Extreme Couponing Education: Focus on Personal Care Products

 

Because they don’t tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing. TLC’s Extreme Couponing is really not about education it is more about entertainment. Our goal is to educate you and empower you to save money for your family.

We have been talking about how one of the myths of couponing is that coupons are only for processed foods, junk food or food my family does not eat. I also told you we were featured in the New York Times Magazine and many of the people writing in the comments accused us of only eating  junk foods. All of this brought me to the conclusion that some people just need to be educated in the way we save money and still eat healthy. This week I am going to talk about another way you can coupon and still eat healthy, don’t focus on food.

Maybe couponing for food is overwhelming to you? Maybe you like to only eat organic foods? (We have a coupon for that!) Organic food coupons. Maybe you are on a gluten free diet? (We have a post coming for Gluten Free Coupons). Maybe you have food allergies and don’t have many food options? DO NOT FOCUS ON FOOD!

Focus on Personal Care Products

Price Point - You can get many personal care products to free! Yes FREE! See that picture above? Those are all products that I got for free using coupons. I did not get them all in one shopping trip. I did it one week at a time. You are not going to be able to get all your personal care products for free so it is important to know the right price points. Knowing the price points helps you know when you should wait for a product to be free and keeps you from paying too much for a product that you can typically get for less.

Shop the Drug stores – The main place to focus if you are after personal care products are the drug stores. So check the site for  CVS coupon deals, Walgreens coupon deals, and Rite Aid coupon deals.

Build a Stockpile – When you can get a good price on a personal care product buy a few of them. No need to clear the shelves. Just get enough to last for 3-6 months, which probably won’t be much. Personal care products tend to last for a long time. Much longer than food does.

Take a Break - The nice thing about personal care products is that once you have 10 tubes of toothpaste you really do not need anymore. So you can STOP stockpiling toothpaste for more than a year! Once you have built up a little stockpile of personal care products feel free to take a break and just use the products you already have.

Maintenance Mode – When I first started couponing I hit the drug stores once a week or once every two weeks slowly building up my stockpile. I did this for less than a year before I found that I had a well rounded stockpile of products and I did not need to buy any more. So I went into maintenance mode. Now I just buy a few things here and there when my stockpile gets low. For example when my toothpaste gets down to 3 tubes I keep an eye out for a free toothpaste deal.

 

Learn more about eating healthy and still saving money!

Look for the following topics…

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Grocery Budget Challenge {Week 25} Over $1,000 Savings with Coupons!

How are you doing with your Grocery Budget?

Did you know we have a weekly challenge going?  Lucky for you, it’s not too late to join!  Here are the details about our 2012 Grocery Budget Challenge. Even if you are not yet using coupons you need to start saving by setting some goals!

We hope you will join us! Set a goal today and get on the path to taking control of your grocery budget!

Here is how the fabs are doing on their budget…

 

Monica: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $150

Spending this week: $25.20

Savings this week: $141.50

Spending For June : $70.40
Savings For June: $187.35

Year to date spending:  $768.25
Year to date savings: $1,065.46

It is a fun week for me because I reached my $1,000 mark. I have saved more than $1,000 with coupons so far this year! This week I shopped at the Fred Meyer grand opening in Eagle and I shopped at Albertsons and used my free grocery money from buying Lowes, and Kohls gift cards!

Becky: Feeding a family of 3

Monthly grocery budget: $200

Spending this week: $26.32
Savings this week: $51.28

Spending For June: $93.64
Savings For June: $110.51

Year to date spending: $1046.10
Year to date savings: $1661.92

 

Amber: Feeding Family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $250

Spending this week: $107.12
Savings this week: $32.10

Spending For June: $277.63
Savings For June: $230.43

Year to date spending: $1865.27
Year to date savings: $1446.13

So are you ready to track your spending and join our challenge?

#1 – Pick a monthly grocery budget amount. {Tips for setting a budget goal}

#2 – Complete the form below with your #’s. Share your email if you want to enter to win our $20 Amazon gift card giveaway… your email will be hidden, but all other answers will be public. When entering your numbers use the amount you spent last week. Sunday-Saturday. 

#3- View the results below and see what sort of goals other Fabulessly Frugal readers are setting!

 

Tools to help you:

  • Here is a grocery budget tracking spreadsheet to help you keep track of your spending/saving each week. It’s nothing fancy, but it will help you track your spending so you can quickly enter in your #’s each Monday afternoon.
  • {NEW!}  We also encourage you to download our Fabulessly Frugal Budget Tool to easily set a budget, track your spending and compare your actual spending to the budget you make.

