had coupons for, in addition to the sale prices being offered. And even better, they had some things I could get cash back for! In case you aren't aware, Walgreens also have select items each week that they give you what they call "Register Rewards" for when you purchase them. When you purchase these items, the printer spits out coupons after your receipt that are good only at Walgreens. It's a little bit like getting paid to shop. A little...you can use your Register Rewards on your next visit, not your current one.

Here is my little haul for the week :)

2 bottles of scrubbing bubbles foamer

2 bottles of pledge multi-surface cleaner

2 sticks of degree deodorant

2 bottles of Organix shampoo/conditioner

2 5oz cans of tuna

Neutrogena face moisturizer

Neutrogena make-up remover towelettes

Venus razor with 2 blade cartridges

6 pack of Venus razor blades

This little pile here cost me $70.16...I know, ridiculous right? It doesn't look like much. But when I think of what it could have cost me, it makes me feel a little better. According to my receipts, I saved $15.86 by buying things that were in the Walgreens weekly ad, $1.40 in Walgreens coupons, $4 in manufacturer coupons, and $10 in Register Rewards. And more importantly, ALL of these items I use anyway, and most of them I even needed currently. So according to Walgreens, I saved a total of $31.26

I actually did this in two trips, but in the same day. I happened to be driving by a Walgreens on the opposite side of town this morning, so I stopped in and got a few of the things that I knew I could get Register Rewards for. That way, when I was on my way home this afternoon, I could stop by the Walgreens that is right on the way to my house, and use my Register Rewards for some of the items that didn't offer rewards :)
I normally buy all of my stuff at Wal-Mart...food, toiletries, household items...you name it, I usually get it at Wal-Mart. I know, I know...capitalism...but as a consumer on a budget, I really can't help it. I'm cheap. And they really do almost always have the lowest prices. Almost. One thing I just started doing (as of this week actually) is comparing prices at Wal-Mart and in the local store ads that come out weekly. I'll be honest...it took me quite a while to do this thoroughly...and will either be something I get more efficient at, or will end up have to neglect most weeks because I simply don't/won't have the time to invest. There is a fine line between how much money/time I'm willing to spend at the expense of the other...saving 50 cents is not worth an hour of my time to do so.

But this week, I did have a little time for an experiment, so I took advantage of it :) For a couple of the items above, I had done a buggy drive-by at Wal-Mart when I was there yesterday picking up some groceries to look up some prices. I already knew some of the prices that Walgreens was offering because of their ad, so I had something to compare them to. A few others, I looked up online this afternoon because I was curious as to how much I had really saved.

I estimated that with my manufacturer coupons, I would've spent a total of approximately $83.27 at Wal-Mart on these exact same items. So Walgreens lied a little...I didn't really save 31 bucks. But I did save $13.11. I'm happy with that...$13 is worth 20ish minutes of my time ;)

So now I have some toiletries and such that will get me through the next...ohh, I'd say 2-3 months or so...and some cleaning supplies that might last through the next year. haha. Who knows...maybe when I finally run out of those two, I'll let you know ;)

Online Shopping Spree

So...one of the most impressive things about Ridgecrest, this *beautiful* little place I currently call "home", is the extreme lack of places to shop.

Now honestly...big picture here...I really kinda have a hatred for shopping, so this works out in my favor...most of the time. The downside....when you really NEED to buy something, you have to drive a minimum of an hour and 45 minutes just to get somewhere that has anything remotely worthwhile. I mean really...I come from God's Country, a.k.a. Arkansas, where I can buy just about anything, anytime, at Wal-Mart. Here in Ridgecrest...the Wal-Mart is not only not a Supercenter, it also closes at 9:00pm most days. Not that I'm complaining...but it's really just a bit of culture shock.

There are times when you really do need to buy something...and well...I dislike shopping as it is. Add an hour and 45 minutes of driving in each direction, and I might pull my hair out. Not to mention...what if you complete the hour and 45 minute drive through the marvelous desert, get to the store, and STILL can't find what you're looking for? This in no way appeals to me.

All that to say, I have recently become a fan of online shopping. There are definitely pros and cons, but overall, I'd say the good outweighs the bad (in most cases). I thought I'd take a moment to share some recent purchases with you...all of which I made online from the comfort of my own desk at work, or bedroom at home :)

I already shared with you about my bridesmaids dresses and wedding shoes finds....both of which I felt were a steal! I also mentioned in that post that I had been on the hunt for a dress to wear to an upcoming bachelorette party...



