Walgreens, CVS, and the NIGHTMARE Target run for 3/15

i made a quick trip to walgreens and cvs today and then the NIGHTMARE trip to target trying to use up some coupons that will expire at the end of the month and to rack up on some freebies. 

here's my wags trip:
2 transactions

#1 colgate toothpaste 3.99 - $1off mq = 2.99
2 wags brand drinks $.79 each (not pictured)
used $3 rr and paid oop 1.57

#2 same items with no $1off coupon, so my oop was $2.57 on that one.  if i wouldn't have had my kiddos with me, i would have gotten out $3.16 cheaper without buying us all those drinks!

got back 2 $4 register rewards! (used $6 worth and got back $8 worth!)

CVS:

Then i ran to cvs to get some free right guard!
they were 2/$5 and i used 2 $1.50 off coupons bringing it down to $2. i used my $2 ECB and got back another $2 ECB. 

then for transaction 2 i got an herbal essence shampoo $2.99, a herbal essence hairspray for $2.99 and a cvs paper towel for $1.49.  i used a buy the shampoo and get the hair care item free coupon, so that took off $2.99 and then the "magic coupon machine" that you scan your card with printed out a $1 off a cvs paper towel, so that made them be $.49.  i also used a $1 off the shampoo coupon, bringing my total to $. 52!!!  

not bad for 2 deoderants, a shampoo, a hairspray and a roll of paper towels! plus i got back another $1 ECB!

and then i went to target.  this was a NIGHTMARE trip!

i had saved up tons of $1 off coupons that had no size restrictions on them, so i was going to load up on some travel size items plus a bunch of regular size items that were all going to end up free.  i also had some items on my list that were not ending up free to cover the overage in case i got a cashier that didn't adjust the coupons when she scanned them.  WELL...

i went to the line with the guy that looked like the type that wouldn't give me a problem for having such a huge stack of coupons. boy was i wrong!  he was so worried about going to lunch on time, that he quickly scanned all my items and then started just scanning my coupons. well of course, he was doing some target store coupons first and then the manufactures ones so they were beeping.  he got really frustrated and told his replacement when she came up behind him to just take over.  well, she was totally over whelmed because he had just spreaded the coupons out everywhere and she didn't know what he had scanned and what he didn't.  so i told her to just void it out and i would hand her each coupon as she scanned the items.  i had several of the same items and numerous coupons that were the same.  i thought that would make it easier.  so she voided it out and scanned my first item.  then i handed her the coupons.  it was a $1 off and the item was $.97. before she even had a chance to adjust it down, the asst. manager came up behind her and proceeded to say as loudly as she could WE CAN'T TAKE A COUPON FOR MORE THAN THE PRICE OF THE ITEM MA'AM.  i said, yes you can, you need to adjust it down to the price of the item.  she proceeded to try to argue with me and when i said i had the corporate coupon policy with me, she said YOU DON'T NEED TO PULL THAT OUT FOR ME.  so i politely said, just take all this stuff back and i will take my coupons somewhere else.

i then went up to the service desk and asked for the store manager.  after waiting 15 minutes for her to finally come out (at this point, i had been in target for almost 2 hours WITH my kids), i explained to her what happened and she looked at my coupons and said, ma'am, you are right. let's go get your stuff.  she took all my stuff (the other lady had thrown in a basket in the isle behind the registers) and started checking me out.  then the asst. manager comes to the service desk and leans over the manager's shoulder and says, SHE CAN'T USE THOSE AND GET THAT STUFF WITHOUT PAYING.  (something close to that, insinuating i was stealing).  i politely told her and the manager that "i'm sorry that i am good at saving my family money.  you know that target get's reembursed for each coupon i use PLUS $.08 for every one of them?"  the asst manager makes an ugly face and stomps off.  the manager said, you sure know what you are doing, huh?  and i proudly said YES I DO! 

the store manager went above and beyond taking care of me!  even after i sorted out each coupon and what it went with and then she rang me up, my total (which some of the items were even less at this target than i was planning) was way higher than it should have been.  she carefully went thru the list on the computer and realized that i didn't scan 2 of my $5 off coupons! she fixed the problem and realized that i was actually negetive and so i quickly add two full price items to cover that! 

i will be writing corporate and district offices letting them know exactly what happened and how the store manager went above and beyond to keep my business.  i could have just not asked for her and went to another target, but i'm glad i didn't!  not only did i learn DON'T HAVE A HUGE STACK OF COUPONS THAT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED DOWN, but she learned a few things about coupons and i think i actually inspired her to try using them again!  she commented that a friend of hers was trying to teach her about them, but she wasn't using them. maybe she will now!

here's what all i got:

I had a $1 off coupon for the following $.97 items (with no size restrictions)
5 johnson's buddies soaps
4 travel size bandaids (2 hello kitty, 2 plain)
2 johnson's baby shapmoos
2 travel size tides

air wick i motions
2 $6 on sale and used 2 $5 off mq and 2 $1 off target printables

2 lightbulbs $2.14 and used 2 $1.50 off prinatble and 1 $1/2

2 travel size right guard $.97 and used a $2/2 mq

toothbrush $1.99 and used $1 off mq and $1 off target printable

rimmel mascara $2.24 and used a $1.50 target and a $1 off mq

2 first aid kits $.97 ea used $1 off mq

2 kid's crest toothpaste $1.49 and used $1 target printable and $.75 mq

1 crest toothpast $2.49 and used a $.75 mq and a $1 target printable

3 boxes of bandaids $1.77 and used $1 mq and $1 off target printable

my total after my nightmare ended up being negative because my target didn't  have the items i was planning on getting to cover the overage, so i bought 2 gillette men's body washes for $1.79 ea without a coupon to use it up. 

my total for all this was $3.36!!!  i saved $88.04 on this purchase!!!  AND made target approx $3.20 extra with their $.08 back on every coupon! 

i would never suggest going in a store with 40 coupons for one transaction and part of this nightmare is my fault for doing that.  i actually was not planning on getting all those items (and i didn't even get the other 7 first aid kits i had coupons for), but i had all three kiddos with me and this was our 4th store of the day.  if i would have been by myself, i would have done 2 trips here and another 2 trips in at my other target.  i'm sure i overwhelmed the cashier with all those coupons, but being the ocd organized person that i am, i DID have them paired up and in order of the items i purchased!  so i WAS trying to make it easy on them.  i guess that was my bad!!!

my total for the day is $8.02!  i guess saving $116.23 was worth it though!!!