6.24.2008

Poop and Coupons!

Let me tell you a story about a coupon freak named Tara. A long time ago she and her husband were broke and trying to save an emergency fund. Tara decided coupons were the best way to cut expenses around the household and found a fun little place called Coupon Forum. (www.couponforum.com for anyone who's interested!) Here is a picture of the freak:
Let me also tell you about a little baby named Pooper...I mean Violet. Experts estimate that a parent will spend thousands of dollars on diapers before their child is potty trained. This is a small fortune, and--if invested properly--could completely pay for a college education. Here is a picture of the Pooper:

(she looks very innocent, doesn't she?? At the very least she doesn't look like a bank account drain!)

So the freak got smart and said to herself, "what if I could use coupons to thwart this awful expense?" She started asking all her friends for coupons and to let her know when deals were coming up. One day the trumpets sounded and it was announced that there was a deal at Target. Target was dumb and put out 2 printable coupons, one for 5$ off the purchase of Pampers diapers and Pampers wipes and one for a free 5$ g/c when you buy said diapers and wipes. Lo and Behold, they could be used in conjunction! Now, the freak had already started a stockpile, before the pooper was even born...but this deal was too good to pass up. So she gathered together her $2 off Pampers diapers and her $2/2 Pampers wipes manufacturer's coupons along with the printable Target coupons and headed over to her local Target store.

Let me break this down for ya...last night I got 6 packs of diapers, 6 jumbo packs of wipes, 3 packages of Oscar Mayer wieners, 3 packages of Teddy Grahams, 2 packs of Kraft singles, a can of Planters nuts and 2 tubes of toothpaste for
*~*drumroll please*~*
$24.xx! Doesn't that just about rock!? For those who haven't purchased poop catchers in a while, the diapers alone should have cost over 60.00!

Here is a picture of the stockpile:
That is over 40 packs of diapers from size 1 to size 4. We've already used at least 10 packs, too. I don't even want to think about how many packs of wipes are in there! Regardless, the count still only adds up to around 100$ in my own money. The rest was coupons or CVS Extra Care Bucks. Sorry it's kinda dark...if you super size the picture you might be able to see it better.

So I feel a tiny bit bad about the waste that represents, but apparently not bad enough to cloth diaper. We did that with GraceAnne for the first 10 weeks and while we only paid about 10 cents per diaper back then, (way cheaper than paying full-price for a pack of 'sposies), I'm paying WAY less than that now, so.....I'll have to think up other ways to stay "green."

2 comments:

emily said...

Hey Tara,
That is amazing! you have inspired me to become a coupon freak for my (coming soon) pooper! Hopefully i can save just as much as you have. Violet is such a beautiful baby, by the way.

hope all is well with you and your family!

-emily

Emily said...

I need a lesson in using coupons! Please?! Seriously!

Also, my friend Brendan and his wife and daughter want to know if you want to go the drive-in this Saturday to watch wall-e. I will call you later about it!