The Coupon Craze

I used to coupon years ago but it was an unorganized mess of cut-out colouful pieces of paper shoved haphazardly in no particular order in a battered envelope. I wasn’t very successful.
I’m successful saving money at the store/cooking our meals and not buying prepared foods and such (mostly)…but I knew I could do better.

Note…Kat and I come up with ingenious ways to save money…not just irritate people.

Several months ago Kat and I were hanging out trying to find nothing to do as our children ran wildly around making animal noises irritating each other…Flipping through the channels we came across the show, ‘Extreme Couponing’…She says to me…
…”Don’t you coupon?”
Me…”No.”
Kat…”You are gonna start.”

That Beeeeahtch decided to set me up.

She brought over some of her sons clear baseball card insert thingys and I put them in a notebook.
…and off I went.
On Sundays now I go over early and steal her newspaper from her driveway to check for good coupons. If there are any one of us will go to the local Walgreens and grab a few papers for each of us.

You HAVE to be smart about this and not get caught up in…
…”Oohhhh…I have a coupon, I should buy it.”
You have to look up the store you frequent coupon policy for one. (Extreme couponing does not really exist.)
My favorite grocery store allows 3 like items with coupons. It doubles coupons up to $1.00 everyday as well.
Sales start on Sundays and Wednesdays, you most likely get circulars in the mail and you should read them.
If you are able to take time in the store you will see additional sales.
You can download coupons on to your store card so you don’t have to carry coupons, but you can not load multiple coupons but you can cut out multiple coupons.
Take a calculator with you. Often times when a gift card or ‘Walgreens cash’ or such is involved the items are not on sale and math is involved…
It might still be a better deal or it might be a better deal to wait to use your coupons till such items go on sale, forgoing your ‘cash' or gift card.
Don’t buy shiz you would not use.

Sometimes the store brand is cheaper than a name brand even with a doubled coupon.
Sometimes somethings will be cheaper at one store and others cheaper at the store you regularly shop…is it worth your time and gas?
Sometimes shopping at Costco or Sam’s is a better deal. If you don’t think you can use a case, or don’t have room for a case, of apples? or an absurd amount of salami, go in with a friend and split it.

It’s like a game of 'The Price Is Right’.

I have been able to get toothpaste for less than a dollar, deodorant for 6 cents, Raman (which my boys love) for free, Tide for $2.00, Ragu (which I bought for ‘emergency purposes’) for 17 cents.

Other ways I save money are much more traditional...
…Buy meat on sale, only when it’s on sale.
Plan your meals ahead of time as you look at your circulars but don’t get stuck on said meals…I plan meals while I’m at the store as I see what’s on sale.
Chicken with bones in are always cheaper and removing bones is not that difficult or time consuming with practice.

Above I said ‘extreme couponing doesn’t exist’…That does not mean you can not save 1/3 off your grocery bill.
http://www.jillcataldo.com/supermarket_apologizes_for_extremecouponing

Some of my favorite sties and Apps are below…
http://www.passionforsavings.com/2011/04/extreme-couponing/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crazy-Coupon-Lady/142411752444680?ref=ts

http://www.couponsherpa.com/

http://www.totallytarget.com/

There are so many site you can access these days and it only takes a few minutes to do so. It’s only worth it if you DO it though.