Some highlights from the Whole Foods ad - this is for the Texas area, check your local ad online before heading to the store.
Back to Nature Assorted Crackers, 5.5-8.5 oz- 2/$5 - use the .70/1 any Back to Nature product from The Whole Deal pamphlet (found in store usually near the front door or the check-out desk) and get them for $1.80 ea.
Wallaby Organic Low-Fat Yogurts, 6 oz - 4/$3. I don't know of any current coupons for this, but .75 is pretty good for organic yogurt. Whole Foods also offers a case discount on just about anything. If you look in the lower right hand corner (I believe it's the right hand) of the shelf tag, you'll see the number of items that qualify as a case. Buy that amount and get 10% off - in this case making the yogurts .68 ea.
Some great meat prices (for Whole Foods) this week:
Value Packs of 85% Lean Ground Beef - $2.49/lb (various sizes on the value packs, but usually around 2-3 lbs each)
Whole Chicken Wings - $1.79/lb
Country Style Pork Loin Ribs - $2.49/lb
I buy the majority of our meat from Whole Foods - I feel fairly confident that we're not eating growth hormones or antibiotics in addition to our protein. If we need meat when I'm there, I'm looking at anything that's $4.99/lb or less. Some weeks, like this one, I have a lot to choose from. Some weeks, I buy ground turkey ($3.99/lb reg price) and/or whatever specialty sausage (italian, chorizo, brats, etc) is on sale (usually $3.99 - $4.99/lb). Some weeks, we eat from the stockpile.
Let me know if you find any other great Whole Foods deals this week!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Kroger and Tom Thumb this week
Thought I'd go through and mention what jumps out at me from this week's ads. If you live in another area, your ad may be slightly different and you may have received different values on these coupons.
For coupon match-ups for the Texas Kroger ad, check here. Coupon match-ups can get kind of confusing - if you have any questions, let me know. Hotcouponworld doesn't have a Tom Thumb forum - I usually check Safeway or Randall's. If you do, remember that those stores have slightly different doubling/tripling policies.
If you're not familiar with coupon listings:
RP = Red Plum
SS = Smart Source
P&G = Procter & Gamble
If you have inserts and you're not sure what date they're from, just look along the spine of the insert. The date will be printed in teeny-tiny print. The papers the insert was in will also be written there. This is helpful for me, because we have two papers in the DFW area. If the insert lists both papers, then I know that it doesn't matter which paper I get for extras. If it just lists one (The Star-Telegram, for example), then I know that the Dallas inserts will be slightly different and usually that means the Dallas paper will have more coupons.
Kroger
The biggie is Wholly Salsa on sale Buy One Get One Free. The 4/19 SS insert has a Buy One Get One Free coupon as well as a $3 off of chips wyb Wholly Salsa coupon. That means you can get 2 free salsas and $3 off of chips (so free chips, too). How it works:
The store agrees to buy one if someone else does.
The manufacturer agrees to buy one if someone else does.
Since they both agree to those terms, I agree to take those two free salsas home.
I have never had a problem using a BOGO coupon on BOGO sale. However, some stores want you to purchase one to get the other two for free. If that happens, you might as well throw in one more. The register is programmed to ring one free for each one purchased. So buy one, get three free.
1 you purchase
1 store bogo
1 free with bogo q
1 store bogo
Again, I've never had that happen - but just in case you need the info.
Also, the 16 oz cheese is still 2/$5. My family apparently didn't read my blog to see that the cheese I bought last friday was supposed to last all month. I'll most likely buy a couple more packages on Tuesday.
Organic Braeburn apples are .99/lb - that's a great price.
There is a coupon for a $25 gift card with a transferred prescription, as well.
Other than that - kind of a blah week.
Tom Thumb
This is the last week for the Living Well promo.
I noticed that they have Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks marked as part of the promo - they are on sale for $1. The 3/29 RP had a $1/1 any Quaker Rice Snack - which makes it FREE and also takes $1 off of your $30 total for the Living Well promo.
Dial Hand Soap is $1 - FREE after the .35/1 (tripled) from the 3/8 SS. My Tom Thumb only lets me double/triple one like coupon per transaction. Check your store's policy before you head for the check-out.
Hass Avocados are .99 ea - that's the best price I'm seeing this season. Have any other Texans seen a better price on these?
I'm sure there are more deals - those are just what hit me at first glance. If you find more, feel free to share!
I'll check the Whole Foods ad, tomorrow, and let you know what I find. Happy Shopping!
For coupon match-ups for the Texas Kroger ad, check here. Coupon match-ups can get kind of confusing - if you have any questions, let me know. Hotcouponworld doesn't have a Tom Thumb forum - I usually check Safeway or Randall's. If you do, remember that those stores have slightly different doubling/tripling policies.
If you're not familiar with coupon listings:
RP = Red Plum
SS = Smart Source
P&G = Procter & Gamble
If you have inserts and you're not sure what date they're from, just look along the spine of the insert. The date will be printed in teeny-tiny print. The papers the insert was in will also be written there. This is helpful for me, because we have two papers in the DFW area. If the insert lists both papers, then I know that it doesn't matter which paper I get for extras. If it just lists one (The Star-Telegram, for example), then I know that the Dallas inserts will be slightly different and usually that means the Dallas paper will have more coupons.
Kroger
The biggie is Wholly Salsa on sale Buy One Get One Free. The 4/19 SS insert has a Buy One Get One Free coupon as well as a $3 off of chips wyb Wholly Salsa coupon. That means you can get 2 free salsas and $3 off of chips (so free chips, too). How it works:
The store agrees to buy one if someone else does.
The manufacturer agrees to buy one if someone else does.
Since they both agree to those terms, I agree to take those two free salsas home.
I have never had a problem using a BOGO coupon on BOGO sale. However, some stores want you to purchase one to get the other two for free. If that happens, you might as well throw in one more. The register is programmed to ring one free for each one purchased. So buy one, get three free.
1 you purchase
1 store bogo
1 free with bogo q
1 store bogo
Again, I've never had that happen - but just in case you need the info.
Also, the 16 oz cheese is still 2/$5. My family apparently didn't read my blog to see that the cheese I bought last friday was supposed to last all month. I'll most likely buy a couple more packages on Tuesday.
Organic Braeburn apples are .99/lb - that's a great price.
There is a coupon for a $25 gift card with a transferred prescription, as well.
Other than that - kind of a blah week.
Tom Thumb
This is the last week for the Living Well promo.
