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Before the couponing bug hit me, I used to think that clipping coupons was a BIG waste of time. Any time I gave it a go (which was approximately twice) I ended up purchasing brand name items I didn’t need and paying more than I usually pay.
Once I started playing the game, I realized that if you play your cards right, you can easily score items for FREE or nearly free. It meant buying items I didn’t necessarily need when I had a coupon that matched with a sale. This practice is called stockpiling and it is the best way to get items at rock bottom prices.
At first, I bought A LOT of razors. And toothpaste. (To think that I used to pay full price for razors and toothpaste…OY!) But the razor and toothpaste coupons were plentiful and so were the sales!
Soon my closet was overflowing with these items. (Is this sounding familiar to anyone?) It’s nice not to have to pay for shaving and toothbrushing, but I was hoping to learn more–like how to not pay for eating and drinking and mortgages and such.
What I didn’t realize at that time is that there is a learning curve when it comes to couponing. If you stick with it long enough, you begin to learn the ebbs and flows of sales and when to use this or that coupon. You begin to learn when it’s a good idea to invest in a coupon clipping service. You even begin to learn when it’s a BAD time to use coupons. You also learn that sometimes it’s okay to buy 10 boxes of cereal. Eventually someone will eat them.
It’s been 2 1/2 years of couponing and I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.
I thought I’d share a few of my deals that I scored in the past couple of weeks as a case in point:
Kellogg’s Cinnamon Corn Flakes (4 boxes) – got PAID $2
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies (4 boxes) – $0.50 each
Fuze drinks (3) – FREE
Cheerios (4 boxes), Trix (1 box), Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (4 cans), Pillsbury Sweet Moments – $0.01 ea.
Green Giant boxed vegetables (10 boxes) – $0.18 ea.
Penn Maid Cottage Cheese – $0.49
Coffeemate Creamer – $0.49
Combos, Nabisco cookies (single serve – 6 pks.) – FREE
Trident Gum (3-pk.) – FREE
Birthday cards (2) – FREE
Dentyne Gum (single pack) – FREE
Schick Hydro Razor (2) – FREE (yep–I still love me some FREE razors!)
Holsum Bread – FREE
Let me be clear.
Not every week is a couponing high kind of week. Some weeks the deals are lame. Other weeks I don’t have time to hit more than one store. Some weeks, I make an Aldi run and call it a week.
But weeks like this are becoming more and more common for me and let me tell you–it’s FUN. (Can I get an amen?!)
Now about that mortgage… Anyone know of any coupons?
Just found your site I recently started couponing and am excited to go the 4th of May to have my first trip to buy groceries with coupons, I am scared to death, hoping I don’t go over and want to as much as possible. I have been watching videos online of others teaching what to do at the stor and been searching online, reading, an etc,. And then printing off coupons and Store policys and all kinds of inforfmation then I read and study it. Wow I am really excited thinking when I go on my first trip will I be able to do it? Can you have 4 or more coupons for one product? Don’t understand that yet! Any help you could give me since your experienced would help thank you.
CH~
I certainly do not need anymore razors (unless they are free). I’m very well stocked up on shampoo, conditioner, make up and deodorants. My pantry is booming, and I love not having to pay full price for anything but a few of my family’s wants ….not needs.
This week I spent $75 and saved $138 for a family of five.
I would like to invite you to link up your savings at the Weekly Savings Linky @ Frugality Is Free , it’s a great place to connect with other frugalistas. You can win a free ad space too!
I live on the west coast, and so i typically shop at Albertson’s but this month i shopped at Sherm’s in Medford. i find that Albertson’s is better because you get $5.oo off your next purchase when you spend $50.00 or more on a single shopping trip, plus they are about the same price as Wal Mart but without the crowds and the uninformed employees they have, also albertsons always show you in the store of other offers to get money off your next shopping trip.;
You may want to check out BeCentsAble’s Grocery Gathering for blogs who post Albertson’s deals in your area, Nancy. I think you may find that you can learn just as much as you learn from the Grocery Game. You can check out deals by state here: http://www.becentsable.net/store-deals/
You and I are on the same page, I’m always telling people that getting the hang of couponing has a learning curve; you can’t be expected to get it all figured out right away. I think people get frustrated and give up because they expect things to be easy and automatic. Not so, you actually have to work a little for the results!
Hate to push my blog but I had a REALLY good week, too. My grocery store actually PAID ME. If you’re interested, here’s the link (I always send people to your coupon database so THANK YOU for doing that):
http://thebargainsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/09/copps-paying-me-to-shop.html
That is so awesome, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing.
I know what you mean about sometimes using coupons and sometimes not using them. It’s hard trying to figure out what coupons to use when and like last week i shopped at a totally new new store and their prices were halve of, what the other stores sell their products so i used less coupons but got great saving also. Like Pasta Roni was .98 cents and i used a coupon .75 off three. So at the end of the shopping i couldn’t figure out if i saved more or just saved the same. I got the same amount of grocerys as the other store and still ended up using all of my food budget, so i wonder if i wouldn’t be better off using the Shopping Game site instead to insure that i could get more free and penny on the dollar products. Any clues can you pass on.
Nancy, I tried out the Grocery Game for a free trial period. It’s a helpful site, but from my experience I feel like any information that they share can typically be found for free on the internet.
What stores do you shop at?
I used to keep a list of the maximum price I would ever pay for most staples I needed to buy. I complied the list by learning the ebb and flow of various store’s sales and deals. With that list, I never had to rely on my memory to decide if using a coupon would actually save me money in the long run. Back then, I never would pay more than 0.99 per pound for ground beef!
I LOVE your blog.. And I have been following for about 1 1/2 years…
I too am starting “to even out” in our household of 2 we certainly have no need for 19 toothpastes.
I still wonder how everyone does not do this though? I can not believe the money we have saved!
Thank you for what you do…