Saturday, October 24, 2009

How Inside Edition changed my life...my coupon story

It has been a year since I started couponing the right way and to celebrate I want to share my story with you.

I started using coupons when my first daughter was born, mostly just on diapers. I thought it was fun and started using EVERY coupon I got from the catalina machine, in the mail, etc...not very smart. I even ventured out to get a Sunday paper and for some reason (holiday weekend?) I got one with no coupons. So I kind of abandoned the whole coupon thing (thank goodness since I was doing it totally wrong). I still used them on diapers and a few things, but resigned to shopping at the warehouse grocery store instead.

The problem, I was spending a ton! Then I started making shopping lists and I saved some, but not very much. Then about a year and a bit ago, I was watching Inside Edition and caught a couponing story. You know the kind, where the lady loads up her cart and spends like $12. My husband said, I bet you could do that and the challenge was on. I looked up her website and googled a little bit, but everywhere wanted to charge me money to get the coupon matchups. I thought it was stupid to pay money to save money, so I abandoned my coupon dreams again.

Then on October 24, 2008, I was watching Inside Edition again (really I watched it like 4 times all of last year) and caught Heather on the Freebies 4 Mom story. I have always loved getting mail and so I was intrigued. I immediately went to her site and spent like three hours just soaking it up like a sponge. From there I was linked to the Grocery Gathering (see side bar) and I was amazed, this is how people did it. Then I started slowly figuring it out. I read blogs, collected coupons, and starting shopping in a whole new way. In December, I did a catalina sale at Albertsons, and discovered Rite Aid and then I knew there was no turning back, I was hooked.

I love it now, I feel so empowered and I love finding deals. I am not perfect and I am still learning, but I am saving. I have eliminated those bimonthly $250 plus grocery store trips and $100 plus superstore trips altogether. I have more stuff in my pantry and bathroom. It is name brand and there is plenty of it. My most recent adventure was to start this blog and try to share some of my experiences and secrets with you. I hope you have found it useful.

To properly celebrate my shopping overhaul, I have decided to have a giveaway. The winner will receive a $25 gift card (to one of these stores, your choices, Rite Aid, KMart, Albertsons, or Macys) and a set of coupon inserts. To enter, please leave a comment on what you have learned from this blog. You may enter only once and you have until October 31 to enter. I will post the winner on November 1. Thanks for reading and good luck.

27 comments:

  1. Well, let me be the first to say - THANK YOU!! For creating this blog, for inspiring me to do better with my couponing and for teaching me how. While I'm still new at this and seem to make some sort of mistake at every store I go to, you've taught me that it's ok to make mistakes and to just keep trying. Thanks again.

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  2. Thanks for your blog. I love to hear about your couponing experiences. I am trying and get inspired everytime I read your blog. I have learned more of how to use catalinas and actually had a good experience at Albertsons. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I love following your blog. I wish we lived closer. I think it would be fun to tag along on one of your shopping trips. I've learned more about catalinas from your blog.

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  4. I love hearing about your coupon adventures and then your help with understanding on how to double up on coupons. Thanks for this great blog.

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  5. I love coming to your blog. I have only been doing this for about three weeks but I look forward to coming to your blog every week to learn what I can save this week. I am still learning and had never heard about catalinas until I saw your blog, but I am learning and am really trying hard to be motivated. I find myself feeling like I spend to much time and sometimes feel like it's not worth it but then I come to your blog and you motivate me to not give up on it. I am hoping to one day be as good at you at saving. Thanks Dawn! You are so inspiring!!!!

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  6. I'm trying so hard to be a more frugal shopper. Your tips are making it so much easier. Thanks for taking the time to make us novice shoppers a little more knowledgeable!

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  7. It was a treat to read your post, Dawn - and I'm so glad I helped to inspire your successful coupon journey. I'm so glad that Inside Edition made it easy for you to find my blog - it's been such a wonderful experience for me to share the freebies with everyone.

