The Thrill of Victory, There was No Agony of Defeat Today!

Ok so I went on a fact finding mission to Wal-Mart today so that I could fill everyone in on all the really hot ways to use your coupons (plus it was nice and cool at Wal-Mart, our swamp cooler just isn't keeping up with this heat) so as I perused the wonderfully air conditioned aisles at Wal-Mart here is what I found.

In the trial size area you can get Head and Shoulders Shampoo for .97 per bottle now if you use this coupon:
Head & Shoulders products, any size $3/2 (7-31-08) P&G-7/6 you actually come out with a $1.06 overage. Most cashiers will give you the overage as long as you buy enough other stuff that they don't have to hand you cash out of the drawer. P.S. a $1.06 overage is a really good one.

Gold Bond Medicated Powder can also be found in darling little bottles in the trial size for .97 per bottle now if you use this coupon:
Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder or Ultimate Comfort Powder $1/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/29 you come out with an incredible .03 overage.
P.S. a $0.03 overage is not a very good one but hey times are tough and we've got to make every 3 cents count.

In the health and beauty area (not the baby section, I repeat not the baby section) you can find packs of Huggies Clean Team wipes for $1.64 is you use this coupon:
Huggies Cleanteam Flushable Moist Wipes, any $3/2 (9-13-08) SS-7/20 you end up paying only .14 per pack of wipes.
(For the mother of a recently potty trained boy, flushable moist wipes are like gold so this one brought me real joy even if I was shelling out .14 a pack).

In the razor section of the health and beauty are you can get 10 packs of Schick disposable razors for $1.97 use these coupons:
Schick Disposable Razor, any $2/1 (8-3-08) RP-6/22
Schick Disposable Razor, any Buy 1 Get 1 FREE, max. value $12.99 (8-24-08) SS-7/13.
Use the $2 one and the buy one get one together and you come out with 20 razors and an overage of .03 (I know we've already discussed the merits of a .o3 overage). Just when you're thinking this deal can not possibly get any sweeter brace yourself because some packages have a free ST Slim Twin inside. I have no idea what a ST Slim Twin is but hey you know me and free.

Johnson and Johnson makes some great kids products called Johnson Buddies. The bar soap they make is great because it is in a bright green sleeve thing which is easier for kids (and moms) to grip and it is so bright you don't end up loosing it in the tub. The soap is really foamy and the kids seem to like it a lot.
The sell for .94 at Wal-Mart, use these links for some great coupons.
Johnson Buddies $2/2 Coupon
After you print from the above link keep hitting your back button on this one and you should be able to print once more.
Any Johnson and Johnson Shampoo or Johnson Buddies $2/2 Coupon
So with the $2/2 coupons you are getting a .06 overage on each bar (not much but it about pays the amount you owe the State of Utah on each bar).

Ok I have saved the most sensitive item with overage for last, I feel it is my moral duty to inform my 10's of readers of each and every good deal to be found. So here it is, the small thing of KY Jelly sells for $2.57 at Wal-Mart use these coupons:
K-Y Product, any excluding Trial Sizes $3/1 (12-31-08) RP-5/11
K-Y, e.p.t, Uristat, Soothing Care or Tucks Product, any $3/1 (9-30-08) RP-3/9 and you come out with an overage of .43 per package. Now comes the serious part, I am looking for suggestions on where I can donate tons and tons of this stuff. I have used like 20 coupons on this becuase people we are making money here. Most things that I buy in excess I just tell my husband I'll give it to Scouting for Food or the Ogden Rescue Mission but somehow I don't know that either would appreciate a large donation of this kind and I really don't want the scouts in my neighborhood starting sordid rumors about the weird coupon lady in the gray house. So seriously people lets put our heads together and come up with a good donation option that will benefit someone in addition to making us .43 per package richer.

Now with all of the overages you have built up you are surely wondering how best to use them so let me offer a little advice.

Electrasol Dishwasher soap is $2.64 at Wal-Mart if you use this coupon:
Electrasol Powerball Tabs or Gelpacs, any except 12 ct. boxes $2.25/1 (8-10-08) SS-7/13 you can get a 20 ct box for .39 cents. For the math challenged among us that comes out to .0195 cents per load you can't beat that unless you're getting it for .0194 cents per load but hey can you really see that happening.

Here's one that will please the men in your lives since men love all things pertaining to batteries (I think it has something to do with their attachment to remotes). In the battery center up by the check stands you can find batteries that say Heavy Duty on them in big print and then in a smaller print it says by Rayovac. The package is red and blue with yellow (or Rello as my 3 year old would say) writing. All of the packages are .94, AA, AAA has four to a package and 9 volt, C and D have 2 per package. Now use these coupons:
Rayovac Alkaline or Hearing Aid Batteries, any $1/2 (8-18-08) SS2-5/18 Rayovac Alkaline or Hearing Aid Batteries, any $1/2 (9-30-08) SS-6/22
This deal comes out to 11 cents per battery on the AA and AAA and 22 cents per battery on the 9 volt, C and D. That is a really killer deal considering AA batteries run around .50 on a good day.

As you can see it was quite a trip to Wal-Mart today. My before coupon total was $112.67 and my after coupon total was (drum roll please) .87. That is 87 pennies. In addition to the stuff listed above I bought a bag of red potatoes (tried a new recipe with them tonight called Australian Crash Potatoes absolute winner, let me know if you need the recipe) and a pair of school scissors to finish using up my overage.

I did have to spend $7.24 on tax but I never include that part when I tell my husband about my deals. You know you have had a truly great shopping trip when the amount you pay in tax exceeds the amount you pay for the goods themselves. (Could someone please tell Gov. Huntsman that tax should be levied on after coupon prices, I think I'll send him a quick e-mail on this pressing matter I'm sure he is up worrying about it as I type. I think Mary Kay looks likes the coupon type don't you, the fuel alone for their private jet has got to be killing them, yeah right.) But seriously I am happy to do my part in balancing the state budget so I feel good about that $7.24.

As we drove out of Wal-Mart's parking lot today my 7 year old son asked me how much "all that stuff" was before coupons and then after coupons. After I told him he told his 3 year old brother to be quiet because he wanted to talk to me more about coupons. "Parker, coupons are way cooler than anything you have to say so be quiet and let mom tell us more," said Anderson. Ah no matter what else I accomplish this week I can rest assured that I am instilling a love of coupons in the rising generation (with boys no less, this should be a very marketable skill when they are looking to get married, right).

So go forth and shop and then come back and tell me all about it.

Bekah