I haven’t paid full price for a pack of diapers yet, and don’t plan to start anytime soon (Although I’ve discovered all plans are flexible with a two-month old). So I’m taking advantage of this week’s Kimberly-Clark deal at CVS: Buy $30 of selected products including Huggies (on sale for $8.99), get $15 ECB’s. I know I said I’m spending down my ECB’s, but combine that deal with manufacturer coupons and a leftover $10 off $50 CRT, and it’s too good to pass up.

OK, maybe not quite, but 100 double rolls of Cottonelle will last us quite a while. Net cost from CVS in the deal I did? $9.50 plus some tax, less than 10 cents a roll.

The deal is that the special 20 roll bonus packs are now half-price, $4.99 (down from $9.99) and each generates $2 in ECB’s as part of the January monthly promotion. (Limit is 5 per ExtraCare card) Combined with $.50 manufacturer’s coupons and $ off $$ CVS coupons, they are uber-cheap!

Here’s a simple scenario -
-Buy 4 packs x $4.99 = $19.96
-Add a little filler to bring your total over $20, like a $.25 pencil = $20.21
-Use a $4 off $20 CVS coupon = $16.21
-Use as many manufacturer coupons as you have, up to 4 x $.50 = $14.21
-And receive $8 back in ECB’s
So $6.21 net cost (plus tax) for 80 rolls.

Can you ever have too much TP?

While at CVS, you might as well use a $10 off $50 coupon instead and get your free after ECB Stayfree pads, Speedstick, SoyJoy, etc. Crystal has all the scoop on this week’s hot deals.

I won’t get around to a comprehensive retrospective of my whole year in bargains, so I figure my CVS numbers represent a good microcosm of the year that was. I started “CVSing” in October 2006, so by the beginning of 2007 I was getting the hang of it.

That total includes store sales, manufacturer’s coupons, CVS register coupons, $ off $$ CVS coupons, and ECB’s redeemed. The receipt only shows my fall quarterly spending total ($12.11), but my out-of-pocket expense for the year was less than $100, and mostly from last winter when I was still learning the ropes. By the end of the year, my out-of-pocket transaction totals were almost always less than $1 and I could do most of the calculations in my head. I also learned that, for me, $30 in ECB’s was the optimal amount to be holding at any one time, to do the deals I wanted but not run into expiration problems.

What did I get? In addition to lots of items we use (food, baby items, toilet paper, etc.), much of my spring yard sale inventory and another batch of items donated to the Food Bank last month (partially pictured below) came from CVS.

It sounds like a lot, and it is, but it pales in comparison to the CVS die-hards out there that juggle multiple cards, stack “$ off total” CVS coupons, take full advantage of internet coupons, and do every single deal that can be finagled to break even.

I’m actually in the process of spending down my Extra Care Bucks, at least temporarily. Keeping up with all the deals and monthly ECB expiration dates is more than I can currently handle. And with baby in tow, it’s not quite as simple to make a quick CVS dash.

But if you’re starting out ECBing, here are some resources that can help you along:

Hot Coupon World - Main CVS Discussion Board for scenarios, and even a CVS for Rookies message board.
Slickdeals also has weekly CVS deal discussion threads (Just search for “CVS”) and you can find current $ off $$ CVS coupons listed on the Coupon Board (Here’s the current thread).
Money Saving Mom has written a comprehensive CVS 101 primer, in addition to posting weekly deal scenarios.

I haven’t been aware of this annual phenomenon until now, but I made a Target trip this morning (baby-free, thanks to my mom!) and the first thing I saw was an SUV pulled up to the store entrance being loaded with several carts full of bags. I didn’t even venture into the toy section. It was guarded by a small mob of parents industriously piling boxes into their carts like squirrels hiding away nuts.

I did browse the baby department, and there were lots of good clearance deals there as well, reduced between 30%-75%. I saw plenty of bedding and blankets, hats, swaddle wraps, slings, bouncy seats, and even the Medela Pump In Style Original marked down to $175.

For anyone with children or infants, it’s definitely a sale worth checking out!

