11:57 AM
Amy and Meagan
-Amy
Showing posts with label Coupons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coupons. Show all posts
8/12/2012
Toys-R-Us $5 off coupon!
-Amy
8/11/2012
Huggies Slip-Ons $3.99 at Walgreens (starting 8/12)
First you'll need to buy a paper for the $1.50/Huggies Diapers coupon. Unless you have a Huggies coupon from the littler mailers they send out (I don't.) In the August 2012 coupon book at Walgreens there is a $4 off Slip-ons Walgreens coupon. With a sale price of $9.49 and using the two coupons, the diapers come out at $3.99 per pack! I will be buying a pack tomorrow if I can hunt down a paper and find Walgreens (I know there are three here, which I'm totally excited about.) There's also a deal on a large pack of wipes, final price is $3.49 after a .50 manufacturers coupon (in the paper) and a $2 coupon from the August booklet. If you're fairly new to using coupons, YES, you can use both coupons because one is a store coupon and one is a manufacturers coupon.
Here are a couple of other deals that I think are worth checking out tomorrow at Walgreens:
Renew Life Omega Smart Super Krill (fish oil) $10, with a $10 register reward. I use this fish oil and recommend it.
Palmolive Dish Soap $.94 (minus manufacture coupon of .25 if you buy a newspaper) so total $.69
Let me know what deals you get at Walgreens this week!
Is there a point when you go too far to save money?
This may seem like an odd question, but is there a point where one can go too far to save money? The reason that I ask this is because I follow a few other money saving blogs. Every now and then I come across a way of saving money that seems to go a little too far. Saving money is great, but is there a point when it can hurt a person or family more than help them?
I think the answer to that question is yes. You have to ask yourself, WHY am I trying to save money? Are you trying to get out of debt? Buy a new car? Go on a great vacation? Save some money for a rainy day? Any reason to save money is a good reason, I personally think that there has to be a balance. Of course it's great to save money, but depriving yourself all the time isn't good either. I read something online a while back where a family said they didn't go out much or visit family (even though they didn't live terribly far away) because it cost too much. That made me kind of sad. At the end of your life are you going to be happy that you saved $40 on a tank of gas, or wish you'd spent more time with your family and friends? I also remember watching an episode of TLC's "Extreme Couponing" (yes, I've seen two episodes, and they were stupid) where the woman was HORRIFIED at her son asking for something that they didn't have a coupon for. On Extreme Couponing they usually pay little to nothing, so I seriously think a $3 treat for the boy who was behaving himself would have been perfectly acceptable. I guess it just wouldn't have been extreme enough for the show. I've also read where people spend so little on food that they miss out on a lot of foods they really like. I totally get not buying expensive treats all the time, but why not once in a while? That is exactly what I mean, if you are doing little things to save money, whether it be couponing, cloth diapering, conserving electricity, etc, you should definitely treat yourself from time to time!
I'm certainly not saying that those with absolutely no disposable income should go out and waste their money, I am just saying that ultimately the person who does with the most money is not the "winner." Spending a couple of hours a week to save some money with coupons is awesome. Spending all day, every day obsessing about coupons/what is on sale is NOT. We should enjoy life! If that means a visit with some family who live out of town or a box of fruit snacks at full price, so be it.
So what does everyone think? Where do you find your balance? How do you treat yourselves or your family?
Speaking of treating yourself, Coach factory outlets has a nice 30% off coupon that can be found here. :-) This could make for a pretty good deal if you are a Coach fan!
7/27/2012
BabyLegs Buy 1 Get 3 FREE Summer Blowout Sale
Buy 1... Get 3 FREE, Buy 2... Get 6 FREE, Buy 3... Get 9 FREE ... and so on!
Don't wait, because styles and colors are going fast! Stock up for birthdays, Christmas, and baby showers. These are a great gift idea!
10 More Pampers Gifts to Grow Points!
If your child is in Pampers diapers or Easy-Ups, you definitely need a Gifts to Grow account. You can redeem the points for gift cards, or prizes for yourself or your baby!
FREE Sample of Disney Huggies Pull-Ups!
7/24/2012
15 Pampers Gifts to Grow Points!
If your child is in Pampers diapers or Easy-Ups, you definitely need a Gifts to Grow account. You can redeem the points for gift cards, or prizes for yourself or your baby!
11/16/2011
CVS vs. Walgreens
If you are new to shopping at drugstores or new to using coupons, you may be confused as to why people shop at places like CVS and Walgreens. CVS and Walgreens are two of the three major drugstores where couponers shop. Rite Aid is the third, there are none of these in my area so I won't include Rite Aid in this post.
Why would you shop at CVS or Walgreens when their prices are so high? It's true, regular prices at CVS and Walgreens are sky high. The reason for shopping at the drugstores are sale prices, in-store coupons (which can be used in conjunction with a manufactures coupon, or "stacked",) and rewards programs. In this post I will tell you a little more about these two stores and where there differences are. With this knowledge in hand you can decide at which store you would prefer to shop, or if you'd be up for tackling both.
So what are the differences between shopping at CVS and shopping at Walgreens?
Rewards Programs: Both CVS and Walgreens have a rewards program. Walgreens has Register Rewards, which print on a catalina machine separately from your receipt. CVS has Extra Bucks which print directly onto the bottom your receipt. Both stores have similar sales (ex. spend $5.99 on lotion, receive $5.99 Register Reward/Extra Bucks) but they way they are redeemed is different. Walgreens considers RR's (Register Rewards) to be manufactures coupons. With all stores you are required to have as many items as manufactures coupons, so you may need to use cheap "filler" items if you are using coupons for every other item you are buying. At CVS, EB's (Extra Bucks) are redeemed more like a gift card. Meaning that you don't need to have extra items. This means redeeming EB's is somewhat easier than redeeming RR's, at least until you get the hang of it. Keep in mind that Walgreens coupons are not manufactures coupons, so don't count them in your coupon total.
