Random Thoughts...

Hello all!

We all know how as women, we tend to have a LOT on our minds at one time. Well to organize my thoughts I love to write things down! So I felt like posting a slightly random post, covering a few things on my mind lately. 

For one, I wanted you guys to know where I find the coupons I use on my trips. Basically, I buy the Sunday newspaper every week and sort the coupon inserts in a file box seen on my "organization" of this blog. Then, when a deal comes around, I search the coupon database from IheartPublix HERE. For example if you really want some Dove body wash, you simply type in DOVE and scroll down to find what coupon insert has Dove coupons. It also shows you if any printable dove coupons are available.

The other thing on my mind is stock up prices. Since I'm not a pro with a long list of the best prices, I figured I could just give my opinion about realistic prices that I personally stock up on. I'm not a pro at the whole food stock up price area so I'll focus on toiletries/household. Here are a few examples:

Toilet Paper: 

.50 a roll is the minimum I will buy it at. If I find anything below this, I stock up.

Paper towels: 

With coupons or a great sale, you'll find these for $1 a roll. But with a combination, a stock up price is as low below $1 as you can get. The Tuf paper towels at Walgreens go for .50 every now and then.

Scotch Mailers:

.39

They go for this price at Walgreens every now and then.

Shampoo/Conditioner:

The most I will pay for a really luxurious brand is $1 a bottle. But if you aren't picky, you can get certain brands for free.

Body Wash:

Same as Shampoo/Conditioner. It depends on your preference of the brand. I would pay up to $1 a bottle for Dove or Caress, but free for Right Guard, Nivea, Irish Spring...

Toothpaste:

I always get it for free. Just wait for a Walgreens RR deal where it might be $2.99 get $2 RR then use a $1/1 Coupon. If you really need it, never pay more than $1. It really isn't necessary.

Toothbrushes:

Free. I always get these free with RR deals or Extrabuck deals at CVS. Always wait for the sale and stock up.

Hand Soap:

I always splurge on soap! lol. Sure you can get dial or softsoap for a few cents here and there, close to $1. But I personally LOVE Bath and Body Works handsoap! Usually they run for $5 a bottle, so what I do is wait for them to go 75% off , which they do a LOT! This makes them $1.25 a bottle. That is when I stock up. Its close to the price of the store stuff but I feel like it smells and feels better.

Deodorant:

This one varies too. I personally devote myself to the Secret brand only. I don't like to smell like powder so I buy the more "luxurious" brand lol. I haven't had to buy this deodorant in so long that I don't know what  I would spend. For mens deodorant, I always get it free. Either with a B1G1 sale and a B1G1 coupon, or a RR deal. Recently I got the women's Mitchum deodorant free and the Dove women's deodorant for pennies. 

Razors:

This one is fun. Some weeks you will see no good deals on razor. Then suddenly it’s a razor frenzy! For men's razors, I always get the Gillette ProFusion for $1 or less. Disposable razors can usually come free or $1.25 a pack with a sale and coupon. But the fancy razors are great deals too. Awhile ago I saw a CVS deal where Schick Quattro for Women was B1G1 Free, and I had $4/1 Coupons from a facebook game. I got them for $1 a piece and they are AWESOME! One thing you will see from couponing is you get to enjoy the awesome razors and leave behind the disposable ones. 

Mouthwash:

Almost always $.50 or less with a sale and coupon. CVS and Walgreens are best for these deals since they will go $2.99 and get $2 rewards (or something similar). 

Dish Soap:

Again, I haven't bought this in awhile. A few months ago Gain came out with the Gain dish soap for $1 at Walmart and had $1 coupons so I stocked up like crazy. lol. But with a deal at Walgreens, you can get them for close to .50. Maybe somedays you can get them for free but usually you have to pay a few cents. By the way I recommend the Gain dish soap over every brand! It smells so good and goes on sale at Walgreens and CVS for .89-.99 cents.

Detergent:

This is a tough one. I am not personally brand specific on my detergent but I know many of you may be loyal to a certain brand. For example, the Purex 3 in 1 goes on sale for B1G1 Free at $8 very often. Then the company puts out $3 coupons. So I stock up at the $1 a box price, and get about 30 loads out of each box. They smell good, and they are detergent and fabric softener all in one. These are perfect for apartment life but it isn't the "top" brand.

If you want to stay faithful to Gain, Tide or such, I recommend you wait for a sale and a coupon to purchase it. Maximize your savings. We all get the pick and choose our preference and for me, detergent brand is not a priority. 

I hope this helps some of you get an idea about certain prices that are worth stocking up on. Like I just said, we all have the ability to choose which is more important to us: Brand loyalty or savings. In many cases I have been able to get more expensive brands for LESS than what I used to use. But in some cases, I can't budge on my preference. My weakness is Caress body wash; probably one of the most expensive brands. Sure I can use some free Nivea but I don't like it. So I wait for a sale and a coupon and I get lots of Caress! Decide for yourselves what you are willing to compromise on and you will soon find out that you can switch to even better brands and pay less if you use your minds and plan ahead!

One final mention is an upcoming clothing deal.. My favorite store is DOTS! Right now on Facebook when they reach 100,000 fans they are going to give fans a coupon. Most likely it will be $15 off of $50 or something like that. The numbers are moving up slowly but if we get lucky, the coupon might overlap with the tax-free weekend here in Florida August 12-14! If it does, I plan on shopping at Dots, getting some clothes, using a coupon AND not paying tax!! So if you are interested go like DOTS on Facebook!

Good Luck!