Each week, our resident Couponista, Amy Leneker, shares her personal shopping experiences and extreme couponing tips so that you too can be a Coupon Expert!

Before I buy almost anything, I check Ultimatecoupons.com. I then try to layer the savings I find on it with other coupons I have to save big. I was recently able to save over 50 percent at Toys R Us. Here’s how I did it.

Why Do Little Comforters Cost so Much?

My daughter has officially outgrown her crib. My husband and I took a “divide and conquer” approach. He agreed to assemble the toddler bed, while I agreed to find and buy the toddler comforter set. (As if I would really let my husband, as darling as he is, pick out my daughter’s comforter set. I would bet 100 bucks he would come home with something Mariners, or SeaHawks or Sounders!)

Toys R Us is a great place to shop for children’s bedding. Their website is easy to navigate and their shipping is fast—despite what they estimate for shipping dates, I almost always get the products early. And, most importantly, their prices are reasonable (most of the time).

When I logged on to look at children’s bedding, the prices didn’t seem very reasonable! The toddler comforter I was interested in was priced at $49.99. My husband was quick to remind me that it had been over five years since we have shopped for toddler bedding so, of course, prices were going to have gone up. For the record, that didn’t help, because then I was grumpy from the high prices and feeling depressed about being old.

Let the Savings Begin!

I did some comparison shopping (as all good couponers do!) and found the prices were pretty consistent at both Target and Walmart. Because I had coupons for Toys R Us, I decided to go with them.

The Dora the Explorer Comforter set was on sale for $39.99 (down from $49.99), so I felt less cranky immediately. The shipping was going to add another $7.01, which I wasn’t eager to pay. UltimateCoupons.com had a code for free shipping over $100, but I wasn’t going to pass the $100 mark (rats!). I had another coupon for 20 percent off and couldn’t get the code to work online, so I decided to call customer service instead of using the website.

It Never Hurts to Ask

When I called customer service, the agent was having difficulty with the coupon code, too. I ended up being transferred four times (ugh!) before I asked to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor was able to get the 20 percent code to work (hurray!). I explained that I had been transferred multiple times and asked if she would be willing to waive the shipping charges. I also told her that I had found a code online for free shipping (thank you, Ultimate Coupons!) but that I hadn’t spent $100. She agreed to waive the shipping charges.

The Bottom Line: Saved Almost as Much as I Spent!

So here is what I paid for the comforter set that retails at $49.99:

Sale price =  $39.99 (savings of $10)

Minus 20 percent coupon  = $31.92 (savings of $8.07)

Shipping  + $0 (savings of $7.01)

I spent only $31.92 (before tax), and saved $25.08! And, even better, the comforter set arrived in only three days. Good bye crib, hello toddler bed!

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