P&G Brand Sampler

Like Free Samples In Your Mailbox?

Join P&G Brand Sampler!

If you haven't joined the P&G Brand Sampler online, you need to do that ASAP! Every month or so you can log in and check off the list of samples you would like to receive in your mailbox. It is that simple! A lot of these samples also come with coupons! SOMETIMES, you can request coupons instead of the samples offerred.. as in, you could request a voucher for a free sample size item.. or a $3 off any type coupon...  WHEN that option presents itself, I recommend going that route if you are going to "do the coupon thing".  Sometimes, magic happens when you are sitting on a voucher for a freebie (up to x amount of dollars) or a $3 off or whatever. You might find a clearance sale that would make a full sized item the same cost as a trial/travel sized item and then you just bonus sized your freebie. OR you might find a drugstore deal with extra bucks back or even a rebate.. you can keep the savings going or even make a little money for purchasing the free item....   Just some food for thought! 

Anyway, give the P&G Brand Sampler club thing and looksie HERE! And go ahead and join! Currently, you can sign up for free Head and Shoulders and/or Prilosec.

Hello Again!

Back From Hiatus

Thanks so much for bearing with me these several LONG months the blog has been on hiatus. As a Stay At Home Mom, SOMETIMES, my family needs me to focus on other things and put some things on the back burner.  Priorities have shifted yet again and I have the ability to bring the blog back to the forefront!

And I am very excited about it. During my absence, I made some new friends on other blogs! I cannot wait to review these blogs for you and maybe bring you some exclusive discounts and giveaways! I have discovered some unique things like Birthday Capes and Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Groups... and, I have encountered some Giveaway Gurus like Chip over at Chip&Co.    I cannot wait to bring these blogs and deals to you guys.

Also! Purex just contacted me yet again to let me know I get to be the first to try a brand new product. USUALLY, this leads to a fun giveaway on my blog.  I have some great ideas for my own giveaways as well.

Let's not forget my series I had in the infancy stage when I had to put the blog on the shelf for a few... I am going to tackle some of the issues, debates, and EXTREME perspectives facing couponers.  

New to the blog? My focus is to TEACH people how to rethink couponing and rethink the coupon culture. Use this blog to supplement the big guys. They do it best. Follow Kristin at Couponing to Disney HERE, Follow Totally Target HERE, Follow Southern Savers.  Read my blog for tips, THE BEST deals that I find interesting to me, a new way to look at things so that you can carry the couponing forward yourself whether you follow the bloggers or not.  

Looking for a particular type of deal? Want me to focus on a certain issue? Email me at CouponCouture@gmail.com.   I love feedback and will do my best to find deals that suit your needs. That is one benefit of following a smaller blog! OH! And go ahead and like me on Facebook. I link everything to that.

A Very Interesting Opposing POV From a Fellow Blogger

Why Do I Sell My Overstock In Yard Sales And On Ebay 

Instead of Donating Them?

An Interesting Discussion on the Different Couponer's Philosophies.

From time to time, you will run across different ideas and perspectives on various couponing issues.  Is it ok to take a peelie off an instore item if you are not going to buy that item on that trip, but know for a fact you WILL buy it at that store on a future trip?  What about ordering bulk coupons online to get more of the deal items?  And, is it ok to hook up multiple printers at home so you can print more than your allotted coupons off of sites?   These are all interesting dilemmas.

Now, a new friend and fellow blogger has posted an interesting discussion about whether or not couponers should sell their overstock.  We have very different perspectives on this issue.  What do you all think?

Follow the discussion HERE if you like or want to weigh in.  You can also weigh in on this post. 

Here is the preliminary:

"We thought we heard everything when we heard about “extreme” couponing; then we heard and read about selling your stockpile at garage sales?

First thing that comes to mind is why do you possess a stockpile (even further out is people insure their stockpile)?

Second question is why would you sell a stockpile…you stocked it because you needed it right?

Final question is why would you want to be a retailer selling to your friends, neighbors, others in need? Why not share your knowledge, your experience, your coupons, your stockpile?

The idea of selling a stockpile of things you apparently needed (remember you bought it) is kinda weird. If you didn’t need it why buy it?

This extremism-is-ism is going a bit overboard when the local garage sale becomes your local retail outlet for toothpaste (because every hoarder has a stockpile of toothpaste for generations at this point).

Modern Families approach? Donate, donate, donate, help a neighbor, help a friend who lost their job, help a family who is struggling. Last thing we want to do is sell something we did not need to our Modern Family"

*Post copy/pasted from reference link above. 

