2 Days Couponing.... Yes I have Started :)

I said I wouldn't bother with coupons, BUT I NEED to and so far I have saved quit a bit and have a great stock piling! :) I've always shop sales, now I just add coupons and only buy if there are coupons... well some things you will need, ex. milk and don't have a coupon - those are exceptions...

I'm going to a Coupon Party with the good ol' Extreme Couponer Chrystie Corns this weekend & am pretty anxious. But I couldn't wait - I saw too many sales! So I looked up some help and found a blog with a Couponing 101 for Beginners & started reading.... I fast forwarded through the weeks and I'm pretty satisfied with my results so far - this is what came of the past 2 days....

Day 1: Rite Aid & Family Dollar

At Rite Aid, they have a wonderful Wellness Card program that saves you bunches of $, sign up if you haven't already! (You earn +Up dollars to use on your next purchase.) So with the Well Card, Sales & Coupons - it makes for great savings... but on my first day I was starting small....

I did 2 transactions.... the first one I bought the Blistex & Burt's Bees Cough Drops. The Blistex was $1.49 on Sale (Orig $2.99) and you got $1.49 +Up, the B.B. Drops were $1.49 on Sale (Orig $1.99) and you got $1.49 +Up. So in this transaction I spent $3.13 with tax, got $2.98 to spend on my next transaction & saved $2.00. Remember I was starting small. The second one, I needed to get earplugs for my son which were $5.99, Luden's Cough Drops $.99 on Sale (Orig $2.29), Henna Hair Care $2.79. I did not use coupons, just the Wellness Rewards. After sales & my $2.98 +Up the total was $7.28, a savings of $4.28 - it was a start. :)

At Family Dollar I used coupons...

Mean Green $5.50 with $1 Off Coupon

Dove Cond. $4.00, $3.75 on Sale, $.75 Off Coupon

Campbell Cream of Mushroom $1.50 for 14.50oz, $.40 Off any 3 Cream of Condensed

Scotch Tape $2.00, $.50 Off Coupon

On this trip I only shopped 1 sale, it was also a beginner trip - I did save $3.40 and got a $5/Off $25 or more for my next purchase! :)

Day 2: Rite Aid

With 2 transactions, I walked away today with a 60% savings!! Before Sales, Well Card & Coupons the total was $91.80 - After Sales, Well Card & Coupons I paid $31.29!! :)

My first one I made sure to purchase the items that I not only had coupons for but gave me +Up's. I wanted this transaction to total $20 plus tax - but with a few things that ended up in the basket due to other things not being available I was over $6. 

The Blistex & Burt's Bees did not give me +Up's this time due to literally only allowed one purchase period, I thought per purchase but no just one. But I still got them on Sale!

2 Colgate Toothbrushes: 2 for $7.98, $6.00 +Up, $1 Off C, liking paying $.98 for 2

4 Rite Aid Hand Sanitizer: $1.00 with Well Card (Orig $3.29), Min 4, $4.00 +Up, liking paying $.00

Crest: $4.49 (Orig $4.79), $2.00 +Up, $1 Off C, like paying $1.49

Oral B Toothbrush: (they had no Scope, so I opted for this even though I had no coupon & since they gave me $2 +UP), $4.49 (Orig $6.49), $2.00 +Up, like paying $2.49

2 Cover Girl Makeup: $10.78, Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off (Orig $13.58), $8.00 Off C, Paid $2.79

So for this transaction I paid $26.46, Saved $28.86 & got $14.00 +Up for my next purchase, which was next....

2 Tres Semme Shampoo, $3.99 ea. w/ Well Card (Orig $5.79ea), Buy 1 Get 1 Free up to $6 C (the cashier honored the $2 extra dollars from the coupon since it was up to $6, some may not do this - she offered, I obliged) = $3.99 for 2

2 Tres Semme Hairspray, $3.99 ea. w/ Well Card (Orig $5.79ea), Buy 1 Get 1 Free up to $6 C (the cashier honored the $2 extra dollars from the coupon since it was up to $6, some may not do this - she offered, I obliged) = $3.99 for 2

Pantene Pro-V Shamp & Cond, Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off C (Orig $5.29ea), $1 Off 2 C = $6.93 for 2

Werther's Original: 2/$3.00, $1 Off 2 C = $2.00

Cover Girl Mascara: $5.99, $1 Off C = $4.99

For this transaction after $14.00 +Up from #1 transaction, Sales, Well Card, Coupons = Paid $4.83, Saved $31.65 (This was my most exciting trip - to see the fact that I only had to pay under $5 for $37.00 worth of stuff!)

Today I also Grocery shopped with sales & coupons and was able to purchase a turkey for $.69/lb with a purchase of $25.00. I bought:

8 Progresso Soups, 4/$5, 2x $1 Off 4 C = $8.00

4 Hunts 28oz Tomato's, $.99/ea, $1 Off 4 C = $3.00

2 Roasting Chickens on Sale, $6/ea = $12.07

1 3pk Yeast Packets, 2/$3, $.40 Off 1 C = $.90

10lb Turkey = $7.18

My total before Sales & Coupons was $59.19.

After Sales & Coupons I paid $31.31 with a savings of $27.88, that's roughly 50%! :)  

And that's it, my first Coupon Excursion and I'm sure not my last.... Hope you got inspired!