WEEKLY COUPONS SAVINGS!

I put my coupons to good use this week and racked up some major savings!  Earlier in the week, I saved 53% off my grocery shopping at Gerbes.  Picked additional grocery items today and with only 2 coupons, still managed to score 27% off my purchases. 

Made out even better today at Walgreens.  On my first transaction I saved 27%, which is not great but not bad either.  On the second transaction, I bought 2 11.3 oz Folgers Classic Roast coffee, 4 Lays Stax potato chips 5.75 oz and one Oscar Mayer deli sliced ham 9 oz, for a grand total of $1.02.  For the first transaction, I matched coupons with sale items which also had register rewards.   I used the register rewards from the first transaction to pay for my second transaction, leaving me a balance due of $1.02.  Picked up their latest store coupon book while I was there and am looking forward to more great savings later in the month.

The money I save using coupons and the money I make from advertising on my blog and my Amazon store are all going toward my new investment plan.  I made a list of 60 dividend stocks I intend to purchase positions in over the next 2 to 3 years bringing my total annual dividend payments to at least one dividend per day.  It might sound overly ambitious, but I don't believe there is anything a person can't do, they simply have to figure out how they're going to do it.  Talk about cash flow, a dividend payment every day of the year sounds like ultimate cash flow to me :0).

WEEK IN REVIEW: STOCK DIVIDENDS, PURCHASES AND COUPON SAVINGS

This past week was kind of hectic for me.  We've been busy at work getting ready for a big corporate inspection on the 22nd.  On top of that, we've been busier than usual due to increased traffic from people who've gotten their tax refunds.  So it's been kind of crazy there.

On a brighter note, I collected several dividend payments.  In my taxable portfolio I received dividend payments from REIT O, limited partnerships LGCY, EVEP and SGU.  For my IRA account I collected dividends from SPY, T, DE and ABT.  Also purchased a stake in NYB for their current dividend yield of 7.72%.  While NYB may be somewhat risky, the price was right and the rewards in high yields and possible capital gains made it worth the risk for me.  

On my shopping trips this week, I continued to benefit from my version of extreme couponing.  I saved a handy 38% at the grocery store by matching coupons with sale items.  On my Sunday trip to Walgreens I saved close to 50% off my total purchases!  I also got 2 more chances to win $3,000 with their customer surveys.  It's been really great, since I've started couponing, to keep my house so well stocked with food, cleaning supplies and personal care items.  I have never had my home so well stocked in my entire life.  Coupons are the way to go.  I even save $25 on work I had done on my Honda Civic by using a coupon from the dealership.  

While I was at the Lake of the Ozarks for my annual February get away at Port Elsewhere, I made good use of coupons to buy food for the condo so I didn't have to go out to eat.  While there, I shopped for new shoes at the Nike outlet store and got an $80 dollar pair of Nikes for $21, almost 75% off!  All the savings from coupons and sale items are making it much easier to weather the slump in the economy and rebuild my investment portfolio after paying medical bills from my heart attack.  It also helps make it easier with ongoing medical bills for follow up care.  

HOW TO GET A 1250% RETURN INSTANTLY!

Racked up some great coupon savings at Walgreens this week!  I used register rewards from last week along with coupons on sale items.  I purchased personal care and grocery items which would normally retail for $30.65, for just $8.68 out of pocket.  From today's purchases I received $6.00 back in register rewards, making my actual cost $2.68, for a total savings of just over 91%!  I continued my savings spree at the grocery store, where I saved a handy 50% on food purchases.  I bought enough food at the store to make 6 meals for a total of $3.00 or 50 cents per meal! 

Picked up coupon booklets from my neighbor and a St. Louis Sunday paper to restock my coupon binder.  I spent $2 on the newspaper and got close to $100 in coupons!  Even if I only use 1/4th of the coupons I clip, what a phenomenal return on a $2 investment.  Wouldn't it be great if you could regularly do so well with stocks? 