My Response:  

I think you heard this from me at Walgreens? I am not ashamed to say I sell my overstock on Ebay and in yard sales. So, if you don’t mind? An opposing POV….

I have a single income family with three small children. To put them all in daycare/preschool is about $18,000 annually, plus expenses. I would put them in preschool and go back to work just to fund that, essentially. Therefore, I have to figure out something else to do so that we live a little bit more comfortably, stay off any sort of assistance, stay debt free (yep, debt free), and have a little cushion.

What do I do? I coupon and deal seek. I try to get my friends and family to do the same. The reality is that most people will not put the time and effort into it.

I have ONE closet that I put my stock into. When that closet gets full, I give away and sell the extra. If I am at the store, and I know my closet is full of Pantene, but I am working deals and find one that makes more Pantene FREE or a moneymaker, I am going to grab it while I am there. I know I can hold a yard sale and make $1 by taking three more seconds in my trip to grab the Pantene off the shelf while I am there. I never work extreme deals or clean a store out of items.

I don’t poach my friends to get them to buy my extra Gillette Razors. I do gift my 82yr old neighbor with a bunch of odd necessities every month.. dish soap, lotion, toothpaste, etc. She LOVES this.

But I will totally hold a yard sale to sell items I buy for resale purposes (another side business I have), and I will throw my drugstore extras in there too. My neighbors and strangers from the community love when I do this. They show up and get a $10 razor for $2. Pantene for $1. They ask why and how I have this stuff (usually about 10-15 items like this per sale) and I tell them about couponing. I am honest. I use it as a learning experience for them. Most of the time, they tell me they are glad I take the time to do it to bring the savings to them bc they will not take the time and effort to do it for themselves.

So, why not donate the items instead? Bc we are a single income family and this is how I provide my kids with fun trips to the Zoo in New Orleans, or the museum in Mobile, etc.

I am not in a place where I can afford to donate much. I do donate a few times a year, don’t get me wrong. bUT, while we are debt free, we do not indulge in extras such as cable (even though we would all love it!) because we are trying to build a small cushion for the what ifs… car problems, plumbing problems, illness, whatever. And if my option is to give away my extras I spent hours to work the deals on, OR to take my kids for cupcakes.. or the very rare once a year movie theater trip… well.. I am going to do give my kids the experiences.

I don’t order extra coupons to do extreme couponing. I am not saying I wont ever order coupons to get some great deals. But currently, I do not.

I understand why you might be confused about a difference in philosophy of why buy in the first place.

BUT, if I can buy $10 eye drops we dont need and get PAID $2.88 in rebate overage to own them.. and then I can put them in a yard sale or on ebay to make another $1 on it and then take my kid out for one on one time and a FREE Happy Meal, why wouldn’t I do that?

It really is no different than taking the time to make Deluxe Hair Bows and sell them at a festival or fair or whatever. Instead of that, I take the extra moments while I am already in the store, coupons in hand, to grab an extra item or two that I can put into my yard sale that funds the next family outing.

I just offer a different perspective."

So, what do you guys think? It is a very interesting discussion. 

Thanks, Modern Family blog at that70schick.com!  It is a very interesting debate.  There are many subtle implications and such within.

Guys, if you haven't already, go check them out! They follow some stores and deals that I don't and have another idea about how to organize your coupons and POAs.  Give it a looksie and see for yourself what you think.  

And, weigh in on this discussion! I want to know what you, the readers, think! 

*as for me, I will still sell my extra/unneeded freebies at yard sales and on Ebay. Aside from experiences for my kids, this also allows me to pay for other items that don't necessarily have coupons. Like milk. 

Trial/Travel Sizes- Don't Pass These Freebies Up

Change Your Perspective:

"Buy" Trial/Travel Sizes

Many times I have come across folks, in conversation or otherwise, that seem to have an automatic aversion to buying Trial and Travel sized items.  The arguments are usually the same:  They run out faster. They aren't good value for the money. They are hard to store versus a traditional sized item that stands on its own more easily. ETC.

I say those of you that automatically dismiss the travel/trial sizes are missing out on some really nice deals in the long run. Should you waste that $1 or $2 off coupon on the smaller size? Sometimes, yes. It is totally to your advantage to do such a thing.

