Understanding CVS, Rite Aid and Wallgreens

The first stage was getting ahold of the basics and understanding how the best time to buy is when you have a coupon for something that's already on sale. I think I nailed that one with my 85% savings and a lifetime supply of Progresso Soup haha I also started to accumulate a list of prices of things I buy a lot. That way I know where the cheapest place to buy them are...and when something is a great sale and I should stock up. However I kept hearing about these crazy stories of people spending $6 on $292 worth of stuff! I'm determined to beat it. Now I know I've gotta build up my coupon database, but I figured I'd make the plunge today and try it out. Well well well...I'm sat here pretty proud of myself right now.

Rite Aid is right by my house and the Sunday Paper showed some great deals. Basically 4 packs of toilet paper, boxes of tissues, Hormel Chilli were on sale for 99 cents with $1 UP Rewards. I bought:

10 packs of toilet paper ($10) plus 10 +UP Rewards

6 boxes of tissues ($6) plus 6 +UP Rewards

2 boxes of Viactiv Calcium Chews ($12) + 2 x $3 off coupon plus 6+UP Rewards

8 Chilli cans ($10) + 2 x $1.50 off coupon plus 10 +UP Rewards

So total was $38 - 7.50 in coupons = $30.5, but I got 32 dollars in +UP Rewards

That's a profit of $1.50 but I also have $30.50 to spend towards my next purchase. I'm going to use that money, to do the same thing until I've "spent" $100, in which case I get $20 additional +UP Rewards, which means on Jan 22nd, Rite Aid will have paid me $20 to get $100 worth of stuff for free. I can't believe I haven't been aware of this my whole life!