These days, it seems like everybody is going crazy about extreme couponing. People are fighting like savages to get coupons for the most obscure products and stores nobody has ever heard of. I’m all for saving money with coupons, but let me tell you my focus: I look for coupons on products I use every day. Getting a voucher that let’s you buy 19 cases of some soft drink and get the 20th free? Come on, get real. Tooth paste, toilet paper, make-up, these are the things I’m concentrating on, because this is where the real money can be saved. Day after day, week after week, the savings for those everyday items adds up fast.
Right now, finding a 24 roll package of Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper for about $12.97 is a really good deal. That’s right at $.54 per roll. The last time I went to the store, I bought this package for $6.49 (plus tax). Here’s what I did:
I traded a diaper coupon to a lady for two manufacturer’s coupons for Charmin. I don’t have kids, and didn’t need the other coupon. I could’ve sold it, but bartering actually saves me time, and time is money. The manufacturer’s coupons were for $2 off any purchase of their product. No other exclusions, except the expiration date (which was still good). I also found a printable Charmin coupon (I’ll provide you with the source in another post), which was buy one pack of Charmin, get one free. These are pretty rare, but if you know where to luck, you can score one. I took these to a retailer who allows customers to double the value of their coupons. So normal price for 2x packages of 24 roll was $12.97 x 2 or $25.94. Then take $2 off each package, and double that per the store’s policy, so $25.94 – $4 = $21.94. Then buy one, get one free, the store allowed me to pay for one package at $12.97 and get the other free. Two packages for $12.97 means each one cost me $6.49.
Now, I can’t get that kind of deal all the time. Sometimes I do better, sometimes I do worse.