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Drop me an email at drugstoredivalisa(at)gmail.com if you want in.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Want Fresh Breath?

I got my lip pierced three years ago, and I became a slave to Listerine. Every time I ate or drank anything, I had to rinse my mouth with Listerine. Every time I brushed, Listerine. Every time I kissed, well, he knew to use Listerine too.

My kip ring has been gone awhile, but my Listerine affection still remains. I have to buy the stuff when it's on sale, no matter that I have ten regular bottles, six bottles of Smart Rinse, and seven bottles of Agent Cool Blue taking up space. Listerine just reminds me of my lip ring.

It's on sale at Rite Aid this week, and I've made it this long without buying any. But now that it's a money maker, well, I can't resist.

Listerine is on sale for $4.99 this week. There's an in-ad coupon for $2 off, making it $2.99. I found a blinkie in a few supermarkets yesterday for $1 off, making it $1.99 each. That's good, but I said money maker.

This month, as part of the single check rebates, when you buy four, you get $10 back. After coupons, you can buy four for $7.96 and get back $10, so you're making $2.04. Yup, I need to make more room on my "brushing" shelf.

Have A Cheap Party

You don't wanna be the guy with the lame Super Bowl party, the one who just puts on the television, opens a bag of chips, serves a few beers and calls it a party.

Maybe you do wanna be that guy ... but your guests don't want to be at that party. So spice it up a little. But a festive bowl for those chips. Get some football shaped coasters. Head over to Party City and see what you can find.

I know, I know, you probably think the store known for Halloween costumes is a bit out of your price range. But now, if you go to the printable coupons on the right side of Drugstore Divas, you'll see there is a $5/$25 coupon for Party City. Plus, all Super Bowl printed tableware -- plates, cups, napkins, tablecovers -- are all half off. Game on!

Save The Earth For Free

I went to Stop & Shop yesterday and bought four Quaker Quick Oats for 60 cents. It should have been 55 cents, but the cashier didn't credit me a nickle for bringing in my own bag. I figured the company owes me five cents, and now I think I found a way to get it back.

I read online that you can get a free reusable tote if you bring one and your Stop & Shop card to the customer service desk before January 31. Only select customers were selected for this promotion, and it's loaded onto your Stop and Shop card. Those selected got an email, so if you didn't get one, you're out of luck.

If you did get an email, your card can be swiped at customer service and that'll pay for your bag.

I got overlooked. I hope you didn't.

Colored Drinks

If I ever get the chance, I'm going to sit down with the makers of Kool-Aid and ask them how much they sniffed. Seriously. A colored sugar. A pitcher that comes to life. A colored drink. There has to be some type of drug trafficking going on somewhere.

But, nevertheless, Kool-Aid brings lots of people back to their childhoods, and ShopRite is aiding in the regression starting today. If you buy any Kool-Aid powdered drink mix products between 01/30 and 02/22, you'll earn an OYNO catalina.

Spend $6, get $2; spend $10, get $3; spend $14, get $4. All items must be purchased in one shopping order.

Now, I'm gonna call ShopRite out because the store thinks it's slick right now, but it's not. The first plateau, spend $6, get $2 is equal to earning $1 for every three you spend. Well, in that case, to get $3, you should have to spend $9, but instead the next plateau is $10. To get $4, you should have to spend $12, but ShopRite is making you spend $14.

Annoying.

If you're really trying to stock up on this -- Why? Are you in a cult of some sort? Did you not have a script for free meds? Do you really like flavored sugar water? -- split your trips up and spend as close to $6 as possible every time. You'll get more for your dollar that way.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Score Big With Savings

Where I used to live, it was the home of Mr. Planters Peanut. At least, that's what I was told. There was a building downtown where his image was faded, and the building was turned into a biker bar on Tuesdays. I'm not quite sure the top hatted peanut man fit in. Although thanks to Wikipedia, I am sure he was "cracked" there, and hey, every town needs something.

I bring the peanut man up today because I found a coupon for Planters, and these posts are much more fun with a segue than a "Hey. I found coupons. Go get 'em."

Anyway, today I went to Stop & Shop and at the Coke display, there was a tearpad a sheet of six coupons. What kind, you're asking?

  • Save $1 on any one Velveeta product, 1 lb. or larger
  • Save $1 on any two Nabisco Wheat Thins, Triscuit, or Ritz crackers products
  • Save $1 on any two Kraft or Cracker Barrel regular or 2% Milk Cheese products
  • Save $1 on any two Planters Peanuts 6.5 oz or larger
  • Save $1 wyb any two DiGiorno 12" pizzas
  • Save $1 wyb one 12-pack of Coke Zero and one 12-pack of any Coca-Cola product


They expire on March 31, so be on the lookout.

Another Grocery Store Giving Free Meds

Chances are you read Mallory's awesome post about which grocery stores are offering free generics this winter. I found out today that Wegmans is also taking part, offering a 14-day supply for free to anyone with a prescription and a Wegmans card. I added that into Mallory's original post, but I wanted to give a heads up to people who might not see it there to check it out.

You Have Mail

Sign into my mom's email, and you will find about 500 unread messages. She's not that popular, rather, she just reads what she wants and doesn't delete the unread ones. It's slightly unruly. She can operate that way, but I couldn't. I would be too afraid that I would miss important emails -- like this morning's email from CVS.

Different people are emailed different coupons, and some of us, like the last little piggy, get none. Wee wee we all the way home. If you're the lucky recipient of a coupon, you could have gotten a $3/$15, a $4/$20, a $5/$30, or the new $4/$40. There were also some product coupons attached to the email, including BOGO gum and $2 off Kotex.

So, check your emails and see what you got.

Also, just in the mind of full disclosure: CVS doesn't allow these coupons to be traded or posted online. Also, the coupons are "valid for intended recipient only," so using someone else's coupon is a CVS no no. Legal spiel over.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

QVC Isn't Just For Sleepless Nights

I remember being a little kid and my parents ordered pillows from QVC. I thought shopping off the television was the coolest thing in the world. Now that I know there are legions of Total Gym and Billy Mays fans, it's not as cool.

When I found out there were actual QVC stores, I realized you didn't need a TV to shop.

