Back in the Game

After a couple of months off due to the big move I am back into the full swing of couponing. Even I have limits! During the move I kept collecting coupons but didn't have the time to sit down and plan, etc, but now I'm back in the game. I have to admit I was hesitant to get back in the game since, yes, it can be a lot of work, but getting that first great deal, wow! What a rush!

So today was double coupon day at one of the stores I go to and I became "that lady" at the grocery store. In my defense there was only one register open and the computer made the mistake, not me. Here are a few of my really great deals.

Guess how much I paid.... go ahead guess! I paid a total of $5.26. It's not extreme couponing, but a great deal none the less. I bought 9 bottles of body wash for $0.47/each, 3 deodorants for $0.25 each, 10 bars of soap for a TOTAL of $0.28, 3 bottles of shampoo for free, and three deodorants for free. Mr. Sloth might be able to claim he can't find the deodorant now, but he can't claim we don't have it.

I'm still learning the art of buying cereal but this is the best I've done so far. Each box was only $1.25 each. They were on sale for $1.99 when you buy five, plus I had a $2.25 off three coupon, and a $1.00/1 coupon that I was able to double (See if I had two of those coupons I could have done better. I'm learning...)

After watching a few episodes of Extreme Couponing I was inspired to reorganize our pantry now that we've settled in here a bit. The organized closets on that show make me drool. Top shelf is for baking ingredients and breakfast foods .

Second shelf is for canned goods and bottles with a littel section of basic cooking ingredients in the corner.

Third shelf is for beverages (coffee, tea, formula), grains (opened pasta boxes, rice, crackers) and then the two baskets are for packets and ackward packages like nuts and taco seasoning.

The hanging shelves are for my stock of FREE pasta, so exciting. And then on the floor I have my ceral stash, chip stash and right now I am stocked up on cake mix and powdered sugar for Pax' up coming birthday celebration.

Today I saved $58.38 at the register and received $6 in coupons towards my next purchase. Since I forgot to buy meat today I will be using the $6 towards that purchase later this week.

So that is just one store. I discovered the Target near our new home has an AWESOME trial section and most of that can be purchased for free. The squirrelly kids let me find one tube of toothpaste there for free before they made me leave the store yesterday.

I'm also learning the art of shopping at Walgreens and Cub. Walgreens can be tricky but it can pay off pretty big too. I have $6 in Walgreens money to use there this week which is pretty exciting. Last week I tried shopping at Cub for the first time. They don't have double coupons BUT they do take expired coupons and since I stopped for a few months a have a few to use still.

Mr. Sloth is really starting to love this couponing business, it's finally putting my obsessive compulsiveness to good use. Speaking of which I need to stop and go do some real vocational work. ;)