Ok ya’ll. I get asked all the time how I save money. The next question is how do you really save with coupons. So, I just decided that I would post here how I figure it all out each week and see if it helps you to begin to make sense of it all. I have been teaching others how to save for several months now and when we sit around the kitchen table and I break it down in simple terms, it just seems to make more sense. It gets even better when we take a trip to the store together. So…I want to take you to the store. I am starting you out with CVS. They have the easiest coupon policy to figure out, they have great deals and they are nation-wide so most everyone has one near them. Ok, grab ya coat and let’s go…
What I break down for you is going to be a little differently than what I actually did because I had a couple of rainchecks that I filled. I also have not listed any taxes since everyone’s is different. My first step every week is to get a Sunday Paper. It has all the coupons and sale papers for the week. Then I research online any printable coupons to go with the deals for that week. After I have printed and cut my coupons I make a list and then paper clip any coupons I will be using to that list. I have it all handy and am less likely to make mistakes that way. I also carry my coupon binder into the store in case I see an unadvertised sale that I need a coupon for, with all of the clearance deals it comes in real handy. Preparation and Organization is the key to making it all work.
My list for CVS this week looked like this:
10 Vitamin Waters at $1.50 each
1 Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash at $3.99
1 Visine Eye Drops at $5.49
1 Visine soothing eye wipes at $5.49
1 FullFast Appetite Control Spray at $14.99each
4 Xtra Laundy Detergent at $1.49
These are items everyone can get. You can even go to http://thekrazycouponlady.com/print-coupons/ to see if there are coupons for these items in the database that she compiles. Yes, I could do the same for you…but it has already been done and I just think if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I can already tell you there there is a coupon for $2 off the Visine, and then when you buy the Visine you can get a coupon for free soothing wipes. There are also a couple of different coupons for the Vitamin water. You can use a $3 off 10 waters or a BuyOneGetOne free coupon. The B1G1 coupons are a little harder to find, they were on their Facebook page but when I went and looked I didn’t see it. You can print Xtra Laundry Detergent coupons at www.xtralaundry.com (I found mine at the local Dollar General in a coupon dispenser hanging on the shelf.)
So, here is what I did…I had 5 B1G1 Vitamin Water coupons. 1 Visine coupon and the get soothing wipes free coupon. 4 coupons for $1 off Xtra Laundry Detergent. I also started out with $10 in Extra Care Bucks (CVS money). I did 2 different transactions:
First Transaction:
10 Vitamin Waters = $15.00 minus $7.50 in coupons = $7.50
1 Visine Eye Drops = $5.49 minus $2.00 in coupons = $3.49
1 Visine Soothing Wipes = $5.49 minus $5.49 in coupon = FREE
1 Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash = $3.99
4 Xtra Laundry Detergent = $5.96 minus $4.00 in coupons = $1.96
Total would be $16.94 plus tax. I paid with $10 in ECB and $7 cash. I received back $5, $3.99, and $1 in ECB. (if you have to use the $3 off 10 Vitamin Water coupon yours total will be about $5 more than mine was…still a pretty good deal.)
I took that $10 in ECB and then purchased the Full Fast:
1 FullFast at $14.99…paid with $10 in ECB and $5 in cash, received $14.99 in ECB back.
You can swap the deals around in many different ways. That is just what worked best for me. I think that is what most people have the biggest problem with…figuring out how to get the most for the least amount of money. I basically sit down and figure out different ways I can buy the products…putting it all on paper. In the end, I can see in black and white what works best.
