How I do it

I was asked on my previous post where I get my coupons from, so I thought maybe I would share how I get the deals I get. Some of you already know this stuff, so feel free to tune me out, but before I share the technical stuff, I wanted to let you know about another awesome shopping trip, this time to Publix.

I've always thought that Publix was too far from my house to shop at, and I've bought into the thinking that Publix, like CVS, is just too expense; I mean, their generic stuff looks gourmet to me, but I'm wrong. Take note, because I don't admit to being wrong often. I much prefer to be right, but this time, I've made a mistake. Publix is only about 15 minutes down the road from me, and for the awesome savings that they offer, they're not too far away.

So here's what I got:

That's 2 half gallons of Smart Balance milk, 2 Soft Scrub Scrubby Pads, 2 big boxes of Chex, and 2 bags of Chock-ful-o-nuts coffee.
I paid $11.47, saved $15.47 and used $8.50 in coupons.
The Secret Clinical was a sample of deodorant that I got in the mail today. Yesterday I got a sample of Purina dog food.

So here are a few things that I do when couponing:

First, I have store cards for my 3 favorite stores, CVS, Ingles and Bi-Lo. Publix and Walgreens do not require store cards, so that's really nice.

I use two websites to help me find the best deals: Southern Savers and Hip2Save. Southern Savers lists mainly grocery store deals and occasionally great internet deals, and Hip2Save posts mainly freebies and internet/store deals. They serve two different functions for me.

I always buy TWO Sunday papers just for the inserts. Now, I do love to catch up on the news, but I buy the Sunday paper only for the coupons, no other reason, coupons only. I pull the inserts out (sometimes I stand in line and look through the papers quickly to make sure that they actually have the inserts in them) and put the date on them in marker - big marks on the front of the insert. That way when Southern Savers references the insert, I know which one I'm looking at.

I keep my inserts in a pocket folder divided into SmartSource, Red Plum, PGBrandSaver, internet coupons, and other coupons, and before I go to the store, I go through the inserts and match the coupons with the things that I want to buy. Never, ever, ever go to the store without a list. You will spend way more money than you intended to and you won't get great deals. Keep in mind that not all inserts have the same coupons, so Southern Savers may have a coupon listed in an insert that doesn't actually show up in yours.

I know that some people clip all their coupons and put them in binders in baseball card holders, but I have two small children who constantly cry for my attention, so I don't do that. Sometimes my mom will call me and let me know of a deal, and I'll take advantage of that. I also know the products that usually have coupons on them, so if I see one on clearance, I may come home and try to find a coupon to match it with. That's the extent of that.

I also love refunding. If I see that I can submit a refund for something, I do! I've gotten $39 in rebates just in the past two weeks. Y'all, that's $40 in money that I can deposit into my checking or savings account for things that I would have bought anyway. ChaChing!

One last note, whenever I go into CVS, I go directly to the magic coupon machine (in Pickens it's right inside the door, a big red machine) and scan my EC card to see what coupons shoot out. Usually there are some good ones for things that if they're not on sale already, they will be in the next few weeks. Sometimes you even get lucky with money off a purchase. Remember, these are store coupons and can be used with a manufacter's coupon in most stores.

I've saved a lot of money doing these kinds of deals, and let me warn you, it's addictive.

Feel free to post questions/comments below.