In case you need a little bit of inspiration...

Yesterday I went to Rite Aid, coupons in hand, determined to take full advantage of the crazy sales going on this week. So I thought I'd post a pic of what I purchased, and how much I paid, in case you need some inspiration to start paying attention to sales and coupons and maximizing your savings. Please note that I could not have done this without the wonderful tips and advice that so many of you have given me over the past year, so thank you, thank you! Now it's time to pay it forward and inspire others. Let's not pay full price for drugstore beauty products ever again (unless we have to--or really, really want something ASAP). lol!

Oh, but before I start, I wanted to tell you that I'm running behind on responding to comments. I've read all of your wonderful comments (thank you!) and I should be able to respond to them tonight. This weekend was hectic and I was away from my computer a lot, so thanks for your patience, and please keep those comments coming--they are SO helpful!

On to my haul:

Here's the breakdown of the regular retail price of each item at Rite Aid:

Dove Bath Bar 8-Pack: $11.99
L'Oreal Go Fresh 360 Cleanser (I still love this cleanser): $7.19
L'Oreal High Tide nail polish (from the Passport to Paradise Collection): $4.99
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base (after all your comments, I needed to see for myself how this works!): $12.95
ecoTOOLs Eyeshadow Brush: $3.99
ecoTOOLS Concealer Brush: $3.99

Total retail price: $45.10

Now here's what I paid:

Dove Bath Bar 8-Pack: Currently on sale for $7.99 with a $1 Single Check Rebate. I also had a 75-cent off coupon from the newspaper which brings my total down to $6.24

L'Oreal Go Fresh 360 Cleaner: Currently on sale for $5.99 and I had a $1 off any L'Oreal skincare coupon from the newspaper, which brings my total down to $4.99

L'Oreal High Tide nail polish: L'Oreal cosmetics are currently 40% off, which brings the cost down to $2.99, and I also had a $1 off any L'Oreal cosmetic item coupon, which brings the cost down to $1.99

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base: Currently on sale for 40% off, which brings the cost down to $7.77, and I also had a $2 off Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base coupon (from Red Plum, I think?), which brings the cost down to $5.77

ecoTOOLS Eyeshadow Brush and Concealer Brush: All ecoTOOLS products are BOGOFREE this week, which means the total cost was $3.99 for two brushes/$1.99 each

subtotal: $22.98

BUT, I also printed out that $5 off a $25 purchase coupon (my subtotal before I used my coupons was around $28), which then brings my total down to:

$17.98

At full retail price, the Studio Secrets Base and Dove Soap ALONE would have cost me $24.94. :)

I have to tell you a funny story about when I was at the check-out line. The lady in front of me had a stack of coupons (even larger than my own stack) and she was making a fairly large purchase of multiple products with coupons for each. I was trying to see how much she was saving with those coupons (how could I not be curious??) but all I could really see was the cashier scanning coupon after coupon. I was green with envy as I thought about her subtotal! lol. So anyway, that transaction took a while to complete (which I fully understand), and then of course the poor cashier than had to deal with MY coupons next. Ha! But the person I really felt sorry for was the guy standing in back of me, who was just trying to buy a six-pack of beer. He didn't complain at all, but I could feel him probably saying to himself: "Just my luck, I get in the line with two coupon queens ahead of me." :)

Oh! Before I forget: I had to share a few pics of my Rite Aid resuable bag. Their designs are so cute, I couldn't resist getting this one:

That's it for this Rite Aid report, but I hope I have inspired some of you to start paying attention to sales and using coupons in combination with sale prices. It really, really pays, and it's a great way to get new drugstore makeup products at a fraction of the retail cost. You just have to be a little patient, but it's definitely worth it in the end.

Have you scored some great deals on drugstore beauty products lately? I'd love to hear all about it. Inspire us and share you tips in the comments, please!

PS: I will definitely review the Studio Secrets Base after I've tested it out. I can't wait to see how it compares to your reviews!