"How did you do that?" said the man behind the register..

I like feedback.  I like to know how I'm doing, I'll take it wherever I can get it...
One of my favorite places to get it is when I do some shopping.  Good feedback today:

"How did you do that?  

It cost us (CVS) $1.48 for you to take these 7 things out of our store."

We know that feedback has a big impact on people... You made my day, sir!

The answer to his question is simple.  Planning & Execution.  For this shop specifically, I picked up sales items, got $2.50 EB back for the toothpaste and I had a few ECB's (extra care bucks) that I used to pay.

PLANNING: sooooooo important.  Sit with the Sunday paper and circle, or cut out the deals you find.  Take time going through coupon Mom, redplum, coupons.com, etc.  Try to stack a coupon onto a sale and if you hit it right (it takes persistence), the elusive CVS tri-fecta: sale, coupon, ECB!  Keep it all organized.  I have an envelope for each store I shop at, that accepts coupons, and then get ready to use it...

EXECUTE: Time to take your plan, get to the store with your list, and stick to it.  Know that they are trying to "up-sell" you once you are in the store.  Sights, sounds, smells...  It's all working against you to $pend more.  You've got to be on your toes or you will spend more than you planned and THAT is not part of the plan (see above. Ha!)  At check out, watch the register because mistakes can be made.  I have had to bring certain sales to the attention of a CVS cashier more than once because they didn't have the sale in the register yet...  That is where preparation pays off.  When I have the cut out of their circular as evidence of the sale, they don't push back.  I feel like trying to win a court case sometimes..."As you can clearly see, here in Exhibit A."  

Whatever it takes, right?  I'm on a budget here!

Any feedback?  What did I miss, what could I do better?

Thanks,

Brian