Make a list of everything you purchase for your household for the month. I made my list and Im at about 60 items per month. That includes groceries, cleaning supplies, oral care etc... Each week I purchase 3-8 months worth of sales items and match them up with coupon. Each store will have several items on sale to lure you in, buy only those items if they are on your list and start your storage. I look at it this way, the stores charge me to store all my items at full price, if I buy them when they're on sale n store them myself the storage fees is eliminated and my extra money can go straight into bills and savings. I choose to use coupons to reduce my costs.
Here's my couponing journal from the last couples of months, (started couponing again 9/12/2010). Here are examples of what I purchased since then, 15 Scotts twelve-pack of toilet paper ($2.49 w/ coupons), 60 bottles of hunts honey bbq sauce ($.49 ea when u buy increments of 10 at Smiths/Kroger, no coupons req). Lifi only eats rice with redsauce (bbq, tomato soup, ketchup, sphaghetti etc..), 20 colgate toothpaste n 20 Crest (free with coupons), 16 bottles of Crest mouthwash (free with coupons), free maybelline makeup, 16 scrubbing bubbles (@ $.15 w coupons), 16 fantastik cleaners (@ $.29 w coupons), 8 fabreeze room spray (free w coupons), 8 carpet deodorizer (free w coupons), 15 pkgs of huggies diapers, 5 of ea size, newborn, size 1 and 2 ($1.34 ea w coupons). Im doing my nieces baby shower in a month so they are gifts for her. 8 pkgs of pampers wipes (free with coupons), 8 pkgs of huggies wipes ($.33 ea w coupons), 8 pkgs of hair dye (free w coupons), 40 of ea NYC nailpolish, eyeliner, n 12 eyelash curler (free w coupons), 16 pkgs of Schick razors ($.88 ea with coupons), 32 bottles of Xtra brand laundry detergent (48 loads @ $.49 ea w coupons). I think thats it, I'm in the middle of sorting out my storage room (again..lol) n will post pictures later.
This week I purchased 32 bottles of Herbal Essense shampoo/cond and styling products, (free with coupons) 60 pkgs of Am Beauty pasta ($.49 ea w increments of 10, no coupons), 24 pkgs of Nestle cocoa mix ($.49 ea w increments of 10, no coupons), 8 secret deodorant ($1.79 ea n get $5 off Oil of Olay soaps/lotion n or bodywash), 5 oil of olay 6-pk soaps n 3 lotions (free with the secret purchase), 24 pks of keebler crackers (free with coupons),
Im looking into buying atleast 10 forty packs of bandaids (@ $.15 ea w coupons), 8 bottles of Vicks Nyquil (free with coupons), more cereal ($.50 ea w coupons), 10 pkgs of 4-pk Cotenelle toilet paper ($.49 ea with coupons), free revlon makeup (great xmas gifts for teens), 8 cheer detergent ($.39 ea w coupons), 16 arm n hammer laundry detergent ($.97 ea w coupons), the week just started so this list could get longer..lol. So all the items listed is marked off my list, pretty soon all I'll be needing to buy is milk, cheese, bread, eggs n fresh fruits n veggies, driving my cost down. Looks like Huggies diapers are at $1.99 again, I'll buy 8 pkgs if I have money left over from this weeks shopping. (great for baby shower gifts!).
I'll be back to finish this up and post pictures, right now Im getting kids ready for school than heading out to the store..lol!~