Why You Should Buy Travel/Trial Sizes:

• They can be moneymakers. If the trial size is 97c, and you have a $1 off coupon, most stores have the policy to "value the coupon down" to 97c, making the item free.  However, a lot of time, I have found clerks that don't care or pay attention (even after I make sure to point it out to them. I like to coupon with integrity.) and they accept the $1 off. You just got a 3c moneymaker.  Ok, so 3c doesn't do it for you? I just bought 2 Secret Clinical Trial sized, and one 1 load Tide. I used manuf and store stacked coupons worth $7.25. The items cost $6.12. The clerk accepted the coupons' full amounts, and these items ended up to be moneymakers for me.
• They fit more neatly on your shower racks or in drawers. You can also get bins to put in your closet to hold them.
• If you find yourself with an overstock of these items, shelters, etc accept them easily as donations to hand out to those in need.
• Certain kinds of product have readily available coupons without size exclusions that make getting them free every week a reality. This means you may never have to pay for deodorant again.
• When you are too tired to work a drugstore deal, or your coupons you have been holding "just in case" are about to expire, turning them into actual product by buying trial/travel sized is quick and easy.

When to Use a Coupon on a Trial/Travel Sized Item:

• When the item is free or a money maker, use the coupon.
• When you are working a rebate deal that does not exclude trial/travel sized items, use the coupons. For example, I recently worked a rebate offer that said "Buy $50 worth of P&G product, get a $20 rebate check." The rebate took the full pre-coupon amount towards the $50 you had to purchase. I bought TONS of trial/travel sized items for FREE.  If it was a 97c item, it took 97c off the $50 I had to purchase, even if I got the 97c item free after coupon. I spent less than $5 out of pocket working that deal, and got my $20 rebate check in the mail.
• When you have a decent coupon without size exclusion and it is about to expire, go ahead and buy a travel/trial sized item.
• When you do the math and it is really cheaper. For example, when I am stocked up with laundry detergent.. enough to last two months... I will take every $1 off any Tide coupon I can find and go buy Tide 1 load in the travel area.  Sometimes, this sized Tide is $1.12. The couponer's stock up price on detergent is 20c or less a load. $1.12 is WAY too pricey. But, if you have enough laundry detergent on hand already, go ahead and "burn" those $1 off Tide coupons on the travel size. That leaves about 12c or less, depending. 12c a load is an AMAZING stock up price! 
• When you can get nicer products that last a while FREE... and you would have to pay for generics. Every time I get a $1 off any Olay Bar, Wash, etc coupon, I take it to the travel section and get 1 bar of Olay Soap for free. Soap lasts a while, so this is one of my fave finds in the travel section.

Things to Consider When Buying Travel/Trial:

• Make your life easier:  point your travel/trial sized items out to the clerk when they are checking you out.  Most coupons "beep" when you try to use them on trial/travel sized items. Pointing the items out can save you time and aggravation later when the coupon beeps and the clerk has to verify whether or not you have the item(s) on your ticket. They have to verify by scrolling through your purchase on the computer, or they (you) have to dig through all the bags to find those small items to prove you bought them.  Most clerks are so happy that you saved them time and aggravation that they will usually just automatically accept your beeping coupons after this.
• Make sure you KNOW what the coupon states in the fine print. Make sure it does NOT exclude the trial/travel sizes or specify a larger size.  
• Know and carry the store's coupon policy with you.  When you are using coupons on trial/travel sizes, it is very important to know the store's policy ahead of time. Most stores will value the coupon down if it is worth more than the cost of the trial/travel item.  Some stores, like Walmart now, will allow coupon overage, thus ensuring a few moneymakers in your buggy. When I was really green at couponing, I went to use a $1 off Johnsons coupon on a 97c Johnson's Buddy Soap.  The clerk REFUSED my coupon, stating that the purchase had to be MORE than $1 to use the coupon. I was annoyed, but didn't know the policy for sure. So, I went and grabbed another Soap and bought both for 49c ea after the coupon. Still a decent deal. But when I got home and called my coupon mentor, she laughed at me a teensy bit.  I should have known the policy and stood my ground. Their policy was to value the coupon down and give me the item free at 97c off. The clerk was wrong. Often, especially since then, I have found that the clerks really don't know their own policy. 

