2011 Walgreens 100 Dollar Challenge: Week 6

I had a successful Walgreens outing this week!  I am very pleased with my purchases...first, because my savings percentage is so much better than previous weeks...but also because I did not spend much time planning this trip.  I was able to calculate costs and coupon amounts, etc in the store while I shopped.  Also, I found the Right Guard body wash that had a peelie on it!  Score!  Though, when I got it home and put it in the cupboard, I realized my husband has quite a stash of body wash.  It seems they always have good deals on men's body wash but not women's.

Here is this week's run-down:

Right Guard Body Wash
Price: $3.99

Mfg coupon: $1.00 peelie

Store coupon: None

Final price:  $2.99

RR earned: $3.00

Lysol Hands-Free Soap Dispenser

Price: $11.99

Mfg coupon: $3.00

Store coupon: None

Final price: $8.99

RR earned: $7.00

(3) 3 Musketeers Bars

Price: $.49 each

Mfg coupon: Buy 2 get 1 free

Store coupon: None

Final price: $.98

RR earned: None

(2) Skittles

Price: $.49 each

Mfg coupon: $.50

Store coupon: None

Final price: $.48

RR earned: None

Veripur hand sanitizer

Price: $3.99

Mfg coupon: None

Store coupon: None

Final price: $3.99

RR earned: $4.00

RR Used: $5.00 AccuCheck, (2) $6.00 Arnicare

Subtotal before coupons: $22.42

Subtotal after coupons: $.43

Sales Tax: $1.20

Savings Percentage: 98%

(Note: Since I have no control over the tax rate in my area, savings percentages are calculated prior to tax.)

RR in hand: $7.00 Lysol, $4.00 Veripur, $3.00 Right Guard

*******

Yearly Totals

Amount Spent (Including Tax): $33.97

Amount Remaining: $66.03

(Awaiting $1.99 rebate from Finesse and $14.99 rebate from Accucheck. These will be added into my amount remaining once I receive them.)

Amount Saved: $93.00

Tot School

Our princess is currently 24 months old.

We did not do anything different for Tot School this week.  We had busy mornings (which is when we usually do our learning activities), and I really did not plan anything new.  We continued to work on the puzzles and games I have mentioned in previous posts.

I do have some big news though.  For those of you who kept telling me, "She will start talking more, literally overnight"...you were absolutely correct!  On Tuesday she began repeating so many words we told her to say.  She learned Eeyore and Tigger, repeated the alphabet (W is definitely my favorite), and began saying her name with two syllables rather than one!  She has just been improving daily from there, and I am really excited. 

She is showing a lot of interest in letters and knows "A", "O" and "Y" by sight.  Not sure how she learned those, because I didn't teach her!  Maybe it was Sesame Street.  :)  Needless to say, we are going to begin learning letters this week.  I did cut out a letter matching game for her last week that she really loved, and it was more difficult than anything she has done in the past.  We will continue with that and look for some more letter activities!  Any ideas?!  I am thinking we will make an ABC book to begin with.

Here are some pictures from this week.  I did not take any pictures of her doing her puzzles since they weren't new, but these are cute.  :)

We have been doing this a LOT lately.  She likes to get in her "bear cave" with all her stuffed animals, then throw them out one by one, then put them back in behind her...and repeat...and repeat...

What a good little momma!

I was finishing up a scrapbook page when she woke up from her nap, and she wanted to do one too.  Here is the princess' first scrapbook page ever!  I did the cutting, and she did her own pasting and pressing in place.  She's a creative genius, don't you think?  Maybe next time I'll give her better pictures, rather than scraps.

Sunday Scrappin'

I was able to complete two more pages for the princess' scrapbook this week.  I really put some thought into the blog post I cited last week, and I decided to do one page per month of the princess' first year of life.  This way I can limit the number of pages I am creating, but I will still be able to highlight my favorite pictures and include some milestones of her life from each month.  She changed so much during the first year of life, and I want her to be able to see and read about what she did when.  So...here are the pages from when she was 1 and 2 months old!

I also switched cameras for the photos for my blog.  This one seems to capture clearer still-shots, so maybe you will be able to read the words this week too!

2011 Walgreens 100 Dollar Challenge: Week 5

I made two trips to Walgreens this week (as evidenced by the pictures).  I was disappointed in my first trip, because they counted my store coupon in my coupon total, and I was not able to use all the RRs I had planned to use.  This was a Walgreens I do not normally visit.  I have never had trouble with "my" Walgreens in the past. 

I was able to build up my RR stash for the coming week, and I see a few potential deals in the Walgreens Ad, so I am hoping next week's percentage saved will look a lot better!

By the way, the Tom's of Maine toothpaste I bought a few weeks ago is disgusting.  Do not buy it.  It made me gag, and it went in the trash after one use.

4 Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz

Price: 2/$1.59

Mfg coupon: (2) $1.00

Store coupon: $.405 each

Final price: $.44 Moneymaker

RR earned: None

2 Arnicare Gel

Price: $5.99 each

Mfg coupon: (2) $2.00

Store coupon: None

Final price: $3.99

RR earned: (2) $6.00

1 Accucheck Aviva Monitor

Price: $14.99

Mfg coupon: None

Store coupon: None

Final price: $14.99

RR earned: $5.00

*Manufacturer rebate submitted for $14.99

1 Sweetarts hearts

Price: $.59

Mfg coupon: None

Store coupon: None

Final price: $.59

RR earned: None

RR Used: $3.00 Tom’s of Maine, $2.50 Thermacare

Subtotal before coupons: $30.74

Subtotal after coupons: $17.62

Sales Tax: $1.62

Savings Percentage: 43%

(Note: Since I have no control over the tax rate in my area, savings percentages are calculated prior to tax.)

RR in hand: (2) $6.00 Arnicare, $5.00 AccuCheck

*******

Yearly Totals

Amount Spent (Including Tax): $32.34

Amount Remaining: $67.66

(Awaiting $1.99 rebate from Finesse and $14.99 rebate from Accucheck. These will be added into my amount remaining once I receive them.)

Amount Saved: $66.48

24 Weeks

I had an appointment with my midwife today.  I cannot believe I am 24 weeks already!  Baby is looking good.  Her heart rate was 160 today, and she was kicking at the doppler as the midwife pushed on my belly.  *Love it!*  Big sister gets a kick out of hearing the baby's heartbeat.  She always smiles and has her "oh my" expression on her face.

We were able to schedule another ultrasound for the end of February.  I am really excited to see our girl again...and confirm she truly is a girl...  We decided to have a 3D one this time around, as my midwife assured me babies don't look quite so creepy at 28 weeks as they do at 20.  :)

I believe we are getting closer to choosing a name for this little one, although that will of course remain secret until she is born.  Tim likes one name, I like another, and there is a third that is sort of a compromise...but needs a good middle name to actually seal the deal.

And here is my growing belly!