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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?