And I didn't find out until today, actually, that QVC has a Web site. I should have assumed, sure, but I stumbled over a blog -- NeverPayRetailAgain.net -- and saw a deal about QVC.com. I had to post it because, well, old habits die hard I guess.

So, if you sign up for QVC.com -- by clicking here -- you'll automatically get $10 credited to your account. You can even use that to pay for shipping. Nice.

But, before you shop, make sure you sign up for ebates -- with this link, please -- and you'll get 3% of your purchase back in cash. Plus, if you use our link to sign up, you'll get a $5 credit in your ebates account.

So, it pays to shop with us [[and, just in an effort of full disclosure: if you sign up with our ebates account, not only will you get a $5 credit, but we will too, so if you can help us out, that would be super]].

We Have Coupons Now

Just a little site news for everyone: We have coupons now.

I know, you're thinking, "Um, hello? Haven't you had coupons all this time?"

We've been telling you about coupons all this time, but we actually haven't had any to offer you. Now we do. We're partnering up with coupons.com to offer you printable coupons. Look on the right-hand side of this blog, and you'll see a rectangular box. If you click the top of that, you'll see all the coupons offered. Check the ones you want to print, they'll be sent to your printer, and there you go.

You can scour the Web for printable coupons -- or you can just come right here.

The Best Football Can Get

If you type razor into Google images, the first option is a picture of a Motorola RAZR, which, for argument's sake, isn't even spelled with an o. It does, however, reiterate the thought that technology reigns supreme everywhere.

Gillette, however, wants you to think about the traditional razor, the one with two vowels and a handful of blades. Each year, Gillette traditionally releases razors around the Super Bowl. This year is no different. The newest baby to the P&G bunch is the Gillette Gamer, which may or may not be geared towards "professional gamers." For the ladies, Gillette is putting out the new Venus Breeze spa and Venus Embrace sister. All are supposed to come out on the 30th, but there have been rumors of the displays already being out. Right now, I'm in a freezing rain snow day. I'm not looking for razor displays. But, if you see the display at your store early, let us know how it looks.

The razors are on sale at CVS for $7.99 with $4 back in ecb, limit five [[despite the ad saying limit 1, it's not]]. There are $4 coupons for any Fusion from the 12/28 P&G and there were $4 coupons for any Embrace razor from Vocalpoint. With either of these coupons, you're getting a free razor. Now you can be nice and smooth for, um, the big game? Really Gillette? Does this make sense?

Feeling A Little Under The Weather?


With the weather the way its been -- cold, snowy, sleeting rain, see also: miserable -- the last couple weeks, I can pretty much guarantee the health-insurance carrying you will be making a trip to the doctor pretty soon.

Worried that your going to have to pay an arm and a leg to get your prescription filled? Well, worry no more!

ShopRite and Shop & Shop are just two major supermarkets with pharmacies that are giving away select generic antibiotics for free [[click here for ShopRite's list and click here for Stop & Shop's]]. ShopRite’s promotion is on til March 28th and Shop & Shop’s promotion goes on till March 21st. Stop & Shop's affiliates Super G and Giant are also participating.

Add Wegmans to the list as well. The chain is offering free generics, as long as you have a shopper's club card there. The program -- which, if you click this link, you'll see what they offer -- gives 14 day's worth of generics for free. Also, there's no limit to the amount of scripts you can fill.

The only thing real requirement is that you need a prescription to get the free antibiotics. If not, you would have every crackhead in the neighborhood lining up in Stop & Shop.

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

I love chocolate. A lot. So much that I give it up every year for Lent because that is the hardest temptation. Before I give it up for 40 days this year, I'm getting in as much as I can. And thanks to Walgreens, that can be quite a bit more.

This week, there's a coupon on the back of the Wags flier that says buy one Hershey's single at 89 cents, get one free. Well, in Sunday's paper, there was a BOGO coupon for Hershey's singles. Buy two, use two coupons, and you've got a free chocolate bar for each hand.

You Can ShopRite

It's Wednesday, hump day, middle of the week day. You might as well plan your grocery shopping since you've got nothing else to do -- unless watching American Idol is your thing. If you are jotting down a list instead of enjoying Simon's acerbic comments, here's what you should add to your list for ShopRite. Just a little side note: The prices are all assuming your store doubles coupons up to 99 cents. If not, you have to do a little Math. That's fine. Keep the brain young.
  • Chex Snack Mix is on sale for $1.25. There were $.50/1 coupons in the 12/07/08 SS and the 01/25/09 SS. After doubling, it's a quarter a bag.
  • Colgate Plus toothbrushes are 66 cents. There was a $1 coupon in the September All You magazine, making the toothbrush free.
  • Frank's RedHot sauce -- in cayanne pepper or Buffalo -- is on sale for $1.29 for a 12 oz. There were $.50/1 coupons in the 12/14/08 SS and 01/18/09 SS. This comes out to 29 cents for sauce that will make you the chicken wing king.
  • Hershey's singles are on sale for 50 cents and there was a BOGO coupon in the 01/25/09 SS, so you can get two for a quarter each.
  • Lipton Recipe Secrets are $1.29 and there was a $.60/2 coupon in the 01/18/09 RP. Buy two for $1.39 after coupon, which is basically BOGO. Add a little sour cream, and you've got a dip ready for the big game.
  • Muir Glen diced tomatoes are $1.67, so after the $.75/1 coupon that's floating around, they're 17 cents a can.
  • Powerade is 79 cents and there's a $.40/1 coupon from 01/04/09's SS making this free.
  • Skippy Peanut Butter is on sale for $2 a can. Use the $.5/2 coupon from the 01/18/09 RP and get two for $2.50, or $1.25 each. And, you can totally eat this depite the peanut butter recal. Skippy said so.
  • Totino's Pizza Rolls are delicious and on sale for $1. There's a $.35/1 coupon in the 01/11/09 RP, so that makes them 30 cents a box.
  • Wheat Thins are on sale for $2 a box, and there's a $2/2 coupon from this weekend, making them $2 for two, or a mere dollar each. Thanks to Sooz for reminding me about that one.
  • Wise cheese doodles are on sale for $1.49. There's a $.50/1 printable from coupons.com, making there a mere 49 cents per bag.
Those are the highlights. If you see anything else, comment away.

