Don't Be Afraid...to Spend Some Money...or TRY to SAVE.

To All that are afraid to spend some money:

Sometimes I am afraid to buy certain items. This usually occurs with the knowledge that most items that I need will be free (or close to free) at some point throughout the year. After couponing for as many years as we have, we know that coupons and product sales rotate (every 6 weeks or so...), making it possible to stockpile enough to get you by until the next sell.

But sometimes certain items are needed now or there are certain items that I just want to buy (or I prefer).  And guess what, it is OKAY to buy them.

Although I did stock up on plenty of free (or close to) items this week (such as syrup, napkins, milk, almonds, Tide, Ivory soap, banana chips, Oreos, apple slices, gum, cheese, jelly, chips, sandwich bags), I also spent some money.

Spent: $94.99
Saved: $658.76

What?!  I admit it was a little scary. And I was afraid when my receipt said $ (give me some money) a couple of times...but then I looked in my basket and saw a our favorite brand of bread, my favorite floor cleaner, rewrapped produce (WE LOVE THAT), pork loin, and other items that were not totally cheap but were a great deal with the Super Double promotion.  It is a perfect time to stock up on much needed first aid supplies, cleaning, toiletries, etc..heavily discounted with the super doubles!

And I have to accept when I see my husband buying each of the kids a soda or Gatorade from the vending machine at the pool when we have 25 of them in our garage I got for free...it is okay.  You have to live.

To All that are afraid to Try:

We get asked all of the time, "We just don't understand how you save so much.  What are you buying?  Can you just tell me everything you purchase?"
It can seem overwhelming (especially after watching an episode of Extreme Couponing...ugh) to start using coupons.  But don't be afraid to try!  Remember, we are all at a different stage of our couponing journey.  We have different needs as well. Some of us are buying for large families.  Others are buying for one.  I may have a coupon I found months prior tucked away in my coupon binder or from a product I previously purchased.
This exact scenario happened this week. I had used the Tide coupon to get 2 packs of the Tide detergent for hand washing (both free). After I got home, I realized they contained a $1 off one Tide product inside!  Needless to say I was thrilled when Harris Teeter had Tide on sale (Saturday only). So I received 2 bottles for only $2 each!
Be willing to try new products, shop different stores, search the Internet...TRY. 

And remember, we teach you everything you need to know about couponing in our classes!  We are getting ready to post our next class, so if you are interested, let us know by sending us an email:  hiptoclip(at)gmail(dot)com.