Last week I did some more shopping with coupons. I did a lot of shopping as I was low on several things. I wasn't as successful as the first week, but it's still adding up to savings!
If you have a Walgreens in your area, they have a rewards program you can sign up for. Each time you shop you either have them look you up by phone number or use your rewards card they can scan. With this program you 1) earn points which add up to $5.00, $10.00 or even $15.00 off your total purchases in the store and 2) you get savings you can only take advantage of if you are a rewards program member. I'm pretty sure CVS has a similar program, although I'm not as familiar with it because there isn't one in my town.
Target: purchased cough drops, toilet paper, toothpaste, juice, yogurt and a couple of other things. Highlight - we needed cough drops and there was a coupon in the paper for $1.00 off two bags. Bags were $1.17 each, so I ended up paying $.67 a bag. The cough drops will last us well into next winter. Highlight 2 - Toilet paper was regularly $2.44 for a 4 pack. It was on sale for $2.29 and I had a coupon for $.45. I ended up paying $1.84, which costs me $.46 a roll. Highlight 3 - I got a large tube of toothpaste that was $3.69 full price for $2.24. It was on sale for $2.99 and I had a $.75 coupon. I saved $1.45. Highlight 4 - a bottle of juice was $2.84 full price, on sale for $2.00, and I have a coupon for $.50. So I scored that for $1.50, which saved me $1.34 per bottle (I got two for a total savings of $2.68).
Walgreens: purchased tub cleaner, soup, Kleenex, deodorant, and Brita filters. Highlight - The filters were $22.99 full price and they were on sale for $14.99 (for a 3 pack). So I saved $8.00 - oh how I wished I would've had a coupon for that one! Highlight 2 - tub cleaner was $3.59 full price. It was on sale for $2.69. I had a $1.00 off coupon when I purchased two. So I paid $2.19 per can and saved $1.40 per can ($2.80 total). Highlight 3 - Kleenex was $1.39 per box. I bought three. Walgreens had a coupon where they were marked down to $1.00 per box. Then I had a manufacturer's coupon for $.55 off when 3 were purchased. So I paid a total of $1.63, which breaks down to just $.56 per box! That's a total savings of $2.49. We are getting a nice little stockpile of Kleenex. :)
I went grocery shopping at the local grocery store and my savings were abysmal. I had to buy some things we needed that were not on sale and I didn't have coupons for. Gasp! It was one of the worst grocery shopping trips I've had in a long time. No highlights to report here as I saved only 13%, instead of the usual 30%-40% I usually save at the grocery store, Target, and Walgreens.
Bed, Bath, and Beyond: my husband and I use electric Sonicare toothbrushes. My husband has had his for a long time (mine was a wedding shower gift almost 2 years ago). He mentioned a couple of weeks ago that his toothbrush was dying and it would soon be time for a new one. Well, what do you know - there was a manufacturer's coupon in the paper so I jumped right on that one. So, I took my "20% off one item" coupon I regularly get from BB&B, and my manufacturer's coupon and headed out to see what kind of a deal I could get. Okay, these stinkin' toothbrushes are NOT cheap. The are $89.99 full price! My 20% off coupon saved me $18 right off the top. Then the coupon from the newspaper was another $10 off. So I was sitting at $61.99. Then the toothbrush came with a shot at a $10.00 mail in rebate from the store. So, my final price was $52.99, with a savings of $38. That's 42% savings! Whoop whoop!
Savings this week: $76.93 (a big chunk of that was the Bed Bath and Beyond score)
Total 2013 savings: $123.91
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Trying a little "couponing."
Okay, so one of my goals for 2013 is to get back on the blogging bandwagon! I fell off last autumn and finally feel ready to get back to it!
One obstacle I come up against while blogging is, "What do I want to write about?" I have such a hodgepodge of ideas in my head each day that I find it hard to narrow down the focus of what this blog should be. One area in my life that may help refine this blog a bit is my mission to save money while shopping.
I am NO EXPERT in "couponing." Far, far, far, far from it. And I will never be a "super couponer." Not by a long-shot. It's too intimidating! You will not find 50 rolls of toilet paper stashed around our house as we "stockpile." So, I'm approaching it a little differently.
For over six years, I had a second job with my own home-based business in direct sales. I sold products used to decorate homes and help women entertain guests in their homes. I would do home parties a few times a month where I would take my product and catalogs into homes and meet wonderful women. I really enjoyed it. But, the company I worked for closed its doors unexpectedly last year. And for the first time in several years, I found myself with just one job. And absolutely zero desire to get back into direct sales at this time.
