Yesterday I got the 2 Colgate toothpastes using these coupons: http://www.colgate.com/app/ColgateTotal/US/EN/SpecialOffers.cvsp
So I paid 3.98, got 5.98 ecb’s back.
Then today I went in and grabbed 2 of the Nutrogina Transparent Facial soap for 2.99 each. I used my 5.98 ecb’s from colgate and paid 0 out of pocket and got 10 ecb’s back! Wooo hoo!
share expiring coupons
Last weekend I was at my local ralphs (kroger in other areas) and was picking up some kraft mayo. As I looked for the new olive oil type I wanted, I noticed a few scattered (clearly cut from a newspaper) coupons near the jars. The coupon expiration date was that very day, and there were about 4 of them. Some nice person decided to leave them there in case anyone buying mayo that day could use them. What a nice gesture among frugals! I happened to have a coupon myself but it expires in April and I buy a lot of mayo for lunches, so I decided to use the expiring coupon and save my other for later. I will be sure to pass the favor on and leave any near-expiration date coupons I’m not planning on using near the items on future visits. It would make me happy to know someone could use a coupon I’m about to throw away! 
Probably a year or so ago I found myself in a grocery store at night after watching a movie in a theatre. We were hungry but really didn’t want fast food, so even though it was around 7pm we ran into the market for something we could make really fast. As I scouted out the deli and “premade” food section, a store employee came over and started marking down all the precooked chickens from 5.99 to 1.99. I asked her why they were being marked down and she told me they do it every evening around that time! Now, granted, I am not going to always be eating dinner that late, but I can certainly use this meat in lunch sandwiches, salads, and other recipes the next day. Once I spoke with her I remembered why they mark them down. My mother once worked in a deli at a major market chain and every night whatever “prepared food” they didn’t sell had to be THROWN away!!! I remember her frustration at the fact that they couldn’t give it away (it had to do with liability and not wanting to take any risks) so they’d always mark the items down later in the day.
CVS coupon/price scanner
Every time I go to cvs, the first thing I do is scan my cvs card at the scanner for coupons. I have gotten a few really good ones. A few nights ago I got one for $4 off any Futuro (sp?) brace. In the clearance section I spotted some for 3.75, and it just so happens my husband could totally use one, so I snatched it for more than free! I got the brace and something else w/ a coupon, and it took the full $4 off even though the item was only 3.75.
There were also other items in the clearance section, such as aveeno lotion for 2.12, which you can use the $2 printable on, making it 12 cents.
I also got a $1 off any excedrin the other day from the machine which i used on this weeks ecb deal (buy one @ 2.49 get 2.49 ecb’s) so I paid 1.49+ tax and got 2.49 ecb’s.
YAY for the magic cvs coupon machine!
$5 gas card
So a few months back, I read a post on another blog about chevron’s online contest to win a $5 gift card. It was a little trivia contest and if you got the answers right you were eligible to win a $5 gift card. I just got it in the mail and I’m so excited! I know it’s just $5 but it’s awesome to win something for free!! It’s my first win at anything online and now I’ll probably be hooked.
Just a note though, I am very wary of online contests and promotions unless I hear about them from a reliable source. Since this one was actually on Chevron.com I figured it was legit. Be careful what sites you give your information to, there are scam artists everywhere these days, sad but true.