I think I am using coupons wrong

[shannon1189]

I am loving all the tips and advice. Thank you all so much. I have become addicted here. I am always checking to see if something is out there that I might can get a good deal on. I did good at getting the Almay mascara. I was so happy that day.

[Arie]

I got the Almay deal too - but then realized "I don't know how to put this stuff on"

(I'm going to give it to my sister as a stocking stuffer I think. She's the girly girl of the family!)

[MrsPinecone]

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums...ing-101-a.html

Don't buy stuff that you won't use.

[itzazu2u]

I can't say much about the addiction...where's the closest 12 step program for couponing anonymous...but I can offer up a bit that has worked for me considering I am "rewetting" my feet after so many years of coupon free drought.

I will scout the flyers...Food Lion, CVS, and Walgreens...and make a "game" for myself. (First, let me say I am unemployed since Jan. with no car, and two teenagers, and numerous pets. I don't have major bucks, in otherwords.) Okay, I have the flyers laid out. Grocery store first, we all have to eat, so that is a priority. I go through the Food Lion flier carefully, and make my list as I go. If I have FLIPS to use for stuff I need, I pull (or search for) a coupon to stack. Those stacks go on my list first. Then I move on to other on sale AND NEEDED items, gathering coupons to match. Those go on my list next. After that I only allow myself to "splurge" on other food related *wants* if I A) have a coupon, B) it's on sale, and C) it doesn't go over $10 total over my allowed budget. Doing it this way works for me and I generally use just the coupons as my list, saving on average between 40-55% every time. I rarely ever purchase any food item with out a coupon except milk...don't see coupons for that hardly ever.

After I've done the grocery thing, then I study and compare CVS and Walgreens. I have fun with this because I compare, study, and scrutinize ever so closely for the best deals of the two stores. Then I pull out my ECBs and RRS, get the totals of each. My next step is to pull coupons for the items I have selected, either for stock pile or just plain need, and start crunching the numbers. My goal is to only buy what I can roll my RR or ECBs on, and preferably only on what will provide a reward of equal or better value of the total STARTING value of the total rewards for each store. Doing this has prevented me from having to carry much cash with me to fork over oop. At the same time I AM getting usfull items AND building my "free money". Currently I have over $23 in ECBs to use at CVS....not too shabby. Doing this also allows me to beable to give each of my kids the value of $5 in rewards to *spend* as they wish at each or either store, which has really had a rather surprising effect, considering they are teenagers and limited to a "drug store." They tend to look for items that will return a reward AND they will ask or check my binder to see if I have a coupon for the chosen item! Tell me that's not raising them right~