Couponing: The New Sexy?

I have mentioned my couponing habit before, and after a weekend of doing more of it, I am compelled to again.

This weekend, I made seven different shopping trips:  3 stores on Saturday for those coupons that were at the end of their three week "ripeness" and 4 stores on Sunday for those coupons that were at the beginning of their "ripeness."  Before store special savings and coupons, my total bill would have been $679.03.  After the store specials and coupons, my total was $467.90 -- a savings of $211.13 (31%).  Was it worth it?  Hell  yeah!

Again, many of my purchases were things for RLF.  At CVS, I got four boxes of Kellogg's Raisin Bran for $8!  I saved $9.56 just on those boxes of cereal.  That's pretty exciting to me.  Plus, I know that RLF will eat it.  I don't eat cereal (been going low carb -- didn't even like to eat it when I wasn't low carb, it requires to have fresh milk in the house).



Three reasons people always give me for not couponing:
1.  I buy things I don't need or want:  Uhm.  How?  Is the coupon twisting your arm?  I don't think so.  It's fairly easy, just buy the stuff you will use.  Not all coupons every week will float your boat, but many of them will.

2.  I'm one person.  Many of the coupons are for multiple items.  I won't use them:  Really?  Well, yeah.  That's what I thought before I started using the coupons and stockpiling.  Again, I don't have a crazy stock pile like the people on tv, but I do have a good number of items on hand:  Kleenex, deodorant, toothpaste, candles, toilet paper, dish washing liquid...  To me, all of these are the kind of items that cause real irritation when you run out and don't have any more on hand.  I live in a place that gets very cold and snowy in the winter.  If you're spending the weekend on the couch wrapped in a blankie and fighting a head cold, you do not want to hit the bottom of your last box of Kleenex (or toilet paper, for that matter).

3.  Coupons really don't reduce the price that much.  On some items that is true.  I've learned another trick:  I only buy the item if there is also a store special on that item -- unless I really need it at the moment.  Otherwise, I have enough of a stock pile to tide me over until the next sale.  Out of my $211.13 savings, $126.03 was due to store specials/rebates.

One commenter asked me in my previous post about what sites I would suggest... After this weekend, I have a few hints:

1.  Join the rewards programs at CVS and/or Walgreen's.  Both of them have reward programs that result in coupons that are issued at the cash register for buying certain items.  On Saturday, I earned $7 at CVS!  On Sunday, I earned $5 at Walgreen's!  Crazy!  Registration is free.  Yes they are going to track your purchases and probably send you some junk mail (or, better, coupons).  But if someone walked up to you on the street and said, "Here's $7." would you say, "No thanks, I don't need it."  Of course you wouldn't.  Even better, they make it really easy and mark the items that will earn you rewards in their stores.

To join their programs:
Walgreen's Balance Rewards
CVS Extra Care Card

2.  Look for your coupon items in all stores.  For example, I make a round based on geography.  I start at Target and then proceed to Walgreen's, CVS, and then my grocery store.  If it's not on sale at Target, I don't buy it and see if it's on sale at the next store and so on.  This is also a great exercise in giving you an idea who has the best prices on certain items.  I'm never going to buy candles, paper goods, or moisturizer any where else but Target.  I'm now getting all my feminine supplies at CVS.

3.  Be nice with your extra papers.  I know I mentioned that I buy four papers every Sunday.  I have always raided them for the coupons (there are a lot of flyers in there for stores I don't frequent, too) and then recycled.  Yesterday morning it hit me:  I have four papers and three neighbors on my floor.  I raided the papers and then put a paper in front of each of the three doors.  When I went out of my door 20 minutes later to get something from my garage, all three papers were gone.

Later in the day, I saw one of my neighbors who is a student and she asked me, "Did you leave the paper for me?"  I told her I had and she grinned, "THANKS!  I was on my way out the door to get the paper because I'm working on a Poli Sci project.  Then it was there on my door mat!  It was awesome, thanks!"  Kind of cool, huh?  I know it's supposed to be that I'm begging my neighbors for the coupons out of their Sunday papers, but I'm not that forward.

How is any of this sexy aside from the fact that I get pretty excited that I am helping RLF and I have a cupboard full of candles in my bathroom that is making that room smell MAGNIFICENT?

The male attention I have received while in the checkout line is unreal.  Four out of the seven trips, there was a guy behind me.  Every single one of them commented in a positive and unsolicited way:

"WOW!  That was 46% savings!  Congratulations!"
"I wish my ex/wife would do that." (two different guys)
"Can you teach my wife to do that?"

Granted, the majority of the comments were not about me, but in reference to their wives or ex wives...  But I know that saving money is hot to me.  Mr. Man is kinda cheap (as am I) and he enjoys hearing about my couponing hauls (he will never go with me though).  He is also appreciative of a box of Kleenex within arm's length in every room.

The male cashier at CVS on Sunday looked at my receipt and said, "Wow!  You saved more than you spent! [saved $17.56, spent $9.16]  You are every guy's dream in a woman!"  We live in a small town, he can get away with that.

Being sexy isn't all about how you look ... It can be all about how you save.