Item Limits: CVS has a shopping card (like a store loyalty card) that must be used to receive sale prices or Extra Bucks. Walgreens does not have a similar card. CVS usually has limits on it's reward items (usually 1 or 2) and Walgreens does not. A few Walgreens stores require that you only buy one Register Reward item per day, but without a store card there is no way to really enforce this rule, and it only applies to that store so you can always check another store for the same item. The item limits are both a good and bad thing. This means that CVS usually has better stock of an item that is a particularly good deal, but you can only buy one or two. Walgreens will usually sell out of items that are very popular, but if you find a store that is completely stocked you can buy as many as needed. Many people take advantage of this and will clear shelves at Walgreens, it may not be against the rules but it certainly isn't nice.
Number of Stores: In my area (and most that I've been to) there are more Walgreens stores than CVS stores. That means that it may be more convenient to shop at Walgreens because there are simply more of them. It also means that if one Walgreens is sold out of an item that you want, another might have it. I regularly go to about four Walgreens stores and about 75% of the time at least one of them will have what I am looking for.
Friendliness of Staff: It may not seem like a huge factor, but if you are using coupons it is always good to have staff that is coupon knowledgeable or at least open to the use of coupons. I have personally found that cashiers and managers at CVS know more about their coupon policy and are more helpful than those who work at Walgreens. This may not be true in every area, but it certainly is where I live.
"Magic Coupon Machine:" This is a little red machine at CVS that prints coupons automatically when you scan your card. Sometimes it will even print coupons for FREE items. CVS has this, Walgreens doesn't.
In-Store Coupons: Both CVS and Walgreens have in-store coupons. Store coupons can be "stacked" with a manufactures coupon for great savings. Walgreens has more of them, and they are usually easier to find. Walgreens has a little book every month that is out by the weekly sale ad with lots of coupons. They also regularly have coupons in the newspaper, as well as other little booklets in the store. Some of these booklets are seasonal, or found near the pharmacy. CVS occasionally has coupons online or in the newspaper, as well as coupons that print from the "magic coupon machine." I heard that Walgreens will soon have mobile coupons, I'll update when I have more information.
So with this information in hand, you should be able to understand the differences between these stores a little better. Which store is "better" is entirely up to you. I prefer CVS if I am in a hurry, because there is no figuring out filler items. However if you are really looking to stock up on a product Walgreens may be the better option.
Why would you shop at CVS or Walgreens when their prices are so high? It's true, regular prices at CVS and Walgreens are sky high. The reason for shopping at the drugstores are sale prices, in-store coupons (which can be used in conjunction with a manufactures coupon, or "stacked",) and rewards programs. In this post I will tell you a little more about these two stores and where there differences are. With this knowledge in hand you can decide at which store you would prefer to shop, or if you'd be up for tackling both.
So what are the differences between shopping at CVS and shopping at Walgreens?
Rewards Programs: Both CVS and Walgreens have a rewards program. Walgreens has Register Rewards, which print on a catalina machine separately from your receipt. CVS has Extra Bucks which print directly onto the bottom your receipt. Both stores have similar sales (ex. spend $5.99 on lotion, receive $5.99 Register Reward/Extra Bucks) but they way they are redeemed is different. Walgreens considers RR's (Register Rewards) to be manufactures coupons. With all stores you are required to have as many items as manufactures coupons, so you may need to use cheap "filler" items if you are using coupons for every other item you are buying. At CVS, EB's (Extra Bucks) are redeemed more like a gift card. Meaning that you don't need to have extra items. This means redeeming EB's is somewhat easier than redeeming RR's, at least until you get the hang of it. Keep in mind that Walgreens coupons are not manufactures coupons, so don't count them in your coupon total.
Item Limits: CVS has a shopping card (like a store loyalty card) that must be used to receive sale prices or Extra Bucks. Walgreens does not have a similar card. CVS usually has limits on it's reward items (usually 1 or 2) and Walgreens does not. A few Walgreens stores require that you only buy one Register Reward item per day, but without a store card there is no way to really enforce this rule, and it only applies to that store so you can always check another store for the same item. The item limits are both a good and bad thing. This means that CVS usually has better stock of an item that is a particularly good deal, but you can only buy one or two. Walgreens will usually sell out of items that are very popular, but if you find a store that is completely stocked you can buy as many as needed. Many people take advantage of this and will clear shelves at Walgreens, it may not be against the rules but it certainly isn't nice.
Number of Stores: In my area (and most that I've been to) there are more Walgreens stores than CVS stores. That means that it may be more convenient to shop at Walgreens because there are simply more of them. It also means that if one Walgreens is sold out of an item that you want, another might have it. I regularly go to about four Walgreens stores and about 75% of the time at least one of them will have what I am looking for.
Friendliness of Staff: It may not seem like a huge factor, but if you are using coupons it is always good to have staff that is coupon knowledgeable or at least open to the use of coupons. I have personally found that cashiers and managers at CVS know more about their coupon policy and are more helpful than those who work at Walgreens. This may not be true in every area, but it certainly is where I live.
"Magic Coupon Machine:" This is a little red machine at CVS that prints coupons automatically when you scan your card. Sometimes it will even print coupons for FREE items. CVS has this, Walgreens doesn't.
In-Store Coupons: Both CVS and Walgreens have in-store coupons. Store coupons can be "stacked" with a manufactures coupon for great savings. Walgreens has more of them, and they are usually easier to find. Walgreens has a little book every month that is out by the weekly sale ad with lots of coupons. They also regularly have coupons in the newspaper, as well as other little booklets in the store. Some of these booklets are seasonal, or found near the pharmacy. CVS occasionally has coupons online or in the newspaper, as well as coupons that print from the "magic coupon machine." I heard that Walgreens will soon have mobile coupons, I'll update when I have more information.
So with this information in hand, you should be able to understand the differences between these stores a little better. Which store is "better" is entirely up to you. I prefer CVS if I am in a hurry, because there is no figuring out filler items. However if you are really looking to stock up on a product Walgreens may be the better option.
9/18/2011
"Money Makers" at Drugstores and other places
If you have visited any coupon blogs you have probably seen the term "money maker" or "MM." This means (supposedly) that you got back more money than you spent. The reason that I don't like this is because many times it gives people a false impression because they are subtracting any earned register rewards, gift cards, or extra bucks from their total. Confused? Here is a scenario:
Let's say that Tampons are $7 at CVS and you get a $7 Extra buck with purchase, let's also say that there was a $1 off printable coupon online (there was a similar deal to this last week.) Okay, so you pay $6 plus tax and receive a $7 extra buck. Some people call that a $1 money maker.
