Any one into heavy couponing?

[bethandjoeync]

(beth)I am a heavy couponer/stockpiler. it is so much fun to get a ton of stuff for so little money. want to learn how to coupon? I can help you learn how to maximize the stuff you get with little money. in one week of grocery shopping during Harris Teeter Triples coupon week, I spend $56 and saved $400!!! this didn't include meat, but I still stayed under my budget for the week after that. I have a rediculous amount of pasta, rice, canned veg (all of these free by the way), peanut butter and jelly, canned biscuits, and cereal (30 boxes). I do my best not to pay more than $1 for things (minus coffee, because I HAVE TO HAVE Folgers).

anyone else on here a couponing/stockpiling crazy person? or am I alone here?

 

[Julie08]

what are you going to do with 30 boxes of cereal?

 

[bethandjoeync]

well I send some to school for class snack (my son is in 1st grade at the moment) and the last 20 boxes were all miniwheats, and I only bought them because every 3 that I bought I got a coupon for FREE GALLON OF MILK! and after I bought 8 at one time I would get a rebate form for $10 (plus 3 free milk coupons) so they were practically paying me to take them. they are all good through 2010 so we are good for a while. I have some apple jacks, froot loops, rice crispies (great for making rice crispie treats), kix, corn pops, cinnamon chex, and many varieties of mini wheats. plus my aunt said she would buy some from me! I won't buy cereal unless it's less than .50 per box, or if it is over .50 then it has to come with other attractions (like the milk coupons and rebate). i'll buy lots of an item if it is super cheap or free (yes I get lots of things for free some weeks) as long as the expiration date is far off or I can freeze it to keep it longer.

 

[hennypenny9]

After my hours were cut, I've been trying coupons... I spend time on frugal websites, and Sufficient Self, and others. I always saw these triple or double coupon things, but I've NEVER seen them here. It's "one per purchase." Or "not subject to doubling"

But I'm still saving lots compared to my shopping habits before. And I have been stock piling. I have 10 pounds of flour from when it was $1.25 for 5 pounds, normally $3.49 for 5 pounds. And butter in my freezer.

I shop at Fred Meyers, btw. It's about 4 minutes from my house. The only other stores in town are Albertsons (it's in yucky part of town, and 15 minutes away from my house) and Haggen (which is a local higher end store) I do like Costco.

 

[bethandjoeync]

if any store doubles, the any coupon that starts with a 5 will double or triple automatically. a friend of mine that lives in florida shops at albertson's and has figured out a way to make it work. if you shop by the sales and coupons for the week, then you will save the most. I have 20 bottles of wishbone dressing I got all for free, because they were buy 1 get 1 free, and I have coupons for them that doubled...so all free!! gotta love that.

if you really want to save and use coupons, the thing I had to learn and you should keep in mind is that you can't always be brand specific. I like most brands of things but there are certain items that I must have a certain brand; coffee must be folgers, mayo must be dukes, mustard must be french's.but other than those I am game to try. I have learned to try other brands (rather than sticking to the only one I like), because if it's free or super cheap, I don't feel bad if we don't like it...because I'm not out a huge amount of money.

triples at harris teeter are so much fun! they triple your coupon value of up to .99 (example .75 coupon triples to 2.25 off the item purchased!)

also, most coupons say 'one per purchase'... each item in your transaction is a purchase...so if you buy 3 of the same product you can use three of the same coupon at one time (as long as each coupon is for one item, not money off of 2 items or more)

I have learned so much and owe most of it to one site that has helped me learn tons. hotcouponworld is the best to me, but I guess I am biased because I don't go on other couponing sites.

 

[bethandjoeync]

also I don't know if I mentioned it, but I don't use my coupons as soon as I get them, I have a box I put them in...and hold them until a good deal comes along, and most of the time one does.

Also something to help save money on things, is keeping an eye out on clearanced items.
for instance, this past week I was strolling through Food Lion (grocery store) and saw that the Dove Body Wash was clearanced at 2.24. I have a 1.50 coupon for them, so I picked up 3 used 3 of the 1.50 coupons and got them for 2.22 (or .74 each). that is great for body wash!

also I was going through the first aid aisle in my local Harris Teeter (grocery store) and saw that the Nexcare Bandages were close out priced at 1.14-1.22, this store doubles coupons buy the way, and i have .55 coupons for them, so that doubles to 1.10 off. I got 6 boxes of bandaids for .04-.12 each!!. I have a 7 year old son, so we will definitely use them.

 

[bethandjoeync]

this is my 'bargain bin' (is what joey calls it), I have tons of coupons, catagorized for easy finding. this is a plastic bin, supposed to store shoes in, but I found a better use for it.

I buy anywhere from 4-7 papers per sunday, depending on how many are in there (I'll buy one and check to see if it's worth my while to get more) and i cut them up and store them away for later use.

 

[Four Acre Bliss]

Does this work if you eat organic/natural? I would love to save money on groceries but would never buy Froot Loops/Apple Jacks type cereals, salad dressings or juices made with high fructose corn syrup, or non-organic milk or anything like that. Is the only way to make couponing work to eat the mass market national branded stuff? Is there a source for coupons for healthier foods?

 

[bethandjoeync]

in the last triples event this was one day of shopping, I bought all of this for $9.25

here is a list of everything in the photo:
6 Viva paper towel rolls (free after coupon)
2 Yakisobe noodle bowls
6 French's mustard (free after coupon)
3 Ny frozen Garlic Bread
1 Harris Teeter Ice cream
4 Carnation Evap milk
1 409 cleaner (free after coupon)
1 Arm and Hammer cleaner (free after coupon)
2 arm and hammer carpet powder (free after coupon)
2 quaker oats
3 smuckers jam (32 oz jar)
10 cans biscuits
2 bags of halls (free after coupon)
1 wholy guacamole
1 hillshire farms lunch meat

this is just a taste of what I got

 

[ksacres]

Holy crap, I need a mentor...