All this for only $41.45???

Everybody talks about how to save money and give tips on where to get coupons but I have yet to see anyone really break it down and describe a real life shopping trip they attempted with all their coupons.

I have begun couponing in the last couple of months because I am determined to pay off all my credit card before my 30th birthday next year. Which means every time I get a paycheck, most of the money goes to the credit cards. Combine that with rent, cell phone, cable, internet and there is very little money left over for much else.

So I got smart and decided to really start couponing and saving as much as a I can on the things I purchase. Recently, I had an especially good shopping trip and bought tons of stuff for exactly what I wrote above: $41.45 (that's with tax and everything, I got the receipts to prove it!).

It's not difficult to start couponing and once I break it down, you will be able to do the same!

So you are probably wondering, ok so what did you get for only $41.45? Alright, lets start my shopping list...

Walmart: 12 pack razors $2.27 ($1 off coupon), 2 bags of chips on sale for $1.66 each, 1 bottle of diet coke $1.48 ($1 off coupon). Grand Total = $5.20

Walgreens: 2 Ban deodorants (on sale at $1.49 each, $1 off coupon), 2 boxes Kleenex tissues on sale for 99 cents each. Grand Total = $4.06

Shop Rite: 2 boxes of Welch's Fruit Snacks ($3.19 each, 50 cents off coupon and 35 cents off coupon both of which were multiplied since I bought 2), 2 4 packs of Activa yogurt (75 cents off coupon), 1 huge bottle of white vinegar (on sale for $1.77). Grand Total = $10.89

A&P: 2 boxes of 12 pack diet soda on sale 2 for $5. Grand Total: $5.35

CVS: 1 Oral-B Pulsar toothbrush (on sale for $6 and a coupon for $3 off), 1 Cover Girl foundation ($8.39) + 1 Cover Girl concealer ($4.19) (on sale buy 1 get 1 50% plus $1 coupon and another $1 off coupon). CVS coupon of $3 off $10 or more purchase. Grand Total: $11.67

Pathmark: Nestea iced tea 12 pack (on sale for $4) Grand Total: $4.28

So all of that, toothbrush, makeup, soda, iced tea, chips, tissues, deodorant and razors all together was just $41.45! On top of the sales, I used 10 coupons of my own.

Now you are amazed aren't you? I did the calculations and based on my coupons as well as the sale prices, I saved myself exactly $26.22.

That may not sound like much but that can be used for 2 movie tickets or 2 pairs of shoes on sale at Payless or a new pair of jeans at Old Navy. When you put into that perspective, its a considerable amount of savings.

So let me break it down how I did it...

At Walmart I had a coupon for the 12 pack of razors whose original price was $2.27 but I got for $1.27 since I had a $1 off coupon. I was alerted to the coupon via one of my favorite blogs, The Frugal Free Gal. There you will find all the deals that she finds and she finds a lot.

I also had a coupon for $1 off Diet Coke that I received from their Facebook page for "liking" them.

At Walgreens, I had a coupon for the deodorant that I got from the Sunday newspaper for $1 off. And they happen to have that deodorant on sale as well as the Kleenex tissues.

At Shop Rite I had two coupons for the Welch's Fruit Snacks. The one for 50 cents off I got from the Welch's Facebook page for "liking" them and the other I got from the Sunday newspaper. Since I bought 2 boxes, the coupons were doubled. The 75 cents off the yogurt was a coupon Shop Rite themselves gave me after my last shopping trip there and the vinegar was on sale for just $1.77.

At A&P I only went in for their diet soda. I love to take the cans to work for lunch or whatever. But soda cans are expensive and since they had them on sale 2 for $5 it was worth it.

At CVS I needed some new makeup and a toothbrush. It worked out that all Cover Girl products were buy 1 get 1 50% off this week and I also happen to have 2 $1 off coupons. 1 was mailed to me by Proctor & Gamble. They are famous for sending out their booklets full of great coupons as well as inserts in the Sunday paper. The other $1 off Cover Girl I got through the Sunday newspaper. For the toothbrush, CVS had it reduced to $6 and the Sunday newspaper provided me with $3 off coupon. CVS also has their own "Extra Care" coupons and I had one for $3 off $10 or more purchase.

At Pathmark all I needed was the 12 pack of Nestea iced tea. These are usually very pricey but I love taking these to work to drink in the morning so I jumped when I saw they were on sale for $4.

First, make a list of all the things you need to buy. Only put what you absolutely need and do not deviate from that list when you go shopping.

Second, make a list of all nearby local stores you like to shop at. Do not just hit up 1 or 2 stores. Go to 5 or 6 like me because spreading out your shopping is how you will save the most money.

Third, check out the weekly circulars for each store before you head there. See what is on sale and make a list of what you will get at each store. Almost all stores have their weekly circulars up on their website.

Once you have done all that, you can begin couponing. How do you find the coupons? Well, above if you see I found a lot via Facebook and the Sunday newspaper. So check out those avenues, all your favorite brands have Facebook pages and go buy your local Sunday paper which is chock full of coupons to clip.

For further manufacturer coupons you can print from online head over to my hub: Best Sites Printable Grocery Coupons

Now you are ready to save money on your shopping trips same as me, good luck!