This is why I get so excited about coupons.  If you spend $2 on a newspaper and get $25 in coupons that you actually use, that works out to a whopping 1250% return on your original investment!  What's even more amazing is that this is an instant 1250%, meaning if you repeated this each week just imagine what your annualized return would be.  The $2 per week would total $104 per year.  Multiply 52 weeks x $25 in usable coupons each week and you've managed to increase your original $104 buying power to $1300, or $108.33 per month on average.  

FEBRUARY OFF TO A GOOD START

The month of February is off to a good start for me.  With the stock market up and coupon savings at the grocery start of 47% this week, it's looking like a good month money wise.  I've been getting all my information together to file my tax returns and expect a modest refund.  The problems I've been having with my landlord regarding damages caused by a roof leak are nearing a resolution, so I should getting my apartment repaired soon and get things back to normal there too. 

I've had a lot of turmoil in my workplace related to turnover of employees and an upcoming corporate review.  While I don't deal as well as I should with changes in the workplace, I realize that fact and have resolved myself to roll with the punches, so to speak, and keep in mind that change can bring new opportunities.  So I'm concentrating on keeping myself open to new opportunity and keeping a positive outlook.  Ultimately I'm thankful to have a job at all when so many people are out of work.  Currently my working income represents the majority share of my monthly cash flow, so until my investment income overtakes that, I need to concentrate on keeping my employers happy.

I'm continuing work on my investment plan for the year and am considering opening a Roth IRA.  While contributions are not tax deductible, I like the idea of not being taxed on profits.  With contributions to my regular IRA making up only a small percentage of deductions to my taxes, I'm thinking that I would benefit more from future tax savings offered by a Roth account. 

Got some great coupons in the mail from Gerbes this week.  The mailers they send out are based on past purchases, so the coupons are for items I regularly purchase.  Some are entirely free and free is the ultimate goal of coupon shopping.  I'll be making good use of those along with the coupons I received from last weeks paper and register rewards from Walgreens.  All the money I save from couponing contributes toward building my investment portfolio and increasing monthly dividends.

SUNDAY'S COUPON SAVINGS!!!

It was a banner day for coupons today!  Picked up 2 newspapers for $4.01 and got over $300 in coupons to restock my coupon binder.  Looking forward to a lot of great savings in the weeks to come :0). 

On my weekly trip to Walgreens I did two transactions.  The first transaction was for a new razor, eye drops and aspirin.  With coupons I saved a little over 60% on my first purchase.  For my second transaction I purchased grocery items including Bon Appetite meals, Pepsi 2 liters, toilet paper and paper towels.  With one register reward from the first transaction and 2 manufacturers coupons I saved over 90% on my second transaction, paying a total of $2.67 for my grocery/household items!  I ended up spending a total of $20 cash, however I also received $16 in register rewards to use on next weeks shopping trip. 

So although I spent $20, next week I'll get to spend $16 out of that $20 again on additional purchases.  With all the coupons from today's paper and $16 in register rewards, I'm really looking forward to next weeks ad!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe new year's eve and new years day!  Got my new year off to a great start by replenishing my supply of coupons from Sunday's inserts.  Picked up some bargains, including a new Kindle as a late Christmas gift, on my regular Sunday shopping trip.  In total I saved 50% off my bill with coupons and sale match ups, almost enough to pay for the Kindle.

Coupons do take time and effort, but are well worth it.  I spent about 4 hours Sunday clipping coupons and getting them organized.  But I estimate I'll save several hundred dollars in the next couple of months just from this past Sunday's coupons!  Not bad for a few hours work. 

MORE ADVENTURES IN EXTREME COUPONING!!!

Just got back from my weekly trip to Walgreens.  I bought $27 worth of merchandise for $8.60.  I used a $5 coupon matched with a sale on a Gillette Fusion razor system, normally $12.99, on sale for $9.99 with a $4 register reward.  With the manufacturers coupon, I paid $4.99 for the razor and got $4 back in register rewards.  For my second purchase I bought 2 bottles of my favorite laundry detergent, which was on sale buy one get one free.  The laundry soap was $6.99 a bottle, with the second bottle free.  Using the $4 register reward it made the total for both bottles $2.99 plus tax for a total of $3.22.  Less than half the price of one bottle of detergent!