I noticed that they have Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks marked as part of the promo - they are on sale for $1. The 3/29 RP had a $1/1 any Quaker Rice Snack - which makes it FREE and also takes $1 off of your $30 total for the Living Well promo.
Dial Hand Soap is $1 - FREE after the .35/1 (tripled) from the 3/8 SS. My Tom Thumb only lets me double/triple one like coupon per transaction. Check your store's policy before you head for the check-out.
Hass Avocados are .99 ea - that's the best price I'm seeing this season. Have any other Texans seen a better price on these?
I'm sure there are more deals - those are just what hit me at first glance. If you find more, feel free to share!
I'll check the Whole Foods ad, tomorrow, and let you know what I find. Happy Shopping!
Coffee & Beer
Random title - huh? My friend, Kam, is worried that y'all are going to think that we live a deprived life. So, this post will address two of Derek's hobbies and how they fit into our overall budget.
Derek home brews beer and home roasts our coffee (we order green coffee beans in bulk). Two hobbies that I am more than happy to support! Mama needs her coffee and life on a budget without alcohol is madness. (My apologies to any teetotalers out there.)
The beer has it's own line item in our budget every other month or so. I usually budget $50. Depending on what he's brewing, it usually works out to about $10 per 12 pack. And it's really, really good. I don't roll this into our food budget, because it is a treat. If we're having a tight month, it's obviously one of the first cuts. However, it's not just about beer - it is his hobby. And, I figure there's a ton of other hobbies he could have that wouldn't afford me nearly as much pleasure!
The coffee works out to about $5 a pound, because we buy in bulk. That is actually about half the price of buying whole coffee beans at the store. Derek likes to order from Sweet Maria's, if you're interested. He's used a hot air popcorn popper to roast for the past two years. We recently used some gift money to purchase a small home roaster. Again, an unnecessary expense, but one that keeps us willing to stay on the getting out of debt track for the long haul.
We spend around $30-$50 every other month for the green coffee beans. I usually try to roll the orders into months when I'm not trying to stockpile cat supplies, diapers, or other higher $ items. So, technically the coffee usually comes out of the grocery budget. There have been a couple of months that it bumped our grocery spending to $300 for the month. I can't live without high-quality caffeine. For real.
If anyone is interested in learning more about either the home brewing or the home roasting - I might be able to talk Derek into a guest post.
See, not deprived at all!! And after all that coffee talk - I now need a cup.
Derek home brews beer and home roasts our coffee (we order green coffee beans in bulk). Two hobbies that I am more than happy to support! Mama needs her coffee and life on a budget without alcohol is madness. (My apologies to any teetotalers out there.)
The beer has it's own line item in our budget every other month or so. I usually budget $50. Depending on what he's brewing, it usually works out to about $10 per 12 pack. And it's really, really good. I don't roll this into our food budget, because it is a treat. If we're having a tight month, it's obviously one of the first cuts. However, it's not just about beer - it is his hobby. And, I figure there's a ton of other hobbies he could have that wouldn't afford me nearly as much pleasure!
The coffee works out to about $5 a pound, because we buy in bulk. That is actually about half the price of buying whole coffee beans at the store. Derek likes to order from Sweet Maria's, if you're interested. He's used a hot air popcorn popper to roast for the past two years. We recently used some gift money to purchase a small home roaster. Again, an unnecessary expense, but one that keeps us willing to stay on the getting out of debt track for the long haul.
We spend around $30-$50 every other month for the green coffee beans. I usually try to roll the orders into months when I'm not trying to stockpile cat supplies, diapers, or other higher $ items. So, technically the coffee usually comes out of the grocery budget. There have been a couple of months that it bumped our grocery spending to $300 for the month. I can't live without high-quality caffeine. For real.
If anyone is interested in learning more about either the home brewing or the home roasting - I might be able to talk Derek into a guest post.
See, not deprived at all!! And after all that coffee talk - I now need a cup.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I prefer Coupon Duchess
My friend, Tara, sent me this link (thanks Tara!). A Coupon Queen saving lots of money - watch it and let me know what you think.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/04/28/dnt.coupon.lady.wjla
Shopping trips like the one featured leave you so pumped up - an adrenaline rush that lasts for hours.
I agree with most of what you'll hear, except I definitely DO NOT clip every coupon from the paper. That's the quickest way to get burned out on couponing if you're just getting started. I clip the coupons I know I'll use and the ones I believe will turn into freebies/money-makers.
I leave my inserts whole and write the date on the cover. I store them in magazine files and clip as needed for my trips. I use the coupon database at HCW to locate specific coupons.
This is what works for me - you may find that clipping everything works for you. There are lots of couponers who shop aisle by aisle searching for clearance deals and unadvertised sales. They do need to have everything clipped and easily accessible. I am so thankful that they do and that they post about their finds. I make sure to say thank you when I can and use their info to get myself into and out of the stores quickly. And on the rare occasion that I stumble across an unexpected deal, I make sure to post about it for others.
Couponing Karma!
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/04/28/dnt.coupon.lady.wjla
Shopping trips like the one featured leave you so pumped up - an adrenaline rush that lasts for hours.
I agree with most of what you'll hear, except I definitely DO NOT clip every coupon from the paper. That's the quickest way to get burned out on couponing if you're just getting started. I clip the coupons I know I'll use and the ones I believe will turn into freebies/money-makers.
I leave my inserts whole and write the date on the cover. I store them in magazine files and clip as needed for my trips. I use the coupon database at HCW to locate specific coupons.
This is what works for me - you may find that clipping everything works for you. There are lots of couponers who shop aisle by aisle searching for clearance deals and unadvertised sales. They do need to have everything clipped and easily accessible. I am so thankful that they do and that they post about their finds. I make sure to say thank you when I can and use their info to get myself into and out of the stores quickly. And on the rare occasion that I stumble across an unexpected deal, I make sure to post about it for others.
Couponing Karma!
Q&A - Part 1
I have a handful of questions to answer. Most of these will end up as posts in themselves - they're really good questions!
Lacia asked: My biggest problem is that I buy mostly fresh stuff, and I find all the coupons are for boxed/pre-packaged food that I don't tend to ever buy. Plus our stores here (remember, I live in Canada), don't do coupons like they do in the U.S. I guess i have to get on some sort of mailing list with the companies I do buy from?
Yes - contacting companies is a GREAT way to get coupons for products you buy. You will often even receive coupons for FREE products. It doesn't take much, just a quick email letting the company know that you like their products and including your contact info.