    -Heather
    Freebies 4 Mom

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  8. Dawn, thank you for posting about your coupon experiences. I too am a newbie at this. At first I felt that I was supposed to use every coupon I found, now I realize that I have to wait for deals to come by before just heading out to the stores and spending all my money. Good luck to you and your couponing. I know there is no turning back for me either. P.S. I too llloooovvveeee Freebies4mom.com. One of my most favorite websites! Tamarametcalf19@sbcglobal.net

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  9. I've learned that if you have a card for Master Cuts, your 10th haircut is free!! I did not know this...my hubby always gets his hair cut there!! Thanks :)

    I'm your second new follower!! Yay! I'd love for you to come visit/follow me at my new blog too! www.shelleysswag.blogspot.com

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  10. What an awesome job you do. I love Freebies4Mom and FreeMania. I know have a third sight to help you. You are awesome. Thanks

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  11. Dawn I didnt know what I was doing either until freebies 4 mom. Youre blog is very good and will give other the want to to coupon in the corect way. I will follow you also glad to have you aboard marthac56@myway.com

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  12. Thank you so much for your story, your blog and your giveaway! yankeewife@gmail.com
    BTW - I'm hosting giveaways all this week. Be sure to stop by!
    http://babiesbellylaughsbarefeet.blogspot.com/

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  13. I've learned to never give up. Even if it seems overwhelming to keep trying.

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  14. I learned to keep going, don't stop. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. I love your blog! I love saving money, finding freebies, coupons, giveaways and sharing them with my readers! It's great to find a woman after my own heart. : )

    Right now I have a $100 Red Envelope Gift Card for Giveaway. There are lots of ways to enter so feel free to stop by and enter! http://beauty4moms.blogspot.com/2009/10/100-red-envelope-giveaway.html

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  16. It's just great to know that there are lots of couponers out there! I always feel alone when I am checking out with tons of coupons and the people behind are starring at you.

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  17. I just found your blog and I can't wait to read everything! I appreciate that you explain what a catalina is. I am new to couponing and have read this word frequently but didn't know where to find these catelina coupons. Thanks!

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  18. I think freebies and coupons are the way to a womans heart, like food is for men!
    I recently discovered Freebies 4 Moms and Im hooked! There are so many opportunities for free and discounted services and merchandise. Blogs like yours help us be at the right place at the right time. Thank you for sharing such great information!!

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  19. This is great. Thank you for starting another blog to help me save money. I am a couponer but don't do it as much as I should. Thank you for the boost to get with it again.

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  20. ...I learned not to give up!!! Thanks for sharing your story on your blog!!!

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  21. Great story!! I am trying to learn how to save money as its pretty tight right now!

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  22. Thanks Dawn for your great story. I cant wait to read your website. I have too recently learned the correct way to do couponing and really enjoy getting all the great deals available. Cant wait to see if you have found any that I dont know about.

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  23. I am BRAND new to couponing and still am kind of in the dark. BUT - by reading your blog I am finally starting to get it. One of these days I will break the cycle and shop at Albertsons' for the great deals. Ha Ha, my husband is a manager at Walmart so it is hard to sway from the norm. (You probably know him - Bryan Tidlund) Thanks for doing such a good job. Keep posting!!!

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  24. I really enjoy your blog Dawn! I too love couponing, but I never knew there were such great deals to be had at Rite-Aid. I'll have to try to get there when I'm in SLC. I've experimented with coupons a lot over the last few years and have loved Albertsons, I'm so sad they're leaving UT, but there will still be fabulous deals elsewhere! I've also done the Walgreens thing, but I'm a bit weary of going there lately! Keep up the great work, I hope to learn more!!!

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  25. I learned that it's name brands and that other people went through the same journey :)

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  26. I learned that there's a right & wrong way to coupon!

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  27. What I learned seems comletly avoidable and ignorant on my part. I have recently done the spend 25.00 and get 10.00 back without using coupons, well i never realized that the 10.00 comes back to you in the form of a Catalina nor did I know what those sheets that printed out were. I have just folded them up and tossed them into my car only to forgot about them. I realized once I left the store that my total seemed high after the spend 25 get 10, but wasnt an empowered shopper and didnt check my reciept or the catalina. There is no telling how much money I have just tossed out because I didnt know what a catalina was. So thank you so much for your blog and explaining to your readers couponing and how to save at the store! So excited for a chance to win that 25.00!!!
    Kelsey R.
    madisondogs@gmail.com

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