One way that everyone can save big, regardless of what they eat, is to use coupons on household and personal care products. I know, I know. You don’t eat Pop Tarts or sugar cereal (me neither — that stuff hasn’t crossed these pure lips, like ever), but the almost all of us need to wash our clothes, our dishes, and ourselves. What if you could save 50-90% on that stuff, freeing up a bunch of money to buy organic, gluten-free, honorable food?
Before some of you blow a gasket: I’m messin’ with ya. I don’t care what you eat. I eat crap about 92% of the time. Because it’s delicious.
My “stock-up” price on laundry detergent is right around 3¢ per ounce or less than 5¢ per advertised load (most 50 ounce bottles advertise “33 loads,” but I know I can milk way more than that from the bottle). Laundry detergent goes this low (combining a store sale with a manufacturer’s coupon) about once every 6-9 months, so I aim to purchase a 9-month supply when a 50 ounce bottle drops to $1.50 or less. A 9-month supply allows me to wait to purchase laundry detergent until it goes back down to my stock-up price.
For what it’s worth, my family of seven goes through a bottle of 50 ounce detergent every 4-5 weeks. We have a front-loader, which requires less detergent and has a larger capacity than a top loader, and I use about half the suggested amount. If you have a top loading machine, you’ll definitely use more detergent that I do. I aim to get 9-10 bottles when the $1.50 per bottle sales come up.
If you’re looking to slash your budget and would like to give this couponing thing a try, NOW is the time to be buying laundry detergent. Like THIS WEEK. You need to get OUT OF YOUR CHAIR and get yourself to the store to stock-up. I promise that these deals are super easy — they don’t involve Catalinas or rebates or rewards. Coupons and cash — that’s it.
Here are the laundry detergent deals running this week throughout the Pacific Northwest:
SAFEWAY — 6/17 only
All Laundry Detergent (50 oz) on sale $3 with weekly ad coupon
Use $1/1 coupon from 5/11 or 6/1 RP insert or $1/1 coupon
Use Safeway double (-$.50)
$1.50 each after coupon & double
*The weekly ad is always available in the store. The All store coupon and double coupon is in there. Safeway doubles up to 4 manufacturer’s coupons per transaction in Oregon and SW Washington. If you live outside this area, your price will be $2. I suggest you hit Walgreens or Albertsons for a better deal.
WALGREENS — 6/17 only
Purex Laundry Detergent on sale Buy One, Get Two FREE (3/$5.99)
Buy 3
Use 20% off Walgreens coupon (the coupon is also on the front page of the weekly ad that came in the Sunday paper, not the ad available in the store)
$1.60 each after coupon
*This is the deal to do if you don’t have any manufacturer’s coupons. Super-dooper easy and you can buy as many sets of 3 as you like in one transaction. You will need to use your Walgreens Rewards Card to get the deal. You can get one for free at the register.
ALBERTSONS — starting 6/18
Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent (45-75 oz) on sale $2.99 with weekly ad coupon — limit 2
Buy 2
Use $3/2 coupon from 6/8 SS insert or here — direct link
$1.49 each after coupons
*The weekly ad is always available in the store at the customer service counter. You’ll have to do separate transactions if you want more than 2 bottles.
As you can see from the picture above, I actually have WAY more than 9 bottles in my detergent stockpile (the bottles run 3 deep). Why? I just can’t stop myself. And I’m addicted to the idea that a little work now allows me to avoid running out of detergent and having to pay full price at any point in the near future. Plus, I can “gift” detergent to friends and family if they run out or just because. Wait. You think giving detergent as a gift is tacky? Whatever. My friends and my mom think I’m awesome.
Side note: I know we can get detergent for $1.50 or less more than every 9 months at Rite Aid using their +UP Rewards program, but I personally don’t do Rite Aid and this post is aiming to encourage non-Rite Aid and newer couponers to give couponing a try.
So, whatcha waiting for? Go out and buy some laundry detergent!
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Hi. I moved from Oregon 6 yrs ago and while in Denver became an extreme couponer. I was so excided to coupon in beaverton while I was visiting Oregon NO TAXES… YEAH! Most of my money spent in Colo. Is taxes that I owe. Now that I am here it is a little confusing. Please correct me if I am wrong. I have to get a doubler out of the weekly ad and can only use towards 4 different coupons. Therefore I can only get 4 items at once that need doubling?
You are correct. Only 4 coupons can be doubled per transaction.
What per ounce price point to people look for with Tide?
Generally you are lucky to get $3/50oz-often it is $4 & that is at Rite Aid, so may involve complicated manuevers!! Occasionally I do get it about this price at Safeway too-but they will usually limit it to 1 or 2.
