A Craftsman 32 pc. General Purpose Tool Set for Marc ($59.99):

And a Kitchen-Aid for…me. I wish! ($299.99):

I just take them to a register with 20% cash (around $75), then set aside around $60 a week until they are ready for Christmas! Doesn’t that make more financial sense than 1) Finding the cash to do it all right now (and more, since I’m sure to be buying more presents than this…) and 2) Putting it on a credit card and having to pay interest!

Buying items on layaway makes it easier to stay within your budget since you don’t actually get to take home the product until it’s paid off. But Sears also sells quality products with name brands you can trust, so you know you are getting your monies worth!

Also, be sure you know all of the details regarding layaway plans before you commit. Some items are not eligible for layaway and fees may be applicable. Happy Shopping!

#1 – You have to be dedicated to it
#2 – You have to enjoy it
#3 – You can’t be brand loyal
#4 – You have to hang in there the first few months of clipping coupons. If you give into the feeling that you don’t know what you are doing, you won’t stick with it.

Take a look at my coupon binder:

People look at me like I’m a crazy person when I go to the grocery store with it… But that’s ok! I’m used to it now.

Now I’m going to brag about the deals I got today… Albertsons is having a GREAT sale right now! If you spend $30 on a variety of products, you get $15 back for your next visit! Wow!

Transaction #1:

Total cost before coupons/preferred savings: $88.83
Coupons: $50.13
Final cost = $38.70 – $15 coupon for next visit = $23.70

Transaction #2:

Total cost before coupons/preferred savings: $120.05
Coupons: $77.35
Final cost = $42.70 – $15 coupon for next visit = $27.70

Total Savings? $208.88 – $127.48 = $81.40 – $30 = $51.40!

I still have $15 left to spend on my next trip, but I figured I would save it for various things I needed during the week – bread, meat, fresh veggies, etc.

Keep in mind that my total of $51.40 also includes a few beauty/health items as well as laundry detergent!

Hooray for coupons! Contact me if you want to know more – I love to talk about it!

I’m slowly becoming a “real” house wife. My old boss used to LOVE finding a deal and I always laughed at her when she would give me a coupon to buy something. She told me to wait because one day I would like it too…and that day has come. I bought the following items today:

Albertson’s Pricing

(2) Macaroni Grill meals: $5.49 ea
(3) Hamburger Helper singles: $1.50 ea
(1) Ken’s Light Accents Spray Salad Dressing: $3.69
(2) Hunt’s Snack Packs: $1.99 ea
(1) Juicy Juice Box 8 pack: $3.99
(2) Barilla pastas: $1.99 ea

Total actual retail price: $31.12
Amount paid by Cammi? (drum roll please) $ 6.40!

How did I do it?

Macaroni Grill: Meals on sale for $4 ($2 ea) – $1 coupon from Sunday paper – $1.10 coupon online = $1.90 ($.95 ea!)

Hamburger Helper: Meals on sale for $1.50 ($.50 ea) – $1.10 coupon online = $.40 ($.13 ea!)

Ken’s: Dressing on sale for $1 – $2 coupon from Sunday paper = +$1! (They paid me $1 to buy it!)

Hunt’s: Snack packs on sale for $2 ($1 ea) – $.40 coupon from Sunday paper = $1.60 ($.80 ea)

Juicy Juice: Boxes on sale for $2.50 – $1 coupon from Sunday paper = $1.50

Barilla: Pasta on sale for $3 ($1.50 ea) – $1 coupon from Sunday paper = $2 ($1 ea)

Note: The sale prices I received are contingent on purchasing 10 participating items in the same transaction, which I did, but I didn’t want to list EVERYTHING I bought. These were just the best deals of the bunch. For my total purchase, I spent $47.48, but I saved $40.97 in coupons and sale savings! I also know this isn’t the best pricing on pasta, but Barilla is my favorite brand! So I was happy