Poo Poo On You

I'm not sure if I love or hate Rite Aid this week. So, I'll present my case, and you be the jury.

Rite Aid has Garnier shampoo for $2.99 this week with $2.99 back in a single check rebate. There's a $1 off coupon out there, so it looks like you're getting a free bottle of shampoo or conditioner and making a dollar. That's the pro.

The con is that you have to read the fine print on the ad to know that only the Body Boost and Volume lines are included. If you buy any other type, you won't get the rebate. Most people will say, "Oh, I got a bottle for $1.99 so it's not that bad." Most people hate money.

So, a word to the wise: Make sure your bottle is Body Boost [[it has the words in a red circle]] or Volume [[its words are in a silver circle]]. If not, you're not getting your money back.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Java Joe's

Starbucks has convinced the general public that paying a ridiculous price for an unpronounceable drink is totally acceptable. I don't buy into that -- even if the Seattle-based money thieves have a salted caramel signature hot chocolate that is worth every penny I used from my mom's gift card [[thanks to some little pre-schooler's parent from my taste buds]].

For you who need to get your java fix, but don't wanna open your wallet, Panera Bread is at your rescue. On Wednesday [[the 28th]], you can get a free cup of coffee and tasty samples of its "new offerings" all day at your local Panera. Now, truth be told, the word "tasty" was added in as poetic licensing. "New offerings" however, comes straight from the horse's mouth -- in this case, the Web site. I don't know Panera well enough to know what is new and what is old, but if they try to serve you French Onion soup -- which Mallory says is "the best" -- then that's old.

The Doctor Is In

I have three fun facts for you about Dr Pepper.

One] There is no period after the "r" in Dr -- yup, like that.

Two] The Dr Pepper Chinese Democracy promo was a bigger flop than the album.

Three] You can get a free Diet Dr Pepper coupon today by going to freedietdrpepper.com.

Now, if you refer to fact two, you'll know what a headache it was last time Dr Pepper tried to give away these coupons. You'll also know that -- sans yours truly -- Chuck Klosterman is the greatest writer of modern time. But, this time, the Web site is up and running and I got an immediate confirmation. I don't know if I'll get my coupon in a few weeks, but I'll find out soon enough.

You can request a coupon for either of 20oz or a two-liter, but if you're taking my advice, go with the two-liter. You'll get more soda that way. And more of a free thing, most times, is a better thing.

Contact Solution

Now that is a great headline.

Anyway, this morning, just as I was getting ready to leave the house, a package came. Inside it were two contacts, overnighted to me, to make up for the damaged one I found yesterday.

I'm so excited about how quickly Acuvue and America's Best redemdied this. Kudos to them.

Watch The Big Game For The Food

Tom Brady is hot, even with that Pee Wee Herman tattoo. But, since he's not in the big game this year, is there even a reason to watch the Superbowl? Die hard football fans would say of course. As would die hard freebie fans, like myself.

See, if the opening kickoff is returned for a touchdown, one team will go up six points and everyone who pre-registers on PapaJohns.com will get a large one-topping pizza for a quarter. It has to do with Papa John's 25th anniversary, I assume. It's gimmicky -- and it's working to get the pizza joint some buzz, which I guess is good because before today, all I could tell you about the place was its overpriced pizza isn't very good.

But don't take my word for it ...

Monday, January 26, 2009

Fight The Fat

Like many people, my new year's resolution was to lose weight. But also like many people, it's the end of January and I haven't done anything to start at my goals, as far as treadmills go. But today I found out that TLC and Bally's Total Fitness joined together for the National Body Challenge. It started at the end of December and runs through March 8th.

If you click here, you can sign up for a free (yes I did say FREE) 30-day membership to Bally's Total Fitness. If there is no Bally's near you, make sure you still sign up because you'll have access to:

  • Customized meal plans with over 1,000 kitchen-tested, nutritionist-approved recipes
  • Progressive fitness plans, tailored for you by experts
  • Diverse community of support to help you achieve your personal lifestyle goals
  • Individualized weight and fitness trackers
  • Video and interactive tools from fitness and weight loss professionals
  • and much more!


I'm going to start my resolution now. You should too.

It's Waaaay Better Than Fast Food

No matter what the Dave Thomasites will tell you, Wendy's is fast food. It's not gourmet sit down; it has a drive through. That's not to say that Wendy's isn't one of the finer fast food restaurants, although, that is very open to interpretation.

But, why does Wendy's top my list right now, you ask. They have a printable coupon available here for $1 off any Wendy's Premium Hamburger.

So, if you feel like getting your heart attack on, at least you can save money doing it.

Raisins Are Shriveled Grapes

The California Raisins once had a television special, and the only people in the world who seem to know that are the people in my immediate family. Everyone else just thinks raisins are in cereal, not on television.

For those people, there's a good deal on Raisin Bran this week at ShopRite, so you should be happy.

Raisin Bran and other Kellogg's cereals -- Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, and Fruit Loops -- are on sale for $1.88 a box. If you buy seven or more, you get a $5 "on your next order" catalina. So, buy seven boxes for $13.16. But we're not done yet. In last week's RP [[that's 01/18 for you who don't read this on a daily basis]], there was a $1.50/2 coupon, good for Kellogg's Smart Start, Rice Krispies, Crispix, Raisin Bran Crunch, Corn Flakes, and/or Raisin Bran Cereals. So, use three coupons for $4.50 off, making your total $8.66. You'll get a $5 catalina, making it $3.66 for seven boxes, or about 52 cents per box. Not bad.

If you want even cheaper cereal, head over to CVS. Post Trail Mix Crunch is on BOGO -- that's buy one, get one free -- sale. The cereal is then $4.59 for two. If you head over to postcereals.com/trailmixcrunch you can print two $2/1 coupons. Use them both to get two boxes of cereal for 59 cents total.

Now that you've got that taken care of, you just have to start waking up in time for breakfast.

Oats Aren't Only For Horses

I'm sitting on hold with Acuvue. I opened a contact lens today, and there was a semi-circle rip out of the side. I decided that wasn't going in my eye, so I called to see what they could do. The super nice lady on the phone has to call my eye care provider, so now I'm listening to some spiffy music and typing a post.

