Coupon How-To: A mini series

I use to post about my savings and then I stopped posting, but kept saving. Then I stopped clipping and with that, I stopped saving. So, I'm going to take you on my journey back to savings from the start. It really is easy to do, and easy to get caught up in. After several years I have learned several lessons. I hope you will join me in this little series of posts over the next few days.

The biggest misconception regarding coupons revolves around the generic vs name brand prices. Yes most of the time you can purchase generics for cheaper than a name brand counterpart. However, if you have a coupon for a product and it is on sale - add up the savings and it is cheaper than the generic. I have also found that not all products are created equal, so I have some brand loyalty.

I will also start out with I am a fan of being able to shop at a one stop shop too, however I am a bigger fan of saving money and to do that, I sometimes have to shop at a few different locations. This is how I became such a huge fan of Walgreens and CVS. However, keep in mind not all stores are created equally either. Thankfully, I work in a town where there are several options.

Last, let's talk CLEARANCE! That word makes me happy. I love clearance. Did you know you can use coupons on clearance items? YES! Isn't it delightful? It is like Christmas. I rarely walk into a store without checking out clearance. A true frugal wanna-be has to check out clearance items.

So for our crash course, let's say you have clipped coupons for a month and have them neatly stored in your coupon keeper and you are going to the store. (this is an actual example that happened to me) You notice your favorite shampoo is on clearance (they are designing a new label so it is time to get the old off the shelf). This is the kind of shampoo you LOVE but never buy because the cost is so much more than the generic. But today it is on sale for $2.99 and you have several $2 off coupons. STOCK UP! BUY ALL YOU CAN! You just purchased your favorite shampoo for .99 cents! That is cheaper than the generic by over a dollar. I won't even get you started on the fact that I haven't had to purchase toothpaste in over a year. That's right - I only get it when it's free - and it's free ALOT! Are you getting excited? Strap on your seat belts, I'm going to show you how.