New 25% off Children's Place Coupon!

Remember my trip to the mall yesterday? Well, I was one day too early because the Children's Place just came out with a new 25% off coupon! It's only good through this weekend so if you make it to the mall be sure to take it with you. Otherwise, this 15% off coupon is good through 9/7.

Don't forget tomorrow- Free Food From Schwan's!

Just a reminder - this starts TOMORROW!!

Starting August 1st, the first 500,000 NEW home delivery customers customers who sign up over here will get $10 in free food!!

*No purchase necessary. Offer ends 9/30/09 and limited to the first 500,000 new residential/household customers (i.e., have not purchased any products from Schwan's Home Service, Inc. within the past 14 weeks) who are located in an existing route of Schwan's Home Service. Limited to one offer per residence/household and may not be combined with any other offer or promotion. Local and state sales taxes may apply. Other restrictions apply. For complete details, visit www.schwans.com/free. Void where taxed, limited, or restricted.

Kohl's $10/$20 peelie on newspaper today! Great Target toy clearance!

Be sure to check your paper today for Kohl's $10/$20 purchase peelie. Coupon states it is valid in AZ, CA, ID, NV, TX, and UT. Offer good July 31-August 1.

I was so excited to see this! Last time they had this I got 3 shirts for $8.xx (I did have a $5 merchandise credit that I used).

I ran over there this morning since I have just discovered there is one close to my house. I've been needing to get some new clothes since things are just not the same on this old body after child #2 was born 3 months ago!

I was able to get 2 coupons (the newstand by the library had a bunch of free papers with these) and snagged 3 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, and a pair of shorts for the little man when he gets older. Did 2 transactions and spent $25.89, saved $94.21! The lady in front of me had at least 10 of these and just did one transaction after another. The coupon does state One per person per transaction, so YMMV on using more than one. I just went to different registers to do my 2 transactions.

When I got home there was an email from Kohl's for 15% off your purchase. It doesn't say that it can't be combined with other offers, just that dollar-off discounts would be applied before this one. I haven't shopped at Kohl's enough to know about their coupon policies, but from the sounds of this you could give them your $10/$20 coupon then this for even more savings!
********************Also, I've seen a lot of people reporting that Target has toys 75% off! May be a great time to stock up for Christmas! If you find any Hasbro games on clearance you could also use this coupon for $5 off. Word is that the Cranium Cadoo is on clearance for $3.75, so this is a potential MM (money maker!). Let me know if you find any good deals!

It's Friday! That means free chocolate

Sorry I'm slow to post this, hopefully there is still some free chocolate to be had!

Every Friday you can click on this link to get a coupon for free chocolate mailed to you if you're one of the first 200,000 to sign up. Yeah for free! Even bigger yeah for free chocolate!!

15% off Walgreen's 7/31 ONLY and RR explanation

Walgreen's has a great coupon valid tomorrow 7/31 ONLY for 15% off eligible items and 20% off Walgreens and W brand products. Be sure to read the fine print for exclusions and it does say to use only at the photo or cosmetic check out. I'm planning on taking my color ink cartridge in to have it refilled. I usually can catch this when they're having a sale but haven't seen one in a while so I guess I'll have to fork out the $15- 15% discount = $12.75 to have it filled.

Speaking of ink cartridges, I have a little tip when you get your ink cartridges refilled. If they bring it back to you and say that the test failed, keep it and try it. Basically they test it after filling it and it has to perform well enough that they can sell it to you. If it fails, they give it back to you and do not charge you for it. I have found that a lot of times because they did fill it, it works well again in my printer. It may not last as long or give as good of a print, but hey, for what I'm using my printer for (mainly coupon printing) a FREE refill works for me!

Some other good deals that I see with this:

Tuf Ultra Trash bags
in-ad coupon for $2.99 (if I remember right, these are regular $5.99)
- 15%
Total = $2.54 Not the best deal, but I need these so I'll get a box and then look for a better deal in the meantime!