With that being said, here's the best deal at Stop & Shop this week: Quaker Quick Oats. I bought them last week for $1.20 a can and thought they were a steal. But this is even better.

The Quaker Oats are on sale at Stop & Shop for $1.50. Use the $.60/1 coupon from 01/04. It doubles to $1.20, so the oats are now 30 cents each. That's like four times better than what I thought was a steal last week!

I'm off hold. In case you were wondering, I'm getting new contacts mailed to me. Yay for great customer service.

You Should Be In Pictures

You must remember being young, hanging your favorite movie star's picture above your best so she was the last thing you saw before you went to sleep and the first thing you saw when you woke up.

Well, now you can do the same -- but with your girlfriend. And she'll be much happier having you wake up to her than, say, Megan Fox.

How can you make your girl happy? Get a personalize photo poster from CVS. Log onto the CVS photo center Web site, create your poster, and enter POSTER at checkout. That'll save you 25%. The promo code only works until February 1, so you've got a week to find the perfect pose.

If actual pictures are more your thing -- but you lack a photo printer -- head over to Walgreens.com. Now through Saturday, you can get 50 prints for $5 if you enter the promo code JAN50 at checkout. That makes it 10 cents a print, which is half the price of the cheapest kiosk printing I've ever seen. So, if you've got pictures from summer vacation clogging up your SD card, here's a good way to clear up some space for new pictures.

If you'd rather photo gifts than pictures, you can get those for 20% off at Wags with the code JANUARY entered now through Saturday. Now stop reading and start shooting.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Looking To Save Some Pennies?

Wanna save your change so you can add in your two cents everywhere? Well, here is your chance. Many supermarkets -- and even big box stores like Target -- are getting into the deal.

If you bring in a reuseable bag and actually use it many stores will give you a bag credit, taking money off your total. Many stores are selling these types of bags now, and some are even dealing thermal bags for your frozen goods.

Stop & Shop/Giant stores have re-useable bags for 99 cents and the thermal bags for $1.99. Every time you bring in your own bags to use, you will get five cents back, per bag. At Stop & Shop/Giant you can even bring in old plastic or paper bags and get the sweet deal also. Albertsons is similar in the fact that it'll give you a nickle off your total for every bag you bring.

ShopRite, on the other hand, gives you five cents back for each non-disposable bag used and two cents back when you reuse any plastic or paper bag. ShopRite also sells re-usable bags near the checkout. PathMark sells these bags too, but as far as we at Drugstore Divas can tell, you don't get any bonus for actually using these bags -- unless you're trying to catch the eye of some cutie whose favorite color is green.

Whole Foods
is leading the pack, though, which you'd expect from the health food store. Bringing your own bag will save you ten cents at checkout. You can also bring your own containers to use on bulk items; just have your container weighed at the customer service when you get there so you're not paying for the weight of it too. You don't get an extra credit for containers, but if you're actually worried about the environment, this is another good practice to pick up. If you're totally rich and don't need the credit, you can opt to donate it to charity via Whole Foods.

Following in the high-value dime giving is Sunflower Market, WinCo, and Sprouts Farmers Market, which all give a good ol' Teddy Roosevelt credit for each bag you reuse.

Regardless of the type of bag you bring in, Kroger will give you three cents, per bag, off your bill. That's a little less than its affiliates Smith's and Fry's, both of which gives a nickle credit per bag, as does Fred Meyer and Lowe's [[the supermarket, not the home repair mastershop]]. And don't forget to add Safeway to the three cent category.

Ukrop's was giving four cents per reusable bag, but the store -- which sells a mesh bag for 99 cents that holds up to 35 pounds! -- upped that to five cents in 2007.

We read online -- but actually haven't confirmed it ourselves -- that Ikea charges 59 cents per bag you use, but you can bring your own. While you won't get a credit of any sort, you also won't get charged an astronomical fee either.

Know of anywhere we forgot? Comment it and we'll add you to the list.

Shampoo For Manly Men

If you type man in the shower with shampoo in his hair into google images, as I did to find a picture, you'll realize that the guy in the above picture is the only one on the entire Internet who posed in the shower and then put his image online. So sorry if you have different taste, but your selection is slim. Maybe this week at CVS will change that.

Gillette shampoo for men
is on sale for $4.99 and you get $3 back in ecb. There is a $2 coupon from the most recent P&G coupons, making the shampoo a one cent money maker. The limit is five, so you can buy your male buddies lots of shampoo -- and then you can post lots of pictures online. Maybe you'll be famous. Or maybe he'll just have better hair. Either are winning situations.

Pita Pita Chip Eater

I know a lot of people who are fans of Stacy's Pita chips. The roof of my mouth is not one of them. But this is not a Saturday Sample, so my mouth stays hushed and my fingers just tell you about the deal.

Stacy's Pita chips are on sale at CVS for $3 a bag. There's a coupon in today's paper making the chips $1.50 a bag. It's still not worth it for me, but hey, we're getting there. The chips are part of CVS' PepsiCo product deal where you buy $20 and get back $10 in ecb. There's 12-packs of soda for $3/$10, Lay's chips for $2 a bag, two-liters for $1.25, or, my personal favorite, Sobe, Propel, or Gatorade for $1.25. Then there are pita chips or Tostitos for $3.

So, if you love pita chips -- and if you do, you must let me know why -- buy seven bags for a total of $21. Use seven $1.50/1 coupons, and that brings your total to $10.50. You'll get $10 back, so you're spending a mere 50 cents on seven bags of pita chips. That'll make someone happy.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

PerfectMark

We are not winning awards for headlines anytime soon. I can guarantee that. But you come here for the deals, not witty titles. Plus, we're working on better headlines, but until then, know that PathMark was crowned PathMark as the best supermarket in an unofficial poll taken by, well, me. And I surveyed myself. Unofficially.

Anyway, PathMark has a link on its site to Smart Source, so you can print coupons. Just go to pathmark.com and click consumer center and you'll see a link for coupons. You'll also see a link for free samples. You don't need to be a PathMark card holder to receive the samples, but the site asks for it anyway.

Saturday Sample: Listerine Whitening Pen

The last time I was at the dentist, the hygienist was gushing about the new whitening system the office just got. She talked it up, but have you seen what goes on? It's some type of unnecessary torture.

