I have been working hard on saving money, and have been putting everything I save with coupons and my Target debit card into a savings account. So far I have saved over $100 in the past two months and have bought myself a new cell phone.
I am not one of those extreme coupon type people. I would love to be, but with two young kids at home sometimes I just think that it's not practical. However, there are some things that I never buy without coupons. Since I am a lazy couponer, if I can find these coupons then everyone can.
1) Cereal - We eat two kinds of cereal in this house: Honey Nut Cheerios, and Lucky Charms. Ever seen Bill Engval's bit about his doctor suggesting Cheerios to lower his cholesterol? He says something along the lines of "If I have to give up Lucky Charms, life isn't worth living anymore anyway!" Yup, that's my husband. I can always find coupons for either $1/2 or $1/3 by looking at coupons.com and smartsource.com. Sometimes target.com/coupons has these coupons as well. I do our shopping every pay check, so that's every two weeks, which means I need that much cereal anyway. Extra bonus - sometimes the Target check out prints out store coupons for cereal, and you can stack those with manufacturer coupons for even more savings.
2) Diapers - Okay, I kind of cheat here because *usually* I order diapers via subscribe and save with Amazon. But the boxes don't quite last me the full month. Even before I did it this way, though, I was pretty good at scouting out diaper coupons. Target alternates having coupons for all of the different brands, and coupons.com has Pampers coupons monthly right now.
3) Paper goods - I use the up-and-up brand from Target for my toilet paper and paper towels, and they always have coupons for one or the other, or both. It may only be 50 cents off, but you're already getting a good deal by going with the store brand. And the quality is actually really great, my husband prefers their paper goods over name-brand stuff.
4) Personal care items - I can always find coupons for shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, and the like. Last month I purchased Pantene shampoo and conditioner, regular $3.89 each. Paid $2.89 for both. Hooray coupon stacking!
5) Clothes. Okay, so you don't buy clothes at most grocery stores, but clothes probably should have been the number one on my list. I never pay full price for clothes. I don't usually pay *just* sale price for clothes. I shop sales, with coupons. Last year, in September, I got my niece two swim suits, cover ups and matching hats, a pair of sunglasses, and an outfit for a total of about $25. Yay clearance with an extra 50% off and a coupon for an extra 15% off!
I'm by no means an expert, but these five things are by far my easiest things to buy with coupons. Feel free to share what you never buy without coupons! :)