Conair Gel Grips Hair Dryer
on sale for $14.99
-15%
$12.74, Plus you will get $10 RR (Register Rewards)
Total after RR = $2.74

Now for an explanation of RR if you are not familiar with them. Basically at WG's they run weekly/monthly promotions where when you buy certain products you get a certain amount back in the form of a catalina, or the little strip of paper that prints out with your receipt. This RR is a manufacture coupon and states that it is redeemable at WG's and is for a dollar amount off your purchase (aka ONYSO). So basically you buy something and get a coupon that is like money to use on your next purchase. Unfortunately at WG's, your RR will not "roll" which means that if I had 2 blow dryers and paid $12.74 for the first one and used the $10 RR I got from the first to buy the 2nd, it would not print another $10 RR for me. You can, however, "roll" RR from different promotions. So, taking the example from before. If I used a RR that I received from buying, say shave cream, to pay for the hair dryer then I would get another RR print out. The real "trick" to the game is to keep these rolling between different promotions. You may also use coupons on a product that has a RR (if the RR doesn't print, don't let them tell you it is because you used a coupon!) CLEAR AS MUD??

Albertsons and Walgreen's

I forgot to post this one, unfortunately the sale ended 7/28.

Albertson's

4 boxes Kellogg's cereal @ 4/$10 = $10 - $1 MQs = $6
2 gallons milk = FREE for buying 4 cereal
2 Sara Lee bread @ $.97 with in ad coupon= $1.94
5 lb potatoes (should have bought these at the Farmer's Market!) = $2.99
6 Easy Mac @ 3/$1 with in ad coupon (did 2 transactions since the limit was 1) = $2
3 Jimmy Dean breakfast croissants @ 3/$10 - $3 in ad coupon = $7 (cheaper than Costco)

Used $10 RR

Total = $10.12

WG's

2 bubble mailers on sale @ $.39 each = $.78 - $.50 MQ from 7/26 RP

Total = $.34

*If I had more than one Sunday paper delivered, which I plan on doing SOON, a better deal would be:

Buy 4 @ $.39 - (3) $.50 MQ = $.06 + tax for all 4!

Trip to the mall!

I loaded up the kids this morning and made a trip to the mall. I was looking for a necklace for my sister's wedding. Well, needless to say I didn't find a necklace but did find some other great deals! I love to buy clothes for my kids the year before they will fit into them and for whatever reason, the Big Guy thinks that summer is over and has ordered that summer apparel be put on Clearance. Fine with me! I'll stock up for next summer! Before I left I checked for coupons at Mommy Saves Big


Here's the breakdown:

JcPenney's:
6 rompers
2 Carter's onesies
pair of swim trunks
2 shirts
1 pair of shorts

I printed off this coupon to take with me for 15% off. What I didn't realize is that it is not good on Clearance merchandise. However, the nice cashier gave me 15% off so that I would not have to run home to get a previous receipt then come back to get the discount. Each JCP receipt has a website on the back that you can go to within 7 days and get a code for 15% off your next purchase, including clearance.
Total = $30.19, saved $97.99!!

Children's Place

1 button down dress shirt
1 pair shorts
3 pk bodysuits

Used 15% off coupon from here.

Total = $10.08

When I was in line at the Children's Place I overheard the lady ahead of me say she had a coupon at home. The cashier said she would have to come back with it to get the discount. I let her use my coupon since it says it is for multiple purchases. She was very grateful and gave me a 30% off Friends & Family coupon for GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic this weekend. I had just bought some sandals at the GAP, so I took them back and used the coupon (and picked up a couple shirts for me since I had it!)

GAP

Size 5 brown leather sandals
2 shirts for me

Total = $8.04

Where do I get my coupons?

This is one of the first questions I get asked. After all, it's great to know how to use coupons, but if you don't have 'em, ya ain't gonna use 'em!

