Once you start couponing and becoming pretty good at it, you will notice that there are always items that you can get for free or really cheap over and over again. You will be really surprised at the things you actually no longer really pay for. I can’t remember the last time I actually paid for a tube of toothpaste. There are usually always sales at the drugstores every couple of weeks plus high value coupons to match. I always stock up on stuff like this because the shelf life is very long and you don’t really have to worry about them going bad.
The places I usually get “free” stuff are the drugstores. It is the same story, just match the coupons that are available to the sales that the stores are running and you will pay very little out of pocket. Plus make sure to roll your ECB’s or Register Rewards or whatever your particular store calls them and you usually only end up paying the tax. For those of you that don’t know what “rolling” means here is an example:
CVS has toothpaste on sale for $2.99 and it is printing a $2.00 ECB for you to use later. I already have a $1.99 ECB from my last visit to use plus a $1.00 coupon from the paper to use on the toothpaste.
Buy the toothpaste for $2.99
Use the $1.00 coupon
Total: $1.99
Pay with a my $1.99 ECB
Total: only have to pay for the tax which will vary from state to state probably around 5¢!
Plus, you will get a $2.00 ECB to use on next week’s shopping trip. Just keep spending the ECB’s to pay for items that will give you more ECB’s and pretty soon you will be paying very little out of pocket.
I also want to make you aware of the great deals you can get at The Dollar Tree. Everything there is $1.00 plus you can use coupons! They have name brands there too so this is another great source for free items. So, now that you know how to “roll” your rewards what are the items that you should only pay less then 50 cents for? I say that most of them are toiletries because they last a long time so you will use them up before they expire and there always seem to be great coupons for them. This is my personal list of items I never pay more then 50 cents for and sometimes nothing at all:
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Toothpaste
- Hair Elastics
- Razors
- Deodorant
- Bodywash or Soap
- Hand soap
- Cosmetics
- Makeup Remover or Cleansing Cloths
- Dish soap
- Cleaning Supplies ( Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, etc.)
- Air Fresheners
- Candles
- Toothbrush
- Floss
- Mouthwash
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Candy
- Baby Wipes (per single pack)
- Paper Towels (per roll)
- Shave gel
The list can go on and on depending on the couponer but these are the things that I personally find it very easy to get for less then 50 cents. If you just stock up when you can get them for a great price then you will never run out and have to pay full price. If you need help getting started you can check out my Couponing 101 section to get some ideas. Now that you can see what you will be able to get for practically no money at all I hope you are very excited to start couponing or just get back in the game. What are some great things you’ve been able to get really cheap by using coupons?
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