Now, if you used extra bucks from a previous week to pay for it, it would be a "money maker" because you spent nothing or very little out of pocket. If you actually spent $6, then you SPENT SIX DOLLARS. It's great to have the reward for next week, but those rewards can be lost or forgotten about (especially for newbies.) I also see people counting rewards TWICE. The day they get them and the day they spend them, this doesn't make sense at all. For me, I count whatever CASH I spend out of pocket as my total spent. If I have rewards left over from last week (and I usually do) this total is little or nothing. Last week I spent $.04 at CVS at Walgreens ($.03 at CVS, $.01 at Walgreens) because of leftover rewards.
Why is this a big deal? Well it isn't, but I think some people who are new to couponing get confused or discouraged because their actually expenses seem higher than what they see online. To me, counting the CASH that I spent makes the most sense. Now there are true "money makers" out there. For example Wal-Mart will give you money back if your coupons go over your total amount. I've never done this personally because I use overage toward other items. Also if you use your Extra Bucks from last week at CVS, spend little or no cash and come out with more Extra Bucks than you went in with, that is also a "money maker" (even if it is paper money.)
9/10/2011
Money Savings Websites
This part of All You's website has coupons (some exclusive!) and a daily freebie. Sometimes the freebies are really good. Some freebies will arrive with coupons too.
This is one of my favorite sites for money saving tips. I love her realistic guides to couponing (for those of us who aren't so "extreme") and simple money saving solutions. She also posts CVS and Walgreens match-ups almost weekly.
This is one of the best sites for all things coupons. They have multiple posts per day and sometimes post about things other than couponing (like saving on vacations.) Also check out the "Brag Lounge" to see what kind of deals others have been getting and maybe check if your stores have the same deals!
I hate how this site is set up (too many ads) but I love the drugstore deals section which is updated weekly. This section has match-ups for sales and coupons at many stores. You may have a couple for a freebie or cheap item and not even know it! Use this site to check.
Another helpful coupon site with links to the best printables and guides for various stores.
Want to know what coupons will be in this Sunday's paper? This site will tell you ahead of time.
If you live in a rural area (like I do) Wal-Mart may be the only store that is nearby. If I didn't drive for work I would rarely be able to go to Walgreens, CVS or Target without going out of my way. Unfortunately Wal-Mart is not the best place to coupon (in most cases.) This site is run by a man, which I think is cool, and it's all about couponing at Wal-Mart!
So those are some of my favorite places to visit for coupon and money saving tips, what are your favorite money-saving websites?
9/06/2011
10 Pampers Gifts to Grow Points
If your child is in Pampers diapers or Easy-Ups, you definitely need a Gifts to Grow account. You can redeem the points for gift cards, or prizes for yourself or your baby!
8/28/2011
7 things that you should never pay more than $1.00 for
Oral Care
Never, ever, EVER pay for toothbrushes! You can get these for free* at the drugstores almost every week. There are almost always coupons for toothbrushes that can be combined with sales for a free item. For instance last week I purchased a Colgate 360 toothbrush. Retail price was $4.99 (which is ridiculous if you ask me) but it came with a $4.00 Register Reward. I also had a coupon from All You magazine for a $1.00 off. So I paid $3.99 plus tax for the toothbrush (I used Register Rewards from my last trip) and got $4.00 back! Toothpaste and floss have similar deals. You can regularly find deals for toothpaste and floss for no more than $.25 or $.50.
*"free" after Register Rewards, Extra Bucks, Gift cards, etc. You may have to pay a little bit out of pocket initially but you will get the money back to spend later.
Hair Care
You could pay $1.00 for cheap shampoo or you could pay $1.00 (or less!) for the "good" brands like Pantene, Herbal Essences, Garnier, etc. These can be a little trickier, I am currently stocked up on Garnier coupons (my husbands favorite brand) waiting for a good sale. You may have to wait for a few weeks to find a sale on your favorite brand but if you aren't picky there are great sales on these items every week. There are always new newspaper and printable coupons for hair care. Target clearance is also a GREAT place to find very low prices on your favorites brands that can be combined with coupons. A couple of months ago there was a deal on Finesse sulfate free shampoo, after a coupon and a mail in rebate it was absolutely FREE!
Deodorant
Like hair care, there are always coupons floating around out there for deodorant. There is currently a $1.00 off Degree coupon for premium deodorant that has no size restriction. These can be redeemed at Target where the trial size premium deodorant is only $.97! There was also recently a deal where Mitchum deodorant was free and last week at Walgreens full-size Degree deodorant was only $.75.
Body Wash
Just like with hair care, there are usually coupons for body wash, soap, and lotion and plenty of good sales to be combined with. The most important thing is to try to leave your brand loyalty behind because your coupons may expire while you are waiting for a good sale on your favorite products. If you see a good sale on a brand that you like where the final price is under $1.00, stock up!
Pantyliners
Never pay full price for any feminine hygiene product! There are coupons for these products almost every week in the newspaper and they also run regularly online. Carefree pantyliners can often be bought for less than $.25 for a small package and currently U by Kotex has a $1 off any product coupon that can be used on the smallest package of liners for a final price of only $.24 at Wal-Mart.
Bandages
Nexcare, Curad, and Bandaid brands have all recently had coupons for their products. I was able to score a bunch of plain Nexcare bandages for FREE at Wal-Mart and also some Shrek bandages for only $.74.
Trial size items
Sometimes coupons do not have a size restriction (meaning it will NOT say "excludes trial sizes") and that means you are free to use it on a trial size. Regardless of what a rude cashier might tell you. I've had lots and lots of issues with this at Wal-Mart, one cashier acted like I was stealing the money straight out of her pocket. I can assure you that the manufactures know what they are doing and if they didn't want you to use it on a trial size they would put it on the coupon! I'm not an expert but I think that the manufactures want you to try the product even if they lose money, because they know that coupons will not be available forever and if you like the product you will buy it again even if it isn't free. This is also why there are often high value coupons for products (especially new products) which make the products free. Some of the trial size items that I have gotten for free or very cheap: Dove hairspray, Degree deodorant, Tide singles detergent, Cascade dishwasher tabs. I recommend using these coupons at Target over Wal-Mart, I have also never had a problem at Walgreens trying to use a coupon that didn't have a size restriction.