I didn't know how I felt about a whitening pen, but the silver box that packaged the Listerine Whitening Pen, coupled with the fact that it was free after extra care bucks, and I had to try it.

After the first night, I was regretting that I did.

Basically, you get a pen with a twist bottom. Out from holes in the top comes a gel that you smother over the front of your teeth. Don't eat or drink anything for a half hour and then you should have white teeth. Simple as that.

The first night I tried it, my tongue was burning. I don't know why. The next day, my teeth were not visibly whiter -- but my tongue also wasn't swollen, so there's a positive there.

The max time you can use it is 14 days, and I decided to use it two days in a row and give my teeth a rest on the third, hoping to fight any pending allergic reaction.

After a few days, I didn't notice too much of a change -- except the change that I wanted to notice, just to say it was working, I guess -- but I did notice that the applicator tip was falling apart. It started wrapped in some type of fabric that broke down over time until the plastic tip was exposed and running over my teeth. I think this is about when my gums started bleeding.

So, after two weeks were my teeth whiter? Yeah, I think so. But would I ever use this again? Absolutely not. The pen was falling apart in my mouth, and that's really gross. I'll stick to a mouthwash and toothpaste regiment instead.

On the bright side [[oh, lovely]], there is a refund offered if you're not satisfied, so I'll be sure to take Listerine up on that.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Never Say "Keep The Change"

I was in the store today and I heard the guy checking out next to me tell the cashier to keep the change. Really? He obviously doesn't visit Drugstore Divas to find out just how valuable change is.

With that preface, I give to you this: my quick ShopRite trip tonight.

Endust Free furniture polish -- $3.99, on sale for $1.99, two $2.00 coupons adjusted to $1.99
Total for two: free

Three Fiber One clusters cereals -- $4.29, raincheck for $1.77, three $.75 coupons doubled to $1.50
Total for three: 81 cents

Two Kellogg's FiberPlus bars -- $2.49, on sale for $1.99, two $.75 coupons doubled to $1.50
Total for two: 98 cents

Grape tomatoes [[ask my mom]] -- $1.50

Six Knorr pasta sides -- on sale for $.94, so two for $1.88, three $.75/2 coupons doubled to $1.50
Total for six: $1.14

Two Wishbone Salad dressing -- $2.99, on sale for $2.00, two $.75 coupons doubled to $1.50
Total for two : $1.00

The total before coupons and the raincheck was around $40. I used all these coupons, plus a $5 catalina from the razor deal, and my total out of pocket was 76 cents [[and 33 cents of that was tax]].

My advice for the evening: Keep your own change.

Breakfast Is A Big Deal

As many of us have learned over the years, either from our parents of strategically placed PSA announcements, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's also pretty expensive. Good think we have reader Sooz on our side to find a great deal at PathMark.

Certain cereals -- Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Cheerios -- are on sale, four boxes for $6 at PathMark. In the 01/04 General Mills coupon extra, there were $1/3 coupons. So, that makes it $5 for four boxes of cereal, or a buck twenty-five each. Sounds like a cheap breakfast. Or snack. Whichever.

The Hairless Horseman

The Rogaine campaign is back so you can print coupons -- from here -- if you missed out earlier in the week. I don't know how long until they hit their quota this time, so you're gonna want to print this as soon as you finish reading this post.

The deal at CVS is Rogaine one-month packs are $19.99 with $5 back in ecb, making them $14.99. The coupon is for $15 off, so you're making a penny and rolling your ecb.

If you're not bald and don't want to insult someone by giving this as a gift to your bald buddies, buy the women's one in the purple box and give it to me because my grandma wants to try it. And you all know how well my trip went last time.

Don't Buy The Cow

Milk is expensive, almost enough to start weighing the options of a calcium deficiency against the cost. Luckily for me, I've been able to get my milk for free at CVS with my ecb. But I'm saving those this week because I can get a free gallon at PathMark.

This week, when you purchase $20 [[before sales]] of certain ConAgra products, you get a free milk voucher.

So, what's my plan? It's to smile nicely at two people and have them print me two coupons each for Orville Redenbaccher's microwavable popcorn. You can only print two per computer, and since I only have two computers, I'm stuck. But I want six.

See, the popcorn is regularly $3.39. Six of them is $20.34. But, since PathMark is so nice, the popcorn is on sale for $1 each. The coupon is for $1 each, making it free. So, six free popcorn boxes AND a voucher for free milk. I guess it would be better if I was getting free cookies, but hey, I'm not gonna ask for too much. Just four more coupons.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Orajel Rebate Info

After typing up my triples trip, my brain does not want to come up with a creative headline for this post. Sorry folks.

Anyway, remember when we were talking about Walgreens and additional rebate offers the other day? Well, I found out that there's not an actual rebate form that you need to send in for Orajel, rather, just mail your original cash register receipt and your UPC symbol to: Orajel October 2008 $8.00 Rebate Offer; c/o Best Marketing Inc; P.O. Box 180779; Casselberry, FL 32718.

Three, Two, Won

Today was me vs. PathMark triples, and since I'm typing this, you know who the victor was. C'mon, was there any doubt?

All the stuff in that picture up there, that's the approximately $125 worth of stuff that I got for less than ten bucks. Yeah, you read that right. For those of you who don't care to read every detail, you can stop here. For the rest of you, here are all the details.

Betty Crocker frosting -- $2.29, $.50 coupon tripled to $1.50
Total: 79 cents

Four Campbell's chunky soup -- $2.89, on sale for $1.25, $.75/2 coupon tripled to $2.25/2
Total for four: 50 cents

Frank's Red Hot sauce -- one at $2.29, on sale for $2; one at $1.59, two $.50 coupons tripled to $1.50 each
Total for two: 59 cents

French's mustard -- yellow at $1.59, honey at $2.99, on sale for $1.69, $.50 coupon tripled to $1.50, $.75 coupon tripled to $max value
Total: free

Fuze tropical punch -- $1.49, on sale for $1.00, $.25 coupon tripled to $.75
Total: 25 cents
Fuze tangerine/grapefruit -- $1.49, on sale for $1.00, $.25 coupon tripled to $.75
Total: 25 cents

Ten Green Giant frozen veggies -- $2.29, on sale for $1.00, two $.60/2 coupons tripled to $1.80/2, four $.50/2 coupons tripled to $1.50/2
Total for ten: $2.20

