Black Friday...success or failure??!!

I didn't do much venturing on Black Friday...I had really planned to, but ultimately it just wasn't worth it! Lindsey and I originally planned to hit Gaffney @ midnight, however, there wasn't anything specific we wanted there, so after seeing the crowds, we thought better of it! Then she wanted to go to Target and Wal-Mart at 6 and 5 respectively, so I said I would go with her...again, in true Autumn fashion I fell asleep and when 3am rolled around I just couldn't motivate myself when I knew there wasn't anything I really needed or wanted! We did end up going back to Wal-Mart around 4 that afternoon, and the crowd was pretty much gone...it was still busy, but no busier than any other day. I got a few things, but once again, there wasn't much I really needed or wanted to buy.

How is your Christmas shopping going? I have to say, I honestly don't know what I should get almost everyone for Christmas, including Alexa. She has so many toys already, and there isn't anything she really 'wants' b/c she doesn't know to ask for things yet. I already know of one present she is getting, and it is so cute...I really can't wait!

I did however go CVSing on Thanksgiving...while I find it a bit odd to shop in Thanksgiving, I have to say the lack of a crowd was really nice! Jodi and I both got some GREAT deals! The whole concept of CVSing is new to me, but it's a great concept and a great way to save money. Most weeks they offer items that are free after ECBs (Extra Care Bucks) and we stocked up! Let me give you a run down of what I got...

1 Maybelline Mineral Makeup $8.99 Free after ECBs
1 L'Oreal Colour Juice LipStick $6.99 Free plus overage after ECBs and $1/1 coupon
1 Colgate Total $2.99 Free plus overage after ECBs and $1.50/1 coupon
2 Aussie shampoo and conditioner $2.99 (each) Free after ECBs

I also got some face wash $3.29 and blistex $2.19, neither of these were on sale, but there were necessary at the time, so this is how it all totaled up. My first transaction I got the first two listed above plus face wash and blistex...now normally if you are just starting out and trying to spend the least OOP (out of pocket) I would recommend splitting your transactions up into smaller amounts so you can flip your ECBs onto the next purchase. The reason I didn't do this was because of a $4/20 coupon I had that expired today, and I really wanted to use it. My first transaction came to $17.51, and then my second transaction included the toothpaste and the shampoo and conditioner, it came to $0.60! So, that means I spent a total of $18.11 and got a total of $31.23 in products with $17.86 left in ECBs to spend on my next purchase. So while I had a little more money OOP, I really only spent $.025 when you consider the ECBs I have left. So, while I spent a little more than desireable for OOP, for my first transaction I thought it was awesome...and since I plan to roll my ECBs on my next transaction and come out ahead again (with the use of coupons) I shouldn't have to pay anything other than a little tax from here on out.

So, how did you do on your Black Friday shopping? Did you score any awesome deals? If you did tell me about them, or head over to Money Saving Mom and post a link there for others to check out what you got. Happy shopping! :)