Thrifty Thursday

If you know me (or have read my blog for even a minute), you've likely heard/read me say that I truly LOVE saving money! After catching up on blogger-pal Kara's page this week, I saw her recent post on shopping/saving and I realized I hadn't replied to all of you who've inquired
(and teased!) about my frugality!

To quote my pal Summer, I "used coupons before the media was doing news bits on them and everyone thought it was cool." For so many years Summer and I have both been cheap ...I mean frugal, always appreciating a good deal!
I think of it as *being responsible with our cash flow*!

Some of you have asked me on this blog, facebook, text, etc exactly how I save. You may know some of the answers, as I periodically send out some of the fun coupon links online (like the recent free lipgloss @ B&BW!). I use coupons from the newspaper, magazines, and some online, plus I shop store sales---the basics. I'm certainly not against yard sales, but my hubby works most weekends, and at this stage in life that would leave me to tote around two tiny kids really early in the a.m and that's just too nutty for me! Just picture that--hilarious and exhausting! But I do recommend yard sales for those of you who want to find good deals on books, toys, or some kids clothes (especially when you're talkin' about the baby stage, since most often babies 'out-grow' before they 'out-wear' or 'wear out' their toys and clothes!)

Things to keep in mind when shopping:

*Don't buy stuff 'just because it's on sale'!
~~~If you get an item you'll NEVER USE for $8 instead of $12, you haven't saved $4, but essentially wasted $8!

**EXCEPTION: If there's an item you can get totally FREE or for like .25 cents, it may not hurt to snag the deal, even if it's not an item/brand you typically use---for $0.00 to $0.25 (or maybe even $1), you can try it or gift it to someone!

*Be prepared!
~~~Know what you're looking for in the store, make a list, and arrange your coupons before you go. This will help you stay focused and make good decisions.

*Avoid distractions!
~~~Most often, it's just me with the kiddos during the day. But if I'm hitting up a store that opens early enough, I try to jet out there in the morning before Chris leaves for work. This way, I can beat the crowd plus get what I need without distractions (i.e. my kids!). Plus, there's more room in my cart, so I don't have to worry about making a second trip
(if you have multiple kids, you understand how little space they leave in the grocery cart for the actual groceries!). This also lets me get back home and enjoy my family all day, not worrying about trying to tote the kids in and out of stores or in and out of their car seats while carrying groceries...and without worrying that we'll be out during meals or nap time. Oh, and don't forget that hassle it is while it's raining (OY!)

That said, here are some of the deals I got this week:

For all items above, I paid a grand total of $15
and saved about $55!
One of my faves in this pic is the ice cream! It was BOGO Free...
PLUS, I had a $0.75 coupon that was TRIPLED on the one I "bought"! So $2.25 off that, and basically I got both for like nothin'! Some of the other stuff was completely FREE, too, but I just had to tell about the Bryers 'cuz ice cream maketh my heart happy!
(I had some great coupons of $1.00-1.25 off, but none over $0.99 were tripled in discount. But I still saved with each coupon used!)

These items cost only $6 -- Or less!
With a coupon, I bought 2 pks Clorox wipes, got 1 FREE--
but there's more...
I also had $1 off coupons for each pk I bought, so another $2 off!
Cottonelle was on sale, plus I got $1.75 off using
both a store coupon ($1 off) + manufacturer coupon ($0.75 off).

***Note, these were at Target. There are also certain items @ Target you can purchase and be rewarded with a $5 gift card.
Scan those items @ checkout first, then use that $5 gift card toward the items pictured above and pay only about a $1!
Truly: 3 pks of Clorox wipes + 6 Double Rolls of Cottonelle
for about $1 ?!?!?! Wowsa!