I'd also suggest really getting to know the stores you shop most frequently. Do they have in-store coupons? Do they offer a bulk discount? If so, take advantage of it when a product you like goes on sale. With fresh food, like meat or produce, really pay attention to costs. I have a buy price and a stock-up price on meats - and stockpile in the freezer when I can. I check the on-line ads of the three stores I buy produce from before heading out - that way I know who has the best prices that week and buy accordingly.
Lourdes asked: I'd love to hear about how you have paid $10k of debt in about 2 years. Also, what does your "fun" budget look like (vacation, entertainment, etc.)?
Short answer on the debt repayment - Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, budgeting, and no new debt.
As far as "fun" money - we each get $20 a month for whatever. I use the kids' money to cover unexpected play date expenses, little treats here & there, etc. It's not much, but until we're totally out of debt, it'll do. We're blessed to have all of our family close by, so most of our family fun involves extended family get-togethers and events. If I know something's coming up (like the State Fair in October - woo-hoo!!), I budget that in for the month.
We also take full advantage of the library - we check out books, DVDs, CDs, even magazines.
Our downfall is eating out. We only eat out about 6 times a month, but that's still too much. I also have the hardest time actually budgeting for it. It's like I don't want to admit that we do it! Ah well...it's a work in progress.
Lourdes had a Walgreens issue: went to Walgreens today and they didn't let me use my MC because they said that RR wouldn't print out. THEN, they didn't let me use my RR to purchase a different item. I haven't read anything about this being a new policy. Did I just go to a crabby Walgreens?
More likely you had a poorly informed cashier. A manufacturer's coupon shouldn't have an effect on the RR printing. I have heard of one occasion where the coding on the coupon did prevent the RR from printing - but just that one time. I'll let you know if I read anything else, though.
The RR is "good on your next purchase." They absolutely should have let you use it to purchase another item. I would request a manager's assistance next time on both of these issues.
I have rarely had issues with cashiers, but when I do I just calmly smile, request the manager, and calmly explain the situation to the manager. Although I may be sweating bullets while my heart beats crazily, I just keep smiling. You can always say, "Thank you, I won't be needing this then."
Karly asked: What kind of storage system do you have for all your stockpiling? I feel like I need a deep freezer and maybe some shelving in my basement.
This one will most definitely be a future post with pictures. When I started couponing and was having so much fun getting freebies/money-makers I had HBA items coming out my ears and nowhere to store them all. Plus, I'm the only one in the house using a lot of those things - I don't buy products with phthalates for the kids to use and Derek's shaved head doesn't require much shampoo. So, I've scaled back my stockpile on those items.
I have a shelf in my linen closet for shampoos, bodywashes, the kids' Burts Bees wash, shaving cream, and lotions. I have two Sterlite carts with drawers that I use for make-up, soap, toothpaste/toothbrushes, razors, and pads/tampons. Toilet paper is stored in the top of my bathroom cabinet.
For food, I actually don't have the towering food stockpile you may have seen in the stockpile pics of others. We don't eat a lot of processed foods - most of our cooking is done from scratch. I over-stocked when I began couponing, and ended up having to throw things out that had expired. I try to be conscious of rotating my stock, now - and give things away as needed.
We have a laundry room off of the kitchen that I've added shelves to for a pantry. I have one shelf dedicated to pasta (it's often free or very cheap with coupons - Whole Foods actually has a Buy One Get One coupon out right now for their pasta). One shelf holds condiments (mustard, hot sauce, worcestershire, barbeque sauce). One shelf holds canned tomatoes.I have flour stored in rubbermaid containers - 5 bags per container. (I've never had a problem with bugs - but use the containers just in case). These are stacked next to the shelves. I have another container that holds bagged rice (brown and white). I'm actually re-stocking that one right now with the current Mahatma .50/1 insert coupon.
I do have a small upright freezer that I purchased at a garage sale for $50. I currently have meat, veggies, tortillas, and cheese stored in it. I'm gradually switching to keeping the majority of the meat in our small fridge freezer, though. The upright's door was accidentally left open one day - I'd much rather have the free/cheap veggies and cheese get ruined than the meat, next time!
I'd say that we could comfortably live on my current stockpile for 2 months, although some meals would have to be very creative. I'd like it to be enough for 3 months, but it ebbs and flows with our needs. It really is like a back-up emergency fund.
If you're interested in adding a freezer, I'd research whether an upright or chest would be better for your needs. There are pros and cons with both. If adding shelves is an option for you, I'd go for it. I'd love to eventually have built-ins in our laundry room.
Keep the questions coming! If I can't answer something, I'll do my best to find someone who can.
Lacia asked: My biggest problem is that I buy mostly fresh stuff, and I find all the coupons are for boxed/pre-packaged food that I don't tend to ever buy. Plus our stores here (remember, I live in Canada), don't do coupons like they do in the U.S. I guess i have to get on some sort of mailing list with the companies I do buy from?
Yes - contacting companies is a GREAT way to get coupons for products you buy. You will often even receive coupons for FREE products. It doesn't take much, just a quick email letting the company know that you like their products and including your contact info.
I'd also suggest really getting to know the stores you shop most frequently. Do they have in-store coupons? Do they offer a bulk discount? If so, take advantage of it when a product you like goes on sale. With fresh food, like meat or produce, really pay attention to costs. I have a buy price and a stock-up price on meats - and stockpile in the freezer when I can. I check the on-line ads of the three stores I buy produce from before heading out - that way I know who has the best prices that week and buy accordingly.
Lourdes asked: I'd love to hear about how you have paid $10k of debt in about 2 years. Also, what does your "fun" budget look like (vacation, entertainment, etc.)?
Short answer on the debt repayment - Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, budgeting, and no new debt.
As far as "fun" money - we each get $20 a month for whatever. I use the kids' money to cover unexpected play date expenses, little treats here & there, etc. It's not much, but until we're totally out of debt, it'll do. We're blessed to have all of our family close by, so most of our family fun involves extended family get-togethers and events. If I know something's coming up (like the State Fair in October - woo-hoo!!), I budget that in for the month.
We also take full advantage of the library - we check out books, DVDs, CDs, even magazines.
Our downfall is eating out. We only eat out about 6 times a month, but that's still too much. I also have the hardest time actually budgeting for it. It's like I don't want to admit that we do it! Ah well...it's a work in progress.
