Buy Pantene for Profit? Yep.

ReThink Your Couponing Philosophy

And Buy Pantene for Profit

Recently, I have had a few of those "just gotta sigh, tsk, and shake my head" moments with some of my friends I am helping with the couponing thing.  The following experience(s) I have had got me to thinking that maybe I should post this part of my couponing philosophy here for all of you. All it takes to make a little money on drugstore items or turn brands like Pantene into your fave shampoo  is taking a moment to adjust your own couponing philosophy.

"When you can score an easy moneymaker at the drugstore.. or a freebie.. or a pricey item for 25c, etc... you totally should take it home with you." 

Common Comments and Questions I get when I say that:

• But that isn't the brand I use
• I don't need it, Mine at home is still full, etc
• My closet is pretty full and I don't have room for it

That used to be the way I viewed these situations. Now, I think those points are just plain silly. (sorry!)  


Here's why:
1. If it isn't the brand you use, use it to get your brand! Turn it into your brand by getting the name brand item (Gillette Razor, Pantene Shampoo, whatever) and SELL IT! If it is free to you or even a moneymaker by working a sale, why not take it home and sell it to get $$ to buy the brand you actually want? *More on this later in the post.  


2. If you are currently stocked up in some part and "don't need" the item, do you have a 6 month supply of this item? If you don't, you really need to consider buying it now.  Sometimes the types and brands of items on sale will cycle in 3-6 month increments. It might be a while before you can get it free again without a lot of extra dealing work.  Sometimes those that are new to couponing will unintentionally take it for granted that you can just walk into CVS any week and walk out with free Old Spice Body Wash.  That isn't necessarily the case.  So, BUY BEFORE YOU NEED IT.


3.  You don't have room? Ok. Sell it! or Donate it! Or Gift it to a friend you know uses the product.  Turn these items into profit or good Karma points.




Now, a word on selling drugstore items.  I don't have time, energy, patience, or the room to be an Extreme Couponer.  I have the knowledge, etc... but I just don't want to do that.  So, when my shelves get really full, or about every 6 months, I have a yard sale. I make some nice money putting my "overstock" or "free but I don't need or use them" items in a yard sale.  I even use Craigslist to advertise my sale for free... and I put cheap signs out by the street. I am lucky to live in an easy to access area that is always having sales. (Did You Know that DOLLAR TREE sells Garage Sale Signs sometimes and just about always sells the price stickers?)


I called a friend to come sell with me last weekend. They are moving and she prefers to not take her "store", as I call it, with her. She would rather start over when they get settled.  Ok. So, she called me the night before the sale asking what to price her items. As she is now used to getting them for free, she was not sure what folks would pay. I told her to mark her big shampoos and conditioners $1 each... Deodorants and the like 50c, and razors $2.50. Razor Refills go for about $4.  Finish dishwasher tabs can fetch $1-$1.50 in a yard sale.  (I have sold Airwick/Glade starter spray sets for $4 each and Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaners for $6 without problems!)


So, she priced her items the way I told her. When she got to the sale and opened her box, shoppers pounced on her and cleared her out of drugstore items in about 5 minutes!  They didn't even try to haggle. 


She came up to me later and said she hadn't doubted me.. but at the same time.. she just didn't believe she could put that high of a price on those items and actually sell them.  By putting those prices on there and by selling baby clothes at an average of 50c a piece, she made $114 in about 3 hrs at the sale!


Alternatively, I have also had great luck selling drugstore items on Ebay for a tidy profit. I don't put items like shampoo up there because they could spill in transit.  However, I put our extra Gillette or Schick Quattro razors up there.. also the Venus and the refills for all those. AND, the refill packs I get for the Sense and Spray type room fresheners always inspire a bid war.


At the very least, if it is free or a moneymaker, and you don't need it, don't use it, don't have room for it, and don't want to sell it... DONATE IT!  Drugstore items are always in high demand at shelters.

 

Coupon Puzzler of the Day

Here's Your Couponing Philosophy Puzzle

For Today

To be a savvy shopper and deal snagger, you need to pay close attention to the deals offered and not be fooled into thinking you are getting one sort of deal when you see signage in a store.  Today's puzzle is about taking the time to really stop and think about the deal you have found.  Think about what the store is wanting you to think about the deal, and what the deal or signage actually is.

Which deal scenario is better? 

