On the Today Show earlier this week there was a lady discussing coupons and how you can really save money by using coupons. Her example was that she had a whole table of food that she bought for only $.25 (yes, that is cents people)!!! This caught my attention and from there I was sold. Her plan is to watch the local sales at grocery stores and then use manufacture coupons that come out usually on Sunday's paper... so only buy sales items and hopefully with an extra discount from a coupon. Sounds easy enough right!?!
I have been struggling with our grocery bill for about 2 months now. With the raise in prices and the need to buy more for Ryland, our budget in the grocery store is totally off whack. I also feel like because I don't work that it is my job to help our family save as much money as possible. So, I have become the coupon clipping and sales watching woman that I swore I never would be (yikes, am I really saying that out loud?)!
I am proud to say that after only about an hour of clipping and sales watching I prepared my menu for the week based on local sales items and coupons that I found (I am so cheep, I actually got our elderly neighbors to 'donate' their unused Sunday coupons to me so I don't have to buy a paper... they LOVE it). Over all I ended up getting food for almost two weeks worth of groceries (dog food and diapers included) and I only spent $115.37.... get this, I saved $76.23!!! Now, I know its not $.25, but maybe the better I get at watching sales and collecting coupons the more the price will go down! On top of all of that I was able to get 'extras' from the store that I would not normally buy because of the GREAT deals I found. For example, I got 3 boxes of good cereal (you know, the really sugary kind like coco puffs) for $2.00.... that is right, 3 boxes for just $2.00!!!
Its kind of silly, but I found a since of accomplishment in this little adventure today and really felt like I was physically doing something to help out our family's needs! The fun part about it too, is that it is my new Sunday morning routine. Kyle and Ryland can have a lazy morning sitting around in PJ's and I am home before lunch... much better then fighting with Ryland to stay sitting in the cart for an hour while I hurriedly shop and leave the store way over budget and have forgotten half my list! :)
So, get clipping... you can save too!
13 hours ago
4 comments:
Also look at your store ads and see if they have double and/or triple coupon days where your coupons can be used even more. Do you have a super walmart? If you do they honor all the food ads from your area. So if I take my Smith's and Albertsons ads with me they honor all the deals in those ads (have to be printed) so I don't have to go to both of those grocery stores.
Sounds like you are off to a great start. Keep it up!!!
I'm so proud of you!! It really worked!! And all of your diligent comparing and cutting and clipping and organizing paid off!!! Maybe I'll even clip a coupon or two myself :) Kind of makes meal planning and grocery shopping a fun little adventure, huh?!
Awesome!!! Maybe you can sit down with me and help me save too! Love ya!!!
Sign up at www.couponmom.com too and you'll get all your local deals sent to you weekly and what coupons from what week you can use at what store depending on the deals they have going on :)
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