Questions answered about couponing! VLOG!

Yay for my droopy eye! It was itching the whole time.. shouldn't have tried a new mascara right before doing this video! Hope it doesn't distract you as much as it distracted me!

My first VLOG on couponing!!

If you have any questions about couponing, let me know and I will answer them in my next video!

New to couponing?

I have been talking to a lot of women on Cafemom lately that want to know how to coupon but don't know where to get started. I always suggest checking these three posts out first, but here is another way to get started. I'm teaching couponing classes in the St. Louis area so if anyone is interested just email me.

Go to www.grocerysmarts.com.

Choose your state.

Choose your store.

Click start, and the white boxes will go gray. Click on the deals that you want to try.

Print your list, and then go through and double check to make sure you have all of those coupons. If you don't, just scratch it out. If you start with a decent pile of coupons from the last few weeks, you should do well with this type of list. If you don't have any coupons, don't get discouraged. Start your coupon binder and in a week or two you will be couponing like a pro.

Repeat this process with each store you visit.

(Look at the image below.) The arrow on the left shows the number of stars this deal has. Grocerysmarts.com puts the best deals in red. However, sometimes they will say it's a GREAT deal when it really could be better. For example, on today's deal it says BAN (deodorant) is $1.49 at Walgreen's. That's true, but if you use your $.70 coupon that came in today's paper, you'd get it for a lot less. So be sure to watch your coupons, your store ads, etc to get the very lowest price.

The arrow in the middle shows the price before coupons, and the arrow on the right shows the price after coupons. The column to the right shows where to get the coupons if they are printable, or where to search in your binder if you have clipped them already (it will say 6/5 SS, for example).

Remember that Extreme Couponing (like the show) is not realistic. You don't need 186 bottles of mustard. Just focus on saving your family the most money. Don't worry about anything else!

Saving money!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!! I know I sure did. I needed those 3 days to rejuvenate. I caught some awesome sales this week. What about you?

I've been on a couponing high for about two weeks straight now and just wanted to share! :) I am currently teaching couponing classes at my home, and in the very near future, I will be teaching free (basic) couponing classes at local libraries. I never imagined that clipping a few coupons would take me this far, but it has been a fun trip and I'm sure there is more to come.

Degree - $.25! :) Icy Hot & BC free after RR. REACH Floss - $.12 money maker. Banana Boat was under $1 a piece.

Not the healthiest but for a party... $.78 pizzas, $.50 hot dogs.

About $1.50 a box. Buying some more today for $.88 a box!

The slushies were a filler item because I had too many coupons at WG with the BC & Icy Hot. Icy Hot was a $.99 money maker. Bandages were not on sale, don't know why I threw them in there. Aloe was less than $1 a piece.

Got these for $1.10 each! ^^

$1.60 money maker (5 floss). Free hair ties at WG with RR.

These were only $1 instead of $3 with my price matching magic. :)

If you are visiting my page for the first time and are looking for the couponing classes, here they are! These were never really meant to be "classes", I just ramble about stuff a lot and at that time it was coupons. There are many, many wonderful sites that will teach you about couponing. I think the best way to learn is in person. So if you have the chance to take a local couponing class, or even to get a couponing DVD, you will learn so much faster! It is definitely worth the investment.

Today's Shopping Trip

I went shopping on Monday for once (instead of waiting til the end of the week when all of the deals are sold out). It was not busy at all at the store. Monday might be my new permanent day to go shopping! Got some great deals. :) The Sunday paper coupons were not very good so I haven't clipped them yet. Used price matching and previously clipped coupons for these deals.


I was really disappointed in today's paper. I am, however, really happy that I spent less than $90 on groceries that will last us more than a week. And the Walgreen's deals were great! 


For those that haven't visited my blog before, I just want to let you know we don't have a RiteAid, CVS, etc around here so I shop at Wal-Mart and price match with ads from the paper. I don't stockpile because we live in an 800 sq ft apartment, and I don't buy things unless we will use them. The only thing I will eventually stock up on is health and beauty. No food. Until we get a house anyway!







Colgate total gum defense: 2/$6 at Walgreen's. $4 register rewards. $1 coupon off one, $.75 coupon off the other. $.25 total for 2, so $.12.5 cents a piece? lol I know you can sometimes get tooth paste for free but this is the expensive stuff so I "splurged".


Mitchum was only $1.99 with a Walgreen's coupon(we usually pay almost $4).