Lourdes had a Walgreens issue: went to Walgreens today and they didn't let me use my MC because they said that RR wouldn't print out. THEN, they didn't let me use my RR to purchase a different item. I haven't read anything about this being a new policy. Did I just go to a crabby Walgreens?
More likely you had a poorly informed cashier. A manufacturer's coupon shouldn't have an effect on the RR printing. I have heard of one occasion where the coding on the coupon did prevent the RR from printing - but just that one time. I'll let you know if I read anything else, though.
The RR is "good on your next purchase." They absolutely should have let you use it to purchase another item. I would request a manager's assistance next time on both of these issues.
I have rarely had issues with cashiers, but when I do I just calmly smile, request the manager, and calmly explain the situation to the manager. Although I may be sweating bullets while my heart beats crazily, I just keep smiling. You can always say, "Thank you, I won't be needing this then."
Karly asked: What kind of storage system do you have for all your stockpiling? I feel like I need a deep freezer and maybe some shelving in my basement.
This one will most definitely be a future post with pictures. When I started couponing and was having so much fun getting freebies/money-makers I had HBA items coming out my ears and nowhere to store them all. Plus, I'm the only one in the house using a lot of those things - I don't buy products with phthalates for the kids to use and Derek's shaved head doesn't require much shampoo. So, I've scaled back my stockpile on those items.
I have a shelf in my linen closet for shampoos, bodywashes, the kids' Burts Bees wash, shaving cream, and lotions. I have two Sterlite carts with drawers that I use for make-up, soap, toothpaste/toothbrushes, razors, and pads/tampons. Toilet paper is stored in the top of my bathroom cabinet.
For food, I actually don't have the towering food stockpile you may have seen in the stockpile pics of others. We don't eat a lot of processed foods - most of our cooking is done from scratch. I over-stocked when I began couponing, and ended up having to throw things out that had expired. I try to be conscious of rotating my stock, now - and give things away as needed.
We have a laundry room off of the kitchen that I've added shelves to for a pantry. I have one shelf dedicated to pasta (it's often free or very cheap with coupons - Whole Foods actually has a Buy One Get One coupon out right now for their pasta). One shelf holds condiments (mustard, hot sauce, worcestershire, barbeque sauce). One shelf holds canned tomatoes.I have flour stored in rubbermaid containers - 5 bags per container. (I've never had a problem with bugs - but use the containers just in case). These are stacked next to the shelves. I have another container that holds bagged rice (brown and white). I'm actually re-stocking that one right now with the current Mahatma .50/1 insert coupon.
I do have a small upright freezer that I purchased at a garage sale for $50. I currently have meat, veggies, tortillas, and cheese stored in it. I'm gradually switching to keeping the majority of the meat in our small fridge freezer, though. The upright's door was accidentally left open one day - I'd much rather have the free/cheap veggies and cheese get ruined than the meat, next time!
I'd say that we could comfortably live on my current stockpile for 2 months, although some meals would have to be very creative. I'd like it to be enough for 3 months, but it ebbs and flows with our needs. It really is like a back-up emergency fund.
If you're interested in adding a freezer, I'd research whether an upright or chest would be better for your needs. There are pros and cons with both. If adding shelves is an option for you, I'd go for it. I'd love to eventually have built-ins in our laundry room.
Keep the questions coming! If I can't answer something, I'll do my best to find someone who can.
Monday, April 27, 2009
This Weekend's shopping
Are y'all ready?
First, let me say that these types of posts won't always be this long - and this one's gonna be a doozy! Since I'm just getting started with this blog and since I suspect that most of you are just getting started couponing, I'll have a lot more explanation here in the beginning.
If it's too much, don't read it all. Seriously. Just take what info will be helpful for YOUR family - however much or little that may be.
First, my stores - where I shop regularly and how often:
Whole Foods - I generally hit Whole Foods 2 times a month. I try my best to shop on Wednesdays, because their weekly sales overlap that day. I also usually have one or both kids with me. That's actually on purpose. We nosh on cut fruit for a treat and talk our way through the store. Whole Foods is about 20 minutes away, so more trips than that just aren't reasonable or worth it.
Within 5 minutes of my house, I have: Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Tom Thumb. Usually 2 times a month I do the circle - it usually takes about 2 hours start to finish. I try to do this on Sundays, because Tom Thumb marks down dairy on Sundays. I can count on getting a gallon of organic milk for $2 - $3 and usually deals on organic sour cream and sometimes, cheese. I do my circle alone, with a cup of coffee and Sunday Jazz Brunch playing on the radio. It is bliss.
Kroger - sometimes I go for weeks without stepping foot in Kroger. Some weeks I end up there 2-3 times in one week. It just depends on the deals, the shape of my stockpile, and life in general.
Tom Thumb - I'm usually there once a week for the milk. Tom Thumb is on Derek's way home from work, so this might actually be his once week a stop.
Walgreens/CVS - these are all over the place, so I usually just work in stops here on the way to or from other errands during the week - or my circle, as mentioned above.
Target - Y'all know you shop Target. I don't regularly grocery shop there. However, if I know I'm going there for something else, I'll check the blogs and hotcouponworld for current deals.
That sounds like a lot of shopping, but actual time is:
Whole Foods - 2x a month, 1 hour a trip = 2 hours per month
My "circle" 2x a month, 2 hours a trip = 4 hours per month
Other trips as needed, probably about an hour a week on average = 4 hours per month
Prep time - this is hard to figure since it's just part of my existence now, but I would say a safe estimate is an hour and a half a week. You will spend more time on this part at first. = 6 hours per month
So, 16 hours per month including drive time, or an average of 4 hours a week. I think if you add up your drive times and times in stores during an average month, you might find that you're spending that much time or more shopping, right now. Plus, I consider this the part-time job that lets me stay home with my kids - so a 4 hour work week, that often includes much needed me time.
And now for the shopping! This was a big, not typical, shopping weekend for me. Derek worked Saturday, so I shopped on Friday and Sunday. I'll list the receipts in order.