So, let's talk about where to get coupons. There are several resources for coupons. Some are easier to come across than others, but here's the basic low down (straight from my handout for when I teach classes):

- Sunday newspaper. Get a subscription to the Sunday paper, and ask family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who don’t use coupons to save their inserts for you. I would recommend the Arizona Republic’s deal for $1/week if you only want the Saturday and Sunday paper (there are subscriptions available for multiple papers also). The most common coupon inserts you can expect in your paper are: Smart Source (SS), Red Plum (RP), and P&G. The P&G insert usually comes out once a month. (The Sunday before a holiday usually does not have any inserts)

- Other newspapers

- Online

• Coupons.com
• Smartsource.com
• Redplum.com
  
• Bettycrocker.com
• Couponbug.com
• Kraftfoods.com
  
• Shortcuts.com and Cellfire.com (Load coupons onto your grocery store card, comes off instantly at the register)
• Mommy Saves Big Awesome site for retail store coupons. I always check this before I go shopping!
  
• Krazy Coupon Lady This is a website that I just found and LOVE! She has put together all these IPs that are so useful! Coupons are listed in alphabetical order so it is so easy to find what you are looking for.
• Target.com or Target Coupon Generator (I prefer the latter). Did you know Target regularly has their own coupons? Pair them with a manufacture coupon for an even better deal! Read about that here. You can even print these from the gift registry computers inside the store. Scroll down to Grocery coupons then choose the ones you want to print right there in the store.
  
• Gerber.com (Sign up to get formula coupons)
• Pampers.com (Sign up and often they send you diaper coupons)
• Huggies.com (Sign up and often they send you diaper coupons)
• Enfamil.com (Sign up to receive formula coupons)
• Similac.com (Sign up to have coupons sent to you) Even if you don't use these formula coupons there are moms who are ALWAYS looking for these! They can be given away or even traded for coupons you need.
  
• If there is a certain item that you prefer, look up the website. Often times they will have coupon offers on there.

- Stores. Sign up for the store’s savings card and they sometimes send coupons to your home. Most stores also have little coupon machines in the isles. Called “blinkies” for the little blinking light, you can often find some valuable coupons there.

- Ebay. You can buy coupons in large numbers for very little money. See post here and here for example

- All You magazine. Found only at WalMart for $2.24, it is a monthly magazine that has a lot of coupons. I posted about it here

So does that answer some questions?? Please let me know if you still have questions. BTW, I'm thinking of hosting a coupon class at my house on a Saturday. How many of you would be interested in that?

FREE groceries!

That's right, FREE groceries!

Kraft is offering a SuperValu promotion where you buy $25 in participating products and get a catalina for $5 off you next order AND you can send in your receipt for a $20 rebate. That adds up to......FREE GROCERIES!

Go on over here to read more about it and see the list of participating products.

I'm so jealous! I guess the Albertson's here is owned by a different company because it does not show any stores in my area although there is one around the corner. I checked Idaho and Utah though and it looks like those are all participating. So you all go get your free groceries and I'll be here thinking about how great it would be! :)

Free ShamWOW!

I've you've ever wanted to try the ShamWow but haven't, now is your chance! Go on over here, take a brief survey and they will send you 2 ShamWow towels. You'll be saying WOW!!

Thanks, Bargainmoms!

Great Buca di Beppo coupon! Save 80% at Restaurant.com!

Buca di Beppo has a great $10/$20 purchase coupon! Can't beat that, especially since their portions are so HUGE that you could easily share an entree. Anyone want to meet for lunch?!? :)

**********************
Another great site for deals on restaurants can be found at Restaurant.com They offer printable gift certificates that can be used at different restaurants in your area. Just be sure to read the terms as they require a minimum purchase and most of them automatically add an 18% gratuity on the pre-coupon price. These are great though to try out new restaurants, to go somewhere nice for a special occasion or to get a discount when you have a large party.