Enter your goal and spending here:

See how other Fab FruGALs or Fruguys are doing here

Grocery Budget Challenge {Week 24}

How are you doing with your Grocery Budget?

Did you know we have a weekly challenge going?  Lucky for you, it’s not too late to join!  Here are the details about our 2012 Grocery Budget Challenge. Even if you are not yet using coupons you need to start saving by setting some goals!

Here is how the fabs are doing on their budget…

 

Monica: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $150

Spending this week: $24.51
Savings this week: $16.00

Spending For June : $45.20
Savings For June: $46.15

Year to date spending:  $743.05
Year to date savings: $923.96

Becky: Feeding a family of 3

Monthly grocery budget: $200

Spending this week: $
Savings this week: $

Spending For June: $
Savings For June: $

Year to date spending: $
Year to date savings: $

 

Amber: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $250

Spending this week: $77.21
Savings this week: $40.10

Spending For June: $170.51
Savings For June: $198.33

Year to date spending: $1758.15
Year to date savings: $1414.03

So are you ready to track your spending and join our challenge?

#1 – Pick a monthly grocery budget amount. {Tips for setting a budget goal}

#2 – Complete the form below with your #’s.  When entering your numbers use the amount you spent last week. Sunday-Saturday. 

#3- View the results below and see what sort of goals other Fabulessly Frugal readers are setting!

You can find the Budget Challenge any time!  It’s under “Fabulous Features” on the navigation bar!

Tools to help you:

  • Here is a grocery budget tracking spreadsheet to help you keep track of your spending/saving each week. It’s nothing fancy, but it will help you track your spending so you can quickly enter in your #’s each Monday afternoon.
  • {NEW!}  We also encourage you to download our Fabulessly Frugal Budget Tool to easily set a budget, track your spending and compare your actual spending to the budget you make.

Enter your goal and spending here:

See how other Fab FruGALs or Fruguys are doing here

Grocery Budget Challenge {Week 23}

How are you doing with your Grocery Budget?

Did you know we have a weekly challenge going?  Lucky for you, it’s not too late to join!  Here are the details about our 2012 Grocery Budget Challenge. Even if you are not yet using coupons you need to start saving by setting some goals! We are going to take a break from the Amazon gift card prize until we see more interest in entering the challenge.

Here is how the fabs are doing on their budget…

Monica: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $150

Spending this week: $12.79
Savings this week: $14.80

Spending For June : $20.69
Savings For June: $30.15

Year to date spending:  $697.85
Year to date savings: $877.81

 

Becky: Feeding a family of 3

Monthly grocery budget: $200

Spending this week: $18.66
Savings this week: $3 (plus Bountiful Basket Savings)

Spending For June: $27.66
Savings For June: $48.91

Year to date spending: $980.12
Year to date savings: $1600.32

We got a Bountiful Basket for the first time in several weeks this past week!  It was amazing!  $16.50 for 2 pineapples, 1 melon, 7 plums, 8 nectarines, 8 apples, 6 bananas, 4 mango’s, 5 tomatoes, 3 acorn squash, 2 cucumbers, romaine lettuce, celery, and kale!  And our cherry trees are GOING NUTS!  We are loving the summer produce!

Amber: Feeding Family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $250

Spending this week: $93.30
Savings this week: $158.23

Spending For June: $93.30
Savings For June: $158.23

Year to date spending: $1680.94
Year to date savings: $1373.93

So are you ready to track your spending and join our challenge?

#1 – Pick a monthly grocery budget amount. {Tips for setting a budget goal}

#2 – Complete the form below with your #’s. When entering your numbers use the amount you spent last week. Sunday-Saturday. 

#3- View the results below and see what sort of goals other Fabulessly Frugal readers are setting!

#4 – Come back next week:  we’ll announce a winner from the entries AND we’ll give you another chance to submit your spending and saving!

Last weeks winner…

 

Congratulations Stephanie M! Comment on this post to claim your prize, then I will be able to send you an email to get your shipping address!

Tools to help you:

  • Here is a grocery budget tracking spreadsheet to help you keep track of your spending/saving each week. It’s nothing fancy, but it will help you track your spending so you can quickly enter in your #’s each Monday afternoon.
  • {NEW!}  We also encourage you to download our Fabulessly Frugal Budget Tool to easily set a budget, track your spending and compare your actual spending to the budget you make.

