Coupons!

For a long while I declined to participate in the coupon way of life. After all, I am a store-brand buyer and coupons are always for name brands!  That was until I tried it (thanks to my friend Laura)!  When coupons match up with store sales (and if you go to Publix where they not only double, but accept competitor's coupons AND allow you to stack store and competitor's coupons), you can get some good stuff for very cheap or even free!  For example, I got a huge bottle of Nivea body wash (regular price $6.99) for $0.78! I've gotten two tubes of toothpaste for free and several other items for dirt cheap (and significantly less than even the store brand that I would normally have bought). 

My suggestion: subscribe to a few sites that will do the coupon matching up for you. They do the work and you just run to the store and reap the benefits (that's especially helpful for those of us who do not like to shop)!   

**Notes of caution: don't think that you can or should be like those that are on the Extreme Couponing show. It annoys me to see them take every item off the shelf, thereby not allowing the rest of us to benefit from the same deal they did. I mean, who needs 60+ bottles of mustard, anyway?!    Also, don't buy an item just because you have a coupon. I have thrown away some $3.00 off coupons because I'm not going to just buy an item that I don't need or want. Sure, if I could get it on a very good deal and share it with someone who did need/want it, I'd be MORE than happy to give!  But if it's an $8.00 item and I get $3.00 off...I'm still spending $5.00 I don't really need to spend. Just be your own judge and you'll be in good shape!