A.  You see a sale where all items included are 1/2 price.

B.  You see a sale where all items included are BOGO.

C.  Neither one is better.. it is 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another.. they are the same thing, just worded differently

The answer is A.  

I get really annoyed when I hear folks discussing the first two scenarios and claiming them to be "really the same thing."  Because, it really is NOT the same thing. The only time it is "the same thing" is when you buy two identically priced items. Then, ok. You can call it the same thing.

In couponing, the little adds up to be big. Whether it is in savings, or in nickel and diming the money out of your wallet, every penny counts.  In a BOGO scenario, (still a nice sale, don't get me wrong.. and more often than not, you can usually use a manufacturers coupon on each of the items in this scenario, most places!) the lower priced item is the Free Item.  If you buy Chips for $2 and Salsa for $4, and the sale is "BOGO", that means you will save $2 by getting the chips free. (This is a hypothetical.. swap out chips and salsa for widgets and gizmos, or whatever.)  In an "Everything is Half Off" sale, you would save HALF the cost of both items.. in this case, $3.  

Think about this when you are shopping and especially when you are looking through the weekly circulars. IF you see two competing stores and one has a half off sale and one has a BOGO sale, don't think they are the same sale.  Would you rather pay $1 too much? In couponing, this can be a BIG mistake.

Know what I bought for $1 this week? Shout wipes, 2 loads of Tide Detergent, 10pk of Finish Dishwashing Detergent, a tube of Colgate Toothpaste, and some Planter's Peanuts.  Yep. All that for $1 out of pocket. 

So, do the math and stay savvy when you see a deal.  Don't be blase and don't take these deals at what appears to be face value. 

Just changing how you see deals is enough to save you some money in your wallet!

My Less Than $1.50 Brag for the Week

This Week, I Got Many Items Less Than $1.50 or FREE. Some Items I Even Got Paid to Own.

In lieu of a large item by item description of my weekly trip to Target, I decided to make this post about items I got for less than $1.50, Free, or even got Paid To Own.  Sometimes, it is hard to see why it is worth it to clip coupons or deal seek. It can be tedious at times.  But, items like the ones listed below are why I do this.  Last year, I saved my family more than $4000 working one deal at a time.

Here's what I did this week: 

In the mail so far, this week, I received FREE: Being Girl Tampax/Always sample pack, Secret Flawless Berry scented deodorant, a FREE Parents Magazine with a $10 off Any Baby Item Amazon.com coupon, and the week is still going on...

At Target, I got the following deals (after coupons, etc. Not going to break it down this week..)

•   Huggies Travel Wipes for the diaper bag, 47c
• Huggies Travel Wipes for the diaper bag, 72c
• Finish QUANTUM Dishwasher Tabs, 10ct (reg $5), FREE
• Shout Wipes(we use these all the time), 7c
• Tide 1 load Detergent, 12c
• Tide 1 load Detergent, 12c
• Planters Peanuts, 3oz, 24c
• Colgate, 6 oz, 44c
• Travel Size Herbal Essence Conditioner, Got Paid 3 c to own!
• Kraft Shredded Cheese, $1.29
• Kraft Shredded Cheese, $1.29
• Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, $1.50
• Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, $1.50
• Kraft Deli Sliced Cheese, $1.30

Rite Aid was pretty wonderful this week. The prices below reflect the +Up Rewards added back into the original cost.

• Colgate Sensitive, got Paid 50 c to own!
• Colgate Toothpaste with FREE Toothbrush, got Paid $1 to own!
• Gain Apple Tango Dish Detergent, Reg. Size, got Paid 13 c to own!
• Gain Apple Tango Dish Detergent, Reg. Size, got Paid 13 c to own!
• Gain Original Dish Detergent, Reg. Size, got Paid 13 c to own!

CVS deals were pretty nice too. Again, the prices below reflect the Extra Bucks added back in as reimbursement.

•  Listerine Total Care Mouthwash, Full Size, FREE

• Colgate Toothpaste, FREE
• Colgate Toothpaste, FREE

I do this weekly deals brag just to show you that you can do this! The deals this week were pretty straightforward.  The Gain moneymakers were using a $1 off coupon.. I got paid to own these instantly since they were only 87c on sale, and the computer took the full $1 off coupon amount without beeping. 

It takes a little time and effort.. but not having to pay for toothpaste, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, etc?? Totally worth it!