(Sorry, “to” should be “do”.)
Thank you! 🙂 I have to get Tide for diapers, so that’s great information to have. Which also means, I can be happy with my $4/50 oz purchase today at Safeway. 🙂
After giving this a little thought, I concluded that the Albertson’s price of $1.49 for 75 oz A&H is slightly better than Safeway’s of $3.25 for 150 (both after cpns and Safeway doubler). But both are screamin’ deals.
And I DO have 3 Oregonian circulars with those cpns……..
Aahh-you are ahead of me (thanks!)-I just assumed the albertson’s one was 50oz.
Am I missing something? The coupon I have for 6/8/2014 is Oxy Clean. No Arm & Hammer..
Arm & Hammer makes an OxiClean product as well. Apparently some SS editions had A&M laundry detergents and other had A&M PLUS OxiClean UltraPower.
That’s A&H not A&M.
My Oregonian SS has both A&H and Oxy $3/2 cpns, on different pages.
Safeway has the arm and hammer 150 oz (90 loads) for $5.00.
With the $3/2 coupon and double. That makes it $3.25 for 90 load bottle! Pretty good price in my book!
Thanks Sarah! Our Safeway had the 100 load bottles for $5, so just over 3 cents per load after coupons. Great deal!
I noticed that, too, and plan to buy a couple even though I don’t need it right now. Like some people, I simply can’t miss my “soaps”.
Thanks-I totally missed that! That is a great price ! Now I am glad I procrastinated getting it at Albertson’s!
Bummer, wish I had pushed harder for the 20% off at Walgreen’s. The cashier wouldn’t scan it for me because the detergents were “on sale.”
My conundrum: Wish the dryer sheets would someday equal the bottles of laundry soap gracing my stockpile shelf 🙂 !!! Those are much, much, yes much harder to find spectacular deals on!
I gift laundry soap too! Laundry soap is an awesome item added with other household cleaners (raided from the stockpile) in a cheap laundry basket to make a sweet open house or bridal shower gift. I have given many of these baskets as bridal shower gifts and they always say, “Best gift ever!”
I buy dryer sheets at WinCo–cheapest ones are generally $2.07 for 100. Walgreens used to have BOGOs on the 80-count boxes for $2.99, but I haven’t seen that for a while.
I agree Mea-it is rare to see a good sale on them-when I do I really stock up! Got a bunch awhile ago when albertson’s had the essential coupons-but that has been some time.
One tip I believe I learned here: cut them in 1/2-still work fine & last twice as long!
Brilliant deal, and exceptionally well written to boot. Still laughing at “Because it’s delicious.” Angela, you’re a delight! And I probably should say that more often. Like every day. Thanks for all your hard work. It’s truly appreciated!
What about Target’s front page deal this week? Tide 92-100 oz liquid for $11.99 for first and $5.99 for the second and use the P&G brandSAVER $3/2 coupon. Net: $7.50 each when you buy two.
I totally agree with Angela. If there is one thing I overstock on its laundry detergent. Can’t resist the sales, and it’s nothing for me to have 25-30 bottles. I try and do a care basket every month for someone I know who is struggling and this is always a welcome addition!
I appreciate your posts! I don’t like (really hate) trying to figure out when there is a good deal going. So thanks!!
Two positive points for you 🙂 I DO coupon extensively at rite aid-& $1.50 is also about the best you can do there (except tide-then about $3). You can rarely get a couple for closer to $1- & it is much more involved.
Second-I recently went to a wedding & for the present I gave a nice big bag of household items & they were very grateful. If it actually is a young couple starting out (which this was)-it is very needed & we can do it for a fraction of the price (maybe opening up their money for needed food 🙂 So I don’t think it is tacky at all either.
The Walgreens 20% is only non sale items so it did not work.
Exactly what I was thinking, except I didn’t try doing it. I know RA’s 10-20% wellness discount doesn’t apply on deals like these. But I thought Angela might have been right on this because you ARE buying one at regular $5.99 price.
I’m right :). The $5.99 is the regular price, so the 20% works. I did it yesterday and the coupon scanned with no problem!
Took 20% off for me @ Wags. NP!!
I currently have at least nine bottles if laundry detergent, but I’ll run to albertsons tomorrow.
Haggens has the same deal going on Arm & Hammer as Albertsons, also starting tomorrow 6/18 🙂
I love rite aid, but even having roughly a dozen fewer kids than you it’s tough for to get there. Let’s not even talk about walgreens (they’re dead to me basically). I coupon on this stuff so I can buy honorable food, lol, so any laundry detergent breakdown post is a-ok in my book. And I give mine away too, to people who also think it’s awesome 😉