So as you can see there is no need to spend a lot of money on every day necessities. If you can't wait for a good sale, use a coupon and buy one of what you need and then save the rest of your coupons for a sale. Like I mentioned before, there are sometimes very high value coupons that do make other products free. Some of the most recent coupons like this were for Bengay, Zyrtec and Tylenol Precise. If you see these coupons, print the maximum that you can (usually 2 per computer) and stock up, but please try not to clear any shelves! Even if it is for a product that you will not use, you can always give it away to someone who will.
8/27/2011
Couponing This Week
I know that I have been absent lately but I've had a lot of personal stuff going on. I wanted to do a little "couponing update." A lot of people seem to think that couponing is too difficult for working moms because we have enough to do between work and everything we have to do once we get home. For me this hasn't been the case at all. I drive people who are on medicaid for work I usually have to wait for a while while they are in their doctors appointments. Since I live in a small town with no Walgreens, CVS, Target, etc. (there is a Wal-Mart about 10 miles away) this works out really well. I don't have to waste my own gas driving up to a larger town to shop at these stores which is great because the gas would almost make the savings not worth my time! I have been buying a few things every week trying to build up a small stockpile. Most of what I have is household products, but I am working on food as well. I am not an extreme couponer my any means, I try to keep the cashiers happy and usually only buy a handful of products at once. I don't get hundreds of dollars of items for free but I've gotten a lot of things that my family will actually use cheap or free. My largest "coupon haul" has been this week for sure and I wanted to share it. I went to 4 Walgreens stores (some more than once,) Target, Wal-Mart and CVS. My OOP (out of pocket) price for all of this was about $40, and I still have Register Rewards ($9, I think) from Walgreens left for next week. Most of this was purchased at Walgreens, I also have 1 more Dial body wash, 3 more packs of Papermate pens and 4 more mini degree deodorants not pictured that were purchased yesterday. Here is a very rough breakdown of my purchases.
Walgreens (4 different stores)
6 Dial Bodywashes ($3.99-3RR) = $.99 you can often find body wash completely free but I really liked this and my sister uses it so I got some extras for her
6 (I think) packs of blue papermate pens = $.29 each with in-ad coupon. We use these for work and always need more, great "filler" item!
6 (I think) mailers = $.39 with in ad coupon. I mail diapers/dryer balls/etc very often and this was a good price. I love using "filler" items that I actually need!
Cottonelle TP ($5-$.50 coupon-$1 coupon) $3.50
16 Degree mini deodorants (.$97-$.75 coupon) $.22 each. The first 4 of these that I bought printed out a register reward and I kept trying for another but no suck long.
2 Degree deodorant (2/$4-(2)$.75 coupons-$1RR) $.75 each
4 Mini notebooks $.15 with in ad coupon, for my sister who is a waitress
KY Yours+Mine ($15-$5 coupon-$5RR)-$5 No explanation needed here, lol.
4 M&Ms (2/$4-$1 coupon-$1RR) $1 each, potty bribing candy :)
Cheezits & Keebler Cookies (4/$10-$5RR) $5 for 4.
Dawn dishsoap ($.99-$.50 coupon and $.25 coupon) .$25 and .$50 each
Gatorade, buy Perform ($1.79) get catalina for Prime and Recover for free, I did this twice but only got the catalina for the free products the first time.
Proglide Razor ($9.99-$4 coupon-$4RR) = $1.99
360 Toothbrush ($4.99-$1 coupon-$4RR) = Free
Airwick thing, ($7.99-$4 coupon-3RR) $.99 I plan to give this away because I don't use stuff like this
There are probably more Walgreens purchases hiding in there but those are the only ones I can remember. I am doing this off the top of my head without receipts (which is really, really sad now that I think about it.) :)
Target
5 Degree premium mini deodorants ($.97-$1 coupon) = FREE, because I don't have enough mini deodorants right? :) I actually plan to use them instead of regular deodorant until I run out, in 10 years.
Method All Purpose Cleaner (not pictured) ($2.99-$1 coupon) = $1.99, I LOVE Method and I'd much rather use it than the chemical stuff, even if it was free.
Dove Bodywash 2 pack, plus bracelet. $3.50 clearance - 1.25 coupon = $1.75 for both, this was a great price because one of the body washes is regular size and one is really big.
2 Cottonelle Flushable Wipes, I can't remember the exact price but I had a $1.75 coupon and a $1 off coupon (Target and Manufactures) and another printed at the register for next time. I think they were about $.80 each, these are for Kainan.
Wal-Mart
3 U by Kotex liners ($1.24-$1 coupon) = $.24 each
4 Tampax Compak Tampons ($3.99-2BOGO coupons-2$1 off coupons) = About $1.50 per box.
Pull-ups Flushable Wipes ($1.74-$1 coupon) $.74, also for Kainan
Keri Lotion (PM to Walgreens at $1.99-2 coupon) FREE some stores/cashiers will price match after register rewards and some won't, it just depends on who you get
2 Advil Pocketpacks ($1.79-$2 coupon) FREE
5 packs of scotch tape (PM to Staples at $.50-$1 coupon) FREE plus .50 overage which was applied to the other purchaes
Bubbles, $.50 on sale, for Kainan
Beechnut baby food ($.39 each-$1/3 coupon) about $.10 each. I plan to make most of my own babyfood when Mikaela is ready for it (about a month or two) but I thought these would be nice for the diaper bag, etc.
10 Pack of Minutemaid juice ($2 something - $1 coupon) = $1something (my memory is failing me now)
CVS
Cheap wine, $2.99 :)
If you did the math and can't see how I only spent $40 (or so) it's because I "rolled" my Register Reward purchases at Walgreens. There are lots of sites and blogs with tutorials on couponing at various stores but I will probably write up my own sometime for Walgreens since it is my new favorite place to shop.
