Okay Ladies (and fellows) - You all have heard me talk about saving money over the past few weeks and some of you have been asking me to show you how I have been saving using coupons and rebate programs since I found http://www.southernsavers.com/. The easiest way is for you to visit the site and read her blog for the details (it's FREE). I WILL show you copies of my actual receipts and break it down for you so you can see that it CAN be done. 
Below are this week's shopping totals (not including groceries which I will list separate).
Step One - BUY ONLY ITEMS ON SALE
Total of Purchases @ Regular Price: $425.22
Total Purchases at the SALE PRICES $331.86
Money Saved By ONLY BUYING ON-SALE ITEMS: $93.36
Gives us a Total of $331.86 before coupons and rebates
Step Two: ONLY BUY FOR WHICH YOU HAVE A COUPON:
Total of Purchases (from above) $331.86
Total of Coupons Used: $140.44
New Total After Sales and Coupons: $191.42
Step Three: Purchase Items that Give you Rewards Bucks (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid all offer some type of rebate. Products change every week)
Starting Total after sale price and coupons (from above):$191.42
Total Rebates Earned:$110.96
New Total: $80.50
Step Four: Use Special Offers and Mail in Rebates. This week I transferred two prescriptions and got (2) $25 Gift cards, plus (2) $5 SC Johnson Mail-in Rebates, one $1.99 Sure Deodorant Rebate and one $5 off $25 purchase Coupon
Total Rewards Bucks and Rebates: $66.99
New Total after buying at sale price, using coupons, using/earning reward bucks and using special offers and mail in rebates: $13.51
TOTAL OUT OF POCKET COST THIS WEEK: $13.51
So - If I had purchased everything at full price without using anything, it would have cost me $425.22 Instead I paid only $13.51. I have scanned some of the receipts so that you can see what all I got for my $13.51. I am stocked up on toothpaste, shampoo, cereal, laundry soap, TONS of items (see the picture of my storage cabinet).
NOW - you tell me....is it worth another look at coupons?
//www.southernsavers.com/ is FREE and No, I don't get paid to tell you about her - I just love to pass on great info I try myself. Think of me as your very own Good Housekeeping Seal Test Mom. I will tell you - it does take TIME to cut and organize the coupons. But the website tells you exactly whats on sale, what coupon to use (sometimes there is even a link to print one out) AND you can "click and print" your own personalize shopping list for each store.
As for groceries - the grocery stores don't have rebate programs like the drug stores, but there is a system to get the lowest price for each item. A great website that explains it is http://www.couponmom.com/. Southern savers does list each week's sales and coupons for you so use her for your shopping list, but check out http://www.couponmom.com/ for the "hows and whys" of shopping for groceries..com
My Ingles list this week was very long, but I saved $99.61 at the end of it all......
Post your comments on your own ways you save or if you try it out and what your experience is!
CLICK the link above to go to my site and see the item by item break down in an excel spreadsheet. It lists each receipt by:
Regular price of item
Sale Price of item
Coupon Used
Reward/rebate earned
Actual Cost for the item
and the totals for each store! It took me 3 hours so CHECK IT OUT for proof planning your shopping makes a difference!
1 comment:
try couponcravings.com for more great savings...
Post a Comment