Walgreens Couponing

Here is a continuation on extreme couponing.  Since moving to Colorado, I haven't been going on as many coupon trips.  However, this week I got a few things from Walgreens.  Walgreens is a great place for couponing because of their store rewards program.  Unfortunately, they have one of the slightly more complicated programs.  There are two types of money back rewards that you can get with your purchases.  First there are points that are basically stored on your account (just bring your Walgreens card or use your phone number to access in store) that you can use on a future purchase.  They have long expiration dates usually.  The other one is called 'register rewards.'  These print out like coupons when you buy the products that are part of the deal.  These do not last as long as the points.  They last between 1-2 weeks usually.  But, if you coupon every week then they're handy to have.  Also, you can't use more coupons than items you are buying.  For example: you can't use 1 register reward and 1 manufacturer coupon on one item.  You have to buy at least two items to do that.  See how it can get a little complicated?  Once you go on a few trips there, you'll get the hang of it though.  Something else I love about Walgreens is that they frequently have deals on printing 4 x 6 photos.  I like to scrapbook and make photo albums, so this is perfect for me.  And it's a good way to use up those extra points you have on your account!  This is by no means a complete explanation of the coupon policy at Walgreens, check out the website for more information on that.  Or, better yet just ask an employee that works at your local Walgreens. Here is a link to their points program.

Clearance, coupon, and register rewards deals.

Birthday Revelations

It's the weekend!  I hope everyone gets a chance to do something fun.  Yesterday was my 23rd birthday and I have a few photos to share from it.  To start the day I went to an art museum exhibit with my husband and some of his family.  Then, my husband and I walked around town a bit and did some shopping.  While we were out I got a couple more birthday freebies (through store rewards programs).

My Starbucks freebie.                                                                                                                                                    My Panera Bread freebie.

I also got several presents from my family.  Not all of you know this about me, but I'm kind of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatic.  So, almost all of my presents this year were Buffy related.

  

One set of reusable produce bags (also for my birthday).                               My lovely husband cooking my birthday dinner (tofu stir fry).

 A fantastic bookstore I found while walking around town.

 So, now you know that I'm a Buffy fan and I'm also crazy about books.  I also try to be as eco-friendly as I can (which is why I got the reusable produce bags), and I like crafting (which is why I got the laminator and refills).  If anyone is in the Fort Collins area you should totally check out Old Firehouse Books.  Have a great weekend everyone!!

An Introduction to Extreme Couponing

Coupons.  This word brings a lot of images to mind, some good and some bad.  Who hasn't been in line behind some crazy person hunting for coupons in their purse?  I know that I have.  I think that coupons have gotten a bad rap.  When I tell people that I'm an extreme couponer, either they think that I'm a hoarder or am just totally crazy.  Well, I'm definitely not a hoarder, and I'm not that crazy.

A freebie from a store rewards program.

Let's be honest, who doesn't like getting things for free?  I can't think of a single person.  I have been extreme couponing for about a year and a half now and I can tell you that I have saved over $2,000 so far this year with couponing.  Last year I saved over $9,000.  I definitely put that money I saved to good use.  

One of my coupon hauls.

There are a few key things to couponing, store rewards programs, sales cycles, and finally the coupons themselves.  An extreme couponer uses all of these things to find the best deals and stock up enough to last until the next sale cycle (usually 3-6 months).

A smaller coupon haul.

Couponing isn't for everyone.  It takes some dedication to get started and you do have to update your coupon binder (folio or file) every week to keep up to date.  It's embarrassing to use an expired coupon, trust me on this.  But, if you like getting the best possible deal and don't mind taking the time to work at it, then maybe couponing is for you.

My husband enjoying a freebie meal.

Another aspect of my bargain-hunting lifestyle is signing up for free samples any way I can.  One way I do this is with a website called Bzzagent.  That's where the above pictured freebie meal came from.  In order to get these freebies I fill out surveys and post reviews of the products that they send me.  Some of you might think that's too much work for too little reward.  But, it doesn't take me much time and I like to get the most bang for my buck.  Who doesn't spend time just mindlessly browsing the internet, why not get a freebie out of it?

If you liked this post and want to hear more specifics about extreme couponing, comment below and I'll work on some more specific posts.  This is just an introduction into the idea of extreme couponing.