The razors were on sale at WG for $9.89. They gave register rewards of $5, plus I had a $4 coupon. Total: $.89!!

Mr. Clean normally almost $4, price matched down to $2. Coupon for $1.50 off 2. Total: $1.25 each. 

Febreze normally $3.36, price matched down to $2, coupon for $1. Total: $1. 

Schick Quattro razor normally $9, price matched down to $5, coupon for $2 off. Total: $3 (I know some people don't like to pay this much for razors but these are my favorite!)

These were priced $3.36-$4.26 at Wal-Mart. Price matched with K-Mart down to $2. Coupon for $1.50 off 3, so $1.50 each.

Bad picture, sorry! 1lb bag of Rold Gold tiny twists regular, and then mustard flavor. Regularly $3+, price matched with K-Mart to $1.99, coupon for $2 off 2. So $1 each!

How much did you save this week?

Couponing for Extreme Beginners

**RIGHT CLICK ON LINKS, CLICK OPEN IN NEW TAB**

I got a few messages asking for more tips/tricks for actual couponing virgins, so I threw together a few ideas and I hope these help. Feel free to email me any time or leave a comment if you have questions. If this info is too basic, check out my couponing series (week 1, 2, 3).

This will all be kind of scattered, as I am thinking of these as I type.

*If something is on sale for 10 for $10, you don't have to buy 10 to get the sale price unless it specifically says so (which is rare). When I first discovered a Schnucks (they do 10/$10 a lot), I thought you had to buy all 10. I ended up buying 10 jell-o's, 10 two-liter sodas, etc etc. My roommates laughed at me when I got back home and was complaining about having to buy 10 to "get such a good deal". Just buy 1 and it's $1. 2 and it's $2. You get the concept. :)

*Find out if your store doubles coupons. If they do, find out the maximum value they will double for. Most stores will only double up to a dollar.

*I don't use abbreviations or acronyms when talking about coupons, but some folks do. This site breaks it down for you.

*Visit your store online and find their coupon policy. Print it out and carry it with you in your coupon binder every time you visit. If you have any problems, or questions, you can easily refer to it because it will be in the back of your binder (use a sheet protector). (Wal-Mart's NEW coupon policy - 4/2011 - is here.)

*Make sure your store takes internet coupons before you go crazy and print 872389473 of them. Many stores do not.

*Ask for rain checks. Many stores will offer rain checks if they are out of the items you are after. If there is a great sale going on, and you have coupons, you want a rain check. Just hope the coupons don't expire before they fulfill the check. :) On the flip side, a rain check allows you some extra time to come up with more coupons to use!

*It is usually a better deal to buy the smaller size. The larger size will be cheaper with a coupon but sometimes the smaller size is free!

*Get coupons! Besides the newspaper, you can check my past posts... or visit these sites to sign up for mailings: Baby coupons, General coupons

*Pictures of other coupon binders and organizers can be found here.

*Sometimes being a suck up pays off. Contact the company and give them positive feedback, and they will send you coupons and/or free stuff. Extensive list of companies and numbers.

*This part isn't quite about couponing but it will save money. Organize your grocery list by the part in the store the items are in. For example, if aisle one has bread and snack cakes, you would write them next to each other on the list.

*And, just for kicks, in case you want to go all 'extreme' couponing on me... your very own dumpster diving tool kit. No, I'm serious. Click it.

I know this is simple stuff for some of us, but I was asked to go back to the verrrrrrry basics. So I hope this helped. Add your tips to the comments!

Week 3: Couponing

Since this is week 3, I thought maybe you guys were ready for a huge couponing resource list. These websites will all help you save money, but if you think you are going to get overwhelmed just do a few at a time. :)

Would you like to know more about DOUBLE coupons? Click here to see which stores (by state) double.

There are no inserts in our Sunday paper this week. :( So, click HERE to be entered to win over $200 in coupons. Giveaway ends soon!

{RIGHT CLICK ON EACH LINK. HIT "OPEN IN NEW TAB". I did not format these to open in new tabs. If you don't do this, you surely will get lost in blogland.}

Saving to a Better Life

The Coupon High
Money Saving Mom
A Few Short Cuts
Target Savers

Frugal Follies
Single Mom Saving Money
Bluegrass Savers

Deal Seeking Mom
Embracing Beauty
Coupon Frugality
Blessings n Couponing
Clip It To The Bank
Super Saver Sisters
Vanessa's Values
Red Plum
Pirates of the Supermarket
Coupon Network

The Frugal Find

The Savvy Student Shopper

Sunday Coupon Preview
Obsessive Coupon Disorder

Suzy Coupons

Mommy Savers

Coupons and Freebies Mom
A Little Simplicity
Couponing To Be Debt Free
Loving the Little Things
The Thrifty Momma Says

The Mama Report
Thrift Me
Frugality is Free
The Deal Scoop

Save The Coupons
Thrifty and Thriving
Love to Save

Hip 2 Save

And don't forget to check out Couponing Week 1 and 2 for other great resources.