Walgreens (4 different stores)
6 Dial Bodywashes ($3.99-3RR) = $.99 you can often find body wash completely free but I really liked this and my sister uses it so I got some extras for her
6 (I think) packs of blue papermate pens = $.29 each with in-ad coupon. We use these for work and always need more, great "filler" item!
6 (I think) mailers = $.39 with in ad coupon. I mail diapers/dryer balls/etc very often and this was a good price. I love using "filler" items that I actually need!
Cottonelle TP ($5-$.50 coupon-$1 coupon) $3.50
16 Degree mini deodorants (.$97-$.75 coupon) $.22 each. The first 4 of these that I bought printed out a register reward and I kept trying for another but no suck long.
2 Degree deodorant (2/$4-(2)$.75 coupons-$1RR) $.75 each
4 Mini notebooks $.15 with in ad coupon, for my sister who is a waitress
KY Yours+Mine ($15-$5 coupon-$5RR)-$5 No explanation needed here, lol.
4 M&Ms (2/$4-$1 coupon-$1RR) $1 each, potty bribing candy :)
Cheezits & Keebler Cookies (4/$10-$5RR) $5 for 4.
Dawn dishsoap ($.99-$.50 coupon and $.25 coupon) .$25 and .$50 each
Gatorade, buy Perform ($1.79) get catalina for Prime and Recover for free, I did this twice but only got the catalina for the free products the first time.
Proglide Razor ($9.99-$4 coupon-$4RR) = $1.99
360 Toothbrush ($4.99-$1 coupon-$4RR) = Free
Airwick thing, ($7.99-$4 coupon-3RR) $.99 I plan to give this away because I don't use stuff like this
There are probably more Walgreens purchases hiding in there but those are the only ones I can remember. I am doing this off the top of my head without receipts (which is really, really sad now that I think about it.) :)
Target
5 Degree premium mini deodorants ($.97-$1 coupon) = FREE, because I don't have enough mini deodorants right? :) I actually plan to use them instead of regular deodorant until I run out, in 10 years.
Method All Purpose Cleaner (not pictured) ($2.99-$1 coupon) = $1.99, I LOVE Method and I'd much rather use it than the chemical stuff, even if it was free.
Dove Bodywash 2 pack, plus bracelet. $3.50 clearance - 1.25 coupon = $1.75 for both, this was a great price because one of the body washes is regular size and one is really big.
2 Cottonelle Flushable Wipes, I can't remember the exact price but I had a $1.75 coupon and a $1 off coupon (Target and Manufactures) and another printed at the register for next time. I think they were about $.80 each, these are for Kainan.
Wal-Mart
3 U by Kotex liners ($1.24-$1 coupon) = $.24 each
4 Tampax Compak Tampons ($3.99-2BOGO coupons-2$1 off coupons) = About $1.50 per box.
Pull-ups Flushable Wipes ($1.74-$1 coupon) $.74, also for Kainan
Keri Lotion (PM to Walgreens at $1.99-2 coupon) FREE some stores/cashiers will price match after register rewards and some won't, it just depends on who you get
2 Advil Pocketpacks ($1.79-$2 coupon) FREE
5 packs of scotch tape (PM to Staples at $.50-$1 coupon) FREE plus .50 overage which was applied to the other purchaes
Bubbles, $.50 on sale, for Kainan
Beechnut baby food ($.39 each-$1/3 coupon) about $.10 each. I plan to make most of my own babyfood when Mikaela is ready for it (about a month or two) but I thought these would be nice for the diaper bag, etc.
10 Pack of Minutemaid juice ($2 something - $1 coupon) = $1something (my memory is failing me now)
CVS
Cheap wine, $2.99 :)
If you did the math and can't see how I only spent $40 (or so) it's because I "rolled" my Register Reward purchases at Walgreens. There are lots of sites and blogs with tutorials on couponing at various stores but I will probably write up my own sometime for Walgreens since it is my new favorite place to shop.
8/12/2011
Saving Money on Disposable Diapers
While I LOVE my cloth diapers, I realize they aren't for everyone. I have said before that I believe more people would use cloth diapers if they just gave them a chance. That being said I realize that there are lots and lots of people who will never touch a cloth diaper, and that's okay! Some moms cloth diaper smaller babies and switch to disposables when the poop gets really stinky (and who can blame them?) Fortunately for those who use disposables there are plenty of ways to save. Since I started "couponing" and realized the deals that are out there I have wanted to kick myself lots of times for paying full price for certain items. Diapers are one of these items. There are a few easy ways to save on disposables, here are some of them:Amazon:
Amazon.com usually has pretty decent deals on diapers. The prices can vary so try to keep track of what you pay to know whether or not you are getting a good deal. If you subscribe to Amazon Mom (free!) you will save 15%. Sign up for subsribe and save (also free!) and you will save another 15%. That 30% is almost always cheaper than the prices you would find at stores like Wal-Mart or Target. I normally use Amazon.com to buy pull-ups for my son since he is almost potty trained but grew out of his cloth. You can cancel subscribe and save as soon as you order, or set the ordering times really far apart so that you can change sizes or brands if you need to. You can't use coupons on Amazon but they do sometimes have sales. If you need diapers fast and can't find other good deals Amazon is a good choice because of free two day shipping with Amazon mom.
Coupons:
Pampers and Huggies both have newspaper coupons fairly frequently. Other brands will occasionally have coupons as well. Huggies and Pampers both have mailing lists that send out coupons every now and then. These coupons typically range from $1.50 to $3.00 off one pack of diapers. $1.50 off a pack of $10 diapers may not seem like much, but every little bit helps. Combine coupons with sales for maximum savings.
Drugstore deals:
Stores like Walgreens or CVS often have sales on diapers that include Register Rewards or Extra Bucks. If you shop at these stores anyway and roll you RRs or EBs following these sales can save a lot of money! An example of this at Walgreens would be a sale price of $8.99 plus receive a $2 Register Reward. If you combine this with a $2 off coupon it would be like paying $4.99, which is about half of the regular price. If you don't typically shop at drugstores this may not be the best deal because you may forget or no know how to use the register reward or extra buck.
