Couponing With A Vengance

Hello, My name is Jamie and I am a Coupon-o-holic.

No, seriously, I am.

Coupons aren't just for the crazy people on Extreme Coupons- anyone can be a Coupon Queen.

All you have to do is buy a Sunday paper. Or steal one from that neighbor you don't like. Either way, really. Personally, we but our papers, but hey, no judgement here!

We buy like 6 each Sunday- we like the Washington Post, Balitmore Sun, and Sunday News Journal (local-ish paper).  I try to get 2 of each.

You don't have to buy tons of papers to coupon, you can do it with just one.  To get the best deals, sometimes you need more than one of a coupon, but starting small is NOT a bad thing!

Then just start clipping, and sort them in any way you like- I prefer a binder, myself, but hey, shoebox and rubber bands?  Little Coupon File from the Dollar Tree? Paperclip and an envelope?  All also valid.

I choose to check out a couple of couponing websites each week to see what they feel are the best deals in my area.  These are free to use and are mostly accurate.

The one big thing to remember with coupons is that you can't expect to be like the people on Extreme Coupons overnight- you have to shop the deals, be patient, and remember that the huge hauls that these people do on the show aren't a weekly thing- they film the best possible deal at the store on the right week when the best sale is going on!  Shop for what you will use, or what the store will PAY you to take home (that really does happen, but only if your store will let you apply any coupon overages to your purchase), or what they will GIVE you for FREE, for the coupon.  Your stockpile stash will fill up before you know it, a little at a time.

Case in point:

This week's coupon haul:

Family Dollar (really.  I know you have one too!)

Coupons used:

$1 off any 1 Cover Girl Item

$2.50 off any 2 Cover Girl Items

Items purchased:
(All Cover Girl Queen Brand)
Toe Separators (for pedicures) 3 $1 each
5" Sapphire Nail File (the metal one) 2 $1 each
Pumice Stones 3 $1.50 each
Salon Style Emery Boards (the big ones), 2 pk, 2 $1.50 each
Slant tip tweezers 1 $1
Point tip tweezers 1 $1
Nail Clippers 1 $1
Reg. Emery Boards, 10 pk, 2 $1 each
Total before coupons for ALL of this...$17.50
Coupons- 4 of the $2.50 off 2- $10.00 off
Coupons- 7 of the $1 off 1- $7.00 off
Final Price: FIFTY CENTS for all that stuff.
Now here is where I made a rookie mistake- I kind of went crazy when I saw the full display of nail stuff, and I grabbed a $1.50 item (pumice stone) instead of a $1 item (more files maybe).  If I hadn't have grabbed the wrong one, my total price would have been FREE!!!

What, don't believe me?

Alright.  Here's a picture of my purchase :)

What will I do with it all, you ask?

Some I'll use.

Some I will give away.

Some things will go into my birthday party box, to make presents for the little girls who invite Katie to their party.- Just add some nail polish, and put it in a cute basket.

Not bad for fifty cents, huh? Hey, I could have done it for free.  But I'm not a Superior Mom, I'm an Only Average Mom.

I will try to put up weekly something cool I couponed for free or almost free.

So, do you coupon?  Get any good deals lately?

leave a comment, let me know!