Truthful Tuesday: Coupons!

Today's Truth: I love to save money. My favorite way to save is to use coupons, because I get a huge rush out of seeing that total plummet. I have saved 50% plus on shopping trips, and am disappointed with anything less than 25%, not including sale prices. I have spent many hours online researching deals, printing coupons, and organizing shopping trips. Yes, it is time-consuming, but I consider saving money part of my job as a *mostly* Stay-At-Home Mom. I decided I'd share some of my secrets today.

Before every Walmart trip, I check for Johnson's Buddies coupons. My daughters love the Buddies soaps because they are encased in easy-grip mesh, so they can easily scrub themselves without losing slippery soap. Although I like to try to purchase "natural" body care products for my girls, I can't justify *not* purchasing these. At my Walmart, they are just under a dollar, and I can usually find at least one $1 off coupon, making them FREE! Print Your Coupon, coupon 2 , coupon 3 , coupon 4. I should end up with 8 free bars today.

Here is a great coupon website. I check it regularly for new printable coupons. Right now it has a $5 Huggies and a $3 Huggies coupon. This is a fabulous deal if you use diapers, especially if you can find a good sale to go with it. I purchased 3 packs of Huggies at Walgreens last week for $13, and they gave me $10 in Register Rewards. So basically, $1/pack. At that price, it's worth getting them to have on hand for emergencies, even though I use cloth.

Although I love internet coupons, I also buy a Sunday paper every week. The $1.50-$2 investment always pays off. Even better, if I can stretch my tank of gas til Sunday and fill up at Casey's, they'll give me a paper for FREE! (If you do this, make sure to do it right away in the morning; they go fast.)

It's possible to find great deals every week, even every day. One of my favorite resources is A Full Cup. Registration is free, and it has a coupon database, forums for nearly every store you can think of, a coupon trading area, and general questions area. This site is a must, especially if you are just starting out. Browsing the forums will saturate your brain with coupon tips, tricks, and secrets, and the members are always willing to help out with any questions. Before every shopping trip, I check the forums for the stores I plan to visit. They usually have a list of coupon match-ups, which helps me maximize my savings by matching my coupons to store sales.

I store my coupons in three binders, by category. The pages are baseball card protectors. I have a large tote that I keep these binders in at all times, so when I sit down to create my shopping list, I grab my tote and laptop and am set to go. I also keep a scissors and small coupon organizer in my tote. I use the organizer for designated stores. For instance, if I'm going to Walmart that week, I place the coupons and shopping list in the Walmart file.

Implementing coupons in your shopping really can save money. The trick is finding coupons for items your family uses, and matching coupons with sales. My challenge to you this week is to set aside one hour towards couponing, be it researching on A Full Cup, printing internet coupons, or setting up your coupon system. You may be surprised at the fulfillment you feel at watching those numbers drop at the cash register!