Yeah for CVS! or how I got them to pay me to wash my dishes.

Okay... so this deal was more about the challenge than about the current need.  That being said, if I weren't on Pantry Challenge, I wouldn't have the time to track it down.  First, the pic.  Then, the monetary breakdown.

The SoyJoy bars were 6 x 12¢ = 72¢.  At $6 each, with a $6 ECB, all I was paying was tax... and since they're food, tax is only 2% around here!  Unfortunately, they were essentially out of most everything but Mango Coconut, so we'll probably be sick of that flavor before long.  I'll just spread them out, mixed in with other lunch-packing snacks.  And yes, there are only 5 in the picture... that's because I already emptied one into our snack bin and recycled the box :)

The Finish/Electrasol tabs is the biggest deal.  In case you can't tell, I got 9 boxes of 20 dishwasher tabs (=180 dishwasher loads).  I had a raincheck from a while ago for 4/$9, spend $20 get $10 ECB.  Hmm... that's $2.25 each, not counting the ECBs!!  When I saw the $2.50/1 coupon that came about recently, I was stoked!  Now... how to track down 5+ of them to make these guys free?  I had 2, and asked around to see if anyone didn't need theirs.  Eventually, I ended up with the other 7 from two of my dear friends/coworkers/fellow-couponers.  So...

• sale price:  $20.25/9
• coupons:  $2.50 x 8 = $20 (they wouldn't let me use the 9th b/c it would've gone over the total value... fair enough)
• paid OOP including tax:  $1.82
• received in ECBs to use later:  $10
• TOTAL COST:  -$8.18 or -91¢ each!

If I didn't have to keep eating for the rest of my life, I just might retire from couponing.  You know, quit while you're ahead and all that.  But lo, I do have to eat, and so does my hubby.  Funny thing is, I already had like 3 of these boxes already in my kitchen.  So that means I get to share most of them with my coupon-sharers, and my pastors' families... even better!
Now... what good deals will they provide me with during the next month to use those $10 ECBs toward?  Hopefully something else I can share!

In other news, I had a very yummy & healthy breakfast this morning.  Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:  the organic milk featured here.

This box of cereal came from my Pantry Makeover that I did earlier this week at EarthFare.  You, too, can bring in a near-empty box of cereal with High Fructose Corn Syrup and replace it for free with this better-for-you product, if you just go here, sign up, print out the coupon and take it to your nearest EarthFare.  Oh yeah, and when you sign up before Jan. 31 (which I know you'll do, because you love me), shoot me an email telling me the email address that you used.  If I can get a few more volunteers, I can get a $25 gift card to EarthFare, which I'd really like!  For what it's worth, I was pleasantly surprised that this actually tasted like Frosted Mini Wheats, instead of like cardboard with sugar on it :)

Soli Deo Gloria