Couponing advice...

People often ask me if when couponing the items I get either free or really cheap, if those are things I actually need and use. Most of the time yes. If it's something free or only costs pennies after coupon and we don't use that product it makes for a great donation to someone who does need it. Take for instance there has been hot deals on Sudafed at Walgreens the past few weeks making them free, now sure it's always nice to have a box or two of them for us in our medicine cabinet but do I need 4 boxes? No. But things like that make for a great donation to a local charity or shelter that needs them or will give them to someone in need.

What I have been trying to do for my family is stock up on things like shampoos, soaps, toothpastes, canned goods, crackers, snack food items, laundry detergents, cleaning products, diapers, etc. Things we use a lot of. I don't want to run out, and I absolutely hate running out when that item isn't on sale or I don't have a coupon for it, so I stock up when I do. Right now we are fully stocked on laundry soap, diapers, shampoos, toothpastes, crackers, snacks, cleaning products, etc. and let me tell you it feels nice. My favorite to be stocked on is diapers and laundry soap, we go through so much of both and knowing that I have a stockpile of both that cost so little feels great. We probably have enough diapers to get us to potty training stage!

In our Sunday papers we don't get all the good coupon inserts some do, we are lucky to get one let alone 3 as some areas do. I recently found a website that you can order all the good coupons from, at first I thought pay for coupons? No way! But this site is totally worth it and your only paying pennies for them, they are charging for clipping them. If you are seriously into couponing, know your ads, know what you want to stock up on than this site is really great. They are so inexpensive and all clipped coupons ship for free. For example, My kroger has 50 oz bottles of All Detergent this week for $3.49, there is a $2 off coupon from on of the paper inserts back at the beginning of Feb. and of course I didn't have it, so I ordered it, .11 each, I ordered 10, so $1.10 will bank me $20 in savings. So I can score 10 bottles of All for $14.90 plus tax. That is Awesome! I have ordered from them twice now and love it. The site is Coupon Clipping Crew. Also with every order you earn rewards and 20 of them earn you $1 off your purchase.

Another thing with couponing, the more and more you do it the more you will learn as with anything else in life. You will learn as you go what is a good price and a deal as to what's not. Like for me I have learned that I can get huggies for about $4 to $5 a pack with a coupon matched with a sale, so I try not to go any higher than that. With toothpastes I can almost always score that free or for pennies. Shampoos ( for brands like Herbal Essence or Dove and Pantene ) I have learned I can either get them free or under a dollar which is a great price for those brands. With laundry soap, the $1.49 is my best price so far. I myself don't often get laundry soap for such a great deal and this is why when I find it I like to stock up. Cleaning products, soaps, etc. mostly free but I will pay anywhere under $1 with coupon for the good brands. Once you start shopping and ad matching with coupons and scoring better and better deals you will find your prices that you are willing to pay that work for you. For me once I get that item free or really really cheap, it's hard for me to pay anymore than that for it again.

One more thing before I go. Rebates. I have never been good about following through with rebates but am trying to do better as they are pretty Awesome! There are so many rebates out there from companies and why not take advantage of them? Especially if it's a product your buying and using anyway. For example, I recently bought a Venus Razor and an Olay Bodywash, and used a buy a razor get a free bodywash coupon. So for $5.99 I got a nice venus razor and a huge bottle of Olay with Ribbons Bodywash, then I bought some awesome Olay facial cleanser for $4.99 after coupon ( I am usually cheap when it comes to this kind of stuff but my sis was here, had it, I tried it and it's well worth that price ),  so now I need one more Olay product which I am going to buy another of the facial cleansers as I have another coupon for it and I gave the one I bought for myself to my little sis cause I'm lovely like that, haha. Anyway Olay has a rebate out right now buy any 3 Olay products and get $15 back by mail, so I spend $15.99 on 4 normally expensive products and get $15 back by mail making 3 olay products and the razor cost me only .97, so are you rethinking those rebates now? I have about 4 other rebates to mail in as well!!!

Last night I did one of my weekly trips to CVS and got 1 gallon of milk, newspaper ( no coupons, boo! ), 2 bottles of Excedrin, Three 2 liters of Pepsi, 2 Colgate Toothpastes, 1 Milano Cookies ( shhhh no coupon but they were on sale and these are my FAVORITE ), Gain detergent, Softsoap Bodywash, and 4 packs of planters peanuts, Before coupons my total was 34 and some change, after $18.45 but I received $9 in extra care bucks back for my next trip. CVS is absolutely my favorite drugstore to get the deals. It's easy to learn and every week they have Great deals! Now I will use my extra care bucks and come up with an even greater deal and roll them so that I get more back on things we use!

I could go on forever but I'm going to spare you ( anyone out there? ) and quit. Any questions? What confuses you the most about couponing? Anything?