Wait Until Your Wishlist Items go on Special

Remember when I said you should make a wishlist of the items you have been wanting to purchase for your home, kitchen, wardrobe, etc., and try to find them on Craigslist, at yard sales, and on Ebay for lower prices? Well you should also be searching the store circulars for deals too. The Brita water filter pitcher has been on my wishlist for some time now because I despise wasting money on bottled water and hate drinking chlorine and zinc infested tap water (in our area you can really taste it...ick). Unfortunately we also live in a rental unit with an older refrigerator without a built in filtration system. We tried at one time to purchase the Brita faucet mounted water filter, but it did not fit on our faucet so we ended up returning it. 
Anyway, I have been holding off on purchasing the Brita pitcher simply because I haven't had time to go out and get it. Waiting ended up paying off big time! I was out shopping with my mom and sister yesterday when I noticed the Brita pitchers were on sale for $18.99! 

I had received a $20 Target gift card from a friend just before Christmas. Not only did I have a gift card, but I had a coupon for $3 off a new Brita pitcher. This brought the price of the pitcher down to $15.99. In addition to being on sale for $18.99, Target was also running a promotion for 1/2 off any other Brita product with the purchase of any Brita pitcher. Because I could get any other Brita product 1/2 off, I decided to stock up on filters. Target offers a 4-pack of filters for $18.99 (they are usually $6.99 each so you're saving $8.97 by purchasing them in a 4-pack instead). Half off $18.99 abour $9.50. I also happened to have a coupon for Brita filters $2 off any multi-pack. That brought the prices of the filters down to $7.50 for 4 (or $1.88 each). 

My total after coupons was $23.49. After tax and my gift card. I only paid $5 out of pocket for my brand new Brita pitcher and 4 filters! If I would have purchased this item right after receiving my gift card, I would have paid $25.99 for the pitcher and $18.99 for the filter. But by waiting, watching sale adds, using apps on my phone, and being patient, I saved $21.49!
One last way I saved on this purchase was by using my iPhone. If you're not using the Ibotta app yet, you need to stop what you're doing and go download it NOW!!! This is a free app that allows you to earn money back on groceries. These are not weird grocery items that no one ever buys either. You can earn money back on items such as milk, diapers, bar soap, shampoo, granola bars, snack crackers, fruit, dry pasta, frozen family size dinners, cereal, oatmeal, frozen pizzas, bread, body lotion, over the counter medicines, and cleaning supplies. The grocery stores are not weird hole-in-the-wall stores either. They are stores like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Walgreens, Sam's Club, Kroger, Dollar General, Costco, and CVS. You perform activities such as reading a fun fact, voting in a poll, post on Facebook, Tweeting, or watching a video to earn. Then all you do is scan the barcode on the product after you purchase the it, take a picture of your receipt, and send it in easily right on the app, and you receive your rebate within about 24 hours. You can also earn by going to see certain movies and eating a certain restaurants. After you have at least $5, you can cash out using PayPal, or purchase gift cards.

Anyway....Brita just happened to be on Ibotta the past few weeks. There is a $4 rebate on any Brita pitcher! By redeeming this offer, I earned $4 off of the purchase of my Brita filter. This brings my total savings to $25.49 and my total out of pocket cost for my Brita pitcher and 4-pack of replacement filters to $1 out of pocket! 

Now I can begin saving even more money by bringing my own water to work and school instead of purchasing the despised bottled water! I'd say this purchase has already paid for itself just in the 24 hours I have had it!