Each month toward the end of the month they start to discount the gift certificates, like right now if you enter the code NAPKIN at checkout it will take 80% off your order!! That makes a $25 g.c. $2 instead of $10! Also, these don't expire for a year so you have plenty of time to use them. Go through Cashbaq and get a $5 bonus for siging up plus 10% at Restaurant.com.
Cashbaq is easy and it's FREE! All you do is go to their website first before making an online purchase. Find the website you're looking for in Shop by Store or Shop by Category, click on it and get a percentage back on what you spend!

Have you tried out a new restaurant using one of these gift certificates? How was your experience?

$30 in coupons from Home Made Simple!

Looking to build up your coupon stash? Go over here and sign up to receive $30 in coupons from Home Made Simple, including one for a free Cascade Rinse Aid.

At first I was reluctant to start signing up for this type of thing. Most of the time you get sent regular emails about products, special promotions, etc. I found it easiest to set up a separate email account that I register for these things so when they send me emails it's not junking up my personal Inbox.

Free food from Schwan's!

It's the Schwan's man!! When I was younger I remember him coming to the door. My mom would always get us kids those push up pops. Yummy!

Well, starting August 1st, the first 500,000 NEW home delivery customers customers who sign up over here will get $10 in free food!!

*No purchase necessary. Offer ends 9/30/09 and limited to the first 500,000 new residential/household customers (i.e., have not purchased any products from Schwan's Home Service, Inc. within the past 14 weeks) who are located in an existing route of Schwan's Home Service. Limited to one offer per residence/household and may not be combined with any other offer or promotion. Local and state sales taxes may apply. Other restrictions apply. For complete details, visit www.schwans.com/free. Void where taxed, limited, or restricted.

I'll post a reminder when the day comes. Yeah for free food!

B1G1F Jamba Juice

Jamba has a coupon for B1G1F smoothie, good through 8/9!! Great way to cool off in this dreadful AZ heat!!

Fry's

Fry's is having another one of those promotions where you buy 10 participating items you get $5 off (or $.50 off each item). It looks as if the Fry's I went to was TRIPLING coupons as I expected to pay a little for some of the items but didn't! Prices shown reflect discount:

Participating items:
10 Amp energy drinks @ $.99 = $9.90 *See below for explanation
6 Propel drinks @ $.49 - $.50 MQ = $.51 overage each
4 Smart water @ $.49 - $1 MQ = $.51 overage each
6 Dole peaches/parfait cups @ $1.39 = (2) $1 MQ and (2) $1/2 MQ = $4.34
2 Dole peaches in jar @ $1.39 = $2.78 - $1 MQ = $.78
4 Playtex handsaver gloves @ $.49 - $1 MQ = $.51 overage each
1 Dixie bowls and 2 Dixie plates @ $1.49 = $4.47 - $.55 blinkies DND (looks like the cashier did suppress these although they started with a 5)
1 3-pack Extra gum $1
4 3-pack Irish Spring soap $1 - $.35 MQ (Tripled) = FREE
4 Lady Speed Stick deodorant $1 - $1 MQ = FREE
3 Softsoap $1 - $.35 MQ (Tripled) = FREE
6 Quaker Chewy granola bars @ $1.49 - (3) $1/2 MQ = $3
5 Quaker Quakes rice cakes @ $.49 = $2.45
2 Kraft salad dressing @ $1 - $1 IP = FREE
Non-promotion items:
2 Always infinity pads @ $4.39 - $4 MQ = $.78

Total = $24.70 ($3.36 was tax)
**Plus, I got a catalina for a $10 gift card for buying 10 Amp drinks** (Promotion runs through 7/29, but you CAN roll the catalina, meaning you pay for the first set of 10 then use the catalina to purchase the next set and so on.)

Cheap Lipstick!!

