Yeah, clipping coupons. I'm about 30 minutes away from a shower and a walk down to our Harris Teeter to grab the Sunday paper!
We've been trying -so- hard to save on groceries; buying what's on sale as opposed to what we usually would, but our grocery bills usually hover in the 70-ish range. Things are expensive, and we like things, I guess. We could do more and buy our bathroom toiletries and whatnot at WalMart, but you could not get me into this WalMart here for less than $100,000 and a week long vacation to Europe. (It's gnarly, folks.)
So I'm reverting to my mom, and I have many memories of myself as a kid, clipping coupons and sorting them with her in a big old shoebox. So in that respect it kind of made me smile. (I probably wouldn't have dug that memory out of my brain otherwise!) But yeah. I wasn't even sure if Sunday paper coupons even existed anymore, that's how out of the loop I am!
So here I go into a new foray of savings! Actually, on this last grocery run, we saved $17 by shopping just sales. If I can save an additional $10 a week, that's $40 at the end of the month that's not spent on groceries. And we need every bit of cash we can get in this economic craziness...
Let me know if you have any tips! ;)
[edit]
So after today's paper buying, I've discovered that the coupon section is EXTREMELY pared down from what I remember, oh, 20 or so years ago. I got two foldouts of coupons, about 15 pages each, at least half of that filled with infomercial-like advertisements for the Dual Action Lipo Tummy Shaper, or a Classic US Stamp Collection.
I managed to clip two coupons, one for hot dogs and one for tampons, and now I am conviced the universe is laughing at me.
Let's see how I saved:
Paper: -$1.49 (the paper is $1.50, but somehow I saved a penny)
Coupons: +$2.00 worth
Savings: = $0.51
Gotta start somewhere? Sheesh!
7 comments:
Ah, you're a girl after my own heart! I loved scouring the Sunday paper (pretty much the only reason to buy one where I grew up) for coupons. Pathetic I know, but there really is quite a rush when you realize you've saved a TON by using these little coupon gems. Especially on double coupon day. :)
I'm so with you! Every little bit helps, right? I always grab the papers right inside the door at the grocery store with all that week's deals and go off of that. A lot of coupons are online now. I just started thinking about what was on my list and googling that item plus coupon or deal. A lot of websites will have "deal" sections - like, I found a coupon for my Coffee Mate creamer on their website that just isn't printed.
There are some blogs out there that are solely dedicated to this...usually "mommy" type blogs. I'm not quite that hardcore, but they might be a place to get ideas!
And hey, .51 isn't too bad :)
Sami, Sami, Sami ... did you happen to catch my recent post?
http://nonchalantgirl.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-i-save-money-on-groceries-and.html
Hopefully there are tons of good things in there to help you. (It seems like maybe your area doesn't have all the coupons, so see if you can get a nearby paper delivered or get the coupons sent to you (or maybe a coupon clipping site).) Also, you need to clip everything, as you may not think you'll need it, but trust me. Oh, and when you're at the store, grab the "blinkies" (they're the coupons on the blinking ads around the store). They're pretty good too. And, once you get started, you'll be needing more than a shoebox. ^_- (I average about $50 a week on groceries alone, and that includes items to constantly add to my stockpile. Things like shampoo, toothpaste, etc. I hardly ever pay for anymore -- or pay very, very little for. ^_-)
@noelle - I love double coupon day!! Our grocery here actually does it quite often, so I'm stocking up :)
@TD - Yeah, I'm not going to be mega-hardcore either, but a few bucks here and there can't hurt! Our grocery (Harris Teeter) has an online app thing with all the deals for the current week, and it lets you make a "shopping cart" of them to print out :) Helpful!
@Gabby - You were my inspiration!! You're such a crafty gal :) You know, I never thought about those blinkies before, I need to keep an eye out for them. The local paper didn't seem to have a lot of coupons, so I've been researching a lot of coupon clipping websites today that look like they'll be a big help too! :)
A 20-SB stalker here :)
This post made me laugh so much (especially your little calculation at the end)!
xo
I try to clip only the coupons for products I use. I usually save three or four dollars a week using the coupons, but if you add that up for the year . . .
SQ
I used to clip coupons but I found that I was buying things that were on sale (with the coupon)that I didn't necessarily want and/or need.
Instead - I cut out meat a couple of days per week and replaced it with pasta or rice dishes with more veggies.
We're not veggies but this helped us cut back on our food bill.
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