Clearance deals:
Lots of stores will put their diapers on clearance from time to time for various reasons such as the diapers being repackaged or discontinued. These prices are often half of the regular price or even less! Combined with coupons this can make diapers very, very cheap!
Stockpiling: Find a GREAT deal on diapers? Stock up!! If you can get diapers for $3 or $4 or less for a jumbo pack (and it does happen more often than you'd think!) buy some for a few months! Find a great deal on diapers that are a size or two up? Buy them anyway, kids grow fast! The same applies for wipes, since there are great deals on wipes all the time.
As you can see there are plenty of ways to buy diapers without paying retail prices. All of these deals can apply to disposable wipes as well. Diapers are one of the most expensive baby items but by following these simple tips it is very easy to save!
7/09/2011
Step 2: How to Organize your Coupons
First off, you have to decide whether you're going to clip every coupon as you receive it, or whether you're going to store your inserts, magazines, etc in their entirety and just clip the coordinating coupons as you find deals.
How do I decide which method is best for me?
That's easy! Are you the kind of person that goes to the store for 3 things, and walks out with a cart full? If your an impulse shopper, then you'll want to use Method #1. This way, you'll have all of your coupons with you at all times. If you see something that isn't on your list, you can quickly see if you have a coupon for it. If you are the kind of person that makes a shopping list and sticks to it, then Method #2 will work for you.
If you're going to clip every coupon as you receive it (Method #1), read on. If you're planning to store your inserts and magazines (Method #2), you can skip down to Method #2.
Method #1:
I used a method that many couponers believe to be the simplest way to organize and find coupons. The binder method. You may not think you have nearly enough coupons to fill a binder, but once you start clipping 95% or more of the coupons you get your hands on, you'll be thankful that you chose the binder method. I really started couponing just 8 days ago, and my binder already has over 60 pages full of coupons.
What You Need:
Method #2:
If you are the type of person you plans every shopping trip down to the penny and never strays, then this is the method for you. You'll be planning every single transaction prior to going to the store and only bringing along the coupons that you plan to use.
What You Need:
Great job! Now you've got all your coupons sorted and your ready to find those low, low prices. In the next step we'll talk about all of the great resources that are available online for clipping, price matching, and talking to other great couponers.
How do I decide which method is best for me?
That's easy! Are you the kind of person that goes to the store for 3 things, and walks out with a cart full? If your an impulse shopper, then you'll want to use Method #1. This way, you'll have all of your coupons with you at all times. If you see something that isn't on your list, you can quickly see if you have a coupon for it. If you are the kind of person that makes a shopping list and sticks to it, then Method #2 will work for you.
If you're going to clip every coupon as you receive it (Method #1), read on. If you're planning to store your inserts and magazines (Method #2), you can skip down to Method #2.
Method #1:
I used a method that many couponers believe to be the simplest way to organize and find coupons. The binder method. You may not think you have nearly enough coupons to fill a binder, but once you start clipping 95% or more of the coupons you get your hands on, you'll be thankful that you chose the binder method. I really started couponing just 8 days ago, and my binder already has over 60 pages full of coupons.
What You Need:
- 2-3 inch Binder (if you have small children, I recommend getting one that zips closed)
- 7-8 Packs of Tab Dividers
- 50-100 Pages of Clear Baseball Card Holders
- First you want to separate your coupons into categories. You can make up your own, or you can use what I use. This is the printable Table of Contents and Dividers from The Krazy Coupon Lady, aka Joanie Demer (the first couponer to premiere on TLC's Extreme Couponing show).
- Once you've separated all of your coupons, you want to fill out your dividers. (I have the category written on the front of the divider and on the tab.)
- Now it's time to add some baseball card holders to your binder. (Since I have 36 categories and only 65 baseball card holders, I have some categories with two holders and others with only one. It depends on how often you get coupons for certain categories.)
- Now you can start putting your coupons into their spots. (I put them by expiration date, so the closest date is in the front and the farthest dates are towards the back. This is very time consuming when your putting your binder together for the first time, but it will be much easier to upkeep. You may have to trim coupons or fold them to fit them in their place holders.)
- I also keep one card holder in the very front of my binder with all of my full size membership cards in it. This way, if I ever look on my keys and my key chain is missing (or I have the wrong set of keys), then I still have my membership card with me.
Method #2:
If you are the type of person you plans every shopping trip down to the penny and never strays, then this is the method for you. You'll be planning every single transaction prior to going to the store and only bringing along the coupons that you plan to use.
What You Need:
- 2-3 inch Binder (if you have small children, I recommend getting one that zips closed)
- 150-200 Clear Page Protectors
- First you will need to gather all of your newspaper inserts, and magazine pages with coupons, tear them into single pages, and sort them by date. (I've heard that it's easier if you put the newest ones in the back.)
- You'll want to write the date the newspaper came out on each single page somewhere, and the month each magazine came out on those pages too.. (This will help when your looking through price matches and you need to find the 7/3 P&G insert quickly.)
- Next you'll want to get your binder out and put all of your page protectors inside your binder.
- After that, your going to want to start putting your inserts in the page protectors. (If you have an insert that has an advertisement on the back with no coupons, you can put another one behind it, back-to-back, to save space.)
Great job! Now you've got all your coupons sorted and your ready to find those low, low prices. In the next step we'll talk about all of the great resources that are available online for clipping, price matching, and talking to other great couponers.
7/04/2011
Step 1: Where do I get all of these coupons?
In this step, we are going to discuss how to get your hands on those all too valuable coupons.
1) Newspaper Inserts - The very first place to look for coupons is obviously in the Sunday paper. You can either do this by going to the store and buying the paper every weekend (just make sure the plastic insert is inside your paper before you pay for it), or you can subscribe to the Sunday edition by calling your newspaper or going online. If your a new subscriber, they normally have really good deals on the Sunday edition.
2) Magazines - I subscribe to All You magazine, which you can also buy monthly at Wal-Mart. This particular magazine has a great deal of valuable coupons in every issue.
3) Printable - These are coupons that are available from numerous websites. You have to be very careful with internet coupons though. Some stores do not accept them due to fraud. Check with your stores and make sure they accept them first.
4) Peelie - These are coupons found directly on the package. You don't have to use these at the same time you purchase the product. I suggest peeling these off as you put your items on the belt, or else the cashier will scan it right away.