Friday - Whole Foods
Canola Oil (for baking bread) - $3.99
365 Organic Honey, 12 oz - $3.99
365 Organic Raisins, 15 oz - $3.69
2 pkg- 365 Organic Corn Tortillas - .99 ea
4 pkg - Organic Flour Tortillas - 2.19 ea
Whipped Cream Cheese - $1.98
5 lb bag Organic Red Potatoes - $4.99
Garlic - 4bulb pack (I buy this so I can use the bag for a dish scrubby) - $1.29
1.4 lb organic white onions - $2.37
2.5 lbs organic braeburn apples - $4.84
.74 lbs green beans (conventional, but local) - .73
cantaloupe chunks (for K and I to nosh on during shopping) - $1.70
Nutmeg (Whole Foods brand - for baking) - $5.99
4 lbs of ground buffalo (split into 2 - 2 lb packages - one for this week, one for the freezer) - $20.56
1/2 lb sliced nitrate/nitrite free bacon (for cooking with pinto beans) - $3.29
Total: $70.15
Saved - Whole Foods doesn't track savings on the receipts. I know I didn't use coupons on this trip. I bought the ground buffalo because it was $2/lb cheaper than usual - so savings for this trip are $8.
Kroger - Friday
3 - 4 pks Angel Soft Toilet Paper - used 3 .50/1 coupons from inserts (doubled) - FREE
3 - Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli @ .99 ea - used one .35/1 insert coupon (tripled) and one $1/2 insert coupon - 1 package FREE, 2 packages .49 ea (The whole steam in bag thing weirds me out, so we actually cook these in our regular steamer.)
1 - Challenge Spreadable Butter @ .99 - used .50/1 coupon from inside previous package of butter (doubled) - FREE
1 - Mahatma Jasmine Rice @ 2.69 - used one .50/1 insert coupon (doubled) - $1.69
1 - Eggland's Best Eggs @ 2.59 - used one .50/1 insert coupon (doubled) - $1.59
2 - 16 oz Kroger Sharp Cheddar @ 2.50 ea
2 - 16 oz Kroger Shredded Cheese @ 2.50 ea
Spent: $14.04
Saved: $19.83 (coupons and store savings)
Tom Thumb - Friday
I mentioned before that Tom Thumb (Randalls or Safeway in other areas) has a promotion going on right now - Living Well, Feeling Great - spend $30 on particular products, receive a $10 oyno coupon. This particular promo has lots of organic products included. There are also several freebie/really cheap options, but I was focused on buying things we really needed for the next two weeks. If you'd like more info on scenarios for this promo, check here.
A note about Tom Thumb promos, they are notoriously screwy. Knowing this, I made a point of selecting items that put me at $30 AFTER calculating in Tom Thumb store coupons. In this instance, I only used one manufacturer coupon - manufacturer's coupons come off of the $30 total - they shouldn't affect the promo. If you do shop a promo and it doesn't work - odds are one of the products you selected wasn't included correctly in the computer. The manu coupons have nothing to do it with it - even if the cashier thinks they do. When this happens, I just go wait in line at the service desk. I let them know what I purchased and they have always gone ahead and printed my coupon for me.
1 - 18 oz box of Cheerios (with a pack of flower seeds inside!) - $2.99
1 - All 2x Free & Clear - $4.49 - used .35/1 insert coupon (tripled)
1 - O Organics 1/2 gal whole milk - $2.99 (used .50/1 store coupon)
1 - O Organics 1/2 gal 1% milk - $2.99
1 - O Organics Orange Juice - $3.99
1 - O Organics Herb Salad, 16 oz - $5.49 - (used $1/1 store coupon)
1 - O Organics Almonds, 11 oz - $8.99 (I mix these with Cheerios and Whole Foods organic raisins for a trail mix for the kids - and use them in salads for the adults).
1 - organic carrots, 1 lb - $1 (not part of the promo)
So, my total for the promo after store coupons was $30.43. My all coupon came off of that total.
Spent: $30.66
Saved: $15.33 - and have a $10 oyno for next week's milk and produce.
I could also "roll" that $10 oyno into another round of the promo. I could buy the exact same list above, use the $10 oyno and pay $19.66 out of pocket and receive another $10 oyno.
Kroger - Sunday (This trip would normally have happened right after the first Kroger trip. I could only use 3 Angel Soft coupons at a time - I had six. I normally would have put the first round in the car and then walked back in for a quick second run. However, I took the last three bags of broccoli and wanted to check back when they restocked.)
3 - 4 pks Angel Soft Toilet Paper - used 3 .50/1 coupons from inserts (doubled) - FREE
8 - Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli @ .99 ea - used 4 $1/2 insert coupon - .49 ea
1 - Wholly Salsa - clearanced at $1.49
1 - Lays Potato Chips (for D & J's "boys' night") - $2.68 - used $3 off chips wyb Wholly Salsa insert coupon. - yep, they paid me .32 for the chips.
Spent: $5.09
Saved: $18.07
Big Takeaway from this trip - sometimes More is Less with coupons. I could have bought the chips alone for $2.69. Because of the coupon I was able to get the salsa AND the chips for $1.17.
CVS - Sunday
1 - Neutrogena Soap - $2.99
1 - Bandaids - $4.49 - used $1/1 Band-Aid product
used $6 ECB to "pay" for this trip - there are larger Neutrogena and Bandaid deals going on at CVS this week - I may or may not take advantage. Part of why I CVS is so that I can burn ECB's when I need to.
Spent: .48
Saved: $7
Grand totals:
Spent: $120.42
Saved: $68.23 and have the $10 oyno coupon
I'm actually shooting for $150 this month. I'll use the $10 oyno on milk and produce when we run out of milk. I don't plan on buying any more meat for the month - we'll use what I have frozen. So really just produce and milk as needed. I bake our bread in the bread machine and have yeast for a year and flour for 3 months already stockpiled.
Ok...questions?
First, let me say that these types of posts won't always be this long - and this one's gonna be a doozy! Since I'm just getting started with this blog and since I suspect that most of you are just getting started couponing, I'll have a lot more explanation here in the beginning.
If it's too much, don't read it all. Seriously. Just take what info will be helpful for YOUR family - however much or little that may be.
First, my stores - where I shop regularly and how often:
Whole Foods - I generally hit Whole Foods 2 times a month. I try my best to shop on Wednesdays, because their weekly sales overlap that day. I also usually have one or both kids with me. That's actually on purpose. We nosh on cut fruit for a treat and talk our way through the store. Whole Foods is about 20 minutes away, so more trips than that just aren't reasonable or worth it.
Within 5 minutes of my house, I have: Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Tom Thumb. Usually 2 times a month I do the circle - it usually takes about 2 hours start to finish. I try to do this on Sundays, because Tom Thumb marks down dairy on Sundays. I can count on getting a gallon of organic milk for $2 - $3 and usually deals on organic sour cream and sometimes, cheese. I do my circle alone, with a cup of coffee and Sunday Jazz Brunch playing on the radio. It is bliss.
