Shopping Trip with New Couponer & Fan of Nanas Deals!
July 22, 2011
I have been working with a friend of mine on coupons, its been a sloowww start. The hard challange is getting her off being set on certain " brands only". We planned a day and I gave her some home work to do ( Print Coupons from
my Target Weekly Match Ups with Printable Coupons and
My Walmart Weekly Match Ups with Printable Coupons. Since she does not get the Sunday paper inserts. And organize Store Lists etc etc) and Set a Day for this past Saturday. We had a ball, almost an all day adventure with this. Of cource I was late to arrive ( bad Nana) but was up late clipping and organizing my coupons at the last minute !
Here is our day together. My friend did pretty good saving herself 60% using coupons. I think , at least I hope I provided some good lessons.
10: 30 AM -The first store we hit was a local Hyvee Drug Store Sale. They had alot of $1 items such as Scrubbing Bubbles, Laundry Detergent, Zip Lock Baggies, 3/$1 Fuze Beverage. And the best one was the 12 Items for $10 Sale. I was unsure what those items were going to be as it was not advertised. I was able to snag 12 Covergirl products for $10 here. That alone was a huge savings for me! Unfortunatly I did not bring my entire coupon binder ( failed at my very first important lesson to everyone that I preach) and being that I live 21 miles away I just took my loss since this sale was a specified time of 11-2pm. I know I had covergirl coupons in my binder. I only brought my list and coupons for those items. I also wanted to not overwhelm my friend and be able to give her one on one with her list !!! We spent about 45 minutes in this store due to the crowds etc.
I got aprox $80 worth of stuff for $19.85 - My Friend Snagged about $40 worth of items for $8 ! Off to a great start !
NOON - Next Stop Target and a good 35 minute drive. This is where the fun really began, because this is a store that I am not all that familiar with where things are . But we had a ball spending about 2 1/2 hours in here. Please enjoy the next set of photos with captions !
* This was my cart and as you can see ( no binder) just my clipped coupons and list for each store . Im still kicking myself for not having my binder with me !!
Here is my friend, I have her on a mission in Target, she printed off the 0.50/1 Up & Up Brand Cleaning Item. She is searching for a deal with that coupon. Needless to say neither one of us found anything that would really make that coupon worth while to use on. So donated them on the shelf to the next shopper that comes by. ( more pics below)
So far this is her cart of goodies she has in the picture to the right. She is doing pretty darn good with Target and Manufacture Coupons. Remember this is her first trip out with coupons. Shes been a one couponer person, so multi coupons is new to her. Also remember that "brand" set mind of hers. I quickly remind her that if she can get an item for free, would she think twice about the "brand" she says NOPE its FREE with a smile! She is not going to bend on her brand of shampo and conditioner. But she gets an A+ for finding and printing the $1 off coupons as well as noticing that it would better deal to use them at Target than Dollar General ( by 0.01 cents ( chukle).
Now we did have to have a long discussion about the Kool-Aid Coupons ( Targets Buy Country time or Koolaid Coupon) and she had a $1/2 Koolaid Manufacture to stack with it) Getting the point across that the Manufacture was for the koolaid only not country time and how we had to buy the kool aid in order to stack both coupons to get the lowest price deal) That took us 2 swipes down the isle and a deep converstation with alot of arguing in fun. Me thinks the other shoppers thought we just had a day pass from the local mental health joint!!!!!!!!!!
Im not sure what this pic is all about, but I think shes making an S.O.S call for help for someone to get her out of this store with me !! LOL God love her! Notice she is still searching for an Up & Up Cleaning item to use that coupon on !!!!!
pssst - she doesnt know I left them on a shelf on the other isle ( ROFLOL)- god help me if she finds a deal and I have to run and try to find the left behind lost coupons!
Another huge kick in the pants for Nana ----->---------->------------->--->
We hit a clearance shelf everything is already marked down super low, plus an aditional 15% off, and NO COUPON BINDER. Argggggggg. But Im not going to buy it with out the coupons to make it free ( so thats another trip with binder on another day). So don't do like Nana did today - BRING YOUR COUPON BINDER ALWAYS ! You never know what unadvertised clerance or sale your going to stumble upon. Trust me this was killing me !
LUNCH BREAK - Oh No I was so dang excited about this shopping trip that I did not give any thought about lunch, and nabbing some local discount coupons etc. My Friend wants McDonalds- GULP- My BOGO Free Frap, Smoothing Coupon is on my fridge !!!!! ( I get a "F" on our lunch ! ) So the only thing I can do at this point is suggest we order off the $1 Menu ! Drive thru here we come ! We nibble and eat while we head to Walmart. See below for some pics and recaps of our Walmart Trip!
Next Stop - WALMART ADVENTURE!
Here is my friend in the parking lot before we head in. We spend some time in the car discussing our game plan, going over her coupons and her list. Well this should be easy her list is only about 5 items in Walmart!! Oh Dear mine is much longer. Now looking at her exspression in this picture of me yelling out last minute Cheers " You Can Do it" She looks a little confused, but knowing my friend she is muttering some smart mark remark back at me. Im not going to blame it on the heat :)
ALL YOU MAGAZINE LESSON INSIDE WALMART
The first place I take my friend is to the Magazines to pick up the August 2011 ALL You Magazine. (sold only at Walmart and always full of coupons each month) I skim through the new Aug 2011 one to see if there is anything in there that I can use to make some great extra deals as well as make that magazine pay for itself on this trip. Walla there is a few things in there like $1.00/ Lenders Bagels & Country Crock Butter as well as 0.50/1 Hawaian Rolls. And the $1.00/1 Sally Hansen Nail Tools ( I know I have a Walgreens Store Coupon to match that with !!)
- Before Coupons $23.75
- After Coupons Paid $ 8.53
- Total Savings $15.22 65% Savings
Nana
- Before Coupons $89.64
- After Coupons Paid $28.32
- Total Savings $ 51.32 65% Savings
<----NEXT STOP WALGREENS - Well this is where my dear friend pooped out on me . She was out of coupons and didnt want to go in. - But I got her figured out, its 100 degrees out and she wants a smoke and not leaving the A/C of the truck, she cant fool me !!! See her sitting <---in my truck ! I had only a few things I wanted to get. Exspecially I have a coupon for FREE Seventh Generation Diapers but I cant seem to find them in any stores local, and this Walgreens does not have them Either. I will try CVS in the town I work in about 50 miles from home next week and see if they carry them !! I did nab a couple of there montly in store coupons books while there for us.
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Happy Savings with Coupons
Nana
