Week 3

Week 3

• In Week 3 I scored my first free body wash. It was actually a really nice men's body wash for Matt, but free just the same! I used a manufacturer coupon and a Target coupon combined with a Target sale to make it free.



• In order to get these free items, you must act fast. I went to SuperTarget early in the week and they were already out of everything I wanted to get at a discount or free. However, the regular Targets seem to hold on to their merchandise a bit longer. I was able to get my free body wash at Target in Tulsa Hills.



• I tried even more items from Aldi this week and was impressed by 99% of what I bought. I am still in awe of my savings there.


• I continue to do the bulk of my shopping at Wal-mart because they have what I need and they definitely have the cheapest non-sale prices, with the exception of Aldi. I am keeping an Excel spreadsheet of the price of the items I buy at Wal-mart. This allows me to do price comparisons when I see something is on sale at another store. Wal-mart is really close to my house, so I would rather go there if the price with or without a coupon will be the same.


• After making my grocery list I now scour the internet for coupons for every item on my list that I do not have a coupon for in my binder. It only takes about 10 minutes and it could save another $5.

Coupon Challenge

The craze of TLC's Extreme Couponing has motivated me to extend a personal challenge to myself to see if I can become a couponer. I purposefully did not say "extreme" couponer! I have no desire to create a stock room in my home of 100 dish soaps! However, as my monthly grocery bill looms eerily close to my mortgage payment, I feel a need to take a deeper look at couponing.
So I have challenged myself to coupon as much as possible for 3 months. There is definitely a learning curve with couponing. I know that 1 month would not be a sufficient period to determine if couponing is really successful for a very busy mom that has no desire to visit 5 different stores a week or stay up to midnight searching for good deals. I have set a few rules to make it more interesting. First, to take advantage of a good deal it must be something I will need to buy within a month. Second, if it is not something I would buy within the month, it must be $1 or less. This ensures I will not go broke saving money! I will do my best to post what I have learned each week during this experiment.
This blog will not become a coupon blog. I will leave that up to the experts, who will be divulged in my findings. I still desire to form monthly budgets for families. If you or someone you know needs help forming a budget, please contact me.

Week 1 Results:

• Homeland at 31st and Harvard is scary, and not worth it!


• Becoming friends of pages such as Money Saving Queen and Coupon Closet on Facebook is a key to learning how to coupon as well as obtaining random coupons. I use their Matchups to find the best deals.


• Do not do all your shopping at Homeland, Reasor's or Food Pyramid. The prices are normally much higher than Wal-Mart. Only buy those things that are on sale, and/or you have a coupon for.


• When using coupons while kids are shopping with you, have a nicely prepared list of exactly what you are looking for and make sure all coupons are pre-cut.


• Walgreens is a good place for toiletry deals, but careful with the register rewards. Register rewards can be good if used in moderation, but they can also increase your spending quickly.

Week 2 Results:

• Homeland in Prattville is not that far away and is not scary! I got several things for free and was very happy with my savings.


• Visiting Homeland on Wednesday is essential for getting the really good deals. The earlier the better. Most stores (not just Homeland) sell out of the specials listed on the coupon sites the same day their ad is released. My next task is to obtain a raincheck for a sold out item, but I have not ventured down that road yet.


• Aldi is awesome! Specifically the produce is awesome and cheap. It is definitely worth the drive. There are many items that are worth price comparing at Aldi.