With all of that extra income gone, and an unwillingness to pick up a second job, I started to think, "How can my husband and I adjust our household budget?" My answer: coupons. And so I approach couponing as a second job. I am willing to put a few hours in every week to see how much money I can save us on products we use and need. I just started this process a couple of weeks ago and it will probably take me a couple of months to refine my "system." But here's what I have going so far. Each week I get the coupons out of the Sunday paper. Each week I go to www.coupons.com to print coupons. Each week I go through the Target ad and the Walgreens ad to see what's on sale. Each week I go to www.target.com and print coupons. Then I get to work.
Here are my rules I follow:
1. Never clip a coupon on something we'll never use. I only clip coupons on items I've used in the past. Sure, there may be a great deal on Ensure Drinkable Meals, or Windex, or Gogurt. But that's stuff we never use. So I'm not buying it. That's just common sense.
2. I try really hard to use coupons on things we don't need immediately if they are also on sale. If I have a coupon, but it's something we don't need right away and it's not on sale, I'll pass it up. If I have a coupon for something AND it's on sale, you may see me do a happy jig right there in the aisle.
3. Whenever possible, I double up my coupons by using a store coupon (Target or Walgreens) AND a manufacturer coupon (from the paper or coupons.com).
As I continue to shop each week and use coupons, I'll include tips on what works for me. And I will track what I save each week. That's my goal. Coupons are pretty much like money, and the more you use them, the more money you keep in your pocket.
A couple of tips to get you going.
1. Find some or all of the following pages on facebook and "like" them. They post multiple times a day so it can get annoying, but they post helpful information that has saved me money, and even gotten me some free stuff in the past. The facebook pages I like are: Super Coupon Lady (probably the most helpful), Discount Queens, FabuLESSly Frugal (also super helpful), Frugal Freebies and Deals, Frugal Finders, Freebies and Deals, Adventures of a Couponista. Don't reinvent the wheel and do all the savings legwork - let these pages find them for you!!
2. Be willing to spend some TIME on preparing to shop. Menu plan and look through store ads so you know where to find the best deal.
3. I never, ever, ever, ever pay for price for the following: toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and conditioner, hair care products (mousse, hairspray), makeup, dish soap, or cereal. There are almost always coupons most weeks for all of these items.
Okay, let's get to it so you can see what the savings can look like!
My first week I shopped at Target and Walgreens. I saved $46.98 by using coupons, which was 32%of my purchases.
At Target I purchased 2 greeting cards, kitty litter, "girl stuff" product, dryer sheets, dish soap, yogurt, two packages of napkins (and I'm now set for the rest of 2013), two blocks of cheese, honey, and cashews. I used a coupon on every product. I purchased seven items that were on sale with a coupon (that's 7 happy jigs). I spent $32.95 and saved $13.24. That's 28% in savings, just by clipping a few coupons. Highlight: 3 yogurts for $1.50 (50% off).
At Walgreens I purchased mascara, two bottles of shampoo (and I'm now set for the rest of 2013), mousse, conditioner, hairspray, mouthwash (and we're now set for the rest of 2013), paper towels, toilet paper, Abreva, cold medicine, and another kind of cold medicine. I used a coupon on every product. I purchased nine items that were on sale with a coupon (that's 9 more happy jigs). I spent $65.60 and saved $33.73. That's 34% in savings. Highlight: Mouthwash that was $7.49, I scored for $3.49 and it's the brand my husband uses. I used a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. Second highlight: Abreva! It's for cold sores and I had just gotten one and was all out of my tube I purchased a couple of years ago. It was $19.99, on sale for $18.99 and I had a $3.00 coupon. So I saved $4.00 on something I really, really, really needed. Third highlight: my favorite conditioner was $4.49 full price, it was on sale for $2.50 and I had a $.50 coupon so I saved $2.49 and paid $2.00. Final highlight: 6 pack of paper towels were full price $6.99. They were on sale for $4.99 and I had a $.25 coupon. So I paid $4.74, which comes out to $.79 a roll!
Savings so far in 2013: $46.98.
One obstacle I come up against while blogging is, "What do I want to write about?" I have such a hodgepodge of ideas in my head each day that I find it hard to narrow down the focus of what this blog should be. One area in my life that may help refine this blog a bit is my mission to save money while shopping.
I am NO EXPERT in "couponing." Far, far, far, far from it. And I will never be a "super couponer." Not by a long-shot. It's too intimidating! You will not find 50 rolls of toilet paper stashed around our house as we "stockpile." So, I'm approaching it a little differently.