5) Hangtag - These are coupons or forms found hanging from a tag around the neck of a bottle or jar.
6) Catalina - These are the coupons that are dispensed from the small machine at the register after your purchase. They are only redeemable at the store that it printed at or at stores that accept competitor store coupons.
7) Blinkie - These are the in-store SmartSource coupons that are located in a dispenser near the product, usually from a red blinking box attached to the shelf.
8) Product Packages - Another way to find coupons is to look on the inside of boxes and bags of already purchased, empty items. For example; Jimmy Dean almost always has coupons inside their boxes of breakfast foods.
That is a great start to accumulating your coupons. In the next step we'll discuss how to organize and store your coupon collection.
1) Newspaper Inserts - The very first place to look for coupons is obviously in the Sunday paper. You can either do this by going to the store and buying the paper every weekend (just make sure the plastic insert is inside your paper before you pay for it), or you can subscribe to the Sunday edition by calling your newspaper or going online. If your a new subscriber, they normally have really good deals on the Sunday edition.
2) Magazines - I subscribe to All You magazine, which you can also buy monthly at Wal-Mart. This particular magazine has a great deal of valuable coupons in every issue.
3) Printable - These are coupons that are available from numerous websites. You have to be very careful with internet coupons though. Some stores do not accept them due to fraud. Check with your stores and make sure they accept them first.
4) Peelie - These are coupons found directly on the package. You don't have to use these at the same time you purchase the product. I suggest peeling these off as you put your items on the belt, or else the cashier will scan it right away.
5) Hangtag - These are coupons or forms found hanging from a tag around the neck of a bottle or jar.
6) Catalina - These are the coupons that are dispensed from the small machine at the register after your purchase. They are only redeemable at the store that it printed at or at stores that accept competitor store coupons.
7) Blinkie - These are the in-store SmartSource coupons that are located in a dispenser near the product, usually from a red blinking box attached to the shelf.
8) Product Packages - Another way to find coupons is to look on the inside of boxes and bags of already purchased, empty items. For example; Jimmy Dean almost always has coupons inside their boxes of breakfast foods.
That is a great start to accumulating your coupons. In the next step we'll discuss how to organize and store your coupon collection.
Become an Expert at Couponing
Have you seen the new show Extreme Couponing? It's a little crazy, I know, but realistically I believe many people are jealous of the fact that someone can walk out of a store paying just under $20 for over $1,200 worth of groceries. I know I am!
Well, I've been slowly but surely working on becoming a couponer. I've nailed the basics and I'm moving on to building a stockpile. I don't need a grocery store in my basement (heck...I don't even have a basement), but I would love to have enough of my family's every day necessities on hand so I don't have to worry about running out of toilet paper (which happened last week :-P). So, I'm going to start small, by stocking up on things my family uses often like; toiler paper, body wash, toothpaste, Coca-Cola, rice, pasta, etc.
I am going to be spending this week walking you through the basics of couponing. My goal is to share the planning with you, so you can successfully start to create your own stockpile in the next 6 weeks. Hopefully you'll all be able to save 65% or more on your groceries. Amy and I will also be sharing our couponing shopping trips with you. Of course, you want to see proof that it can be done...even by beginners like us! :-)
Couponing FAQ's
How much time will I have to spend clipping coupons and browsing sales ads?
The good news is, there are a lot of resources online that do a good amount of the work for you. You obviously will still have to clip coupons, but depending on which option you choose to do this, it may take you as little as 5 minutes a week (as much as 15 minutes). Using the resources available online, you will most likely spend 15-20 minutes "browsing ads".
What exactly is a stockpile?
A stockpile is a reserve amount of items your family uses everyday. Some people choose to buy large quantities of items they will never use, just because they got it for pennies. I am not going to teach you how to do this. I am only going to show you how to create a stockpile that simply suits your family's needs.
What happens when I can't find a coupon for something?
One of the first things any couponer will tell you is to be open minded. Brand loyalty goes right out the window if your really looking to save money. For example; if Foldger's does not offer coupons but Maxwell House does, then think about trying a new brand. This doesn't mean that you can't say "Well Foldger's coffee is my one item I refuse to change." Of course you can, and I'll show you how to buy that Foldger's coffee when it's at it's rock bottom price (and only when it's at it's rock bottom price). You'll learn how to never pay full price for your groceries again!
When will I start seeing a difference in my grocery bill?
This depends on many factors. If you already clip coupons, then your one step ahead of the crowd. If not, you'll have to start collecting coupons to build up a supply. If you follow my lessons, in the next 4-6 weeks you will undoubtedly start to see your grocery bill go down.
Keep a look out for our first step on How to Become an Expert at Couponing, Step 1: Where do I Get all of These Coupons?
Well, I've been slowly but surely working on becoming a couponer. I've nailed the basics and I'm moving on to building a stockpile. I don't need a grocery store in my basement (heck...I don't even have a basement), but I would love to have enough of my family's every day necessities on hand so I don't have to worry about running out of toilet paper (which happened last week :-P). So, I'm going to start small, by stocking up on things my family uses often like; toiler paper, body wash, toothpaste, Coca-Cola, rice, pasta, etc.
I am going to be spending this week walking you through the basics of couponing. My goal is to share the planning with you, so you can successfully start to create your own stockpile in the next 6 weeks. Hopefully you'll all be able to save 65% or more on your groceries. Amy and I will also be sharing our couponing shopping trips with you. Of course, you want to see proof that it can be done...even by beginners like us! :-)
Couponing FAQ's
How much time will I have to spend clipping coupons and browsing sales ads?
The good news is, there are a lot of resources online that do a good amount of the work for you. You obviously will still have to clip coupons, but depending on which option you choose to do this, it may take you as little as 5 minutes a week (as much as 15 minutes). Using the resources available online, you will most likely spend 15-20 minutes "browsing ads".
What exactly is a stockpile?
A stockpile is a reserve amount of items your family uses everyday. Some people choose to buy large quantities of items they will never use, just because they got it for pennies. I am not going to teach you how to do this. I am only going to show you how to create a stockpile that simply suits your family's needs.
