How to Stack Coupons

I know it seems excessive that I'm talking about couponing.  But since I blog about my life on a daily basis, I'm just reflecting on what happened that day.  It's been quite crazy to say the least.  When I research something I research it to the core my husband says.  I'll do it till I get it.  Errors and all.

Before coupons and savings $267
After coupons $73
I bought 108 items so if you average it out, I only paid .67 per item you see here.

Last time I blogged about saving 60% but because I'm so competitive against my own self I had to beat that.  Some of the major sales were ending today so I needed to finish my shopping.  I figured out what some of my errors were and decided to get pickier in what I purchased.

This time I stacked coupons.  I went to Target.com and chose the coupons I wanted to be printed out. Then I looked through my super organized folder that I made.  I will have to share that soon because it's an amazing system.  When I go through each aisle in the store, it's incredibly easy to flip through it and find the category I need.  Takes about 5 seconds each time to look for a coupon.  

How I stacked coupons for the pickles:

1.)  The jar of pickles were on sale 3 for $5
2.)  I had a coupon for 75 cents for each jar
Right now all coupons are worth a dollar at Fry's.  Even if a coupon was for 20 cents off it equals a dollar
3.)  Then, it had a tag over each pickle jar for $1 off.  (Some places won't let you do that with a manufacturers coupon you are already using)
Final cost: -34 cents
4.)  Fry's doesn't give you cash back so instead they applied it to the rest of my purchase.  
I actually made $3.06

Plus, I found coupons for my last purchase that I forgot to use so they gave me $9 cash to put towards my purchase.
In the end I didn't pay for:


Raid (ant killer.  Darn pesky freaks)
Always pads
16 M&M's
2 Bounty paper towels
4 Colgate toothpastes
L'Oreal eye shadow
Mt. Olive pickles

Another example is that I bought coffee creamer that was already on sale, then used a Target coupon (since they take competitor's coupons), plus the store's own coupon, plus a manufacturers coupon.  That's how they can owe you money or you get it for free.  You can stack coupons.

My cereal boxes that I got are all almost $5 normally.  After sales and stacking coupons I paid only about 67 cents a piece.  So of course I stocked up BIG TIME.  My kids looove cereal in the morning so we fly through it. Of course I'm gonna stock up on it. That's basically a month and a half's worth of cereal for my family.

So I got 45 boxes of cereal which would have cost me $213.  Since I waited for a sale and stacked coupons, I only paid $30.  CRAZY!  I guess what amazed me about this is that it's all food I actually use and it's ALL name brand.  I used to always buy generic to save money and on my best day only save about 20%.  I had no idea what I was missing out on.

I'm a new couponer so I'm still a baby at learning this.  I've challenged myself to beat my percentage saved each time I go on a major shopping trip.  Last time I blogged I saved only 60%.  

I ended up only paying $73 after savings

This time I saved 71% so I definitely starting to understand it!  I'll freak when it hits the 80's.

Stocked up on meat last time when store had big sale

When you look at the picture on the top of this blog post of course you don't see a huge variety.  But that's because things can go on sale at different times.  So what you do is stock up on the things on sale plus your coupons, like box type foods or cereal. Then when the meat goes on a crazy sale, stock up on the meat.  Last time I stocked up majorly because it was only 88 cents a pound.  Then maybe a while later pasta will go on a huge sale.  Stock up on that. My goal is to always have food in my pantry and freezer so I'll have a variety as different big sales hit. I'll no longer be shopping at Sam's Club or those huge wholesale stores because I was spending way too much money.  

Anyway, I'm still learning and just want to pass on some knowledge to anyone else that might be trying to learn about it also.  :)  I used Target.com and Coupons.com to get all my coupons along with ones that come in the paper and in the mail.

By the way, you can find lots of other frugal sites by just clicking on the badge to the left.  When you are on the site, look on the right sidebar and you'll see a category called Frugal Living.