To Buy or Not To Buy

One key to becoming a couponer is learning what is selling for a good price and what isn’t. It will take you a few months, but you will start to see a pattern.

There are several things that I will attempt to never purchase again (and try to help you to never spend money on either!). Included in my personal list are toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, some feminine protection, women’s shaving cream, and eye drops. There is another list that I won’t pay more than a dollar for (cereal, pasta sauce, and lots more). This kind of thing only works if you aren’t brand specific of course, but it does work.

Start watching the deals at CVS and Walgreens even if you aren’t interested in buying. See what they offer for free and cheap. Toiletries are always the easiest things to get for free. In the later half of this year we will probably see even more. The holiday’s are the time when most people shop and CVS and Walgreens are going to fight for your business.

Start paying attention to “loss leader” items. These are the items that stores reduce to cost or below cost in order to get you in the door. They may not be making much money on your purchase, but they are banking on the fact that you will purchase something else while you are there. Loss Leaders are fairly consistent throughout the year, especially at drug stores. They will basically consist of new manufacturer’s products (like the CVS Glade Diffusers) and basic household items (like toothbrushes and toothpaste).

Every or every other week you can expect to find something for free, especially if you use your coupons. When you use a coupon on a product, the store still makes money. They redeem the coupon and get paid by the manufacturer, so they want you to buy from them – even if it appears that your purchase is free.

Start making your own mental list of prices. It doesn’t have to be exact, of course, but figure out what things you think you can get for free fairly often. Stockpile those items when you have the opportunity. Decide which things you want to be brand specific about (we only eat Jif peanut butter) and which don’t really matter. You will see a very big difference in the long run.