Enter your goal and spending here:

See how other Fab FruGALs or Fruguys are doing here

Budget Challenge 2012 {Week 13}

How are you doing with your Grocery Budget?

Did you know we have a weekly challenge going?  Lucky for you, it’s not too late to join! This week we have more than one way to win.  Here are the details about our 2012 Grocery Budget Challenge. Even if you are not yet using coupons you need to start saving by setting some goals!

I did a lot of shopping this week. More than I usually do. I went to Rosauers, Fred Meyer and Albertsons.

I stocked up on canned veggies for .25 a can and got some staple food that was priced really well!

Here is how the fabs are doing on their budget…

Looks like everyone went a little over budget this month, but that is okay because we were under budget last month.

 

Monica: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $150

Spending this week: $51.27
Savings this week: $52.00

Spending For March: $167.70
Savings For March: $355.08

Year to date spending:  $415.92
Year to date savings: $523.43

Mavis: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $100

Spending this week: $23.04
Savings this week: $142.83

Spending For March: $117.79
Savings For March: $480.93

Year to date spending:  $354.89
Year to date savings: $1,708.99

Read more about Mavis’ spending in Monday’s with Mavis

Becky: Feeding a family of 3

Monthly grocery budget: $200

Spending this week: $122.29 (last 2 weeks)
Savings this week: $0! (I didn’t use a single coupon!)

Spending For March: $243.78
Savings For March: $233.65

Year to date spending: $612.60
Year to date savings: $961.54

Amber: Feeding Family of 4

I had all my family town for a week, so my grocery budget exploded! So worth it though to have so many people I love under my roof!

Monthly grocery budget: $250

Spending this week: $60.36
Savings this week: $90.15

Spending For March: $296.14
Savings For March: $348.62

Year to date spending: $645.22
Year to date savings: $676.45

So are you ready to track your spending and join our challenge?

#1 – Pick a monthly grocery budget amount. {Tips for setting a budget goal}

#2 – Complete the form below with your #’s. Share your email if you want to enter to win our $20 Amazon gift card giveaway… your email will be hidden, but all other answers will be public. When entering your numbers use the amount you spent last week. Sunday-Saturday. 

#3- View the results below and see what sort of goals other Fabulessly Frugal readers are setting!

#4 – Come back next week:  we’ll announce a winner from the entries AND we’ll give you another chance to submit your spending and saving!

MORE CHANCES TO WIN:

In addition to the $20 gift card winner we will award $5 gift cards to all FruGals or guys that post their shopping trip results and photo in our community. One per person.

Last weeks winner…


Congratulations BRENDA! Comment on this post to claim your prize. I will then send you an email to get your shipping address!

Tools to help you:

  • Here is a grocery budget tracking spreadsheet to help you keep track of your spending/saving each week. It’s nothing fancy, but it will help you track your spending so you can quickly enter in your #’s each Monday afternoon.
  • {NEW!}  We also encourage you to download our Fabulessly Frugal Budget Tool to easily set a budget, track your spending and compare your actual spending to the budget you make.

Enter your goal and spending here:

See how other Fab FruGALs or Fruguys are doing here

Money Saving Tips: Frugal Gardening Tips


Are you looking for some simple ideas to save money? We have simple solutions that you can easily apply to your lifestyle to save money!

Spring is here and depending on where you live, it may be the right time to begin gardening!

Here are a few frugal tips for when you get down in the dirt:

 

1- If you don’t like to wear gloves but like to keep your fingernails clean, I have the solution!  Try scraping your nails along a bar of soap and getting soap in your nails before soiling your hands.  That way you won’t get dirt stuck under them.

2- To get wash up after planting, scrub your hands with cornmeal, bar soap, and water.

3- The best time to water your plants is in the early morning or in the late evening.

happy spring.

Read more money saving tips. Sign up for daily money saving tips.

Find out why we are giving you a daily money saving tip and how else we are helping you save money in 2012!

 

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Money Saving Tips: Use Half


Are you looking for some simple ideas to save money? We have simple solutions that you can easily apply to your lifestyle to save money!

If you use half, you’ll save double.

I use these cotton rounds to remove my makeup every night, but I have noticed that I  don’t really need a whole cotton round to take off all my makeup.

So I rip them in half and only use half.  This makes the cotton rounds last twice as long!

 

 

 

Read more money saving tips. Sign up for daily money saving tips.

Find out why we are giving you a daily money saving tip and how else we are helping you save money in 2012!

 

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Budget Challenge 2012 {Week 7}

How are you doing with your Grocery Budget?