WHEN YOU GET A CLERK THAT DOESN'T KNOW THE POLICY AND/OR GIVES YOU A HARD TIME:

1. Explain their policy to them nicely. THEN
2. Offer to SHOW them their policy. THEN
3. Politely Beg to Differ when they say they know the policy. THEN
4. Ask for a manager to come clarify the issue so you know the actual policy for in the future. (See, you are being nice and putting it on yourself. We all know YOU know the real policy. While the manager is walking over, pull out your copy of the policy. The manager will come get the story on the issue. 9 times out of 10, they will tell the clerk you are right. Because we know you are. Couponers study the policy better than clerks most times. If you stay nice and pleasant, it will be easy to get your coupons accepted. Or easier, anyway.  You do coupon with integrity, after all.  If you get an attitude, no amount of being in the right will help you. The manager will go along with the clerk if you tick them off.)

So, give Trial/Travel sizes a chance!
I haven't had to pay for Head and Shoulders, Secret, Olay Soap, etc in a very long time!

Mini Coupon Philosophy Tutorial

Changing the Way You View Coupons

Can Save You Money

You have two manufacturer's coupons for Pampers. One is $1.50 off any diaper or training pants. One is for $1.50 off any diaper.  You need diapers. Both coupons expire on the same date. Also, you know you wont run out of training pants before the expiration date on the coupon and you need diapers now.  So, do you :

A.  Use the $1.50 off diaper coupon

B. Use the $1.50 off diaper or training pants coupon

C.  Use whichever coupon comes to your hand first, because it really doesn't matter. This is a trick question.

The answer is A.

It really does matter.  What if you find a really amazing deal on training pants before the coupon expires? If you could get them for $3 a pack using a coupon, wouldn't you stock up? IF ONLY you hadn't used that coupon on diapers... But you didn't know that deal was coming!  OR, what if you could trade your training pants coupon with someone to get a coupon that makes your Olay bodywash free?  You never know when you might need that other coupon. You never know when the opportunity will present itself to use, trade, etc that other coupon.  It may look like 6 of one, a half dozen of another at first glance, but if you absolutely don't need to use a coupon like that, Don't! It really really does make a difference sometimes.

The example here is for diapers/training pants. BUT, these scenarios present themselves all the time.  Especially when a manufacturer does a rebate offer. You will wish you had specifically used the coupon you specifically needed and not wasted a more flexible coupon.  Stores even do $ back or gift card deals from time to time.  I am especially glad I don't throw out the formula checks I still magically get in the mail. I have made $7 so far this year buying formula I don't need with those checks. But, guess what? I make money AND friends with little babies get free formula from me.  Win Win.  

So, don't waste a flexible coupon. Not unless you really need to use it OR it is about to expire. 

Quit Tip: Change Your Coupon Perspective & Get What You Really Want

Take a Moment, Run the Numbers, and Work the Deal to Get What You Really Want!

Did you know that you can turn seemingly random and unrelated deals into the things you REALLY want? All it takes is a little creative thinking. Change the way you coupon. You know, the straight-forward perspective, and really think about what you could do with any given deal.

Recently, I turned my cereal coupons into a free date night with my husband. Date night comes few and far-between. A usual date night to the movies, for example, can run us more than $66! With three small children to care for, that is an indulgence we don't often enjoy.

However, I found that Kelloggs had a really wonderful promotion going on: Buy specially marked boxes of cereal, enter the code inside the packages into your account online, redeem for prizes (including various movie tickets and concession cash). I checked the list of participating movie theaters, and mine was one of them!! So, I set out on a mission.

And, Target came through for me, big time! They ran a whole bunch of "Buy 3, Get the 4th  Free" on the Kellogg's cereals. Since this was a store promotion, you could stack a Target coupon and a Manufacturer's coupon on these cereals. I bought tons and tons of different Kelloggs cereals. This was fine, because my family of 5 eats a lot of cereal, and everyone has their flavors.  I made sure to buy the cheaper boxes and use lots of coupons. I ended up spending about $9, getting my cereals for 75 cents a box, or less. 

Then, I went and redeemed my codes for 2 Free Movie Tickets and $20 in Concession cash to buy popcorn with! We waited for a visit from Nana so that we could get free babysitting too.

We paid another $2 to cover the extra candy my husband wanted to go with his popcorn. (I think we used the tickets and such to go see Inception).

Summary: We spent a total of $11 out of pocket. We got more than 10 boxes of Kelloggs cereal, and about $38 worth of movie theater money. Had I not used coupons, all that would have cost us $25 for the cereal and $38 for the movie = $63 (oh and another $2 for the candy, so $65.)

What if you don't eat cereal? Do the math: Spend $9 on Cereal, get $38 worth of Movie Tickets and Concession Cash, FREE!  Why wouldn't you work that deal? Donate the Cereal! You still "make" $29 working a deal like this. 

All it takes is a little creative thinking!