Bills, unsolicited advertisements and catalogs are the banal materials found in my mailbox on a daily basis. Despite the predictable contents, the anticipation of retrieving the mail is one of the most exciting moments of my day.

When you play the slot machines, you never know what will occur when you yank on the handle. Will you win a few quarters or hit the jackpot? The most probable scenario is you will lose your money, but the possibility of wining draws you back for more. This is how I feel about the anticipation of checking my mail. Instead of bills, perhaps I will find an invitation, a letter or a package.

Today when I peaked inside my mailbox I found a small brown package which contained a box of Oatmeal Crisp cereal. "Yeah, my first freebie," I thought to myself. Free and a packag--definitely a mailbox jackpot for me!

All of these stores are within a 5 mile radius of where I live so I didn't even spend a lot on gas.

Stop and Shop

L'Oreal Shampoo/Conditioner
$3.99 Buy One Get One Free (BOGO)
Used 3 BOGO Coupons
Got 6 FREE saved $23.94

CVS

Nivea for Men Body Wash
$4.99, get $4.99 Extra Bucks
FREE after Extra Bucks
$1 off coupon Earned $1 after coupon and Extra Bucks

Rite Aid
Huggies Diapers
3 for $33 sale
$10 Rebate
$23 for 3 packs after rebate
$1.50 off coupons (5 coupons I found at Stop and Shop)
$2 off coupon
$6 Back from Caregivers Marketplace Rebate
I bought 3 packs and my mom bought 3 packs so I could get both $10 rebates and the $6 Caregivers Rebate

After 3 different rebates, coupons and sale I got 6 packs of diapers for $30.50 normal price $74.94 for a savings of $44.44

Walgreens

Reach toothbrushes and dental floss
2/$5 get $5 Register Rewards
FREE after Register Rewards

Dimetapp
2 for $10
Buy 2, get $5 RR,
Dimetapp
Used 2 $2 off coupons
$1 after coupons and register rewards

Triaminic
$2.99 get $2.00 Register Rewards
Used $2 off coupon
.99 each after coupon and Register Rewards

Total amount spent in all stores after rebates, sales and coupons $31.49 for items which would normally cost $133.42 for a savings of $101.93!

I went to Walgreens and Rite Aid today which are across the street from each other where I live so I also saved on gas. Here is what I got:


Key:
MC maufacturers coupon
RB rebate
Ad In ad coupon


Walgreens Sept 17, 2008



Garnier Hair Care 6 for $20 sale
-$10 RB
-$6 MC thanks to the coupon train
Final Price $4

Cologate Toothpaste $2.99 sale bought 2 for $5.98
-$4 AD
-$2 MC
Final Price -$.02

Pantene Hair Care 2 for $8 Sale
-$4 MC B1G1
-$5 RB
-$1

Skintmate Shaving Get $1.99 Ad bought 3 for $5.97
-$3 MC
Final Price $2.97

I bought $44.95 worth of item for $4.95!

Rite Aid

Crest $2.99
-$2 RB
-$1 MC
Final Price -.01

Vive Paper Towel $6.99 sale (normally $12.99)
-$2 RB
-$1 MC
Final Price $3.99

Suave Shampoo .99 sale
-$1 MC
Final Price -.01

I bought $16.58 items for $3.97

Total both stores $61.53 for $8.92!!

(Please note this is actually from last week so the sales are no longer valid--I wasn't able to write it up sooner.)

If I scrutinized my college papers with the same intensity I utilized for this week's drugstore circular, I would have graduated with straight A's. During the initial examination of the flyer, I mentally noted worthy sales and free after rebate items. As I observed the sale price, I considered potential coupon combination scenarios. Once a final game plan was completed, I composed a list of items, paper clipping the corresponding coupons.

Prior to exiting the car, I scanned my list reviewing the products, sale prices and coupons. This mental preparation would have aided me immensely for the SAT's. If only I loved coupons back then.

