I Think I Did Okay

Today was my first day.  I actually mustered up the courage to go couponing...all by myself...with no one watching... 

The Coupons:

I started my journey by ordering the Sunday paper (which I found with a coupon for $ .47 versus the $2.00 you would normally pay).  It arrived early that morning and the fun really began!  I started laying it our while my dilated eyes took in the glossy coupons.  I’ve always enjoyed arts and crafts so clipping coupons is right up my alley.

The Binder:

I transferred them into my HUGE coupon binder I pieced together using www.krazycouponlady.com as a reference.  I already owned the binder and the 8 ½ x 11 page protectors.  All that I had to purchase were the baseball card page protectors ($5.00 for 35 sheets at Target), the divider tabs ($3.00 for 24 tabs at Fred Meyer), and the pencil pouch ($2.50 at Fred Meyer).  That totals $10.50 that I need to earn back to start seeing some savings.

The Clipping:

I received my paper on Sunday and started tearing into it.  I also used the grocery store circulars that come out each Monday in the mail, along with any straggling ‘catalinas’ left in my wallet from prior purchases. 

The Organizing:

Once my coupons were clipped and organized I started sliding them into their appropriate slots in the binder so I was ready to head out.

I asked my husband if he would watch my cherubs so I would able to process what I was doing while shopping.  So, off I went with my unwashed hair, my mug of Twinings tea, and my BIG binder of coupons. 

As I stepped out of the car, I found myself giving a once over to the parking lot.  Would anyone notice that I was carrying a binder in the place of a child?  As I walked toward the door at 7:45am the store looked relatively empty.  I grabbed a cart and laid the binder in the seat reserved for my toddlers.  As I made my way toward the cosmetic aisle I looked down at my binder and smile came over me.  Not the, oh I am so glad I am shopping with coupons smile, no, the I cannot believe I have a three inch binder in my cart and am going to actually open it up and let people look at me with it, smile.  [Pause for appropriate giggle at my expense]  So I squashed that grin down and got to business.  It took me awhile to actually read the coupons and find the products I needed.  I walked away stocking up on some lotions, popsicles, and macaroni and cheese.  Being a ‘coupon virgin’ I did by things with a coupon and that were on sale but, I had to be realistic...I still needed to buy things on my meal plan as well.  All said and done my pre-coupon total was...$303.86 and after coupons my total was…(wait for it)…$278.98!! That is a savings of $24.88 on my very first trip.  I know my coupons will build over time and I will figure out the rock bottom deals of my favorite stores but for day one…I think I did okay.

Coupon Virgin

“Coupon Virgin.”  That’s the title I’ve been given by the hordes of woman out there that LIVE to coupon shop.  I never considered myself someone who needed to coupon shop.  My husband and I live comfortably enough.   We don’t need to buy second hand, don’t have to wait for sale items at the grocery store, and are able to save for our retirement and our kid’s college funds now.  We still struggle though.  It still feels like paycheck to paycheck.  I fall into the trap of not actually balancing my accounts and have most bills set up through auto-withdrawal.  The account fluctuates normally throughout the month but we rarely have any ‘savings’.  We’ve always said ‘this month’ we’ll come up with a financial plan. 

Well, this month is here and I am starting it by giving the coupon craze a go.  I am that person who can walk out of Fred Meyer with four bags of groceries having dropped $250! Costco I average $500 a month.  Mind you, we are ONLY a family of five and my kids are only five, four, and two.  I am not feeding a football team yet, I feel that I spend like I do. 

My challenge is to save where I can, stretch the dollar, and feel in control of our spending.  I want to actually have money put away when we plan a trip and not deal with the finances after the fact.  I want to know exactly where our bank account sits.  I want to be debt free.  I believe, to be afforded the privilege of staying home with my beauties, I need to make my husband’s dollar stretch.  So, challenge one:  I am going to coupon shop!