A Coupon Missionary

Of sorts.........First off all I would like to say "HELLO ANDREA" if you are stopping by!  I was in Kroger doing my deal shopping this evening after another stellar Wii game shopping trip, more on that in a minute!  I was sitting with my mega coupon binder over by the Gatorade because I had just snagged 10 of them for $5 dollars, I keep them in the pantry for the DB (Darling Boyfriend since in blogland husbands are referred to as DH~Darling Husband) when he is playing sports and doing yard work, and sometimes I crave them even though I know they are completely bad for you when the sweetest last approached me.  She is a young Mom who has just started couponing after she learned about how much her friends were saving.  She asked me a coupon question and I happily answered.  I told her about Southern Savers off of the top of my head.  I know I read a lot of sites but I could not remember the names of all of them. She said she had hardly paid for much since she had gotten started couponing. I told her a few things I do and she was very thankful and we both went on our way!  I went down a couple more isles and  I kept thinking about this women I just met and how excited I have been with these fabulous grocery/toiletry/supplies deals lately and I just felt like I had to share more.  I really felt guilty ya'll!  I had to go witness to her about some more super saving sites!  No you won't find me knocking on your doors or out in a picket line with my info so don't worry!  I stopped what I was doing and went back towards the direction I had come from looking for her!  I found her and asked her if she had a pen and she did so I wrote my blog address down for her.  I knew I had some fab-U-lous sites on the side of my blog that have helped me out so much lately and I wanted her to know about them.  Like I mentioned earlier she is a Mom and not only do I read about great savings of household items I read deal after deal on childrens toys, clothes, etc. and what a better time to know about them with Christmas coming up!  I in no way care if she even reads the blog as long as she is able to use to sites on the side which I don't write.  Hardworking ladies, and even one Dad write them for ALL of us to benefit from so I know they feel just as giddy when we are scoring deals that they have blogged about!  I also shared with her that a great place to get coupons is out of the "ALL YOU" magazine.

This is obviously not this month's magazine!  The only place I have found this magazine is at Wal-Mart but that is not to say it is not other places I just haven't gone on a wild hunt for it!  Here is the list of all of the coupons that were in this month's issue.  This magazine is cheap and it always has great stuff in it!  A tip I received from the Coupon Queeny at The Southern Women's Show was buy a Sunday paper for each person in your household to get the extra coupons.  That is her rule of thumb.  She also has older children and she said to keep them occupied in the store she sends them, as a game, to go around the store and has them collect all of the coupons that are in the little coupon machines around the store. She also mentioned if you have certain things you need coupons for ex. diapers and you have friends that don't use diapers ask them to save the coupons for you or trade them for coupons you have that they might need!  A great thing she shared with us also was that when she finds a deal on things they don't use or need that may come out FREE (or maybe super cheap) then she gets the items and donates them to the food bank!  I watched a lady on the news this Summer and she does the same things but puts the stuff up at her house and helps out friends that need help. She herself did not have much but she said it's FREE so get the items because someone will need them!  Aren't those great ideas!?  Another thing that lots of people don't know about is that you can buy coupons on Ebay!  It is illegal to charge for the coupons they can only charge for postage!  So you could get a huge coupon for the price of a stamp!  Anytime I go anywhere I try to look online for a coupon before I go to use on top of a sale.  Old Navy, Bath and Body Works, you never know so it never hurts to look!  I am in no way a coupon blog writer but when things are too good not to share I just can't contain myself!  When everyone needs to feed their families and keep the laundry washed and house cleaned and there are ways to do that for super cheap then why not!?  There were times when we all just went and bought everything we needed and the bill was probably sickening and the more things that happen in our lives and money is a BIG issue you have to make some changes.  Not feeding your family is not acceptable obviously so why not keep your pantry stocked the cheapest way possible!  My grocery bill was  $40 dollars tonight for 40 items at Kroger!  That is including 10 boxes of potatoes, 2 pizzas, 8 stouffers items for me to make dinners out of, 10 gatorade, and a few other items!  A friend and I had a conversation a few months ago about how great we felt when our pantry's were full and the fridge/freezer was stocked.  I know the feeling of we have nothing to put together for a meal and it is not payday yet!  It is a sick feeling!  That was before the couponing FREAK in me came out!  Any of you watch Jon and Kate?  Do you remember the episode where they had just moved into the new house and she found out he went to Home Depot without taking and using the coupon they had for the store and she went off on him?  People said that was horrible.......but truth is that is me in a nice way now!  If you have money to save on something you have to buy anyways then that is like flushing money down the toilet.  I carry my coupon binder everywhere with me now!  My friend Briana likes to make jokes and call it my Trapper Keeper!  Make jokes Sista! :)  Cas and I went to Wal-Mart the other day which I don't do that often anymore.  They may have "Everyday Low Prices" blah blah blah but they don't have BOGO and they have been a pain to me every time I have tried to use coupons there so really it is not the place to buy groceries.  I just go there for other clothing, gardening, decorating, etc.  Anyways I didn't take my coupon binder in with me because we picking up something that I knew I would not need/have a coupon for.  While we were there Cas said "oh we need syrup."  O.K. fine but make it cheap.  There was a brand there that was cheaper that the Great Value.  It is called Log Cabin.  O.K. that is cheaper lets move to the check out!  The next day I was filing coupons and I came across a $.50 off coupon for Log Cabin syrup! I was soo mad! :)  Also let me tell you that most things that are not name brand taste just like the name brand.  So don't be so haute ladies!  There are a few things that I do buy a specific brand of but.....I did learn that Winn Dixie green beans are growdy!  I do have to say that even if money was not an object around here on the Howard~Smith home front I would still take advantage of the coupons and the great deals because why not??  and it is actually super fun to me! 

Andrea the site I told you that I use is The Grocery Game.  It is a minimal fee every two months and she points out what is on sale and the coupons on top of that and if it is a good deal of not, etc. You can use if for a Kroger, WM, Winn Dixie, CVS, Walgreens in our area.  I use it for WD on top of blogs!

Old Navy had scarves for $1 today and I had a %15 off coupon that I got off of Old Navy Weekly.com (they normally reset on Th).  So I was able to pick up a few for Christmas presents!  I will in no way admit to getting a feeeew in colors to match everything!

As I mentioned earlier in my post I scored another sweet deal at Target tonight!  I went back for more Wii games.  Scenario~3 Wii games @ $14.99.  The promotion this week was Buy Two get the Thrid FREE.  So that is 2 @ $14.99.  Then I handed her 4x$10 off coupons!  Ya'll do they math!  That girl looked at me with a stunned look on her face and said......"You just got all those for free..you didn't pay for any of them!"  That is sooooo right chicky!  If I had only been brave enough to have used more coupons last night!  I am just glad I have been able to use these great deals for Christmas presents! That does not mean I don't love you any less babe because I didn't pay for them!  It has been a true blessing!

So go on and share your knoweledge with others that don't know!  They will Thank you later when they realize all the money they hand over and they don't have to!

Andrea if you are reading this good luck to you and my email is mph4au@gmail.com if I can share the coupon love with you any further!