Yes, you read that right: I got the grocery store to pay me for buying name-brand toothpaste. And believe me, I don’t work for Giant Eagle. I’m just a savvy bargain shopper.

First, a disclaimer: I don’t usually buy groceries at Giant Eagle, because I know that you can get better deals on better quality perishables at local grocery stores than giant chains, no pun intended. So that means produce, meat and dairy from Nature’s Bin (preferred) or Heinen’s.

But when it comes to toiletries, some canned goods, and other, more mass-produced “stashables,” the big boys can often offer better sales – and you can usually find manufacturer’s coupons to sweeten the deal.

This is the setting for my story: How I took saving to the extreme and got Giant Eagle to pay me for buying toothpaste.

Here is the formula:

2 coupons, each for for $.75 off one Crest toothpaste, PLUS

1 Giant Eagle weekly sale flyer announcing Crest toothpaste for $1 with a Giant Eagle Advantage card, PLUS

The frequent shopper knowledge that Giant Eagle doubles coupons up to $.99.

You do the math: $.75 x 2 = $1.50. And $1.00-$1.50=-.50. Make that +$.50 that Giant Eagle pays me for buying toothpaste from them with each coupon.

So, to recap, this is how you cheat the grocery system:

1. Clip coupons.

2. Keep your eye on the sales.

3. When the forces of 1 and 2 combine on a single product, you win.