So, for less than the sale price of the razor ($9.99), I got the razor and 2 bottles of laundry detergent.  The razor will make a nice Christmas gift and they don't have to know I only paid .99 cents for it ;0).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Heading off to the family Thanksgiving Dinner, just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Had a great morning of early shopping at Walgreens.  They had some fantastic deals for Thanksgiving day and the Black Friday shopping weekend.  Was able to match coupons and sales to purchase $150.00 in merchandise, including a new blood pressure monitor and bath scales that I'd been wanting for a total of $45.00.  I ended my trip with a $6 register reward, so I got everything for $39.00 or a little less than the regular price of the blood pressure monitor.  Along with the scales and the monitor I also got an additional 14 personal care and household items.  Not a bad haul for the price of one blood pressure monitor.

EXTREME COUPONING

TLC's show "Extreme Couponing" has become one of my favorite shows.  I don't get to watch it at its' normal show time, so I catch up by watching the marathons on weekends.  Was truly inspired by the 16 year old from California who had filled his mother's garage with products after taking up couponing.  I personally only buy items I use or can share with family and friends, however, I can see the appeal of picking up any free items.

While my personal couponing habits would not qualify me for the show, I did save over 30% on this weeks grocery shopping and a whopping 60% on my Sunday morning trip to Walgreens!  Walgreens has become my favorite store by far.  I rarely go to Walmart, Kmart, Family Dollar or Dollar General anymore.  I get the majority of my personal care items, household cleaning products and some food items from Walgreens.  It's quick, easy and by matching coupons with sales and register rewards, it's next to impossible to beat their deals.  They also have some of the friendliest, most helpful staff members of any store I've ever shopped.  Keep up the good work Walgreens!!!

$102 PROCTOR & GAMBLE COUPONS IN SUNDAY'S PAPER!!!

It's a coupon bonanza in Sunday, October 30th newspapers with 3 coupon inserts.  Proctor & Gamble's insert promises to contain over $102 in coupon savings!  Red Plum and Smartsource also have inserts in the upcoming paper and promise even more great ways to save. 

I'll also be looking for new coupons on SendEarnings.com.  Their coupons section has provided me with some fantastic deals and I've never had a problem redeeming any of their printed coupons in any of the stores I shop.  The cash back is a great little bonus as well.

Pick up some coupons and save yourself some money!!!

SAVE MONEY, HELP FIGHT BREAST CANCER!

Look for the Proctor & Gamble coupon insert in the upcoming Sunday paper for over $97 in coupon savings.  For every P&G coupon you redeem, Proctor & Gamble will make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Save some money and help support a great cause!

SAVED 41% ON MY GROCERY SHOPPING AT GERBES!

Didn't really need much in the way of groceries at home, but am planning to spend an extended weekend with friends at their Lake Ozark condo, so I picked snack and food items to take along on my trip.  For $18.26 I got: 2 boxes Cheez Its snack crackers 13 oz., 2 boxes Stouffers Stuffed Peppers, 1 bag fun size Baby Ruth candy bars, 1 bag fun size Butter Finger candy bars, 2/4pks. Yoplait Yogurt and 2 pkgs. Chips Ahoy cookies.  The peppers will make a nice dinner one night, saving some cash by not eating out.  The snack items will come in handy while we hang out and watch movies or play cards at the condo.  The regular retail price of items purchased:  $30.68.

SAVED 50% ON MY SUNDAY SHOPPING AT WALGREENS!!!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE SHOPPING AT WALGREENS?!!!  I'm sure I have.  Today was another great shopping experience there.  Even though it was one of their less spectacular ads, I was able to match up coupons with advertised sales and register rewards for a savings of a little over 50%!  What a deal.  I spent only $19.01 but I got Folgers coffee, 2 packs of bagels, 3 Carmex and 1 Blistex lip balm, Infusium shampoo, Colgate Pro Relief Sensitive toothpaste, 12 double roll pack of Angel Soft toilet paper and 2 cans of Comet cleanser with bleach.  Not a bad hall, will be a nice addition to my stockpile. 