Dress for jungle themed bachelorette party - $26.99

So if you know me at all, I know what you're thinking. "Lauren? Animal print? What?" I agree. I normally wouldn't pay money to wear something leopard or cheetah print, but my dear friend Jesse that is getting married in September, she really has a thing for leopard print! So I caved...and bought my first animal print dress. The only other animal printed things I have ever owned have been Zebra...and that is because it was my high school mascot. My soldier, who is also not a huge fan of animal print things, helped me pick this one out. I kept emailing him pictures while we were on Skype one evening, and almost every one of them, he crinkled his nose and shook his head on. This is the only one that he said, "You'd look good in that one." So I splurged a little (I normally wouldn't pay $27 for a dress I know I wouldn't wear much) and went for it :) Not that he will be joining the bachelorette festivities, but who knows when I might go to another jungle themed party later on in life that I'll fully intend on dragging him to? I at least want him to think I look good, even if he hates my dress. haha. I plan on wearing this with my red heels when we have the bachelorette party in a few weeks...stay tuned for pictures!

While on the animal print kick...

Zebra Print Swimsuit Top - $9.78

Zebra Print Swimsuit Bottoms - $9.79

 I actually don't mind zebra print...like I said, it was kinda a requirement for the high school I graduated from. I found this swimsuit and thought it was a good buy, so I couldn't pass it up. Can't really go wrong with a good price on a swimsuit that's actually available in your size...even when your man doesn't like animal print. He's sure to like it if it involves you in a swimsuit. I actually sent him a picture via email when I got it in the mail...he approved ;)

Red Dress - $12.14

 This is something that looked like a great deal at the time...but turned out not so much. I got the dress, and it looks way cuter on the model that it did on me. Plus it was sized kinda odd...it was really big on the top, and the type of fabric (stretchy/spandexy material) combined with the fact that it was tighter on the bottom, just made it an awkward fit. I don't typically have that problem...I almost always have the opposite problem. But hey, you win some, you lose some. I've considered sending this back, but I figured the cost of shipping almost wouldn't be worth the refund. Who knows, maybe I'll make it work (have the top taken in and go commando because it shows every freaking detail...including panty-lines), or maybe I'll just throw it in the garage sale/Goodwill pile. Who knows? Might make someone really happy one day!

All of the above items (including the bridesmaids dresses for my wedding) were found at charlotterusse.com. At the time I ordered the red dress, the swimsuit, and the animal print dress, I had just signed up for the Charlotte Russe BFF program. While I don't really think Charlotte Russe is my BFF, it was an opportunity for a free 10% off coupon...and I never say no to free discounts :) After I ordered that lot of items, a fancy little $10 coupon code showed up in my email inbox...all I had to do was spend $60 or more. So...I ordered my bridesmaids dresses, originally priced $32.99, two at a time, and used the coupon code for both orders. Awesome, right? :) Now if only I'd waited a couple days...because NOW Charlotte Russe is offering free shipping on orders over $60. I had to pay $6.99 per order on all three of my orders. Oh well...again, you win some, you lose some :)

Now for my perhaps most impressive online find...

Bridesmaids dress for Jesse's wedding - $9.50

This was such a good deal, that by the time I went back to look for a picture, it was sold out. So I posted a picture of actual me in the dress :)

I had been on the hunt for a dress to wear in Jesse's wedding in September. She is having 9 bridesmaids (yikes!) of all different shapes and sizes, so trying to find a dress that would look good on everyone was pretty much out of the question. So she decided to leave it up to us to pick out our own dress. These were the requirements: Black (preferably flat, not shiny), knee length-ish, any style on top, as long as there were no sparkly things (like sequins) and no other colors besides black. Easy enough right? I found this one that fit her description on forever21.com, and could see it being something I could wear again in the future. Jesse approved. My favorite part...this dress was only $9.50! I had to pay $1.12 in sales tax, and $5.95 in shipping...so I still ended up getting this dress for $16.57 total...without having to spend $30 on gas to get to the nearest shopping...I'll take it :)

So...after my recent online shopping spree, I'm now going to share with you a few of the pros and cons I have found when it comes to online shopping:

PRO: You don't have to drive to get what you want/need.

CON: You have to pay shipping...

PRO: I've spent less on shipping than I would have on gas. And sometimes your orders can even qualify for free shipping! :)

CON: You can't try things on.

PRO: You can always return/exchange things if they don't fit to your liking.

CON: You have to pay the shipping charges to send it back in order to get your refund/exchange :(

PRO: If you get a good enough deal, you could just sell it in mom's/sister's next garage sale and still not lose a whole lot :)

PRO: Most companies offer coupon codes and/or gift certificates that can save you some money. Some even give you incentives like reward points for every $1/$10 spent, which you can later exchange for discounts.

CON: You typically have to give them your email address.

PRO: You can always unsubscribe if they send you too many emails :)

PRO: You can get good deals on things online for lots a reasons, some mentioned above.

CON: If you're not smart, you'll end up buying something you don't really need and end up spending more money.

PRO: Being dumb is your choice :)

Happy shopping!