Extreme Couponing: "More Like Hobby Couponing For Me"

My sister came home one day about a month ago with tons of little boxes of toothpaste--all for free. From that moment on I was sold on couponing. I asked her how she did it, and she explained it to me. She gave me this great book to read, "Pick Another Check Out Lane, Honey." You can click on that title and it will take you to Amazon. The book took me about 2 hours to read (VERY SIMPLE), and it was written by the ladies from the TLC show. You can also visit The Krazy Coupon Lady website. For the past month, I have learned so much about saving money on everyday items we use. 

I know what most of you are thinking...I don't have time to do it. In all reality, it doesn't take much time at all. It requires a little thought and a couple of hours a week clipping coupons from newspapers and printing online coupons. I mean, really, aren't you just sitting in front of the TV on Sundays watching football? Pull out those scissors and start cutting! I see this as a part time job. With the amount of money I am saving for me and Eric, I am keeping more money in our pockets. 

This first month, I will say, I have probably spent more money than I normally would; however, the idea is to save money in the long run. You create what they call a "stock pile" of items. For instance, here are 2 of my favorite scenarios to give you an idea of what I am doing from my favorite store, Target:

Listerine (the big 1 L bottles)
Regular Price: $4.99
On Clearance: $3.48
I use a Manufacturer's coupon: $2.00 off any Listerine product
THEN use a Target coupon $1.00 off any Listerine product
FINAL PRICE: $.48


I bought 4 bottles that day totaling $1.92, a total savings of $18.04!

While it may seem excessive to buy 4, Eric and I do not need to buy any for a year!


Need another example? Like most girls--I HATE buying tampons every month. Why should we have to pay $4.00 for something we have no control over! Here was my deal of the day yesterday to make me feel a little better about it--also from Target:

Tampax Compak Pearl Tampons
Regular Price: $3.99
I use a Manufacturer's coupon: BUY 1 GET 1 FREE  (YES! These do come out from time to time)
Then, I stack $1.00 off Manufacturer's coupon on one of the boxes (the book can help you understand this better) 
FINAL PRICE PER BOX: $1.49

I had 2 sets of these coupons, so I got a 4 month supply of tampons (4 boxes) for $5.96, a total savings of $10.00!

These are just a couple examples of the great deals I have come across. Along with these deals I have gotten sooo many free products: Cortaid, Prevacid, Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner/& Mousse, deodorant, etc. and not travel size!

Eric is still slightly apprehensive about it, but I think we will really start seeing the savings over the next few months. I am just now finding the courage to tackle the grocery store, but last week I saved $20 on groceries that would have cost around $60, or about 30% on our total. 


While I'm not going completely crazy like some of these ladies, I have found this to be such a fun hobby! You don't have to spend hours in stores or even hours clipping coupons. Every little bit can save you money on items that you use anyway! My sister and I share deals and coupons all week, and love finding those awesome buys! At this point, I don't think I will ever pay full price for anything again! 


In case any of you are curious, here is a picture of my super messy "stock pile" not including the bbq sauce I got for $.25! I plan on getting it all organized soon!:)