The thing I love most about Walgreens is the great deals, but I also like shopping there because it is so convenient compared to the big box retailers.  No long lines, no hateful employees, no third degree over every coupon and no isles piled with freight.  Fast, friendly service, neat, clean and well stocked store!  Fantastic, keep up the good work!

Between Walgreens and the grocery stores (mostly Gerbes and Schnucks), I'm down to spending $40 or less per week even though I'm purchasing about 5 times as much in groceries!  It's all about matching the coupons with the sales. 

COUPONS HELPING ME RETIRE EARLY

Thanks to coupons I'm beginning to see the possibility of early retirement once again.  A few years back, when I lost my job to the economic downturn and had to take a much lower paying job, things didn't look too good for an early retirement.  Then, after suffering a couple of heart attacks last year and being faced with ongoing expenses for medical care, I had pretty much given up hope of retiring even a few years early.  Now I'm beginning to think I might get out of the rat race earlier than I expected, thanks in part, to using coupons. 


I've only been maximizing coupon use since June of this year, but in that same time period I've been able to triple my monthly savings and investment amount.  While my income from my job has actually declined with less hours, I've seen a dramatic increase in earnings from SendEarnings.com due to increased use of printed coupons.  They pay 10 cents for every printed coupon redeemed, which may not sound like much, but when you're using a lot of coupons, it really starts to add up. 

My taxable stock portfolio produces 8 dividend payouts per month, 2 of which I'm currently reinvesting for growth and the remainder I'm having paid in to an FDIC savings account which pays interest.  My taxable account is set up for automatic investments each month to increase my stock holdings.  Both of my retirement accounts are also set for automatic investments.  So by the time I actually retire I can expect to draw at least 8 payouts per month, while continuing to reinvest dividends in at least to stock positions each month for increased dividend income. 

With the money I'm saving by couponing, I'm also paying off the remainder of my old debts and will be debt free much sooner than I expected.  As soon as that happens, I'll be able to triple my monthly investment contributions once again which should lead to a much earlier retirement than I had hoped for. 

COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS!!!

Attention Couponers:

Sunday August 28, 2011;  There will be 3 coupon inserts in the Sunday paper.  One Proctor & Gamble, one Red Plum and one Smart Source.  Don't miss out on the chance to stock up on some great coupons!  A lot of my coupons expire August 31st, so it will be great to pick up new ones for more great deals on shopping.  This week I'm taking advantage of the buy 10 get $5 off and buy one steak get one free deals at my local Gerbes store.

MORE ADVENTURES IN COUPONING! SMALLER STORES VERSUS BIG BOX RETAILERS

Have had a busy couple of weeks.  We've been short handed at work, so I've been picking up extra hours there.  Also sold off a few shares of non performing stocks and put the money to better use paying off some high interest debt.  I'm on schedule to have all my debt paid off by the end of next year, at the latest.  So I'm pretty happy about that.  As it is my free cash flow has increased dramatically from the debt payoffs. 

I've also been busy with my couponing.  In the 2 1/2 months I've been matching coupons with store sales I've managed to build a sizable stockpile of household and personal care products.  I now have enough surplus to help supply 3 additional households.  It really feels good to be able to assist others, something I could not afford much of before using coupons.

On my most recent trips to the grocery store I saved 40 and 42% off my grocery bill.  On my latest Sunday shopping trip to Walgreens I was able to purchase $115 worth of merchandise for $49 with the use manufacturers coupons.  Where shopping used to be a chore for me, I find now that I'm excited to go to the store.  Can't wait to see what kind of deals I'll find next!

One thing that has really surprised me is that I'm doing a lot less shopping at the big box retailers.  I always assumed they had the lowest prices overall.  While this is true of some of the items they carry, I've found that I'm getting much better deals at the grocery stores and Walgreens than I was getting by shopping Kmart, Walmart or Target.  I'm sure it depends on what you buy most, but in my case, I'm doing less and less shopping at the big discount stores and more of my shopping at the smaller establishments.  In my area, the customer service at the smaller stores blows the big boys out of the water.  I'm not sure why this is, but I find my shopping trips much more enjoyable in the smaller stores. 