For readers who are interested, I’m blessed to report that Baby Bargain Quest made his safe arrival into the world almost 3 weeks ago. We’re very thankful for a safe delivery with relatively little complication, especially since he unexpectedly weighed over 10 pounds!

Babies, blogging, and bargain hunting aren’t exactly a match, so I’ve had to sit out the after-Christmas sales in favor of diaper changes and getting less than 3 hours sleep at a stretch. I don’t think I’ve used a single coupon in the intervening days.

But I’m starting to think about my re-entry into the world. My first bargain, post-partum? Signing up for a free Chick-Fil-A biscuit coupon and 2008 calendar this morning.

“Ready to deck the halls? Let your preschooler pitch in with this Christmas Paper Chains kit, from Alex ($10; alextoys.com). Kids can make the chain, link by link, using a glue stick or tape.”

As my DH likes to say, there had better be a $10 bill in the package.

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I’m officially declaring maternity leave for the next few days (weeks?), but stay tuned, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers for a healthy delivery!

If several years’ worth of price analysis on diaper sales interests you (I’m a sucker for it), check out the Diaper Cheapie post. It draws on data from the weekly diaper price posts that BC publishes. Did you know there have been only 4 weeks in the past 2 years when you couldn’t buy a jumbo pack of Pampers Cruisers or Huggies Supreme for $9 or less somewhere?

My gift closet was where I had been storing new items that I found great deals on, and picked up with the intention of giving away when the occasion arose. Justifying it to myself, I figured someone else should benefit from the bargains even if I couldn’t, and it would allow me to give more expensive presents than I would otherwise be able to. (Items also included gifts I had received and couldn’t use, stored for re-gifting). The bulk of my collection was kitchen items, toys, frames, and quite a few spa products and candles.

The problem is that not enough “gift closet” occasions seem to arise - I’m too picky about presents I give. I want them to be both useful and suited to the recipients. So for weddings and baby showers, I don’t raid the closet. Instead, I generally select an item from their registry that I like, and include an additional product that I personally find valuable. There just aren’t enough situations where the recipients and the gifts on hand are a good match.

And when I think about the gifts I like to receive, candles and body washes don’t make the list. Our candles are usually the Yankee variety, and we have particular scents and brands of bath products that we use. Other styles end up in the closet to be re-gifted. If those aren’t things I would use if I received them, why would I give them to others?

The net result is my inventory builds up, and I run out of room while forgetting exactly what I have stored. I don’t want all these things cluttering my house, and my husband certainly doesn’t.

Therefore, in what constitutes the demise of the gift closet, I have donated a number of items to Goodwill, and a bunch more toys that I picked up from Kmart clearance are going to support an inner-city ministry that lets moms buy presents at reduced cost. This way, the gifts aren’t collecting dust indefinitely and are hopefully helping someone who wants them. Remaining items have been consolidated into drawers of a “gift dresser.”

The past year of bargain hunting has taught me a lot of lessons, and going forward, I’ll do my best to limit my bargain gift purchases to items with pre-determined destinations - ie: a particular person’s birthday, within a one-year timeframe. Repeat to self: “Just because it’s ridiculously cheap doesn’t mean I should buy it!”

Overall, I’m concluding that gift giving is an area where I’m better off living in the moment and letting the bargain hunting go by the wayside. I strongly identify with Meredith’s comment:

“So what if I have to remind myself that it’s the recipient, not the bargain, that matters? Our tight personal budget makes generous giving possible.”

Given my naturally cheap tendencies, it’s too easy for generous intentions to get derailed over the cost of the gift, instead focusing on the joy of giving something worthwhile to someone I love. (Of course, I’ll still “soft” bargain hunt when I know what I’m looking for, by using coupons and shopping around for the best price.) Eschewing bargain hunting in favor of a targeted gift still doesn’t guarantee I’ll find the perfect present, but at least I’m focusing on serving the person instead of attempting to manipulate a present to fit the recipient.

Notes: *This doesn’t mean I’m abandoning a gift shopping budget!
*Also, I’m definitely not saying all presents need to be bought. In fact, I should look into more homemade gifts.
*I’ll still probably keep a couple of small generic gifts on hand for last-minute hostess presents, etc.