After laying all of the items on the counter, my adrenaline increased as each product passed across the red line and beeped. With my loot in hand, I inspected the receipt:

2 Scrub and Bubbles for $2.49 each
used $1 off coupon on each
received $2 coupon for next visit
including $2 off next visit--only .49 cents each

2 Chex Mix for .99 cents each
Used $1 off coupon
received 2 cents for purchase

1 Excedrin--free after rebate
used $2 off coupon
received $2 for purchase after rebate

1 Chemistry Hair product free after rebate

After rebates and coupons I EARNED $1.04 for $18.94 worth of items--Definitely an A+ for me!

Residual pregnancy hormones are the most plausible culprit for my recent decision to bring my three kids, ages three and under with me to the store. In their entire life existence, I have never attempted this feat with my twins. One would deduce, adding a two month old baby to the equation is the perfect reason to never take on the challenge. Yet in my post-pregnancy hormone induced haze, I endeavored the impossible.

I unloaded the stroller, baby, twins and overflowing 20 pound diaper bag out of the mini-van. The baby was sleeping and the twins held on to either side of the stroller. We accomplished our first task of walking through the parking lot without any complications. I thought to myself, “This is easy. Why did I avoid this for the past three years?”

Only a few steps inside the department store, my precocious daughter (age 3 going on 30) stopped to admire the dresses. I paused, enjoying this mother/daughter moment and then realized my son was gone. As if on cue, my baby woke up from her sleep and initiated an ear-piercing newborn- baby cry. I inhaled deeply and told myself, “You have to remain calm. Your first priority is to find your son. How far could he have gone?”

The rows of clothes felt like a maze of mirrors at an amusement park. My newborn baby’s cries increased with both intensity and volume. With each second passing, my panic level rose. What if someone kidnapped him? What if he is hurt? After my fourth time going up and down the aisle where he was last seen, I walked towards the customer service desk. Before reaching my destination, I saw my son standing by himself. I squeezed him with all my might. I thought to myself, “Next time I go shopping with my kids, they will be ages 30 and up!”

Eighteen days ago I experienced my first freebie high. It happened quite by accident. I was surfing the net, in pursuit of a coupon for cereal when I stumbled upon an offer for a “Free Box of Cheerios”. I thought to myself, “This is a product I buy anyway, yet I would be able to get it for FREE”. Of course it turned out to be “too good to be true” since the supply was exhausted, but this did not deter my enthusiasm for finding more free items. What else is out there for the taking? Turns out, lots of stuff. Music, food, shampoo, digital prints, pet food, you name it and you can probably find it. The more I found, the more addicted I became and I didn’t care if I needed it or not—it was free. After receiving more junk email then usual, I soon realized I should be wary of “freely” handing over my personal information. Despite my increase in unwanted emails, I am still a freebie fanatic, just more cautious.

For the past five days, my brand new binder was positioned on the floor next to a muddled mountain of coupons. Whenever I entered the office, my eyes wandered over to the stack of disarray and I would think to myself, “When am I going to organize my coupon organizer?”. This question was posed many times, yet never answered.

On day five, a rare circumstance occurred. All three of my children were napping at the same time. I considered my options on how to occupy my new found freedom, but I knew what had to be done. After a large sigh, I sauntered to the office. My body collapsed down next to the cluttered coupons. I began the arduous task of sorting and arranging each piece of paper. Hours later my laborious undertaking was complete. Despite the tedious nature of the task, I experienced an enormous sense of accomplishment. Let the savings begin!

My babysitter arrived 5 minutes early and I darted out the door. As I drove to Target I contemplated my impending shopping excursion. Which aisle would I approach first? The office supplies or the photo albums? I opted for the office supply aisle due to the broader selection of organizational items.

Upon entering Target, I was confronted with an array of discounted objects, mostly for $1. I can never resist this area of the store, appropriately placed in front of the entrance doors. Jackpot, a small accordion plastic file-folder with the title, “coupon file” was in the first mound I searched through. The price was right at $1 and the size was ideal for placing in my purse, allowing me to transport my coupons. Into the cart it went.

Calendar planners were ubiquitous in the office supply aisle. I began to question my choice of aisle when suddenly I spotted a “folio”. Inside the folio I found, a three ring binder, 5 accordion file folders, a zipper pocket and a calculator. Instead of “folio”, it should have been titled, “The Perfect Coupon Organizer, Start Calculating Your Savings!”. After selecting some photo pages for the coupons, my organizer was complete. Mission accomplished. Now I have to actually use it.