MY BIGGEST SAVINGS TO DATE WITH COUPONS!

Sunday I made my weekly Walgreens trip and scored my largest savings to date.  I purchase $178 worth of merchandise for $56 in cash.  By taking advantage of advertised sales, manufacturers coupons and register rewards I was able to save around 70% overall.  I got several items entirely free with coupons and register rewards including 4 Dove Men Care body wash, 2 Sun laundry detergent (75 loads), 2 Dove Men Care deodorant, 2 Reach toothbrushes and 2 Colgate Total toothpaste.  Since I've already accumulated about a years worth of deodorant, body wash and bar soap and about 6 months worth of laundry detergent, I was able to give some of the surplus to family members to save them a little money as well. 

While it didn't have anything to do with coupons, I also got the best deal ever on a 27" LCD TV.  I've wanted one for a long time, but wanted to wait until the prices went down.  Since my televisions both work great, I didn't see any need to replace them right away, so I've held off buying.  As it turned out, the guy who rides to work with me bought a larger LCD and gave me his old one free of charge.  You just can't beat free!  I've decided to put my oldest television in the next yard sale and use the cash to purchase more items for my stockroom. 

MORE GREAT COUPON SAVINGS ON GROCERIES!

I checked out the grocery store ads today and it looks like Schnucks had the best overall sales.  I made a list of sale items I needed, matched up my coupons and headed to the store.  This time I filled the cart, getting $76 worth of groceries for $46!  My overall savings this trip was a little over 40%.  I also got a coupon for $5 off my next purchase for purchasing $15 worth of Kraft products.  I plan to use the $5 in conjunction with more manufacturers coupons to stop by tomorrow and pick up six packs of Oscar Meyer and Ball Park franks, which will make the hot dogs almost free!!! 

I'll finish up my weekly grocery shopping by picking up the rest of the items I need at Moser's and Gerbes.  Moser's has a good 10 for $10 sale going and Gerbes has a great deal on Lays Potato Chips and a buy one get one free deal on steaks.  I plan to get produce, salad dressing, bologna, frozen vegetables and croutons at Mosers for around $10.  At Gerbes I'll buy steaks and potato chips and I'll stock up on hand soap and deodorant (5 for $5 sale) while they're on sale.

I installed shelving in a large closet off my living room for non-perishable items and I'm beginning to get a good stockpile of items.  As for groceries, after tomorrows' shopping, I shouldn't need much for a couple of weeks at least.  My freezer and refrigerator as well as all my cabinet space is pretty filled up.  I've spent so little money in the past month and I can't remember having so many groceries in my house.  I LOVE COUPONS!!!

SAVED 61% ON MY WALGREENS PURCHASES!!!

Got up early this morning, got my coupons clipped from the paper and made my weekly trip to Walgreens.  This trip I purchased several personal care items for my stockpile, soft drinks, pasta and miscellaneous items, which would normally have cost me $27.06.  With coupons, register rewards and advertised pricing I saved a total of $16.57 or a little over 61% off my total bill!

Not quite sure, but I think 61% might be the highest percentage off on any of my shopping trips so far.  Like I've said before, I may never get to 100%+ savings like some of the people on TLC, but if I can consistently save 30-75% off, I'll be extremely satisfied.  By far, the biggest savings for me is how little I eat out anymore.  I went from eating out 8 or more times per week to practically 0.  The food I fix at home is so much better than what I got at the restaurants.  It's healthier, tastier and a whole lot less expensive.

For more printable coupons, I have added links to Coupon Mom and Coupon Cabin on the MBCI link exchange section.  Happy Savings!!! 

PROCTOR & GAMBLE COUPON BOOKLET!!!

If you're like me and you use a lot of Proctor & Gamble products, you'll want to check the Sunday, July 3rd paper for the Proctor & Gamble coupon booklet.  It promises to have "coupon savings over $83."  Don't know about you but I could sure use an extra $83 in coupon cash!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!  Be sure and check back on Sunday to find out what kind of great deals I get at Walgreens...