The Crazy Coupon Lady strikes!!!!

I have a friend who told me about her crazy coupon adventures after watching the show Extreme Couponing  . I have seen it as well, and it seemed too good to be true that people were paying basically nothing for their stuff. Well, here in the Austin area of Texas, I have no idea where you could go that doubles and triples coupons like on that show. But I do know-- with a little diligence, you too can save a whole lot of money. The craving for saving money started when I had Jaxon. I knew that being a teacher, and being married to one-- there was going to need to be some corner cutting somewhere if we wanted to continue to live comfortably after all the INSANE day care, diaper, formula, baby food, etc...... costs.

It started this week....

I was tired of trying cheaper diaper brand after diaper brand, only to have to change Jax during the night so his PJ's wouldn't get soaked by the morning. I finally succumbed to a friend's suggestion to try Amazon.com. They have a program called Amazon Mom where you can sign up for free to get diapers on a subscription basis. When you do, you get 30% off the price and free shipping. A diaper fairy! Straight to your door as often as you tell them to.

Check this out....

Retail: $52.66, On sale at Amazon for: $45.99....... have them on subscription from Amazon Mom? Delivered to my door, once a month, for $30 and some change...

savings? $12.66

The Walgreens Experience...

There is a website I was told about as well, called The Krazy Coupon Lady. She has the scoop of everything on sale for the week, where to get it, what coupon to use, where to find it, and how much you will save! It's so awesome for me, because let's be honest... I don't have time to even paint my horrid looking toes much less research coupons. She makes it really easy.

So it starts with a little planning. I had to get a Sunday paper to get the ads, and the coupons, and did a little clipping, and made a list of things to get.

Walgreens also has these cool things called "register rewards" that print out from their Catalina Machine (the thingy that spits out the coupons with the receipt most people ignore... I used to. Don't be ashamed...) These are "free bucks" to use for another purchase that you get when you buy what they have on special. 

I had to make 2 runs to get it all to be able to use the Register Rewards, but this is what I came home with:

Schick Razor: $8.99
Softsoap body wash: $2.99
Sharpie: .99 X 2 = $1.98
Irish Spring body wash: $3.99
Irish Spring deodorant: $3.99
Optifree contact solution: $15.99
Dry Erase board: $2.99 (This was a purchase needed for the house, not a part of the planned excursion)
Pentel Pens: $1.99
Pilot Pens: $1.99
Summer's Eve body Wash: $4.99
Summer's Eve Feminine Wash (because let's be honest ladies... sometimes the good smelly soap burns when it goes where it isn't supposed to... just trying to take a bath! Right? haha): $4.99
Enfamil Gentlease formula double refill pack: $39.99

Total: $94.87

Some of these were sale items, so the total RETAIL cost is greater. Let's just say $100.

Coupons:

$2 off the razor
$1 off the deodarant
.50 off the Irish Spring body wash
$1.20 off the sharpies
$3 off the contact solution
$1 off the softsoap body wash
$2 off 2 Summer Eve products
$4.99 as a Buy 1 get 1 free off Summer Eve products at Walgreens
$3 off Gentlease formula
$1.00 off the Pilot Pens
$1.30 off the other pens

Coupon Total: $20 off!
I also got $10 in Register Rewards that I used....
and a $5 Enfamil rebate check that I get in the mail to use as a coupon

That's $35!!

So out of pocket today, I spent $55.71 for stuff that would have cost me double. When you pair that with the diapers... I have spent ~$86 this week, for stuff that would have cost $150. I don't know about you, but i'd rather have that extra money in my wallet. True, I don't need the contact solution this week, or the 4 bottles of body wash. BUT it is stuff we use that adds up. It may not happen EVERY week, but it sure does help a sista out.

Praise the Lord and pass the coupons!