CVS success

Just wanted to share my success story with all of you.

This is how I make my shopping list at CVS...

it really helps to be organized and go in with a plan.

1.  I always remind myself to scan my card in the beginning b/c I might get other coupons or Extra Care Bucks (ECB) that I can use. 
2.  Then I list out each item, the price it should be and if I have a coupon or not. 
3.  When I get more than one of something, I list that next to the item as well. 
4.  I write my list, in the order I will be checking out.  That helps me be more efficient at the register.

*If you see on my list under *scan card*, I have $11 ECB.  I would highly recommend, utilizing the online CVS Extra Care website.   All you do is register your card there and when special coupons, adds or you accrue ECB through different promotions, you can send them directly to your card instead of having to keep up with multiple pieces of paper.  I had accrued $11 ECB through a special promotion and they were able to apply that to my order when I was checking out, but I put it on my list so I could make sure I redeemed them.

I checked out in two separate transactions.  

The first one I only spent $14, after sales, coupons...

 

But what is pictured below, my total was $2.38 FOR ALL OF THIS!!!!!  

I mean one 12 pk of cokes at Walmart is almost $5.  

My overall shopping trip was a huge success.  

I went in with a plan to buy $70 worth of items (regular price) and walked out paying less than $20 for all it.  I would say that was a successful shopping trip!

That's just proof that it CAN be done folks.

Reviews

Since Briggs and I have been out and about town...there have been a few things I have learned and experienced that I wanted to share.

I'm sure most of you are wondering what in the world is this picture for...well I'm glad you ask. I never had paid attention to shopping buggy size or wheelchair/stroller access to public venues. This was mine and Briggs first trip to Walmart. His carseat doesn't fit in the top portion of the buggy at Walmart, CVS or Publix! The only place it works is Target. So my only option when shopping is to put his carseat in the big part of the buggy (but where do you put the groceries) OR bring his stroller into the store and pull the shopping cart behind me. Good thing I have some pretty good skills of objects on wheels (from working at the nursing home). So here is the picture of our trip to Walmart. (FYI...I finally got tired of pulling that dumb buggy behind me everywhere so I just left it on an isle and would push Briggs around, pick up stuff I needed and go back to drop it off in the buggy).


One weekly event Briggs and I attend is the nursing classes provided by Brookwood hospital 1-2 times a week. I cannot begin to say how instrumental these women are who take the time with mothers in the community. They assist in any type of breastfeeding issues or are just there to chat about breastfeeding...you can learn a lot just from other mothers who are present and talk about different issues related to kids. It's completely free. The best part is, you get to bring your baby, weigh them before you feed them, nurse them and then weigh them after to see how much they got to eat. Briggs doesn't mind any of it as long as he gets his food. Here he is being weighed and looking at himself in the mirror...cute little guy :)


Last but not least...for those of you who don't have newborns. Your life revolves around a two hour window...not very much time to do anything (b/c they eat every 3 hours from when they start and it takes close to an hour for them to eat). So if you have somewhere to go and you're a nursing mom...it can be difficult to find somewhere to feed your baby. I have been many places and this is by far the best nursing room and smartest design... See below

This would be at Buy Buy Baby and of course they did the smart thing...use their furniture (rocking chairs, changing table, etc) in the room so you can try it out...good marketing idea...so here is a picture of the room


And this is from the angle that I was sitting. They have a really nice changing table and you can't see in the baskets but they are different sizes of diaper in case you forgot yours and disposable changing pads...NICE


And then they have a table next to both chairs with a box of kleenex and advertisement of the sales they have going on. As you can see, I put that to good use with my snack and drink that I brought with me.


Great design for their nursing room. I was VERY impressed.

In summary...I'm learning a lot about the big world out there and how most places are not accomadating to mothers with strollers and who are nursing. But..Briggs and I are making it and learning the places that are baby friendly and we improvise where we have to.