$2.63 for all of this!!! my first couponing score
There are a few good things I want to let you know about that have made my life easier/fun/smarter lately. The first is Couponing.
I didn’t know what I was getting into when I went to a Relief Society class about saving money with coupons last week. My friend, Jara, taught us all amazing and wonderful things. My life was changed. lol Okay, that’s exagerating a bit, but my shopping was definitely changed!
I used to be a coupon clipper. It was years ago, before the kids were born. I’d go through every Sunday paper and clip any and all coupons I might ever use. Then I’d go shopping and leaf through my coupon organizer to try to match coupons with good prices to get the best deal possible. It took a lot of time.
That is not the way to coupon shop anymore!! I won’t go into all the details that Jara taught here, because Karrie, at Fistful of Coupons, already has the info on her blog. Just click on her Start Here tab. I follow her system.
My favorite changes to couponing are:
- You don’t clip all the coupons from the paper. You take the insert out of the paper, write the date on it, and file it away in a file folder. That’s it! You will clip the coupons when you’re ready to use them. How will you know to use them? That brings me to my next favorite change:
- There are lots of blogs that other people run that match up the sale prices with all the coupons available. They update weekly (when the sale ads come out) and tell you exactly what coupons to match up with each store’s sales. Most of the time, they’ll give you an estimated final price for each item.
- Because you are maximizing your coupons and sales, you save a lot of money!! In a week, I have already gotten several items literally for FREE! And, this happens each week. Other items, you can get for super cheap.
Here are my favorite couponing blogs:
fistfulofcoupons.com (I already mentioned. I really like the way her site looks, and the way its organized. Scroll down a little and on the right side is a section with icons from the major stores. When you click on them, it will take you to the latest updates for those stores. Also, this lady has lots of great tips for each store. Some places have funny quirks and if you read her tips, your couponing will go easier.)- thekrazycouponlady.com (I like her layout, too. Click on her “beginners” tab for great tips, including 10-steps on becoming a krazy coupon lady.)
- dealseekingmom.com (I’ve seen posts specifically for pet or organic couponers, as well as normal posts.)
Couponing is like a game. Its fun to check the blogs and find all the great deals. Just remember- just because its cheap, doesn’t mean you should get it. Only get what you will actually use.
If you have any questions about couponing, feel free to ask!
Yesterday, I got an email from the Sacramento Bee with a Mother’s Day special. It is for the Sunday paper for only $19.99/ yr! That is a fantastic deal for couponers!! It comes out to only 40 cents per week. You’ll make your money back by using one coupon a week.
