Outsourced!

As you know, I am not a big "couponer" but my friend Deb is and has a lot of success with it. I asked her to write a piece about it - yes, I am that BIG now that I have writers :) Enjoy and thanks Deb!!! Once you read it make sure you leave some awesome comments since that is the only payment Deb is getting

Couponing

I am a fan of clipping coupons.   I am a fan of finding things on sale and getting the lowest price possible.  I currently only receive one Sunday newspaper subscription, but do see the value in getting more than one solely for coupons.  I have not seen the Extreme Couponing show, but I would probably be intimidated by it.  I have, however, found a way that using coupons fits into my schedule and makes sense.  For example, this week at CVS I bought a razor with 5 refills (regularly priced $9.99), and a razor with 3 refills (regularly priced $8.99).  I paid $1.50!  On the bottom of my CVS receipt this week, it showed that so far this year I have saved $240 and spent $29.  At RiteAid this week, I bought 2 boxes (8 count) of Pop-Tarts, two Glade Air fresheners, and two bags of M and M’s.  I paid $3.60 and left with $1.80 to spend next week.  So, I will try to briefly explain my plan of attack.

1.  I do my usual food shopping at Wal-Mart.  So, I have a list printed out of the items that I regularly like to have.  Over time, I have recorded the prices at Wal-Mart for those foods.  So, when I look at the CVS and Rite-Aid weekly advertisements, I know what the Wal-mart price is. 

2.  I have chosen to shop at Rite-Aid and CVS because they are located close to each other and it is manageable for me to be able to figure out the sales at these two stores.  I know that more “extreme” couponers will go to more stores (Target, Walgreens, etc.)  but, two additional stores works for me.  Both of these stores have a free “card” which allows me to receive the sale prices.  Also, the advertisements will mention getting “bucks” back.  This comes in the form of a code on the receipt and can be used for my purchases in the next couple of weeks.  They do have an expiration date, so I am careful to watch so that the “free” money isn’t wasted.  Each week when I go to these stores, I use the “bucks” from the previous week and so I am paying very little cash now. 

3.  When I am deciding what to buy, I consider the sale price, the “bucks” back and the coupons that I have.  All three must factor into a great sale price. 

3.  I do look at a website, thekrazycouponlady.com.  This website lists all the great sales at each store each week.  (Some of the prices can be regional, but I rarely have a problem.)  Also, it will tell what coupons to use from the paper and where to find more coupons online.  It did take me several weeks to figure out how to sift through for the information I could use, but I do believe it is a very useful website.  I check it out regularly for the coupons and sales.

I don’t have a huge stockpile, but I have slowly built enough of a stash of certain items (mostly hygiene and cleaning items) that I now wait for the great sales and pay very little, or get things for free.  I have learned that I can get toothpaste, deodorant, razors, toothbrushes, and body wash for under a dollar or free.  For me, that makes sense!