I’ve had a couple people ask how, where and why I get all these coupons. My main sources are blogs – hence the fact that my Google reader stays full. I also find them in All You magazine, peelies – you know those little coupons that are stuck to products in the store, catalinas – the kind that print out when you check out of some grocery stores, and well, mom gives me some that she cuts from the newspaper when they are things she won’t use.

Why, and better yet, what do you do with all that stuff? Well, I do stockpile things and yes, I have a lot of extra things of deodorant, but it’s there when I need it and I usually don’t have to make one of those panic trips to the store when it’s the middle of summer and I don’t have shave gel! But, there are two other reasons that I really like to coupon.

A couple years ago, mom started giving us a FREE stocking – things that she collects all year long that are FREE. Yes, that means we have a stocking of random things, but they are usually things that we will use throughout the year. Like toothpaste, deodorant, razors, gum, etc. So, it’s always fun. Sometimes, she will get a gift card back from a store and then lets us use it to buy whatever. Last year I got some cool organizing things from Target. So, I decided this year to see what all I could collect. It has been really fun and sometimes it gets overwhelming and I have to take a break, but it’s cool to see what you can gather.

Another reason I coupon is for Operation Christmas Child. I collect things throughout the year that I can put in my boxes. For instance, this past week I had a $1 coupon for Reach toothbrushes and they were on sale for $.99 at Walgreens. So, they were completely free. Combine that with some toothpaste I got last month and those are two very practical items that I can put in my boxes. Also, at Walgreens, you can earn Register Rewards, or “dollars back” when you check out. I can turn right around and use those to buy 50% off summer items and have toys to go in my boxes. I know, it kinda sounds silly to be summer and packing Operation Christmas Child boxes, but its works for me.

It’s just a fun game for us to play. We are already getting these magazines or the newspaper. It just takes time to cut out and organize. Like I said it does get overwhelming and there are times I have to step away, but what’s a single girl to do in a small town on a Friday night!

Just to give you an idea of what I’ve done, here are some deals I scored this past week: