Crazy Lady is here to stay

So I decided to try this whole coupon craze thing. You know, the one where you actually save money - not just 30 cents here and there. I have been following a few blogs for about a month now and watching some youtube trying to figure out what works best as far as coupon clipping, sorting, filing, and then which order to use them.

I learned:

1. Order 4 copies of the Sunday paper. I called the paper and asked what it cost to just get 1 copy of the Sunday paper, and they told me $2.12 (including tax) - which is exactly what it said on their website. So I asked if they gave military discounts. Nope. Then I explained that I will need more than one copy because I wanted more coupon inserts. She then told me about an offer called "Coupon Sense" (which isn't listed anywhere on their website). I have to order at least 4 Sunday papers (which is what I wanted anyway) and it would only cost me $0.43 for each copy...or $2.12 total for the 4 of them. Now how does that make sense? Whatever. 4 copies for the price of 1 - no complaining here.

2. The items that go on sale usually follow a 6-8 week pattern. Stock up on sale items enough to make it until the next cycle.

3. Being organized is worth it. Made things a lot smoother today while I shopped. Well that, and Trace was home to watch the kids today.

4. Walgreens isn't that bad. The store coupons, combined with the manufacturer coupons makes it a sweet deal. This is where the 4 copies of the same coupons come in handy - Say there is a buy one get one free offer with register rewards. Right off the bat, you save 50%. Then you can use 2 manufacturer coupons (one for each item). More savings. When the purchase is complete - you get rapid rewards (works like cash for Walgreens) to use on your next purchase. You then roll over that rapid rewards coupon into your next purchase and save even more (if you use the rapid rewards for another one of the same bogofree - you might not get another rapid rewards coupon at the end of purchase - so you need to alternate your purchases with another sweet deal from a different manufacturer).

4b. Walgreens manager can be a bit snippy when he is called to do a price adjustment. When that happens, just smile - especially if he gets called to the register more than once. :)

5. Walmart price matches and honors other store coupons. Nice. There were a few things I wanted to get at Walgreens today, but they were sold out - so I got a rain check (another good deal for later). Then I went to Walmart, with my Walgreens flyer, and they not only honored the price, but also manufacturer coupons PLUS my left over rapid rewards from Walgreens. Sweet. Honestly, I'd rather go to Walgreens because it's a shorter trip, the store is smaller, the line wait is less, and the overall time spent is less - but Walmart worked just fine.

6. Stores in Boise do not have double coupons. Bummer.

7. I love the feeling that I get when I know I got a good deal. But then, I feel guilty knowing how much money I have wasted in the past. Sigh. It's a learning process - but saving the amount of money I did today - and being able to get things that I really like - makes it worth it in my coupon book. :)

So how did I fare at my first attempt at being a crazy coupon lady?

Items purchased:

4 Purex Laundry Detergents (my favorite btw) - 32 load size each

4 Purex 3in1 (Laundry Detergent, softener, and anti-static all in one) - 38 load size each

24 cans of tuna, 5oz (can you say food storage?)

1 Aussie Shampoo with pump (awesome for portion control with the kids) - 33oz

1 Aussie Conditioner with pump - 33oz

1 Box of Kleenex, 110ct

1 margarine, 15oz

1 Dawn dish soap, 10oz

2 boxes of Tampons, 40ct each

5 boxes of Jello

10 packages of seeds (for our garden)

3 Oil of Olay luxury body washes, 12oz each (they smell soooo good!)

1 Oil of Olay moisturizer

1 Secret deodorant

2 Walgreen Candy, 16oz each (cheap treat for school lunches)

1 Colgate toothpaste, 6oz

2 composition notebooks (school supplies)

2 reams of printer paper

2 packages of sharpe black permanent markers, 5 ct each

2 full-size good quality scissors

2 pkgs of binder clips, 40ct each

2 10" envelopes, 25ct each

2 Goody Ouchless hair bands, 27ct each

2 pkgs Pentel pens, 5ct each

4 cadbury creme eggs (I would say for Easter - but I doubt they'll last that long with 4 kids)

2 Hershey's drops candy, 8oz each (bribery for the kids)

1 King size Hershey's bar (makes a great addition to a bday card for visiting teaching)

1 King size Reese's Mini's

Total without coupons: $212.43

Amount I paid: $82.43

So much did I save this time? A whopping $130.04!

Not too shabby. I like this saving money thing. :)