CVS=WOW!

I recently learned about CVS from someone at church, and all I can say is WOW! The store isn't on our way anywhere (though it's only about 4 miles away), so I always threw away the ads without really looking at them. Then I started seeing blog posts about CVS and how much people loved them and how much stuff they'd come home with at huge discounts. I decided to try it out this week and see how it worked for me, and whether I'd go back again. Here is what I bought this week, through 6 transactions in 3 separate trips:

1 nail polish
2 bags of candy
2 packages tampons
2 packages panty liners
3 small lotions
3 Kodak photobooks
4 Colgate toothpastes
4 foaming hand soaps
4 Edy's ice cream (a weakness, I'll admit!)
16 Skippy peanut butters (we won't keep them all)

How much did I pay for this bounty? My total OOP (out of pocket--blog lingo) for all transactions was....(drumroll please!) $13.65! To me, that is CRAZY! I didn't know what the big deal was until I tried it. Now I may be hooked! How did I do that, you ask? The secret is combining store and manufacturer coupons, sales, and ECB's (rewards that print from the register for buying certain items). Check out Deal Seeking Mom if you want more details, since she gives you the heads-up on the best deals to combine with coupons available to make navigating it a little easier.