Kroger - sometimes I go for weeks without stepping foot in Kroger. Some weeks I end up there 2-3 times in one week. It just depends on the deals, the shape of my stockpile, and life in general.
Tom Thumb - I'm usually there once a week for the milk. Tom Thumb is on Derek's way home from work, so this might actually be his once week a stop.
Walgreens/CVS - these are all over the place, so I usually just work in stops here on the way to or from other errands during the week - or my circle, as mentioned above.
Target - Y'all know you shop Target. I don't regularly grocery shop there. However, if I know I'm going there for something else, I'll check the blogs and hotcouponworld for current deals.
That sounds like a lot of shopping, but actual time is:
Whole Foods - 2x a month, 1 hour a trip = 2 hours per month
My "circle" 2x a month, 2 hours a trip = 4 hours per month
Other trips as needed, probably about an hour a week on average = 4 hours per month
Prep time - this is hard to figure since it's just part of my existence now, but I would say a safe estimate is an hour and a half a week. You will spend more time on this part at first. = 6 hours per month
So, 16 hours per month including drive time, or an average of 4 hours a week. I think if you add up your drive times and times in stores during an average month, you might find that you're spending that much time or more shopping, right now. Plus, I consider this the part-time job that lets me stay home with my kids - so a 4 hour work week, that often includes much needed me time.
And now for the shopping! This was a big, not typical, shopping weekend for me. Derek worked Saturday, so I shopped on Friday and Sunday. I'll list the receipts in order.
Friday - Whole Foods
Canola Oil (for baking bread) - $3.99
365 Organic Honey, 12 oz - $3.99
365 Organic Raisins, 15 oz - $3.69
2 pkg- 365 Organic Corn Tortillas - .99 ea
4 pkg - Organic Flour Tortillas - 2.19 ea
Whipped Cream Cheese - $1.98
5 lb bag Organic Red Potatoes - $4.99
Garlic - 4bulb pack (I buy this so I can use the bag for a dish scrubby) - $1.29
1.4 lb organic white onions - $2.37
2.5 lbs organic braeburn apples - $4.84
.74 lbs green beans (conventional, but local) - .73
cantaloupe chunks (for K and I to nosh on during shopping) - $1.70
Nutmeg (Whole Foods brand - for baking) - $5.99
4 lbs of ground buffalo (split into 2 - 2 lb packages - one for this week, one for the freezer) - $20.56
1/2 lb sliced nitrate/nitrite free bacon (for cooking with pinto beans) - $3.29
Total: $70.15
Saved - Whole Foods doesn't track savings on the receipts. I know I didn't use coupons on this trip. I bought the ground buffalo because it was $2/lb cheaper than usual - so savings for this trip are $8.
Kroger - Friday
3 - 4 pks Angel Soft Toilet Paper - used 3 .50/1 coupons from inserts (doubled) - FREE
3 - Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli @ .99 ea - used one .35/1 insert coupon (tripled) and one $1/2 insert coupon - 1 package FREE, 2 packages .49 ea (The whole steam in bag thing weirds me out, so we actually cook these in our regular steamer.)
1 - Challenge Spreadable Butter @ .99 - used .50/1 coupon from inside previous package of butter (doubled) - FREE
1 - Mahatma Jasmine Rice @ 2.69 - used one .50/1 insert coupon (doubled) - $1.69
1 - Eggland's Best Eggs @ 2.59 - used one .50/1 insert coupon (doubled) - $1.59
2 - 16 oz Kroger Sharp Cheddar @ 2.50 ea
2 - 16 oz Kroger Shredded Cheese @ 2.50 ea
Spent: $14.04
Saved: $19.83 (coupons and store savings)
Tom Thumb - Friday
I mentioned before that Tom Thumb (Randalls or Safeway in other areas) has a promotion going on right now - Living Well, Feeling Great - spend $30 on particular products, receive a $10 oyno coupon. This particular promo has lots of organic products included. There are also several freebie/really cheap options, but I was focused on buying things we really needed for the next two weeks. If you'd like more info on scenarios for this promo, check here.
A note about Tom Thumb promos, they are notoriously screwy. Knowing this, I made a point of selecting items that put me at $30 AFTER calculating in Tom Thumb store coupons. In this instance, I only used one manufacturer coupon - manufacturer's coupons come off of the $30 total - they shouldn't affect the promo. If you do shop a promo and it doesn't work - odds are one of the products you selected wasn't included correctly in the computer. The manu coupons have nothing to do it with it - even if the cashier thinks they do. When this happens, I just go wait in line at the service desk. I let them know what I purchased and they have always gone ahead and printed my coupon for me.
1 - 18 oz box of Cheerios (with a pack of flower seeds inside!) - $2.99
1 - All 2x Free & Clear - $4.49 - used .35/1 insert coupon (tripled)
1 - O Organics 1/2 gal whole milk - $2.99 (used .50/1 store coupon)
1 - O Organics 1/2 gal 1% milk - $2.99
1 - O Organics Orange Juice - $3.99
1 - O Organics Herb Salad, 16 oz - $5.49 - (used $1/1 store coupon)
1 - O Organics Almonds, 11 oz - $8.99 (I mix these with Cheerios and Whole Foods organic raisins for a trail mix for the kids - and use them in salads for the adults).
1 - organic carrots, 1 lb - $1 (not part of the promo)
So, my total for the promo after store coupons was $30.43. My all coupon came off of that total.
Spent: $30.66
Saved: $15.33 - and have a $10 oyno for next week's milk and produce.
I could also "roll" that $10 oyno into another round of the promo. I could buy the exact same list above, use the $10 oyno and pay $19.66 out of pocket and receive another $10 oyno.
Kroger - Sunday (This trip would normally have happened right after the first Kroger trip. I could only use 3 Angel Soft coupons at a time - I had six. I normally would have put the first round in the car and then walked back in for a quick second run. However, I took the last three bags of broccoli and wanted to check back when they restocked.)
3 - 4 pks Angel Soft Toilet Paper - used 3 .50/1 coupons from inserts (doubled) - FREE
8 - Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli @ .99 ea - used 4 $1/2 insert coupon - .49 ea
1 - Wholly Salsa - clearanced at $1.49
1 - Lays Potato Chips (for D & J's "boys' night") - $2.68 - used $3 off chips wyb Wholly Salsa insert coupon. - yep, they paid me .32 for the chips.
