How I saved $228.83

I went to Target today with the most massive list ever, and the biggest stack of coupons ever.

And boy did I save. Remember how I told you about my Target REDcard and my pharmacy rewards here? Well I knew I wanted to take advantage of my extra 5% off so I planned a huge shopping trip. And also, since it's now way harder to get to Target than it used to be, I try to limit my trips.

I saved $228.83 today at Target. That's a lot of money. Here's how it broke down:

-I had $93.24 in coupons (the majority of which were for formula)
-I got $5.43 in free products by taking advantage of Target promotions
-I saved $30.16 by using my REDcard (5% pharmacy rewards, 5% regular REDcard discount)
-And I had two $50 prepaid Visa gift cards. One I got from taking a USBank survey about our USBank credit card. (I thought it was only $20, so I was SUPER excited when it rang up at $50 at the register.) The other I got from participating in BlueCross BlueShield's pregnancy program. All I had to do was talk to a nurse every couple weeks, and fill out a survey at the end. Plus I got a free pregnancy book out of the deal, valued at about $40.

Some of the best deals:

Pampers wipes, regular price $2.39
-$1 Target coupon
-$0.50 manufacturer coupon
Final price: $0.89

Gerber Good Start formula, 23.2 oz, regular price $23.39
-$9.50 Gerber rebate check (I just get these in the mail; I have no idea where they come from. I suppose I signed up for something somewhere along the line.)
Final price: $13.89

Similac formula, 12.4 oz, regular price $14.69
-$5 Similac rebate check (Also just randomly come in the mail. And I get a lot of them. I used 6 of them this time, which made up $30 of my coupon savings. Also, the best part is that the checks are a form of payment and not considered coupons, so I could theoretically also use a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for even more savings. Unfortunately I didn't have any.)
Final price: $9.69 each

Playtex tampons, 36 ct, sale price $6.99 (bought two)
-(2) $1/1 manufacturer's coupons
-Plus I took advantage of an unadvertised deal where if you bought two Playtex products you could get a pack of Carefree liners (36 ct) for free, value $3.09
Final price: $11.98 for all three, or $3.99 each

Schick Quattro razors, 3 ct, regular price $6.09 (bought two)
-Used B1G1 Free coupon
-Plus I took advantage of an unadvertised deal where if you bought two Schick Quattro razors you got a free Skintimate shave gel, value $2.34
Final price: $6.09 for all three, or $2.03 each

Idahoan scalloped potatoes, sale price $1.04
-Used $1/2 manufacturer's coupon
Final price: $0.54 each

Archer Farms Simply Balanced bread, $2.59
-Used $1 Target coupon
Final price: $1.59

Nestle chocolate chips, sale price $2.34 each
-Used $1.25/3 manufacturer coupon
Final price: $1.92 each

Philadelphia cooking creme, $3.14
-Used $1 manufacturer coupon
-Used $1 Target coupon
Final price: $1.14

Wedding/Birthday cards, $2.99, $2.99, and $2.69
-Used $2/3 Target coupon
Final price: $2.22 each

Ocean Spray juice, 64 oz, sale $1.99 each
-Used $1/2 coupon
Final price: $1.49 each

I used 36 coupons and those 7 formula rebate checks, plus had three methods of payment, so I think the checkout lady was glad to see me go. And I KNOW the woman in line behind me was annoyed. Did I mention we needed two carts? But all in all, even though it was a lot of work, took some time, and was slightly embarrassing, it was worth it to save almost $230.