E.l.f. is having a 75% off sale on their mineral lipstick making them $1.25 each! Just enter code GETLIP at checkout to see the discount, shipping is $6.95 for orders under $75. But wait! It looks like the $75 total is BEFORE the discount!! I put 20 tubes of lipstick in my cart and the total was $25. Not that I'm going to buy 20 tubes of lipstick though........... :)

You a book worm? Check out this free book!

There's a program over here where you can sign up to get a free book mailed to you. Choose between the 3 and it looks like they offer new books monthly. I have never heard of any of these, but hey, you can't beat free!

How to know when to stock up & Target update

When I first started couponing and deal shopping I had a hard time knowing what a good price was and when to stock up. Over time and through personal experience I have in my head what I want to pay for something depending on what I've seen it go on sale for before. I have also noticed the cycle of sales and coupons and that the same sale seems to come around about every 4 months. There is a great resource over at one of my favorite websites, Pinching Your Pennies that gives you Price Points and rates items by what is a 3, 4, or 5 star deal. Keep in mind though that this is someone's opinion so you own personal price points may be a little different. This is also a good thing to go off when you're shopping somewhere like the Dollar Store, where what appears to be a "good deal" is not always. As my Mom always says "You've got to know your prices!" (Thanks, Mom!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also, I updated the Target post below as their Smart Ones are on sale this week. Makes for an even SWEEEETER deal!!

Free Diaper Sample

I just went to this Huggies link for a free sample of their new Pure & Natural diaper. Keep in mind that getting 1 diaper sample is not that big of a deal, but a lot of times when you sign up for things like this they send you coupons as well. So, signing up for things like this is a great way to get additional coupons, many times they are high value.

There is also a coupon for $3 off Huggies Pure & Natural over here. Remember that you have to download the coupon printer to be able to print and can print 2 per computer. These diapers are $9.99 this week at Safeway, so $6.99 after coupon which is not a GREAT price but good if you need diapers right now.