What happens when I can't find a coupon for something?
One of the first things any couponer will tell you is to be open minded. Brand loyalty goes right out the window if your really looking to save money. For example; if Foldger's does not offer coupons but Maxwell House does, then think about trying a new brand. This doesn't mean that you can't say "Well Foldger's coffee is my one item I refuse to change." Of course you can, and I'll show you how to buy that Foldger's coffee when it's at it's rock bottom price (and only when it's at it's rock bottom price). You'll learn how to never pay full price for your groceries again!
When will I start seeing a difference in my grocery bill?
This depends on many factors. If you already clip coupons, then your one step ahead of the crowd. If not, you'll have to start collecting coupons to build up a supply. If you follow my lessons, in the next 4-6 weeks you will undoubtedly start to see your grocery bill go down.
Keep a look out for our first step on How to Become an Expert at Couponing, Step 1: Where do I Get all of These Coupons?
7/03/2011
CVS Coupon Trip - July 2nd
I had a few coupons that I lined up with the sales at CVS, so I planned a very small trip yesterday to pick up some things. I had to go out anyway, and it was the last day of the sale, so I wanted to grab them. The total price was $22.16 before my CVS card and coupons, and I only paid $8.46! That's 62% savings! :-) Here's what I got...
I also got $2 in ExtraBucks for buying the two bottles of Pantene. For those that don't know, ExtraBucks are similar to Walgreens Register Rewards. They are like free CVS gift cards to use on a future purchase. I definitely think it was a good trip for me! :-)
Product | Reg Price | Sale Price | Coupon | I paid |
Pantene Pro-V Shampoo | $4.99 | $3.49 | -$3.00/2 | $1.99 |
Pantene Pro-V Shampoo | $4.99 | $3.48 | N/A | $1.98 |
OB Tampons (40 ct) | $8.49 | $4.50 | -$1.00 | $3.50 |
Old El Paso Tortilla Stuffers | $3.69 | $1.99 | -$1.00 | $0.99 |
TOTAL: | $22.16 | $13.46 | -$5.00 | $8.46 |
I also got $2 in ExtraBucks for buying the two bottles of Pantene. For those that don't know, ExtraBucks are similar to Walgreens Register Rewards. They are like free CVS gift cards to use on a future purchase. I definitely think it was a good trip for me! :-)
7/02/2011
Walgreens Coupon Trip - July 2nd
This is my couponing "loot" for the day. I use coupons from time to time but have never really put much effort into it. Going to Walgreens or any other drugstore on a Saturday (last day of the week for their ads) is never a good idea but I ended up getting all but 3 things from my list. I don't have an exact amount for what everything was but here is a general idea:
(2) Tylenol Precise $8 regular price - $3 Walgreens Coupon - $5 Manufactures coupon = FREE!
(1) Reach toothbrush $3 sale price - $1 coupon + 2 RR = $2 spent, 2 RR received
(3) Colgate Toothpaste $1 sale price - .75 coupons = .75 for all 3!
(4) Pringles Super Stacks $6/4 sale price - $1 coupon + 2 RR = $5 for 4 plus 2RR
(2) Twizzlers $2/3 sale price + 1 RR = $3 spent plus 1RR
I meant to get some Dove products at Walgreens but they were out of what I wanted. We went to Wal-Mart for a different reason but we noticed the Deodorants were buy one get one free (2 in one package for the price of 1) so the $2 coupon that I had ended up being an even better deal!
(2) Dove Mens Deodorant (2 packs) $3.79 regular price - $2 coupon = $3.58 for FOUR.
(2) Dove Mens Body Wash (plus free gift!) $3.79 regular price - B1G1 coupon = $3.97 for two plus bonus
Weis Coupon Trip - July 1st
Last night I went on my first shopping trip as a couponer. I don't think I did too bad for my first trip either! I saved a total of 53%! The total price was $78.45, and after my club card and coupons, I only paid $36.64! Woo-hoo! That feels good! Here's what I got...
If this was only my first couponing trip, and I only spent about 10 minutes planning it out, imagine what I could do in a week. And I'll show you how to save this much money every time you shop too! Starting on Monday, we'll be premiering a series on How to Become an Expert at Couponing. Stay tuned. You won't want to miss how you can cut your grocery bill in half...or more!
Product | Reg Price | Sale Price | Coupons | I Paid |
Coca-Cola 12 pk | $5.39 | $2.40 | N/A | $2.40 |
Coca-Cola 12 pk | $5.39 | $2.40 | N/A | $2.40 |
Coca-Cola 12 pk | $5.39 | $2.40 | N/A | $2.40 |
Coca-Cola 12 pk | $5.39 | $2.40 | N/A | $2.40 |
Barq’s Root Beer 12 pk | $5.39 | $2.40 | N/A | $2.40 |
Marcal Small Steps 4 pk | $1.99 | $1.29 | -$1.00 | $0.29 |
Dove Men+Care Soap 6 pk | $6.99 | $5.00 | -$4.00 | $1.00 |
Kraft Mayonnaise 30 oz. | $4.69 | $2.50 | -$1.00 | $1.50 |
Crystal Light Tea 8 pkts | $2.99 | $2.00 | -$1.00 | $1.00 |
Fast Fixin’ Dino Nuggets | $6.99 | $6.99 (BOGO) | -$1.25 | $5.74 |
Fast Fixin’ Chicken Tenders | $6.99 | $0.00 (BOGO) | N/A | FREE |
Banquet Crispy Fried Chicken | $10.79 | $8.99 | N/A | $8.99 |
Johnsonville Chkn Sausage | $4.99 | $2.99 | -$1.00 | $1.99 |
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls | $1.39 | N/A | N/A | $1.39 |
Baileys Coffee Creamer | $3.69 | N/A | -$1.00 | $2.69 |
TOTAL: | $78.45 | $46.84 | -$10.25 | $36.64 |
If this was only my first couponing trip, and I only spent about 10 minutes planning it out, imagine what I could do in a week. And I'll show you how to save this much money every time you shop too! Starting on Monday, we'll be premiering a series on How to Become an Expert at Couponing. Stay tuned. You won't want to miss how you can cut your grocery bill in half...or more!
