Living better, spending less.
There are a lot of fun things about having a couponing friend. This picture is an example of one of those things–someone who will let you know when things go on clearance. This was not marked down yet when I was there yesterday, as far as I saw.
Total OOP: $3.49 (1.62, 1.87)
Total ECBs Used: $31.55 (1.98, 7.58, 9.99, 2, 3, 3, 4)
Total Spent: $35.04
ECBS Received: $0 (shocking!)
Caregivers Marketplace Rebate: $6.00 (eight packages of Huggies)
Total Cost: $27.04
I split this into two transactions so I could use two $4/$20 coupons that I walked back to ask for at the pharmacy (ask for readyfill coupon booklets, there are two in there) but I forgot to give her the second one, so this should have been cheaper.
Still! That’s $27 for THIRTEEN packages of swim diaper and SEVEN double packs of propane fuel (2.25 each!) By the way, the Huggies were priced at $2.25 ($8.99-75%.) I had $1.50 coupons, which made them $.75 each…. which is just the amount that I will get back from Caregivers Marketplace. So, all eight packages of Huggies were free.
Also, I got rid of a lot of ECBs. I had accumulated far more ECBs than I like to keep on hand, and I kept having trouble with expiration dates. I am down to a manageable level now.
What do you do with all this stuff?
I called my dad at work to ask him about the propane. My parents go camping a lot and I was pretty sure that $2.25 for two bottles of propane fuel was a good deal. He directed me to buy all they had, so I guess he agreed. The lighter fluid was $1.37 and I am not positive if we need it or if anyone we know needs it, but it sounded cheap to me for the size of the bottle so I bought a couple. One of the freezer packs is for my mom and the others are for us. The swim diapers I totally bought for yard sale purposes. It is pretty late in the season so I don’t know how well they’ll sell this weekend, but I have storage and they’ll still be good in the spring–not worried about it.
When I became a stay-at-home-mom, I promised I could save our family money by shopping sales and maybe even using a few coupons. I had no idea what I was getting into. These days, I am on a first-name basis with the cashiers at the local drugstores, I haven't paid for toothpaste or shampoo in over a year and I spend my free time here, helping others do the same. So please, make yourself at home while you learn how to save, and when to spend!
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