Something I haven't yet addressed on this blog is "buying" coupons from ebay. Did you know you could do that?
Ebay does allow sellers to 'sell' coupons. Actually, you are paying for their time to clip, sort and list their coupons because it is technically illegal to buy coupons.
Why would you buy coupons? I have done it a few times for either items we use regularly but has few coupons, and for items I can get free or nearly free because of a sale. For example, my husband uses Splenda in his coffee. There aren't many coupons for this out there, so last year I 'bought' coupons from ebay to get $1 off any size. I was able to pick up about a years worth at a very good price as a result.
Recently I read online that the Huggies pull-ups flushable wipes were changing their packaging and stores were trying to clean them off the shelves. The company also put out a high value coupon $3/2 to help stores make room for the new products. I went online and found I was able to 'buy' 10 of these coupons for $2.99. Take a look at what that money got me:
For all 20 packages of wipes, I paid $4.36 total out of pocket. Add in the price of the coupons from ebay (+ 2.99) and the total paid is $7.35. That makes each package of wipes to be $0.36!! These wipes are nearly identical to the Cottonelle wipes and are made by the same company. I never would have found as great a deal on these with my own coupons, plus I am set now for a whole year at least.
A word of caution, this method can also turn into a frugal failure. When I initially went online looking for this coupon, I saw what I thought was a correct listing and purchased it right away. Come to find out it was for diaper wipes, not the flushable kind. I was stuck with the purchase, but was able to give them to my sister to use. Be sure to check out the full listing before you commit to buy! Once you press the button, you are obligated to pay.
It is easiest to find coupons on ebay by searching for a specific item in the search box at the top. Manufacture coupon value can vary by the region of the country you live in, so often you can find different amounts than we get in the paper. I don't buy coupons often, but when I do I know I am maximizing my money!
Be sure to check out even more ideas at Lifeasmom.com
i've had good luck finding necessary coupons on ebay too...i remember when my family found out i'd gotten some there(probably 4 or 5 years ago) and they thought i was nuts!(now they know i am)
ReplyDeleteanyway, i've sold, traded, and given away some baby formula coupons on craigslist too so you might check there if your in a pinch for a particular item.