Kotex pantiliners -- $3.59, on sale for $2.79, $.75 coupon tripled to $2.25
Total: 54 cents
Kotex pantiliners -- $3.59, on sale for $2.79, $.75 coupon tripled to $2.25
Total: 54 cents

Knorr French onion mix -- $2.29, on sale for $1.25, $.40 coupon tripled to $1.20
Total: five cents
Knorr vegetable dip -- $2.29, on sale for $1.25, $.40 coupon tripled to $1.20
Total: five cents

Lipton -- nine 16 count tea bags at $1.19; two 48 count tea bags at $3.59; four $.60 coupons tripled to $1.80; seven $.50 coupons tripled to $1.50
Total: 19 cents

Ortega -- two taco seasonings at $1.19, on sale for $.69; two taco sauces at $1.99, on sale for $1.49; four refried beans at $1.59, on sale for $1.19 [[9.12]]; four $.75/2 coupons tripled to $2.25/2
Total: 12 cents

Quaker rolled oats -- $2.99, $.60 coupon tripled to $1.80
Total: $1.19
Quaker rolled oats -- $2.99, $.60 coupon tripled to $1.80
Total: $1.19

Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaner -- $5.29, on sale for $2.64, $.75 coupon tripled to $2.25
Total: 39 cents

Sorrento string cheese -- $3.79, $.75 coupon tripled to $2.25
Total: $1.52
Sorrento string cheese -- $3.79, $.75 coupon tripled to $2.25
Total: $1.52

Total Cranberry crunch -- $4.99, on sale for $2.99, $.75 coupon tripled to $2.25
Total: 74 cents

Trident gum -- $1.19, $.75 coupon tripled to max. value of $1.19
Total: free
Trident gum -- $1.19, $.75 coupon tripled to max. value of $1.19
Total: free
Trident gum -- $1.19, $.75 coupon tripled to max. value of $1.19
Total: free
Trident gum -- $1.19, $.75 coupon tripled to max. value of $1.19
Total: free

Wacky Mac pasta -- $1.39, $.50 coupon tripled to max. value $1.39
Total: free
Wacky Mac pasta -- $1.39, $.50 coupon tripled to max. value $1.39
Total: free

Wise Potato Chips -- $2.99, on sale for $1.99, $.50 coupon tripled to $1.50
Total: 49 cents
Wise Potato Chips -- $2.99, on sale for $1.99, $.50 coupon tripled to $1.50
Total: 49 cents

Grand total: $14.47 [[including tax]]

There's a Bud rebate out there for $5 off salty snacks, condiments, buns, etc. I've got that covered, so after mailing that in, this'll come to just over $9. Sweet.

Today Only Looks Lazy

So you may be wondering, "What's up with the lack of site updates today ladies?" And, well, that would be a fair question because a lack of posts looks pretty lazy.

Well, if you wanna know what's going on today, Mallory is off to see Toby Keith tonight [[that may or may not be his photo linked with his name. I have no idea. If he's not Pete Wentz or some other pop punk star, I don't know his face]]. I've been clipping coupons for PathMark triples. I'm going there after I write this post, so I'll let you know how it goes.

The goal is to get $200 worth of stuff for $20, so saving 90%. We'll see.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

We're On A Quest

Mallory and I have some important business to attend to. No, we're not looking for some ring. Or a volcano to burn the ring. Or whatever the heck happened in that movie.

ShopRite has a deal where if you buy $75 worth of qualifying purchases, you get a $29.99 platter for free. According to Mallory, "Qualifying purchases are calculated BEFORE taxes, bottle deposits, and the face value of manufacturer coupons and AFTER ShopRite store coupons."

So now we're on a quest to figure out just how cheap we can make this.

Any help is welcomed in the comments.

Three Times A Lady

How did I miss this? Okay, I know how. I've been shopping at ShopRite, Mallory's been at Stop & Shop, and neither of us have opened any other sales ads.

Well, good thing I'm only a couple days late.

PathMark and A&P are doing triples until Thursday. Every coupon, up to 99 cents, will be triple, giving you the option of many free products! Now, if a couple says, "DO NOT DOUBLE" on top, the stores reserve the right to not triple it. But, if you know anything about deconstructing coupons, you can join my special group. And, if you know nothing about that, well, check the bottom of the coupon. If the barcode starts with a 5 it will double or triple, regardless of what the fine print says. If the barcode starts with a 9, it will never ever double or triple.

I can't wait to hear about what everyone got for super cheap.

That New Car Smell

Similar to Rite Aid's single check rebates, Walgreens has easy saver rebates. This month, there are three items at Walgreens that are free after rebate. There's an Orajel Cold Sore brush [[or patches]]; Revlon makeup; and an AutoExpressions Vent Fresh air freshener. Now, the men without herpes and a car are wondering, "Do I need any of this stuff?" My answer is always: You can donate it.

This month, you can even make a little money.

In the 10/26 SS, there was a rebate form for up to $8 back on Orajel. With the Revlon, there are tons of $1 or $2 off coupons, but you get the full purchase price back in your rebate, so you make a couple bucks that way. With the AutoExpressions, there is a rebate form here.

Now, if you purchase all these items on the same receipt, you're going to have a question: Which rebate should you submit? You need the original receipt for all of them.

Well, as far as Walgreens goes, you can enter your information online, so that's taken care of. If you didn't ring the Orajel and air freshener up separately, well, I'd mail in the Oragel rebate because it's more money. But, hey, if you don't care about more money, well, you're at the wrong site.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Stop Nickel-ing Me

I live on the border of New York and New Jersey. It's great for gas because Jersey's gas tax is so much less, I'm saving about 40 cents a gallon by driving three miles. It's also great on bottle deposits because they don't pay 'em in Jersey and we pay a nickle per bottle in New York. So, I cross the border and save myself a few cents.

If you're familiar with bottle deposits, you'll understand my surprise when I bought Gold Emblem water from CVS and was charged 30 cents for the six pack.

So, I emailed CVS. Since CVS doesn't have a recycling center, what am I supposed to do with these bottles? I can eat the nickles, sure they were just ecbs anyway, but people who are not frugal are also not wasteful, so I emailed CVS to ask. I got this in reply:

Dear Ms. Lisa xxxx,

Thank you for contacting CVS/pharmacy regarding recycling the Gold Emblem Water bottles.

