As a frugal mom, sometimes I’ll take my family out on a “coupon outing.”
I feel kind of like a geek admitting it, but going on an outing that revolves around using up good coupons for family fun can be so worth it, as long as you have the money budgeted for it.
I did this on a Saturday recently, when we had nothing planned and it was yucky cold outside. I spent some time getting caught up organizing my coupons and found a bunch of good ones that were to expire soon, so decided, hey, let’s go out and have some fun with these great deals!
So, first we went out to Kwik Trip. We get coupons from Kwik Trip in the mail and in our local paper occasionally on Wednesdays, and there are always coupons for free items (no purchase necessary!). So we got gas for $.10 off per gallon, then got a bunch of free goodies including a donut, apple, pound of bananas, and coffee. We also bought chocolate milk for the kids to enjoy with their snacks (I enjoyed the coffee!).
Then we headed to Toys R Us to use a coupon we had gotten in the mail for Heidi’s birthday in January, as it expired today (we’re members of their free club). It was $3 off of a $3 purchase…nothing special…but we got a little toy for her anyway for cheap.
After that we headed to Savers and dropped off donated clothes in exchange for a 25% off coupon. We then bought a whole cartful of clothes for the family, especially the kids. We found some great brand-name clothes that they needed and LOVE, including some pink Children’s Place dresses for Heidi and some Disney Cars shirts and a hat for Thor. (See my Savers reviews starting here with part 1)
Finally, we enjoyed dinner at Boston Market with our $4 off a $20 purchase coupon. (Our meal was just over $20 before the coupon.) I am a huge fan of Boston Market and it’s great for kids because there’s no waiting for your food. Coupons for Boston Market can be found in the Sunday paper inserts every couple of months or so, and on their website.
While we got great deals, these are all businesses we give our business to regularly, so occasionally we can enjoy getting some “stuff” for free or almost free.
Do you take your family on “coupon outings” sometimes? If you’re looking for something to do, especially if the weather isn’t great, just go through coupons you’ve received in the newspaper and mail, and you might be able to put together something fun and frugal!
(I did not receive any compensation for these links – just sharing the info!)