Spent: $5.09
Saved: $18.07
Big Takeaway from this trip - sometimes More is Less with coupons. I could have bought the chips alone for $2.69. Because of the coupon I was able to get the salsa AND the chips for $1.17.
CVS - Sunday
1 - Neutrogena Soap - $2.99
1 - Bandaids - $4.49 - used $1/1 Band-Aid product
used $6 ECB to "pay" for this trip - there are larger Neutrogena and Bandaid deals going on at CVS this week - I may or may not take advantage. Part of why I CVS is so that I can burn ECB's when I need to.
Spent: .48
Saved: $7
Grand totals:
Spent: $120.42
Saved: $68.23 and have the $10 oyno coupon
I'm actually shooting for $150 this month. I'll use the $10 oyno on milk and produce when we run out of milk. I don't plan on buying any more meat for the month - we'll use what I have frozen. So really just produce and milk as needed. I bake our bread in the bread machine and have yeast for a year and flour for 3 months already stockpiled.
Ok...questions?
Getting Started - how I stay under $250
Before you ever clip your first coupon, you need to know what you're spending now. Prior to couponing, my shopping typically looked like this:
Go to store - spend about an hour and around $100
Get home and realize that I forgot 2 or 3 things I needed and ended up buying 2 or 3 things that we already had.
Go back to store later in the week for things forgotten previously and end up purchasing 5 or 6 additional items - the quick trip in would end up costing an additional $10-$30
Reach the end of the week and end up throwing out produce/leftovers/etc - because of not realizing what we already had, when things would expire, or remembering that I had purchased certain things.
Wash, rinse, repeat week after week.
Many people choose not to coupon because they "don't have the time." However, I think it's fair to say that most people shop just like I used to. That represents a huge chunk of time. Yes, couponing takes more time on the front end. However, my actual time in the store is minimal. I'm a woman on a mission. I have my list, my coupons, and a plan.
We arrived at our $250 a month total out of necessity. That's just what I have to spend. You may not need to go to the extremes that I do. So, if you're just getting started, start paying attention to what you spend now. After about a month you should have a rough idea of your average budget. Then decide how much you want to lower that amount.
Here's how I get to $250 in a nutshell - I'll elaborate more on most of these points in future posts.
1. Use coupons in multiples and combine them with sales to get the absolute lowest price. For example: Angel Soft 4-pks are .99 this week at Kroger (Dillons in some parts of the country). Last week's newspaper coupon inserts had .50/1 4 pk or larger Angel Soft coupons. My local Kroger doubles .50 coupons. That means that for me that .50 coupon is worth $1 - or free toilet paper, in this case. My local Kroger will let me double three "like" coupons in one transaction. That means I can buy 3 packs of Angel Soft and use 3 .50/1 coupons (doubled) and receive 3 free packs of toilet paper. I had 6 of these coupons, so I bought 3 packs in one trip last week and bought 3 more yesterday. 6 packs of toilet paper paid for with coupons and leaving me with $6 still in my budget.
2. Know what things cost - know your "buy" price and your "stock-up" price. That seems obvious, doesn't it? The average consumer knows the cost of roughly 10 items - things like a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, etc. Wal Mart knows this and you'll find that they will have lower prices on those items. But what are they charging you for 8 oz of cheese, a lb of apples, a lb of chicken? Usually a higher cost, because you don't know what that same item will cost you somewhere else.
In my area, a decent price for 8 oz of cheese is $1.50 - that's my buy price, if we need cheese. My stock-up price is $1.25/8 oz or less. This week, Kroger has 16 oz blocks of cheese for $2.50 (or $1.25 per 8 oz) - so, I bought 2 blocks of cheddar and 2 bags of shredded (at the same price). The shredded freezes nicely - so I now have cheese for the month for $10.
I'd prefer to buy organic cheese, but this is one area where my budget won't let me compromise much. For organic cheese, my buy price and stock-up price are a dollar more than what I pay for regular cheese. And if I happen to find organic cheese at my regular cheese buy or stock-up price, I buy as much as my budget will allow and freeze it.
3. Know your limits. I do not buy products that contain MSG. I avoid HFCS and partially hydrogenated oils. I use the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen to determine my produce purchases. If it's on the Dirty Dozen list, I only buy organic. If it's on the Clean Fifteen list, like broccoli and peas, and I can get it free or cheap - I'll buy conventional.
4. Use what you have. This is a work in progress for us. I don't plan meals for the week. I think if I worked outside of the home, it would be a necessity, though. Derek and I split the cooking responsibilities, and we're both fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants cooks. We loosely plan our meals for every 2 days or so. What's in the fridge? Are there leftovers? Is there produce we need to go ahead and eat?
The beauty of a stockpile is knowing that we have the basic building blocks for lots of good, healthy meals. I have rice, pasta, canned organic tomatoes (diced and whole, roasted or not, with chilis, with basil & garlic, etc.), frozen veggies, frozen meat, frozen cheese and so on. So, using what needs to be used is usually not a problem.
I think that's enough for now. Once the kids go down for their naps later, I'll post my receipts from this weekend's shopping. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Go to store - spend about an hour and around $100
Get home and realize that I forgot 2 or 3 things I needed and ended up buying 2 or 3 things that we already had.
Go back to store later in the week for things forgotten previously and end up purchasing 5 or 6 additional items - the quick trip in would end up costing an additional $10-$30
Reach the end of the week and end up throwing out produce/leftovers/etc - because of not realizing what we already had, when things would expire, or remembering that I had purchased certain things.
Wash, rinse, repeat week after week.
Many people choose not to coupon because they "don't have the time." However, I think it's fair to say that most people shop just like I used to. That represents a huge chunk of time. Yes, couponing takes more time on the front end. However, my actual time in the store is minimal. I'm a woman on a mission. I have my list, my coupons, and a plan.
We arrived at our $250 a month total out of necessity. That's just what I have to spend. You may not need to go to the extremes that I do. So, if you're just getting started, start paying attention to what you spend now. After about a month you should have a rough idea of your average budget. Then decide how much you want to lower that amount.
Here's how I get to $250 in a nutshell - I'll elaborate more on most of these points in future posts.
1. Use coupons in multiples and combine them with sales to get the absolute lowest price. For example: Angel Soft 4-pks are .99 this week at Kroger (Dillons in some parts of the country). Last week's newspaper coupon inserts had .50/1 4 pk or larger Angel Soft coupons. My local Kroger doubles .50 coupons. That means that for me that .50 coupon is worth $1 - or free toilet paper, in this case. My local Kroger will let me double three "like" coupons in one transaction. That means I can buy 3 packs of Angel Soft and use 3 .50/1 coupons (doubled) and receive 3 free packs of toilet paper. I had 6 of these coupons, so I bought 3 packs in one trip last week and bought 3 more yesterday. 6 packs of toilet paper paid for with coupons and leaving me with $6 still in my budget.
