Thursday, March 31, 2011

Couponing 101

I have become obsessed interested in this whole couponing craze! I mean, 'HELLO!' who doesn't love free $$$? If I can save $50-$60/week just buying cutting up some paper, I'm there! I'm still learning, and I coupon 'Lauren's way." I get a little annoyed with some of the couponing sites, shows, etc. because all these women have 3-4 pantries full of stuff they have bought cheap/free. That's great for them but we are a military family and could move at the drop of a hat. I can't afford to buy 3 extra freezers to store frozen food....it's impossible to move. So, I'm doing it my own way. I love saving and I love stocking up, but I'm not a crazy shopper, I'm just economical. Yes, toothpaste may be free with a combination of coupons and yes, I may buy 2 tubes but I'm not going to buy 17 of them...just because they're free. Yes, I guess when we're 30 we will eventually use them up but I can't imagine using the same tasting toothpaste for 8 more years. I like variety, I like to use new things and I'm not going to go insane buying things. There is nothing wrong with it, but it's just not economical for us and it just doesn't make sense. I don't want 15 boxes of the same cereal to eat for the rest of my life. I like variety! So..here is how I shop!

1. It is best to chose ONE grocery store and ONE drug store to center your sales and coupons around. I use Publix and CVS and have been doing that for a while. We also have a Winn-Dixie at the end of our street and I am hoping to start incorporating them in and shopping off of each sales to save even more! The reason I chose these is:
  • Closest to our home = less gas!
  • Publix does GREAT 'Buy one, get one free' deals. and they are awesome! It's not stupid stuff no one uses, it's really great! They usually have about 20 items per week on that list! For example, some of last weeks items were: Bertolli pasta sauces, Flatout tortilla wraps, Lysol disinfecting wipes, and many more. 
  • Publix also accepts all coupons (internet and the ones from the newspaper).
  • CVS has great weekly deals and when paired with a coupon are mostly always free.
Despite which stores you pick, you can still save TONS of $$$!

2. I only clip coupons of things I use or want to try. If I'm kind-of 'iffy' I don't clip it. Just because I have a coupon and it's on sale doesn't mean I need to buy it. A lot of shoppers buy "stuff" because it was cheap...but if you're never going to use it, what's the point? So what you only paid $1 for it, it's a waste of a $1 if it just expires or collects dust. For example, we don't have animals. I'm not going to buy cat/dog food just because it's free if I have no use for it. I know it seems elementary, but I have seen it before! Some just get on these "free" trip to the store that they get everything that's free and it doesn't make sense!

3. Other than saving money, my other favorite reason for couponing is getting to try new things! If I have a coupon for something I want to try, wait until it goes on sale, combine it with you coupons and you can try it for cheap (or free!). So if you don't like it, it's just a small loss. For example, I have SUPER sensitive skin and can't use hardly anything. When Dove came out with their new body wash a few weeks ago I wanted to try it. With the specialty introductory price they were offering it with and the coupon I had, I got a whole bottle for cents! I ended up loving it, but if I didn't or if it had broken me out, I wouldn't have been out that much.

4. I never buy more than we can eat/use within a month. Like I said earlier, our storage space is limited. I saw a lady the other day that literally had 8-10 jars of spagetti sauce in her buggy. Maybe she was cooking for an army! If something like that is 'buy one, get one' (like it was that time), I only buy 2-4. That's 4 good italian meals, one a week. And I know that Publix has that sale every month..so it doesn't make sense to buy more than that. Plus, it spoils! Food does have expiration dates, even things you don't think about!!

5. Don't stress. It can get overwhelming and stressful the first few times but eventually it comes second nature. Just have fun!

6. My sources! If you don't get a newspaper, subscribe! We only get the Saturday & Sunday paper and it's super cheap! Coupons come on Sundays. Other than those coupons, the internet is my friend! My favorite sites are:
  • http://www.southernsavers.com/  You can go there and see daily deals that she has found! Plus, you can subscribe and she emails everyday with new deals, how to get them (which coupons to combine) and a weekly email with other links. I mainly use this one..it's great!
  • www.coupons.com
  • www.redplum.com
  • www.smartsource.com
That's basically all I do. I will share with you some of my savings from this past weekend! One of my largest savings trip coming in at $54.45!!

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes (the large container!): $4.99 each
              Buy One Get One Free so I got 2 for $4.99 plus I had a $1 coupon when you buy two.
              Total: 2 for $3.99
Kraft Shredded Cheese: On sale this week 2/$4
              I had a coupon for $1 off 2
              Total: 2/$3
Bertolli Spaghetti Sauce: $2.87 each
             Buy One Get One Free so I got 2 for $2.87 combined with a $1 off 2 coupon
             Total: 2/$1.87

I had much more but I've forgotten them! I shop once a week (a big trip) and only venture back if I see something on a deeeeeep sale or just forgot something. I am going to post my biggest savings each week!

Bradley's Birthday!

Welp, he's another year older! I really hate my birthday and really don't look forward to it every year. Not cause of the gettin' older business, I just don't care. But now Bradley's....well, that's another story! I must make his great, fabulous, SPOIL HIM! :-) I have wanted my grandparents to come visit us for a while now but just couldn't get it to work out. My mom finally had a weekend where she could come and bring them, and it just happened to be Bradley's birthday weekend! He loves my grandparents (of course, how couldn't you?!) so he was really excited.

My grandpa is a Air Force Veteran and was in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was stationed in Mobile, AL (about an hour from here) when he was in service and really wanted to go back and see what had changed. The old air field he was stationed at is now the 'Mobile Downtown' airport so it's pretty impossible for him to go back and see it. So, ding-ding-ding...I had an idea! Bradley LOVES to fly civilian (probably more than military with his current situation) so I wanted to get him in the air for his birthday. So he took my grandpa up, all over Pensacola, and over the old Brookley Air Force base so he could see it. Let me tell you, they had a BALL! I have never seen Bradley OR my grandpa smile so much!! It was a wonderful experience for my grandpa and was awesome for Bradley to be able to give that to him!! They were both grinning ear to ear, not sure if you could tell just exactly who's birthday it was!!
Saturday night we went out to eat for B's birthday and it was amazing!!!! Right on the beach..perfect weather! Man, I love living here!!! We had the coolest waiter and of course to embarrass the snot out of my husband, I told him it was his birthday. They 'free cake' sounded disgusting and told him not to worry about it because he wouldn't touch it. They did have this really $$ chocolate heart-attack cake on the menu but of course they couldn't do that one, or so I THOUGHT! I had no idea but here comes the waiters/waitresses with the manager approved :-) HUGE cake! It was awesome. Bradley usually would have been ready to murder me but when he saw the cake I think he was just in awe, I know I was!
The rest of the weekend was really just spent chilling out with them and enjoying every minute! I of course love it when my mom comes but I am so grateful that my grandparents got to come visit! My step-grandmother had never been to the Gulf, or Florida and she was blown away. She kept telling us that we live in the most beautiful place in the whole entire world....and I agree....
And lastly, his awesome birthday cake!
Aaaaaaaaaand a picture of me and mom from the weekend. She somehow always seem to sneak out of pictures...she's pretty awesome at that. :-)