Also, Huggies is a part of the Caregiver's Marketplace rebate. I personally have never done it, although I should! You just save your receipts and can get back $.75 on each package of Huggies you buy.

~~~~~~~~~
I also just found another code for the Pamper's Gifts to Grow (see post below). Use this code to get 1 free point:
FREECODEEXP0726

Just from the looks of it though it will probably expire 7/26

Cheap Lunch!

****Update on this deal - this week starting 7/26 these are on sale 5/$9, so it actually will look like this:

1 Smart Ones at $1.80 = $19.80
- (11) $1 Target coupons
- $4/10 mq
- Free mq
Total = $3 or $.27 each!!

SWEEEET!!!!!!!!

Target has a lot of their WW Smart Ones for $1.99. Buy 11 and use (11) $1 Target coupons and a $4/10 manufacture coupon. The link will take you to a little questionnaire, be sure to check YES that you would like to hear about product offers. ALSO, the July All You magazine has a coupon for 1 free Smart Ones when you buy 5. So, here's the breakdown:

11 Smart Ones at $1.99 = $21.89
- (11) $1 Target coupons
- $4/10 mq
- Free mq
Total = $4.90 or $.45 each!!

The Target coupons DO say Limit one per Transaction. However, I have never had a problem, especially when a cashier is faced with the prospect of doing 11 different transactions.

Also, if you're new to coupons let me explain one of the big rules of coupons to maximize your savings. The rule is that you may only use 1 manufacture coupon per item, so for instance I could not buy 1 bags of Chex Mix and use 2 coupons for it. I would have to buy 2 bags in order to use both coupons. However, when a store offers a coupon you may use 1 manufacture coupon AND 1 store coupon PER ITEM.

Need Diapers?

Yesterday I called Arquest and signed up for one of their diaper studies. Right now, they are looking for boys or girls wearing Size 1 diapers (up to 14 pounds) and for girls wearing 3T-4T training pants.

Call 1-888-342-7372 ext. 646 (girls diapers) or 1-888-342-7372 ext. 634 (boys diapers).

Funny enough my kids fall into both of those categories. I signed up for the size 1 study, she said they will send 3 packages of diapers with a questionnaire to complete after each one. Then she will call me and I give her the answers I filled out on my questionnaire. Once the study is complete they will also send $10. Sounds like a sweeeeeet deal to me!

They did say that I could only participate in one study at a time, so once I'm done with the size 1 study I will call back and do the 3T-4T study.

Staples Ad Preview

Staples has their preview out for the ad starting 7/26. You can check it out here. Back 2 School savings are:

$.25
Elmer's glue
erasers
pencil sharpeners
BIC mechanical pencils
index cards
pencil case
Limit of 2 per customer, while supplies last!

$1.50
3 pack glue sticks
3 pack dry erase markers
3 pack tape
3 pack highlighters
scissors
24 pencils

25-50% off backpacks
Another backpack deal this week at Staples is buy a backpack and get 100% of the purchase price back in Staples Rewards (limit 1 per mailing address). You can see this weeks ad here.

PLUS, next week there will be a coupon for $5 off $30 and Teacher Appreciation Day Saturday Aug 8th where the first 100 teachers get a special prize!

Free Chocolate!!

Every Friday you can click on this link to get a coupon for free chocolate mailed to you if you're one of the first 200,000 to sign up. So far I've already gotten a few of these and they're great!

CVS and WalMart, Part 2

I found a CVS that had more glucose monitors and I needed more diapers and to finish using the rest of my Hefty coupons at WalMart, so this looks very similar to the previous post.

CVS Order # 1 (DH's card since I had not bought any monitors on it and the limit is 2)
Bayer Breeze 2 glucose monitor @ $19.99 - $19.99 q = FREE
Bayer Contour glucose monitor @ $19.99 - $19.99 q = FREE
Pampers size 5 diapers @ $11.99 - $3 mq
8 packages Gold Emblem nuts @$.99 each = $7.92 - (4) $2/2 Gold Emblem nuts CRT = $.08 OVERAGE!
- $4/$20 coupon emailed to me
Total = $5.75 OOP
Plus, I earned $5 EB for Breeze 2 and $5 EB from Contour (monthly deal, limit 2)

CVS Order #2 (DH's card again)
Bayer Breeze 2 glucose monitor @ $19.99 - @19.99 q = FREE
Pampers size 1 diapers @ $11.99 - $3 mq
- $4/$20 coupon emailed to me
- $5 EB from previous order
Total = $.67 OOP
Plus I earned another $5 EB for the Breeze 2

Every time I go into CVS I scan my card on the little price scanner. It will print coupons and lately it has been printing these coupons for the Gold Emblem nuts EVERY TIME. Yeah! With my 3 cards I'm up to probably 20 or so packs of nuts. That's what you call cheap snacks!

WalMart
11 Hefty One Zip gallon and quart bags @ $1 = $11 - (11) $1 q = FREE
All You Magazine = $2.24
2 Nestle Pure Life flavored water @ $1 = $2 - (2) $1 IP = FREE
Total = $3.27 ($1.07 was tax)

So, I have my total of 26 Hefty One Zip bags - I think we're set for a while! I LOVE stockpiling this type of thing since I don't have to worry about it expiring and it's something we always need!

