Trial and Error

As many of you may know, the hubby and I spent 2011 on a very tight budget. The tightening of the budget led me to what is now one of my favorite hobbies: couponing. Couponing has a very bad rap right now, thanks to TLC and "Extreme Couponing". I used to watch "Extreme Couponing" but now I get so mad when I watch it that I have ceased. The practices on that show are not practices I keep. I never buy more than 3-4 of one product and I have never cleared a shelf. I believe I use coupons the way they were meant to be used, by the average consumer to save money, not make money. Thanks to my new hobby, I have discovered products that I never tried before and now I love! Here are my top faves that I have discovered through couponing:

1. Olay Makeup Removing Face Wipes- I used to only use Neutrogena, which usually runs $6-$7. It rarely goes on sale and I have never gotten a coupon for it. The Olay is regularly on sale for $3.99 and I always find $1 off coupons so I pick this up for $2.99.

Olay Daily Face Wipes

2. Tide Stain Release In-Wash Booster- These you toss in the wash with your detergent. They work amazingly well, getting out whatever was on the clothes. They were a life saver for the hubby's clothes which would get covered in mud at his old job. They also give the clothes a fresh scent (very important to me because I can't stress enough how musty this house smells!). I always get $1-$2 off coupons for these so I am usually able to  

pick these up for $2.99.

Tide Stain Release In-Wash Booster

3. Pantene Color Nourishing Treatment- I will admit, before the recession I was that girl who only used salon products on her hair. I use this in place of a color mask I used to buy for $20. Pantene regularly puts out a $3 off 2 coupon so I can pick this up for $1.50. I think it works just as well, leaving my hair soft and very shiny.

Pantene Color Nourishing Treatment

4. CoverGirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm- I love this lightly tinted lip balm. I usually put it on with the rest of my makeup to give my lips a little tint and then I layer my favorite lip gloss over the top (Still haven't found a replacement for Clinque's GlossBalm). CoverGirl usually puts out a $5 off 2 coupon and combined with sale prices, I can usually buy this for $3. My fave color is Coral.

CoverGirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm

5. Physicians Formula Cosmetics- This is one of the higher end products at the drugstore but with coupons and sale prices, I can find these for cheap. Their prescription strength concealer has amazing coverage. I love their eye shadow shimmer strips which I can wear as eye shadow or I can wet a liner brush and use it as eyeliner. And finally, their powder is light and doesn't give my face that cakey look I hate so much.

Physicians Formula Concealer

Eyeshadow Strips

Translucent Powder

There you go! Good things do come out of trying new products :)