Couponing!

$82.55 worth of merchandise for only $29.91!!

I am one of those people who has only ever used a coupon to get $1.50 off a package of diapers or $0.50 off of baby wipes. I have never been to the store in order to actually SAVE money on my grocery or shopping bill. I don't know why.....I have just never been interested in coupons. Mostly, I never really understood how much they can help you or how to use them properly. I have heard so many people say throughout my life that it isn't a good deal if   you weren't going to buy it in the first place, and while I still agree with this (on say cat food--I don't even own a cat--or Prilosec--never used it and don't plan to start!), I have found that even if I wasn't going to buy toothpaste TODAY, I would still need to buy it SOME DAY, so why not get it while it's on sale and I have a coupon for it?  Now that I have been faced with starving or applying for food stamps (ok, I wouldn't starve, but I can barely afford groceries AND gas these days!) I thought I would give couponing a try! I should be a couponer by nature simply because my Maw-Maw (my mom's mom) was an extreme couponer before extreme couponing was popular!  I can remember sitting on the floor of her house cutting coupons and organizing them for her. I remember her going to the store with her coupon organizer full and only buying things she had coupons for. I think in a way this is what turned me off to it. As I grew older I just felt like there was too much to do and not enough return.  Well, last night was my 1st "couponing" trip to the store and I really enjoyed it!!  After doing some research from The Krazy Coupon Lady, clipping coupons from my in-law's newspaper inserts, and buying a coupon organizer I felt like I was ready for the challenge! My trip was to Walgreens which is not a store I would normally shop in in the first place, so that was also new to me. I went up and down the aisles checking to see what was on sale and what I had a coupon for....yes I know it would have been better for me to do this step at home, but like I said it was my 1st time!!  I did 2 separate transactions (this was something I read about) so I could get my register rewards on the first transaction and then use them on my 2nd transaction! That was a really neat thing!  

This was my favorite buy of my trip!

Here's what I did......the Gillette Fusion Power Razor (normally $12.99) was on sale for $9.89. I had a $4.00 off coupon--bringing the total down to $5.89 (plus tax), and I received $5.00 in RR for the purchase!  So, it was like getting the razor (a $12.99 value) for $0.89!!!  WOO--HOO! Even if that's all I did I would be super excited!!  I then turned around and gave her the rest of my items--all but one was on sale, and I had a coupon for most everything else!!--and did my 2nd transaction using the $5.00 in RR at the end with all of my coupons. The only items I did not have coupons for were the Revlon make-up products, but they were on clearance for $3.59 and $2.79 each (regularly $10.99 each), so I felt like that was a good deal. Also, when I got the concealer I made sure to pick up one that had a BONUS lip gloss attached, so that made the deal even sweeter!  One of the great things is that it is all stuff we already use anyway. Ben and I use the Crest toothpaste, the kids use Colgate, Annalisa uses Pantene shampoo and conditioner, and Ben was very excited the Old Spice body wash was on sale (and I had a coupon) because that is what he uses! All in all I got $82.55 worth of merchandise for $29.91!! That is an over 50% savings which makes it worth it to me!!! I also got to walk away for 3 $1.00 coupons to add to other coupons on my next visit....so I walked away with $3.00 in savings to use later!  I am so excited about my trip and the money I saved! I will be doing this again, hopefully with groceries next time!