My Life as an Extreme Couponer

You may often read the term "ballin' on a budget" frequently on this blog. That's because, like many of you out there, I'm not rollin' in the dough. But that term hasn't applied to me more than it has this week. Guys, I have a confessions to make.

I've become..

...a couponer. x_x

I now completely understand the rush those crazy ladies on extreme couponing reality shows. It's like stealing, but it's legal. I've only just started couponing, and I'm not sure how long this new mom-like hobby will stick with me, but I'm having a blast searching for the best steals deals possible and buying all these things I normally can't afford to buy on a weekly basis. Hooray!

Here's my haul from yesterday:

(All items above are from Walgreens)

1. Nice! Bath Tissue 12 Pack 

On sale - $4.99

2. Renuzit Air Fresheners

$0.89 cents each with rewards card & membership coupon

Buy 2 get 1 free coupon

Spent a total of $1.78

3. Dial Bar Soap 8 pack

On sale - buy 1 get 1 free

Buy 2 get 1 free coupon*

Spent a total of $5.49

4. Dial Body Wash

On sale - buy 1 get 1 free

$2.00 Coupon*

Spent a total of $15.37

5. Right Guard Hair & Body Wash

On sale - buy 1 get 1 free

$1.00 coupon

Spent a total of  $8.98

6. BIC Soliel Twilight Razors

$2.00 coupon

Spent a total of $4.49

Also cashed in 1,000 rewards points (equaling $1.00).

I would have spent $87.22, but after rewards, coupons, and in-store sales, I spent a grand total of...

$43.67!

(after taxes, which were $2.57.
If I was in NH I'd only spend $41.10!)

(A nice 52% off my entire order. Not bad, not bad!) 

I'm telling you, if you have time to sit down with the Sunday paper and check out the sales, clip coupons, and sign up for rewards programs (which are usually free!), you can save a butt load** of money! I'm still learning the ins and outs of getting the most for your dollar (I made a few mistakes here which I plan to correct on my next time around) but couponing and shopping the sales is totally worth the time and effort for all the money that you save!

Do any of you guys coupon? Have any tips for a beginner? Share them in the comments! :)

*I intended for the "buy 2 get 1 free" coupon to go towards the body wash, but apparently that coupon as well as the $2.00 coupon applied to both Dial products, and the machine took the "buy 2 get 1 free" off of the cheaper product. A little oversight by me - I'll just have to do separate orders next time. (Yeah, I'm totally going to turn into someone that every cashier hates... >_>)

**Actual measurement of quantity.