For over six years, I had a second job with my own home-based business in direct sales. I sold products used to decorate homes and help women entertain guests in their homes. I would do home parties a few times a month where I would take my product and catalogs into homes and meet wonderful women. I really enjoyed it. But, the company I worked for closed its doors unexpectedly last year. And for the first time in several years, I found myself with just one job. And absolutely zero desire to get back into direct sales at this time.
With all of that extra income gone, and an unwillingness to pick up a second job, I started to think, "How can my husband and I adjust our household budget?" My answer: coupons. And so I approach couponing as a second job. I am willing to put a few hours in every week to see how much money I can save us on products we use and need. I just started this process a couple of weeks ago and it will probably take me a couple of months to refine my "system." But here's what I have going so far. Each week I get the coupons out of the Sunday paper. Each week I go to www.coupons.com to print coupons. Each week I go through the Target ad and the Walgreens ad to see what's on sale. Each week I go to www.target.com and print coupons. Then I get to work.
Here are my rules I follow:
1. Never clip a coupon on something we'll never use. I only clip coupons on items I've used in the past. Sure, there may be a great deal on Ensure Drinkable Meals, or Windex, or Gogurt. But that's stuff we never use. So I'm not buying it. That's just common sense.
2. I try really hard to use coupons on things we don't need immediately if they are also on sale. If I have a coupon, but it's something we don't need right away and it's not on sale, I'll pass it up. If I have a coupon for something AND it's on sale, you may see me do a happy jig right there in the aisle.
3. Whenever possible, I double up my coupons by using a store coupon (Target or Walgreens) AND a manufacturer coupon (from the paper or coupons.com).
As I continue to shop each week and use coupons, I'll include tips on what works for me. And I will track what I save each week. That's my goal. Coupons are pretty much like money, and the more you use them, the more money you keep in your pocket.
A couple of tips to get you going.
1. Find some or all of the following pages on facebook and "like" them. They post multiple times a day so it can get annoying, but they post helpful information that has saved me money, and even gotten me some free stuff in the past. The facebook pages I like are: Super Coupon Lady (probably the most helpful), Discount Queens, FabuLESSly Frugal (also super helpful), Frugal Freebies and Deals, Frugal Finders, Freebies and Deals, Adventures of a Couponista. Don't reinvent the wheel and do all the savings legwork - let these pages find them for you!!
2. Be willing to spend some TIME on preparing to shop. Menu plan and look through store ads so you know where to find the best deal.
3. I never, ever, ever, ever pay for price for the following: toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and conditioner, hair care products (mousse, hairspray), makeup, dish soap, or cereal. There are almost always coupons most weeks for all of these items.
Okay, let's get to it so you can see what the savings can look like!
My first week I shopped at Target and Walgreens. I saved $46.98 by using coupons, which was 32%of my purchases.
At Target I purchased 2 greeting cards, kitty litter, "girl stuff" product, dryer sheets, dish soap, yogurt, two packages of napkins (and I'm now set for the rest of 2013), two blocks of cheese, honey, and cashews. I used a coupon on every product. I purchased seven items that were on sale with a coupon (that's 7 happy jigs). I spent $32.95 and saved $13.24. That's 28% in savings, just by clipping a few coupons. Highlight: 3 yogurts for $1.50 (50% off).
At Walgreens I purchased mascara, two bottles of shampoo (and I'm now set for the rest of 2013), mousse, conditioner, hairspray, mouthwash (and we're now set for the rest of 2013), paper towels, toilet paper, Abreva, cold medicine, and another kind of cold medicine. I used a coupon on every product. I purchased nine items that were on sale with a coupon (that's 9 more happy jigs). I spent $65.60 and saved $33.73. That's 34% in savings. Highlight: Mouthwash that was $7.49, I scored for $3.49 and it's the brand my husband uses. I used a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. Second highlight: Abreva! It's for cold sores and I had just gotten one and was all out of my tube I purchased a couple of years ago. It was $19.99, on sale for $18.99 and I had a $3.00 coupon. So I saved $4.00 on something I really, really, really needed. Third highlight: my favorite conditioner was $4.49 full price, it was on sale for $2.50 and I had a $.50 coupon so I saved $2.49 and paid $2.00. Final highlight: 6 pack of paper towels were full price $6.99. They were on sale for $4.99 and I had a $.25 coupon. So I paid $4.74, which comes out to $.79 a roll!
Savings so far in 2013: $46.98.
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