CVS: Three shopping surprises

This trip had three shopping surprises.

First, I scanned my CVS card at the coupon printing machine, and I was happy to see $5 in Extra Care Bucks print out!  It was my CVS Beauty Club reward - I had purchased $50 in beauty items since the last reward.  In my case, probably since the beginning of the year.  Free money, woohoo!

I was psyched about this week's CVS deals, because this week there was a great deal on milk: Buy 1 gallon for $3.69 (my local price; yours may differ), receive $1 Extra Care Buck.  That means a gallon of milk is $2.69, which undercuts ALDI's low price by 30 cents.  And who doesn't like a great deal on milk?

But when I got there to get the milk, I saw the second surprise - the dairy case was completely empty.  I asked a cashier, and she told me that there was a problem with the thermometer in the cooler, and that they couldn't sell milk until it was fixed.  Oh, well.   Maybe it will be fixed later in the week.

I picked up a few other deals, including the Good 'N Natural bar that was free with coupon.  But after I got home, the bill seemed high, so I checked the receipt.  Third surprise: although I had handed the coupon to the cashier, the cashier must have forgotten to ring it up.  Ack!  I will have to stop by today to see if I can get that fixed.

Here's what I did get:

2 Bumble Bee chunk light tuna @ 77¢ = $1.54
- $1/2 Bumble Bee Recyclebank coupon
= 54¢ for two, or 27¢ each

1 Dove milk chocolate bar @ 75¢ (receive 75¢ ECB)
= 75¢ (free after ECBs)

1 Good 'n Natural bar @ 99¢
[here there should be: FREE Good'n Natural Bar, exp. 6/17/12 (RP 05/06/12)]
= 99¢

Total product: $2.28
Pay with $1 ECB from previous week (my other ECBs were too big)

Total after ECBs: $1.28
Tax: 5¢

Total out of pocket: $1.33
Total saved compared to CVS full prices: $4.16
ECBs received: $6.75 (75¢, $5 for $50 in beauty club purchases, $1 for using green bag tag four times)

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