Couponing!

YEP! I have started couponing. Been the best thing I have EVER done! I feel so accomplished when I can get what I want and still save money while I'm at it. This isn't my first shopping trip. I've been at it for about a month and week now. I've had some really awesome weeks, and some not so great ones. I am going to be one of those shoppers where they pay me to take them. And I have actually already gotten many items where they paid me to take them. This weeks finds are this... (I'll go from top to bottom, left to right so you don't get lost.)

• 2 Anchorage Packpacks - sale price buy one at $9.99 and get one free. Cost: $5 each


• 3 1" binders (pink, green, and blue) - Sale Price $.99 each.


• 1 pack of Sheet Protectors, 50 sheets - sale price $1.99 each


• 5 Penway 1 subject 70 page notebooks - Sale Price $.39 each.


• 1 pack of filler paper 130 sheet count - sale price $.59 each


• 1 Wexford 80 sheet composition book - sale price $.59 each


• 2 packs of U by Kotex 18 pack pads - sale price 2/$7 and you get an in store coupon for $2. Cost: 2/$5. I had 2 mfg coupons for $1.00 off each. Here I thought it was a register reward. Found out it was an in store coupon and I had already checked out. So I didn't worry about the $2 cause I was in a major hurry. Normally I would make sure I got the $2 back. Final cost with the mfg coupons and the in store coupon would have been 2/$3 DANG! I think I'll go back and get my $2!


• 2 packs of 10 Penway pencils - sale price $.39 each


• 2 packs of colored pencils - sale price $.59 each


• 1 pack of 30 Penway mechanical pencils - sale price $2.99 each


• 2 packs of 6 Paper Mate Highlighters - sale price $.39 each


• 1 pack of 4 Dry Erase Markers - $.99 each with coupon in the weekly add. (hidden behind the crayons and eraser tops)


• 2 Irish Spring Deodorants - sale price 2/$6. With 2 manf coupons with $1 off each. Cost: 2/$4 makes them $2 each


• 3 Colgate Total Tooth Paste 4.2 oz - Sale Price $1.99 each. 3 manf coupons $.75 off each. Cost: $1.24 each


• 2 packs of crayons - sale price $.59 each


• 3 packs of 15 count pencil eraser caps - sale price $.29 each with coupon in the weekly add.


• 3 Colgate Total Children's Med Toothbrushes - Sale Price $1.99 each. 3 manf. coupons for $.40 off each. Cost: 1.59 each.


• 2 packs of Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes - Cost: $.99 each
  NOT PICTURED


• 2 bottles of Xcel 2X laundry detergent 50 loads each - Sale price $1.99 each. (I now have like 7 bottles of laundry detergent.)

Now if I had remembered to use my register rewards I would have gotten all of this for about $11.00 cheaper. I got a phone call from my dad. As I live out of state from my parents. I had to answer. Hence I forgot my register rewards. That's ok, I'll make up for it monday when I go shop again :). I'll be able to use them then, and that is when they expire anyway.

Here is the break down...

Total cost without coupons, advertised sale prices, and in store ad coupons... $118.40 without tax. I ended up with $1.90 in in store ad coupons, advertised sale item savings of $58.75, and mfg coupon savings of $7.45, all equals $68.10 of total savings!

Here is a better way to view it
Wag Coupon Savings: $1.90
Wag Advertised Savings: $58.75
Mfg Coupon Savings: $7.45
$68.10

My total bill was 53.77 after tax. Now if I would have used my register rewards I would have only paid $42.77 ( kept tax the same even though it would be less. Made is less confusing for me to figure out. :) ) All I have left for school shopping is Shoes and I am going to go coupon shop for shoe deals right now! Just looking at it all excites me.

Now I do want to give you an idea how you can get items for free. I shop Albertson's because they do double coupons. So if you have a $1.00 off coupon it will double it. But they only double anything $1.00 and under. A friend of mine and I were clipping coupons one Sunday night we realized that they had these awsome pork fillets on sale. Buy one get one free! Ok these fillets are to DIE FOR! They are so yummy! You cook 'em on the bbq and they just melt in your mouth... Back on track... :) We went to get these are we know that once the morning hits they will be all sold out. We went and we got our pickins' and headed for the register. We get up to the register and my friend is checking out. We like to become friends with the cashier ladies cause they'll tell you what the best deals are that day, or week, or month. My friend happened to ask and the lady started telling us about the Quaker Instant Oatmeal Packets on sale. Buy 2/$1.00 get a $2 mfg coupon after purchase. OK! There is a no brainer! They just paid us $1 to buy them! We instantly went back and bought like 8 boxes of them. Albertson's paid me $4 to buy those boxes of Oatmeal! OH YEAH! Those coupons you get after you check out you can basically use on anything in the store on your next purchase. I went the next week and bought myself glad cling wrap for $.39. And Ball canning jars 4 in a pack for $.19 each. I bought 2 packs cause I needed them to make my freezer jam. It was awsome! And those fillets I bought that night only ended up costing me $5 for both of them. Here is the scenario... Buy one at reg price, get one free. I grabbed 2. Went to the register. Reg price is $10.99. Rang up one, $10.99, 2nd one was free. I already had a $5 coupon that expired that day. I paid $5.99 for $22 worth of pork fillets! Those are just a few of the small and big deals I have gotten.