More Coupons You Need To Try

If you liked my last post regarding my go-to coupon sources, check out some more below:

• Huggies: $2 off their Little Movers diapers. (Note: in order to download the coupon, you'll have to sign in.)

• Walmart.ca: Loads of coupons here that can be used in other stores, too. Coupons include dish and laundry detergents, personal care and drug store products; check back regularly for updates. 

• Coppertone: Save $1 on any Coppertone suncare product. 

• Chuck E Cheese: Before you take your kids here, check their site for food and token deals (i.e. 100 tokens for $25!)

Where do you get your coupons? Let me know in the comment box below. 

Have you tried these coupons yet?

Here are my favourite coupon links at the moment, which will save you money on your baby- and kid-related purchases: 

CereVe
Save $2 on moisturizers or cleansers; I found their moisturizer to be the most effective when my 4-month-old's forehead was chapped from cold weather. 

Treehouse Kids Supplements

Save $1 on their probiotics, multivitamins, omega-3s and vitamin Ds. Use this coupon during a sale and you'll stretch your dollar further. 

Boiron Canada

Save $2 on the children's line, which includes Camilia for teething, Cocyntal for colic, Coryzalia for cold symptoms and Stodal for coughs. 

Advil 

Save $3 on any Children's Advil product. 

The Healthy Essentials Program

Affiliated with Johnson & Johnson, this site features a slew of impressive coupons, including $1 off Johnson's Baby Lotion, $1.50 off Children's or Infant's Tylenol, and $1 off any Aveeno Baby product. 

Where do you get your favourite coupons? Share your answer in the comment box below. 

What to do if you find a rock in a diaper

Something weird happened recently: I was about to put a diaper on my toddler (she's 50% potty-trained, yay!), when I found ... a black rock embedded in the diaper.

Seriously.

And no, it was not poop, it was a rock.

Not the faulty diaper I complained about.

 

 

.

A lot of parents would complain to themselves and throw out the diaper, am I right?

But this is what I did: I emailed the company, explained the situation. The next day, I got an email from the company's consumer relations department profusely apologizing; then they said they would mail me two $10 coupons.

Although the coupons are being given to me for this "mishap," this wasn't the reason why I said something to the diaper company.

I figured this: My feedback could make a difference on the company; maybe they need to know this to improve their products. Maybe the diaper company needs to make changes to their operations for sanitation reasons, who knows!

So if you do come across a faulty product, say something, don't just sit in the background. Simple words can make a positive difference on other moms and babies.

Thoughts?

Coupons in the first issue of Walmart LiveBetter mag

Have you gotten your issue of Walmart LiveBetter yet? It's worth checking out, especially since it's free in Walmart stores. I just picked up mine and found two coupons worth noting:

• Save $1.50 on any one Scott Towels 6=9 pack
• Save $1 on one pack of Huggies Boxed Wipes when you purchase New Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers

And just a quick reminder: spring-clean your coupon holders - I did a quick clean-up and found coupons dating back last January, d'oh!

Lots of savings events coming up, so stay tuned to my blog for details!

A must-do for any couponer

It's 2013 which means ... you probably have a load of coupons that expired on Dec. 31, 2012.

So this is a friendly reminder to purge your coupon holder/envelope/binder/drawer of any expired coupons. Yes, it can be a daunting task, but in the long run, you'll thank yourself. Don't you just hate getting excited over savings when it turns out you have an expired coupon?!

See the pic below of my coupon holder after its new-year cleanse. I should've taken a before shot – it was pretty heavy!

Reduced to clear

Although I like to think of myself as a savings kind of gal, there's one aisle I don't check often: the "reduced to clear" section. I know, totally ironic, right? Maybe it's because it's out of the way. Or maybe it's because I have to jet thanks to an impatient toddler.

A few weeks back, I happened to pass by this bargain section at a Real Canadian Superstore. I couldn't believe my eyes (or, I mean, what my daughter was using as a drum): diapers ... and they were in her size!

About 90 percent of the time, I use coupons to buy diapers. I normally pay about 17 cents a diaper (she wears size 3 still, which is why I can keep the cost this low). But on this lucky, non-full moon evening, I paid $10.44 for 136 diapers. That equals to .... 7 cents a diaper! (Here's your cue to say, "whaaaaaat?!")

So sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a u-turn towards the bargain section. Here are a few tips if you find diapers at an incredibly, eye-popping price:

• If they're cheap and you know they won't work for your baby or tot, forget about it. (P.S. Same goes for skincare and personal care items on sale.) You want to keep your sanity during diaper changes, not lose it for a few bucks. If I see something at an amazing price, I'll sometimes text my mommy friends. Hey, why not pass on the savings? 

• Watch that you don't buy too many boxes at once. If you buy 500 diapers and you're kid outgrows the first 100, well ... 'nuff said. See my post "You don't have to buy it just because it's on sale!" for details.
  

Heinz Baby/Little Kids coupons

SmartSource has printable coupons available for Heinz Baby and Little Kids snacks and food. Here's a tip: If you can, wait until there's a great sale or price match at Walmart, Superstore or Freshco; then use the coupons on top for additional savings. Check the site out if you have time, especially if you're starting your baby on solids. I started my daughter on rice cereal at four months old and she seemed to be okay whenever I gave her Heinz. Happy savings!

Checking out drop-in centres is worth it

So I don't know about you, but I get stir-crazy when I stay indoors for too long. And this really sucks in my case because my husband and I have one car! So when I do have the car, I'm so relieved but ... where do I go with an active tot? I am very fortunate to live by a number of Ontario Early Years Centre drop-ins, which have been amazing lifesavers. So if you are expecting or you haven't considered visiting an OEYC, I highly recommend checking it out. Other benefits? Well, at the centres I've been to, I've been able to reap these rewards:

-Free toys that the centres don't need anymore
-Extra Heinz or Gerber coupons that are available when coupon boxes are at the front desk
-Free issues of ParentsCanada or Canadian Family
-Mother Goose classes
-Take-home nutrition and health guides (which helped me when I started my daughter on solids and when she had her first cold!)

Moreover, I've had the privilege of meeting other moms and swapping advice. Not that I don't appreciate my kid learning how to talk, but sometimes a conversation with another adult makes my day. Plus, my daughter gets to learn how to interact with other children while exploring toys we don't have at home.

In my area, the OEYCs are free, though I've heard that some locations outside of Mississauga do require registration fees for courses.

For more info on drop-in centres, check out this Today's Parents article, which was published in the March 2012 issue.

The one thing I hate about couponing ...

So I've been able to save money with coupons, but here's one thing I DESPISE about this "hobby": I have to clean out my coupon book! I was waiting in the car to pick up my husband from work and I did a quick spring-clean of my coupon holder. Ack, I found many that expired in 2011! So I guess I've learned that it helps to be organized if you're going to be an avid coupon clipper. I usually sort my coupons by alpha order and category (i.e. baby, grocery, pet, paper, etc.). However, I've been getting a little lazy — I find myself stuffing coupons into any divider, crossing my fingers that my memory will remind me to organize later.

What have I learned here? Well, couponing is fun at first, but keeping it up isn't easy! However, just trying your best to save money in general (i.e. shopping around for prices, price matching, forgoing a few luxuries), will still go a long way.

Where to find coupons

I am an avid couponer, though not crazy enough to be on Extreme Couponing! Really, in Canada, you can't practice couponing as freely as those in the U.S. (But if you know a way, PLEASE let me know!). However, I try my best to use coupons when the time calls for it. Wondering where I find my coupons? Here's a quick list of links for your reference:

-Pampers
-Huggies
-Think Coupons
-Websaver
-Save.ca
-Go Coupons
-P&G Brandsaver
-Heinz Baby
-Nestle

You'll have to join their mailing lists or make an account to get coupons/choose coupons, but it's not a big deal. Where do you find your coupons? Let me know!

P.S. Yes, I do have a coupon book! Best places to find coupon books? Dollar stores, baby!

Let's begin ...

So hey, welcome to my blog! But wait, I know what you're thinking: "Ah crap, just another way for this mom to brag about how cute her baby is." Well ... of course I talk about my kid often, but thank goodness this blog isn't for that!

So here are the deets: I'm a 29-year-old journalist/editor and mom, and my daughter is 13 months old. I love dancing, reading, writing ... and saving money! No, seriously, I do! It's not uncommon for friends and family to ask how I do it.  Here are a few things I've done with my saving techniques:

• Receive free formula, onesies and diaper rash cream
• Purchase toys less than half price the original amount
• Buy puffs/toddler snacks only with coupons

And to answer your question, yes, I've done these all without sacrificing my child's health and breaking the law. So that said, this blog is about my adventures in baby savings (not Adventures in Babysitting): how much I've saved and how much I've wasted. Hopefully you will get some valuable tips here. Stay tuned!