2. Know what things cost - know your "buy" price and your "stock-up" price. That seems obvious, doesn't it? The average consumer knows the cost of roughly 10 items - things like a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, etc. Wal Mart knows this and you'll find that they will have lower prices on those items. But what are they charging you for 8 oz of cheese, a lb of apples, a lb of chicken? Usually a higher cost, because you don't know what that same item will cost you somewhere else.
In my area, a decent price for 8 oz of cheese is $1.50 - that's my buy price, if we need cheese. My stock-up price is $1.25/8 oz or less. This week, Kroger has 16 oz blocks of cheese for $2.50 (or $1.25 per 8 oz) - so, I bought 2 blocks of cheddar and 2 bags of shredded (at the same price). The shredded freezes nicely - so I now have cheese for the month for $10.
I'd prefer to buy organic cheese, but this is one area where my budget won't let me compromise much. For organic cheese, my buy price and stock-up price are a dollar more than what I pay for regular cheese. And if I happen to find organic cheese at my regular cheese buy or stock-up price, I buy as much as my budget will allow and freeze it.
3. Know your limits. I do not buy products that contain MSG. I avoid HFCS and partially hydrogenated oils. I use the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen to determine my produce purchases. If it's on the Dirty Dozen list, I only buy organic. If it's on the Clean Fifteen list, like broccoli and peas, and I can get it free or cheap - I'll buy conventional.
4. Use what you have. This is a work in progress for us. I don't plan meals for the week. I think if I worked outside of the home, it would be a necessity, though. Derek and I split the cooking responsibilities, and we're both fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants cooks. We loosely plan our meals for every 2 days or so. What's in the fridge? Are there leftovers? Is there produce we need to go ahead and eat?
The beauty of a stockpile is knowing that we have the basic building blocks for lots of good, healthy meals. I have rice, pasta, canned organic tomatoes (diced and whole, roasted or not, with chilis, with basil & garlic, etc.), frozen veggies, frozen meat, frozen cheese and so on. So, using what needs to be used is usually not a problem.
I think that's enough for now. Once the kids go down for their naps later, I'll post my receipts from this weekend's shopping. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A Couponer is Born
I became a couponer out of necessity. Our money was running out WAY before our months were. We were relying on credit cards and getting deeper and deeper in debt. I desperately wanted to stay home with my kids - something had to give.
My SIL introduced me to the Grocery Game (a service that you pay for - they provide lists that tell you when to use your coupons). It was good training, but I found that I was buying products that we weren't using. Even if I only paid .25 for something, that was .25 wasted if we didn't use it. Also, the lists rarely included deals on the types of food we usually ate.
I knew there had to be more to couponing than a canned list. Tom Thumb (a Safeway/Randalls store) was running a promo at the time. If you bought $30 in certain products, you would receive a $10 oyno (on your next order) coupon. I figured that someone somewhere must have access to the list of products, so I googled the name of the promo and "list" and ended up finding Hot Coupon World. I thought those women were NUTS, at first. Then I was intrigued. Then I was addicted. A little over two years later, I'm home with the kids, we've paid off $10,000 in debt, and we're steadily moving closer to being debt free. I haven't used a credit card in almost a year and a half.
In February, I gave a very informal couponing class to my dear friend Kam's Mommy Group. Several of the ladies have really taken to couponing, but have lots of questions. Lourdes, my new friend, said the other day, "if I could just shadow you in the store - I think it would help." So, that's what I'm going to try to do here. There are so many wonderful couponing blogs out there - you'll find my favorites in my blog roll. I'm not going to re-invent the wheel, but I will try to show how I'm shopping now and explain how I got to this point. Every family is different, of course. Everyone will have different needs, different methods. Hopefully, I can help give you some ideas. Hopefully, you can give me some ideas!
If you're new to couponing, just remember to take one step at a time. It can be really overwhelming at first. Sticking with it is definitely worth it.
Oh, and btw, Tom Thumb is actually running that same promo right now. I'll have more on that tomorrow.
My SIL introduced me to the Grocery Game (a service that you pay for - they provide lists that tell you when to use your coupons). It was good training, but I found that I was buying products that we weren't using. Even if I only paid .25 for something, that was .25 wasted if we didn't use it. Also, the lists rarely included deals on the types of food we usually ate.
I knew there had to be more to couponing than a canned list. Tom Thumb (a Safeway/Randalls store) was running a promo at the time. If you bought $30 in certain products, you would receive a $10 oyno (on your next order) coupon. I figured that someone somewhere must have access to the list of products, so I googled the name of the promo and "list" and ended up finding Hot Coupon World. I thought those women were NUTS, at first. Then I was intrigued. Then I was addicted. A little over two years later, I'm home with the kids, we've paid off $10,000 in debt, and we're steadily moving closer to being debt free. I haven't used a credit card in almost a year and a half.
In February, I gave a very informal couponing class to my dear friend Kam's Mommy Group. Several of the ladies have really taken to couponing, but have lots of questions. Lourdes, my new friend, said the other day, "if I could just shadow you in the store - I think it would help." So, that's what I'm going to try to do here. There are so many wonderful couponing blogs out there - you'll find my favorites in my blog roll. I'm not going to re-invent the wheel, but I will try to show how I'm shopping now and explain how I got to this point. Every family is different, of course. Everyone will have different needs, different methods. Hopefully, I can help give you some ideas. Hopefully, you can give me some ideas!
If you're new to couponing, just remember to take one step at a time. It can be really overwhelming at first. Sticking with it is definitely worth it.
Oh, and btw, Tom Thumb is actually running that same promo right now. I'll have more on that tomorrow.
Welcome!
Howdy! Welcome to my new blog! My goal is to share my couponing/shopping/money-saving tips & tricks. I feed my family of four a primarily organic, whole foods diet on $250 a month and you can, too!
This is definitely a work in progress. I plan on posts about couponing in general, how I shop in particular, saving money on organics, and current deals. Please comment and let me know what YOU would like to know!
This is definitely a work in progress. I plan on posts about couponing in general, how I shop in particular, saving money on organics, and current deals. Please comment and let me know what YOU would like to know!
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