If you haven't heard of All You Magazine it's a monthly magazine that you can only pick up at WalMart (unless you have a subscription) and has tons of coupons in it. I thumbed through it to make sure the coupons were ones I would use which they were so I picked on up. They must have raised their prices though since they used to be under $2. A while ago you could get a yearly subscription on Amazon for $9.99 but it's gone back up to $19.99 right now. I wish I had ordered it then but I'll keep on the look out for another good deal for it.

I also like to get Pampers as much as I can for their Gifts to Grow program. Each package of diapers and wipes has a code inside that you enter in and get points. They have a rewards catalog with a variety of things worth different points. I've been keeping mine waiting for something to come along that I want and have 133 right now. I turned in points a while ago for a toy and only had to pay $7.99 shipping.

CVS and WalMart

CVS

1 Size 5 Pampers = $11.99 - $3 MQ (thanks Mallory!)
1 Breeze 2 Glucose meter = $19.99 - $19.99 MQ
6 packages nuts @ $.99 ea. = $5.94 - (3) $2/2 Gold Emblem Nuts CRT = $.06 overage
- $4/$20 coupon emailed to me
- $5 EB
Total = $.67 Plus I earned another $5 EB for the Breeze 2 (monthly deal, limit 2)

WalMart
(Just so you know, I'm not what you would call a "fan" of WalMart so you will probably see very few shopping trips there. I had coupons for Hefty One Zip that I ordered off Ebay because I knew I could get them free at WalMart)

15 Hefty One Zip gallon and quart bags (not all pictured) @ $1 = $15 - (15) $1 coupons = FREE
16 boxes Kraft mac-n-cheese (not all pictured) @$.50 = $8 - (4) B3G1F q = $6
3 - Nabisco Oreo Bite Size @ $1 = $3 (I needed these the other day and was in Fry's so I picked them up. They were $2.59! So when I went to WalMart and they were $1 I got 2 extra to return to Fry's)
1 package corn tortillas = $1.29
Total = $12.21 PLUS I will take the two Oreos back to Fry's and get $5.18 back so
actual OOP = $7.03

Buy One Get One Free Deal on Eyeglasses

We don't wear glasses around our house since DH had Lasix, but if he did I'm sure we'd be taking
advantage of this offer!

B1G1F Eyeglasses at EyeBuyDirect. Offer good through Sunday.

Thanks Lindsay!

Welcome to Born 2 Save!!

For me, saving money has always been a part of my life. I remember my mom taking me and my 4 siblings shopping. It just became habit for us to head straight for the Clearance rack. I learned at an early age my favorite 4 letter word - SALE! If I was given $100 to buy clothes for school I knew that I could get 2 items at $50 each, 5 items at $20 each or 10 items at $10 each and learned to look for the best deal. I really never felt deprived shopping that way as I always had what I needed and got a rush out of seeing how good of a deal I could get. I realized at that time that I could buy things that I needed without paying full price. I have since learned to stock up on things when I could get them cheap or free.

I also remember looking through the Sunday coupon inserts and almost laugh to myself. I would see a coupon that was for $.35 off and thought how dumb it was since even with the coupon that product would be way too expensive to buy. It wasn't until after I was married that I really learned to use coupons and maximize them. Now I take that $.35 coupon and laugh to myself as I watch my savings grow!

"Couponing" is something that is now a part of my every day life. It has become, well, somewhat of an obsession!

For me, using coupons has created:

-Simplicity by allowing me to create a stockpile so that I don’t have to make emergency last minute trips to the store or pay full price for things.

- A sense of satisfaction at saving so much money, which we all can use a little more of right now! Whether it is making ends meet, paying off a debt, or saving for the future- each one of us can benefit from saving money on every day items.

- Food storage. It has also allowed me to build my food storage which creates peace of mind. In fact, my goal with this blog is not only to track my savings and post about deals but also to incorporate a food storage/preparation aspect as that is a part of what saving is all about - being prepared for things to come!

- Try new things. My family and I have been able to try new things that I otherwise would not "buy" if I did not use coupons.

- The blessing of being able to share my extra with others without taking away from my own family.

Here are some previous deals to get you excited and inspired :)

Baby food - just under $3

37 boxes of cereal on sale for $1 - 37 $1 coupons = FREE CEREAL! (Most of this was donated)

My first CVS shopping experience - just under $20! I've been an addict ever since!

Keep checking back as I post more deals and follow me as I start the $40 weekly challenge in August!