{**Featured today: The Spaceyard. Please check them out on Facebook. If you'd like to be featured, email me (randomosityblog AT gmail DOT com)!**}

Menu Plan for the Week 4/17

I have added about $100 worth of coupons to the giveaway that is happening next Monday. So be sure to comment on that post to be entered. :)

Monday

B: cereal & yogurt

L: mac & cheese with soy sauce

D: meatless spaghetti

Tuesday

B: bananas on toast
L: cheese quesadillas & fruit

D: pancakes and turkey bacon

Wednesday

B: cereal & yogurt

L: egg "cupcakes"
D: stir-fry

Thursday
B: eggs and toast

L: grilled cheese with tomatoes, fruit on the side

D: chicken pot pie (home-made)

Friday
B: cereal & yogurt

L: rice with veggies

D: chili with turkey instead of beef

Saturday
B: waffles, egg cupcakes, and turkey bacon

L: grilled sandwiches

D: broccoli & rice casserole

You might notice we don't have a lot of variety, especially for breakfast. The girls eat breakfast at school so we usually just eat whatever, but our back-up is cereal and yogurt. :) We eat a lot of eggs because they're cheap, and lately we have been eating a lot of waffles/pancakes because I got a great deal on some boxed mix last week.

Snacks are always fresh fruit (pineapples, bananas, apples, and strawberries this week), and each meal usually has fruit or veggies too. I just don't outline which ones on the menu.

Don't remember to grab your Sunday paper and clip coupons today. Our grocery bill used to be $100 a week, for our family of 5, but we started eating a little healthier and the bill went up to $125-$150. :( Now that I've started price matching and using coupons, we have saved a lot. Last week our groceries were $80. This week... EVEN LESS! It's not SUPER healthy by any means but we have lots of fresh fruits for snacks. I will post more about it on Friday. :)

Frugal Friday: COUPONING Week 2

Price matching!! Yay! This is my favorite way to save money, because I don't always buy the things that coupons are available for. If you have a super Wal-Mart near you, they price match (brand for brand) so head over there after reading this post, and let me know how much you saved! If you don't have a Wal-Mart, call your local stores to see which ones (if any) offer price matching.

Keep in mind that most stores allow you to use a manufacturer's coupon as well as a store coupon on a single item. If you combine that great deal with price matching, you're going to save a ton! Be patient. Hear me out. :)

Let's start with simple price matching. Wal-Mart sells pineapples for $3.50 (prices change a LOT, but let's go with it). Aldi has them on sale for $.99 this week. You save $2.51!

Now, price matching with a coupon. Not sure how much cereal is at Wal-Mart this week but it's usually over $3 a box. Schnucks has Kellogg's on sale for $1.77, and I got a coupon out of the newspaper for $1.50 off 3 boxes.

Here are a few other examples:

Now you really want to save some cash? Let's do a price match, manufacturer's coupon, and a store coupon!

If you have a store that doubles coupons, don't forget to try them out as well - even if they don't offer price matching. Some stores will only double up to a certain amount, or only on certain days, so be sure to check their policies before going.

Like I said last week, I'm not an extreme couponer. I have no plan, desire, or need to be one. I buy only what we need. However, I have just started planning our menus around sales and coupons, which saves even more money. We slashed our grocery bill from $150 down to $125 when I first started using coupons. Since I started using my binder and price matching, I've slashed our bill from $125 to $80. This isn't $500 worth of groceries for $25 like on TLC, but it's what works for us. :)

The best deals I've found are with coupons on shampoo, deodorant, razors, toothpaste, makeup, hair care products, and frozen/canned/boxed foods.

The best deals I've found with price matching are with produce, meat, and drinks/snacks.

Keep in mind that they only match the same price on the SAME BRAND. And don't forget to bring your ads with you (I circle all of the products I'm price matching) to the check-out or they won't do you any good. :)

If you have any questions please let me know. Sometimes I get to typing and it doesn't make as much sense as it did in my head! So if you are confused at all, just ask. If you don't have a store that price matches, don't get discouraged. Check out last week's post for great coupon sites. You can save LOTS by printing coupons. I only use the Sunday paper and have cut my grocery bill quite a bit. I know you can do the same!