Did you know we have a weekly challenge going?  Lucky for you, it’s not too late to join!  Here are the details about our 2012 Grocery Budget Challenge.

It is time to share how you did last week… did you stay within budget?

I had a good week! I went to Albertsons last Tuesday and bought 2 gallons of milk, 4 boxes of  butter, 2 bottles of  juice, 2 shampoo, 2 conditioner, 4 bags of my favorite Kettle Chips and a loaf of bread all for $12.77 tax included! I used my double coupons! Sure wish I got those every week. :)

Here is how the fabs are doing on their budget…

Monica: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $150

Spending this week: $12.77
Savings this week: $42.27

February Spending: $63.67
February Savings:  $80.77

Year to date spending:  $185.18
Year to date savings: $317.08

Cathy: Feeding a family of 9

Monthly grocery budget: $600

Spending this week: $
Savings this week: $

February Spending:  $
February Savings: $

Year to date spending: $
Year to date savings: $

Mavis: Feeding a family of 4

Monthly grocery budget: $100

Spending this week: $15.53
Savings this week: $236.00

February Spending: $62.03
February Savings: $508.91

Year to date spending:  $195.13
Year to date savings: $1134.23

Read more about Mavis’ spending in Monday’s with Mavis

Becky: Feeding a family of 3

Monthly grocery budget: $200

Spending this week: $17.08
Savings this week: $3.60

February Spending: $91.27
February Savings: $159.83

Year to date spending: $315.34
Year to date savings: $625.08

Amber: Feeding Family of 4

My husband went to Walmart to buy a battery for my car. To save myself a trip, I handed him a few coupons & a 5 item shopping list. He returned with over $70 in groceries. YIKES! He was trying to be helpful, so I couldn’t get to upset. But that blew my budget out of the water!

Monthly grocery budget: $250

Spending this week: $90.22
Savings this week: $34.93

February Spending: $157.70
February Savings: $150.55

Year to date spending: $435.93
Year to date savings: $447.70

 

So are you ready to track your spending and join our challenge?

#1 – Decide on your monthly grocery budget.

#2 – Complete this form with your #’s… remember, this is you competing with YOURSELF, no one else!  Share your email if you want to enter to win our challenge giveaway… your email will be hidden, but all other answers will be public. When entering your numbers use the amount you spent last week. Sunday-Saturday. 

#3- View the results below and see what sort of goals other Fabulessly Frugal readers are setting!

#4 – Come back next week:  we’ll announce a winner from entries on this form AND we’ll give you another chance to submit your spending and saving!

This week the random winner will get a $20 Amazon gift card!

Last weeks winner…

Last weeks randomly selected $20.00 Amazon gift card winner is…

Congratulations Stephanie! Comment on this post to claim your prize. I will send you an email to get your shipping address!

 

Tools to help you:

  • Here is a grocery budget tracking spreadsheet to help you keep track of your spending/saving each week. It’s nothing fancy, but it will help you track your spending so you can quickly enter in your #’s each Monday afternoon.
  • {NEW!}  We also encourage you to download our Fabulessly Frugal Budget Tool to easily set a budget, track your spending and compare your actual spending to the budget you make.

Enter your goal and spending here:

See how other Fab FruGALs or Fruguys are doing here

Kohl’s Coupon

Headed to Kohl’s today?

Get an extra 15% off of your purchase with this Kohl’s coupon!

Use coupon at Kohl’s online or in-store!

Enjoy!


Dining Discount Code for Restaurant.com

We ♥ Restaurant.com!

Restaurant.com is the perfect way to save on dining!

Restaurant.com Weekly Promo Offer 300 x 250

You can get a $25 gift card for only $2!

Use code: PUMPKIN

GO GET GIFT CERTIFICATES to your FAVORITE RESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW
AND DINE OUT TONIGHT
!!!!

If you’ve NEVER done this before, NOW is the time to start! We’ve done it a LOT and have saved money on our date nights AND girls night out!!

Be sure to read the print right under the “Add to Cart” button, it will tell you what the minimum purchase required is (most often times $35 when you use a $25 Gift Certificate), and if there are any restrictions on the day of the week you can use it. You’ll be able to print your gift certificate immediately after purchasing it!

Going out of town? Just enter THAT zip code! It works NATIONWIDE!!

The code works on ALL Gift Certificates!

$10 certificate only .80
$25 certificate only $2
$50 certificate only $4
$75 certificate only $6
$100 certificate only $8

Have fun!
Code Expires Oct 25th!