Today's Deals

My husband does not mind when I go shopping. In fact, he's very proud of my shopping habit!

This is why:

$33.81 worth of drugstore merchandise (that we actually use, by the way) for $14.33. That is nearly a 58% savings.

What did I buy?

Two boxes of Fruit Loops. On sale for $1.99 each. (regular price $3.99) Then, I had a Manufacturer's Coupon for $1 off 2. So, the cereal was $1.49 per box.

3 bags Halls Cough Drops. Regularly $2.59 each. There was a store coupon that made them $1.29 each. Savings of $3.63.

2 40 ct boxes OB Tampons. Regular price $7.99 each. There was a store coupon that made them $3.99. I had two manufacturer coupons for them a couple weeks ago which I used then because they were going to expire. (Coupons for this item are not offered very often, so I wanted to use them when I had them) So, needless to say, I was disappointed when I saw this sale. But, when I went to get them off the shelf there was a manufacturer coupon for $1 on one box. (Believe me, I dug through all of them to see if there were any more!) Total savings on this item: $9.00.

In addition, I visited a newly opened store in my neighborhood. In their sales ad, they offered $3 off a purchase of $10 or more at this new store.

And as a bonus treat, there was a store coupon for Hershey's candy bars for $.49 each. Limit 6. I bought 6. Some will be put in the freezer for S'more's in the summer. Some will go in the fridge...... I was about to say for when the chocolate attack comes, but husband came home and that's the end of that...

The moral of the story. Buy your products on a sales basis, rather than on a needs basis. Based on today's shopping trip, a person would pay more than twice as much than they need to for products that don't go bad, don't expire, and will be used eventually.

I continue to encourage you to watch your sales ads and clip coupons. By stacking coupons on top of sales and in-store coupons, you can save a good amount of money from your grocery bill.

Coupon "Clipping"

There are many different places to find coupons. These are my favorites:

1. The Sunday Paper. The first thing I do when I get the paper is fish out the coupon flyers and sales ads for the grocery stores in my area... and the funnies... but that is another story. =) I also look through other inserts like Parade, every once in a while I'll find a good coupon in them.

2. The Internet. Coupons.com is my favorite, but there are other sites out there, as well. Some people buy and trade coupons. I've never gotton into that, but I've heard of some ladies having success with that. In some cases, it is illegal. Depends on how deep you want to get into couponing.

3. Store Ads and Websites. My local grocery stores offer their ads online. You may be able to print their store coupons and they also have manufacturer coupons available there.

4. Magazines. I get really cheap or free subscriptions to magazines like Woman's Day and Better Homes and Gardens, etc. There are usually a couple of usable coupons in there. Another great magazine for coupons is All You, which is available at Walmart.

5. Product Websites. If something is on sale and I don't have a coupon in my file, I can sometimes find one on the product's website.

6. Facebook. I have had success with becoming fans of certain products and they will give Facebook fans special discounts or even free items. In the past month, I've gotton free pizza, eggs, milk, oreos, hot sauce, and jeans.

7. In-Store Dispensers. I take one or two (or three...) even if I don't buy it that shopping trip. I will wait until the item is on sale and then get the item for that much cheaper.

I consider couponing a game for me. I challenge myself to save more and more everytime I grocery shop. So, I'm always on the lookout for coupons (and other ways to save). I find them in strange places. Recently, I ordered Avon from their website and received a cereal coupon in my package!!! If you want them, they will come to you! :-)
Have fun and be creative. Ask God to help you. He said that everything we put our hand to do will be blessed. He also gave us the power to get wealth. I get wealth for my family by saving money.

Prepare to Save Money

Here are some things to do to get ready to be a "super couponer".

1. Find a place in your home for stockpiling. I call it my "fall-out shelter". I took an entryway closet and added shelves. In my previous house, there was a root cellar in the basement that I used to keep extra pantry items. You can take any part of the house and add shelves or a portable closet for storage. It's best to be a cool area and dry. If the area is away from the kitchen, my suggestion is to keep an inventory in your kitchen so you are not making unnecessary trips to see if you have something.

2. Subscribe to your local Sunday paper. In it, you will find your local store's sales ads and manufacturer coupons. (I'll talk about these things later.)

3. Obtain a coupon organizer. Mine is a sturdy plastic expanding file, apporiximately 6" x 4". Coupon organizers marketed as "coupon organizers" are typically not large enough for me. I found mine in the office supply department. It holds lots of coupons and still fits in my purse. Some people tell you to not clip the coupon until you are ready to use it, but it is not practical for me to lug around a 3 ring binder everywhere I go. Mark the dividers with categories that make sense to you. These are mine: Breads, Meats, Breakfast, Diapers/Wipes, Fruit/Veggies, Juice/Dairy, Medicine, Pasta/Rice, Soup, Toiletries, and Misc. (I need to tweak it a little.... I have no need to buy diapers anymore. Yay!) Like I said, these make sense to me. Someone else may go in my organizer and get lost. Some things don't necessarily belong in any of these categories, so I stick them in a place that may only make sense to me. Also, large categories such as toiletries are cumbersome, so I paper clip like items together, ie: hair products, deoderant, etc.

4. Talk to your husband (if you are married) and tell him what you are doing. Some folks, especially men, cannot understand the need to buy six boxes of spaghetti at a time. Explain to him that the things you are stocking up on will not go bad by the time you get around to using them. Show him receipts or sales ads as examples on the amount of money you could save by buying things on sale and with a coupon. If he still doesn't agree, then quit reading. But, continue to watch out for those sales and just buy the amount that you need. If he does agree, sharpen your pencil, and get ready to make a list! (Who knew a person could get so excited about making a list...)