Ms. xxxx, you should not have any problems recycling the Gold Emblem Water Bottles at your local grocery store. The recycliing machines at such establishments are not specific to product, only to those bottles and or cans thay have the recycliing symbol on them. We, CVS/pharmacy, do not have a recycling center specifically for the product sold within our stores.

If there is any additional assistance I can provide to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely,
Brenda
CVS/pharmacy
Customer Relations
06704499
Brenda, those nice and friendly unlike other Brendas who have tarnished the name, failed to acknowledge the fact that not all recycling centers at grocery stores take every product that is able to be recycled. ShopRite brand soda cans can only be recycled at ShopRite, not PathMark.

But, maybe CVS has a deal with every recycling center. I'll find out and let you know. If not, my 15 cases are going to cost me a lot of nickels [[fine, it's only $4.50, but do you know how much I can get for less than $5?]]?

Feed The Puppies

Puppies, tacos, what is going on here today.

Anyway, if you have dogs or puppies or anything that woofs, you can get them free food at Rite Aid this week.

Purina Dog or Puppy Chow is on sale for $3.99. If you go to giveabowl.com and fill out a brief survey, you'll be able to print two coupons for $4 off any one package of Purina brand Dog or Cat food. That makes it free.

Also, what's even better, when you register at the site, Purina donates $1 worth of pet food coupons to the animal welfare location of your choice. Even if you only register and don't even bother to print out the coupons and get the free food, you'll still be helping out animals in need. And you don't really even have to do anything. That's pretty nice of you.

Yo Quiero Taco Bell

Apparently "taco" is a reference to a woman's private parts. Now that we put that out there, we're going to look past all the inappropriate uses of the word taco and focus on Taco Bell's inauguration day promotion.

Since today is the 20th, Taco Bells in the Tampa and West Palm Beach-areas are offering hard or soft tacos for 20 cents each. I called corporate, and yup, it's just these branches, so most people are out of luck.

Now, I'm ending this post before I type any innuendos.

One Check Please

Our faithful reader Mia is starting to fall in love with Rite Aid and the store's single check rebates. She's just starting to understand how the rebates work, so she won't mind missing this post today. Yeah, she's taking a day off from us. Why, if she's a faithful reader, you wonder. Well, because she's in the hospital now having a baby.

Rite Aid [[the drugstore formerly known as Eckerd or Brooks]] has Single Check Rebates, known as scr on the inside. You buy a specified item, head over to riteaid.com, enter a few numbers off your receipt -- date, transaction number, register number, store number -- and you're done.

Sounds easy? It is.

Two weeks ago, SoyJoy bars were 50 cents each, and you got back $5 in a scr if you bought ten. Ten bars would be $5, so you hear free, right? I hear money maker. The week the ad ran, there was a coupon in the newspaper for $3/10 bars. So, I picked up my ten [[total: $5]], gave my coupon [[total now: $2]]. Paid my $2, and I'm getting back the pre-coupon value $5 in my next single check rebate.

Sweet. Or, um, soy.

Some items are monthly deals, others are weekly deals. This week, the following item is free after scr [[or far -- free after rebate]]:

GE light bulbs, soft white, longer life, are $2.00. The scr is $2.00, so free.

You can request your check at any point in the month, but you can only request it once, so your best bet is to wait until after the month is over so you don't miss any rebates.

It's The Cheesiest

I've had an unhealthy craving for a bagel with cream cheese and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Since Wii Fit is giving me an eating disorder [[seriously]], I'm not allowing myself any of that junk. Don't worry, my diet consists of more than Extra Sugar Free gum.

But, if I allowed myself the comfort of calorie-filled "food" that was "cooked" in the microwave, I run over to Walgreens [[hmm ... if I'm actually running there, do you think I can make an argument for eating pasta and dried cheese?]].

Kraft Easy Mac, any college kid's staple, is $2.99 for a four-pack. However, the packs are ringing up at a whopping 75 cents. There are Easy Mac coupons out there, which makes this deal even sweeter. Sounds like a good time to stock up.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Mister Postman Look And See

Maybe you forgot grandma's birthday. Or your aunt sent you a birthday check and you completely blew off sending her a thank you card. Or maybe you're just in need of an "I'm sorry I got drunk the other night and cheated on you but I swear you're the only woman I ever want to be with" card. Hallmark might not write the latter, but hey, it's worth looking for ... just in case.

It's easy to forget to mail cards when you don't have any on hand. Now, I'm a big fan of cards. I singlehandedly keep the post office in business, so there's really no reason for the postage hike in May. But those of you who don't send cards for every occasion probably have a good excuse -- you just don't have cards laying around. Leave it to CVS to remedy that.

This week, you can buy three cards and earn $3 back in ecb. Even better, CVS sells cards for 99 cents. So quick math says three cards would be $2.98 and you're making money on the deal. Plus, you'll make your mom happy when you finally remember Mother's Day.

If your CVS sells American Greetings cards, your limit is one deal [[three cards]]. If your CVS sells Hallmark cards, your limit is five [[fifteen cards]].

Sounds like you need to buy some stamps.

Wanna See A Movie But Not Spend The Money?

Redbox is my new best friend! Who wouldn’t want to only spend $1.00 (plus tax) a night for a movie? It is cheaper than going to Blockbuster -- and sometimes a lot closer. You can go on redbox.com, rent your movie, and go to the location to pick it up. There are a bunch of redbox locations, like Walmart, McDonald's, and many supermarkets. Just look for the big red box.

Looking online before you head out saves you time because the site lets you know what is available and what is rented. For $1.00 a night you can rent the corny movies that you otherwise wouldn’t spend $10 in the movies for.

This is all especially important today because if you sign up at redbox.com, you will get emailed a code for a free movie rental. If you add your cell number to your account, you'll get texted with a free code for a free rental every Monday! Goodbye Blue Monday.

Thirsty? Why Wait?

I don't drink soda, so saying I'm not a fan of Pepsi seems pretty obvious. My distaste has more to do with tbe fact that Pepsi always seems to be in trouble when it runs its Pepsi Points promotions, and Coke never has that issue.

