Couponing for Baby

They say confession is good for the soul, right?  Well, I guess it's time to let y'all in on my addiction.  No, it's not alcohol, drugs, or caffeine (I broke that one when I saw the positive on the first pregnancy test). My addiction is much healthier, both for my body and my wallet.

I'm a couponer. There, I said it.

From the trip to pick up the paper in the driveway on Sunday morning to watching the savings v. amount due totals shift, I get excited.  Oh boy, I have issues.  I guess I should only get concerned if I started itching or sweating when I'm not couponing. :)

I am posting this to fulfill a promise made on Facebook the other day. I know most of y'all don't really care about this, but for those that do, I'll let you in on my [not-so-secret] secrets. I've already posted some couponing basics here and here. Clay came up with another essential for us couponers- we should all wear bright orange hunting vests so regular shoppers can avoid getting behind us. Rubbish!

I'm not going to lie. Couponing can seem daunting and it takes a lot of time to do it effectively. I failed MISERABLY on my first few couponing attempts, but with a little patience, I'm much better at it now.

For the haul above, I spent $6.97 before tax, so my total ended up being $7.67. Considering the diapers alone are $10.99, I was pretty impressed. This was my first big baby trip and now I'm ready for more!

For baby items, I highly suggest signing up for the Publix Baby Club. It's free to enroll and they send you a HUGE book about your pregnancy and baby as well as some awesome coupons! I used those coupons for the above.

You should also watch Walgreen's and CVS circulars. Each week, they offer some items with Register Rewards or Extra Bucks, which are basically a coupon for $x off your next purchase. I buy our hygiene products when they have these rewards and don't buy anything at these stores that don't have these. Pharmacy prices are much higher than Wal Mart and even Publix, so shopping there without the rewards and coupons just doesn't make sense to me.

For this haul, here's how I did it:

Huggies diapers: Original price $10.99
$2 off Huggies diapers (store coupon)
$2 off Huggies diapers (manufacturer's coupon)
Total: $6.99

Huggies wipes: Original price $2.99
1 Buy One diapers, get wipes free (store coupon)
$0.50 manufacturer's coupon (doubled by Publix)
Total: -$1.00

Baby Oil and Shampoo: Original price $2.99 each
$1 off any Johnson's product (manufacturer's coupon)
$1 off any Johnson's lotion (manufacturer's coupon)
$3 off any 2 Johnson's products (store coupon)
Total: $0.98

Normally, I wait until there are sales on items, but I wanted to use the BOGO coupons before they expire, so I went against my rule. I still did pretty good. If you can't match up sales with your coupons, at least try to match store and manufacturer coupons. Without the combination, my total wouldn't be nearly as pretty.

I'm 15 weeks and 2 days pregnant and already have a pretty good diaper stockpile going. I'm trying to buy different brands and sizes, just in case.

The little stinker also owns TEN books already!

For the record, this was my craft closet, so it's still in transition.  If we find out we're having a baby girl, that pink wreath you see is no longer going on Etsy, but on the little princess' door!