See Week 3!

Frugal Friday: COUPONING Week 1 *LONG*

UPDATE: See Week 2 and 3!!

This might only be a 2 week series, because I'm not sure how much I can teach you about couponing. I am not one of those extreme couponers, or one of those "crazy coupon ladies", but I do like to save money. Today I'm going to show you how I keep my coupons organized.

I am the type that always says "I'm not going to clip coupons to save 25 cents on a name brand when I can get the generic for less". This is so true. Do not waste your time clipping coupons if you are going to the store only to realize the generic is cheaper. I'm not a brand snob, I'll buy the generic of just about anything. However, when you see an ad for toothpaste for $1 and you have a $1 off coupon, you just got toothpaste for free. This is what makes couponing worth while.

Now I'm not going to tell you to buy 87 Sunday papers and stock up on that many boxes of toothpaste. I live in an 800 square foot apartment. We have room for one toothpaste at a time. Again, I'm not an extreme couponer. I only buy things we need. I do not buy things because they are cheap or because they will be free after a rebate. That's just not me.

Anyway... to get started, you need a coupon binder. You could use one of those accordion coupon holders, but they just aren't the same. If you don't want to carry a huge binder to the store with you, try to find a mini. Heck, use a travel photo album. I don't care - just get those suckers organized!

Today we are just going to focus on how to make your coupon binder. One step at a time, right? :) It seems like common sense but sometimes it's just easier if someone breaks it down for you. So here we go!

You will need:

*A Sunday paper (or another newspaper/magazine with coupons in it)

*scissors (unless you want to tear them all..err..not recommended)

*3 ring binder

*baseball card sleeves (I got a pack of 35 at Wal-Mart for $4.88)

*A Marker

*A few pieces of white/scrap cardstock

First, you want to sit down with your newspaper(s). Take out all of the sale ads from the grocery stores, and set them aside (we will talk about this part next week). Then, grab all of the coupons and get to clipping. This should only take about 10 minutes, assuming you don't have any kids interruptions. Now you should have a nice pile of coupons.

You can organize as you are cutting, by putting them into piles. I only shop at one store, so I usually have mine organized by aisles. However, for this tutorial, I made labels by category: dairy, frozen, produce, boxed, canned, snacks, beverages, breads, cleaning supplies, paper goods, misc food, and non-food. Just take the sleeves out and put the coupons on top for now.

Then you need to put the coupons in the sleeves.... obviously... :)

Little dividers were like $5 at Wal-Mart, so I just made my own. Take a piece of card stock and write the different categories down. Use tape to secure to the coupon sleeves.

You can label these by aisle, by section, etc and you can place them in the order you will pass them in the store or you can place them in alphabetical order.

I make my menu for the week (breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks), make my grocery list, and then take the coupons out that I'm going to use during my trip and I put them in an empty sleeve at the beginning of my binder. Most couponers will suggest planning your menus around store ads and coupons, but I am just not that talented yet. :)

Remember how I told you to set aside the store sale ads? We will talk about those next Friday! :)

Here are a few ton of coupon sites that were recommended by friends. I haven't had a chance to start printing coupons out yet, or visiting these sites, but I know they can help you save a LOT of money... so if you have time, visit a few of them. :) Add your own in the comments.

Penny Pinchin' Mom Frugal Fun & Fortune

Smart Source Money Saving Mom

Hip 2 Save Passion For Saving

Coupon Mom The Krazy Coupon Lady

A Full Cup Refund Cents

Pinching Your Pennies Coupons.com

Deal Seeking Mom Clippin' With Carie

Pocket Your Dollars Free Snatcher

Totally Target Couponing 101

Hot Coupon World Maven of Savin'

My Litter Bargains to Bounty

Don't get overwhelmed. This is a really simple process, and believe it or not it can actually be relaxing! Take a few minutes, grab your drink of choice, and clip some coupons. The entire process (menu planning, coupon clipping, etc) won't take more than an hour each week. If you have any questions or need help with getting started, please let me know! I will try to help in any way I can. Next week I will be doing a giveaway and it has to do with COUPONING so be sure to check out my post on Friday. :) Thanks for stopping by -- leave your blog link in the comments and I will try to visit!

UPDATE: Check out Week 2 and 3!!