But, for those who lack brand-loyalty and drink whatever's on sale -- regardless of if you're able to get a Harriet Jet or not -- this is your week. Pepsi is on sale at the major drugstores for a pretty decent price.

At Walgreens, Pepsi 12 packs are on sale for 5/$15, or $3 each. Frito Lay's snacks are on sale for 2/$5, or $2.50 each. If you buy $20 worth of these products, you get back $10 in Register Rewards, a coupon that's good on your next purchase. If you're asking me what you should get, I'm gonna say four 12-packs [[$12]] and four bags of chips [[$10]] for a total of $22? But why overspend, you might ask. We'll get to that in two paragraphs.

CVS is running a similar deal. Buy $20 worth of the same products, get $10 back in extra care bucks. CVS has Pepsi 12-packs for 4/$12, or $3 each, and Frito Lay's chips for 2/$6, or $3 each. So, I say you buy four 12-packs [[$12]] and three bags of chips [[$9]] for $21.

Now why, you insist. Why buy that amount? There's a rebate out there -- form here -- and the way I worked it out is the perfect way to qualify. You mail in your UPC symbols and original receipt and in a couple of weeks, you'll end up with $15 in coupons.

Eat [[chips]], drink [[Pepsi]], and be merry, for tomorrow Pepsi will fall back on its promotion. Seriously, I can't get over that jet thing.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Five Dollar Challenge

Subway's got the $5 foot longs; and the guys in the banner picture, well, they've gotta stop taking pictures on laundry day. Here at Drugstore Divas, we've got the $5 challenge.

The challenge, simply put, is to see who can get the most [[useful]] groceries for $5 or less, tax not included. There is a slight rule: You can only use one of each coupon. So, if an item ends up being free after coupon, you can't put 80 of those in your list and say, "Buy 80." You're limited to one, to keep it fair. Unless the ad states "Must buy two" to get the deal. Then you can use two coupons, but you can only do the deal once. The winner wins bragging rights, plus the satisfaction of knowing you're helping people save money. That's all we get over here at DD.

So, this week's challenge is ShopRite. A note to anyone out of the area who wants to play, ShopRite doubles coupons up to 99 cents.

I'm only going to play with $3, but you, my dear readers, get to play with $5. Here's my list. Let's see what you can do.

Lisa's ShopRite list:
$.94 -- Knorr Pasta Sides
$.94 -- Knorr Pasta Sides
$1.14 -- Ragu Pasta Sauce
$1.14 -- Ragu Pasta Sauce
$1.49 -- Sucrets Ice
$2.00 -- Wish-Bone Salad Dressing
$2.00 -- Wish-Bone Salad Dressing *must buy two
$1.99 -- Endust Free Furnature Polish
$1.88 -- Crest Toothpaste [[6.4 oz]]
$1.99 -- Kellogg's FiberPlus bars [[5 ct.]]
$.79 -- Powerade [[32 oz.]]
Total: $16.30

Coupons:
$.72/2 -- Knorr Pasta Sides coupon [[01/18 RP]] -- doubled to $1.50/2
$.72/2 -- Ragu Pasta Sauce coupon [[01/18 RP]] -- doubled to $1.50/2
$1.50 -- Sucrets Ice coupon [[01/18 SS]]
$.75/1 -- Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers coupon [[01/04 RP]] -- doubled to $1.50/1
$.75/1 -- Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers coupon [[01/04 RP]] -- doubled to $1.50/1
$2.00 -- Endust Free coupon [[11/09 RP, 01/11 RP]]
$1.50 -- Crest coupon [[01/18 P&G]]
$.75/1 -- Kellogg's FiberPlus bars coupon [[01/18 RP]] -- doubled to $1.50/1
$.40/1 -- Powerade coupon [[01/04 SS]] -- doubled to $.80/1
Total: $13.30

Total after coupons: $3. I saved 81.6%. Not bad.

Also, good deals to check out:
Stayfree Pads are on sale for $2.49. You get a $5 off "on your next order" catalina when you buy three. So, three is $7.47. Plus there was a BOGO coupon in the 01/04 SS, so that'll take off $2.49. Your total for three is now $4.98 and you'll get a coupon for $5 off your next order, so it's free.

Mach 3 razors are $5.99 each and you get a $5 OYNO catalina when you buy two. Use the BOGO coupon from the 01/18 P&G, get two for $5.99, and get the $5 catalina. That's like paying 99 cents for both. Not bad.

Greetings Earthlings

I just wanted to say hello to everyone and introduce myself. I’m Mallory, the new grocery store blogger on Drugstore Divas. I will be sharing the weekly Stop & Shop flier with everyone -- hopefully a couple days before the sale actually starts. Since I know that all you readers are looking at this site from all over the country [[and Stop & Shop is a Northeast-only chain]], I’m willing to blog about your local big chain supermarket and its sales -- BUT I need your help. I'd like everyone to leave comments with their zip codes and/or favorite supermarket so I can start my research. :)

CVS: Monthly Deals for February

I'll probably be ridiculed for lack of an interesting headline, but hey, when you get to the body of this post, you're really getting all you need.

Thanks to Shakin72 at AFC, here are the ad scans for the February monthly deals at CVS.

Looks like we've got a couple of frees next month. There's CVS brand aspirin, EARinse solution, and Extreme Energy six hour shots [[which my brother loves, so if you buy it to roll your bucks, then need somewhere to gift it, let me know]].

Enjoy!

Stop And Shop And Save

This blog was originally started to help you save at drugstores. I mean, drugstore is in the name. But, the public has asked for more, and we're complying to the masses. Yeah, we have masses already.

We've been asked to start blogging about grocery stores, so we "hired" Mallory to start writing about Stop & Shop. The sales run Friday through Thursday, and on the weeks when Mallory is lucky [[thus you, our dear readers, getting lucky]] she'll have highlights from the ad for you at home on Wednesdays. Another reader requested we post highlights from the ShopRite ad, so we're going to be adding that in as soon as possible.

And, don't forget, we're still also available to write your weekly drugstore deals for a small fee. We've been getting great feedback on that, so send me an email at drugstoredivalisa(at)gmail.com to talk about that.

Happy Sunday and go Baltimore.

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