Ok, so I mentioned a few weeks ago that I've been "couponing". I'm not talking, cutting just the Sunday paper coupons, and taking a few into the stores and getting .50 off here and .75 off there. No, I've never been good at that. You know; cut those babies out, set them on the kitchen counter and then the phone rings just before you're ready to go out grocery shopping, and that one load of laundry really needs to go into the dryer before heading out to the store, and, then at the register you realize, "OH Sigh, I must have left that .50 gem at home".
Isn't that generally the way it goes. Or, you have a handy little accordian organizer that you keep in your car at all times so you're really preparred, and then the day you're heading out, your garage door won't open cuz the clicker won't work, or you drive out of the garage and notice you have a flat tire. You've got a list a mile long to accomplish today, so you just call your daughter or best friend, ask to borrow her car and you're off. But, no coupons in hand.
Now, before you start rolling your eyes, thinking I've lost it; before you start wondering like a very good friend of mine asked recently, "did your husband put you on a very tight budget so he can buy some more real estate?" Let me explain.
About 6 weeks ago, Marci mentioned to me she had read on a blog she visits about this lady REALLY taking couponing seriously. She had taken a picture of her "steals" and calculated the dollar amount spent and the dollar amount saved. That was the beginning for Marci.
She started doing some research and would report to me what she was learning. I've always been the World's Worst when it comes to saving money at the grocery store..... Well, in years past I must say I always planned out my meals ahead of time, made a list, stuck to it, and shopped at what I considered the best price store in town.
I've also never been one to buy a lot of packaged food and I do enjoy cooking. So, I guess I'm not the World's Worst-----but I never paid any attention to signs like "price cut", "buy 3 get one free", "reduced for quick sale". I simply put my purse into my cart, started down the aisles, hummed along with Barry Manilow singing "Mandy" got what I needed, paid the bill and went home. I never "saw" coupons on the back of packages, or peelie coupons on the front of some products. I've probably taken a coupon to the grocery store 5 times in my entire life,
Not so now my friend. Not so now.
For about 6 weeks, in between driving to So Cal, visiting my grandkids, having company, going to Disneyland, cooking, cleaning, mending, etc, many waking moments have been spent learning this art form.
I've wondered why all of a sudden I'm interested in this. This is a time in my life when I don't have little ones at home. I don't have to cook for a family every night. I don't have to make lunches for school. My husband is the EASIEST person in the world to cook for. He actually does not want me to put meat, potatoes and a vegetable in front of him for dinner. He's THRILLED with steamed broccoli and cottage cheese!!!! THRILLED!!!! (Yes, I'm very fortunate.)
So, here's the deal. It's a game. Yes, I see it as a game and there are deadlines. There's strategy involved. And, I can compete against myself. I can score a great deal one day, but the desire to beat that the next day or soon thereafter is always just around the corner....and.......I'm hooked.
As my kids and grandkids can attest to, I love challenging games; competitive ones. I don't like games of chance or luck.
I've gotten some pretty good deals, but I'm considered a "newbie". It's a whole universe out there and I'm loving it.
In a nutshell, you cut coupons, and print some out online when they are offered. You SAVE them. Don't use them immediately, cuz within approx 3-4 weeks, those items will be on sale. That's when you bring them out and take them to the register. That's the kindergarden way. Then you move on up to 1st grade and start shopping the drug stores with their rewards cards and their own store coupons that you can stack with your manufacturer coupons that you've saved. So, when an item is normally $5.99 and it's on sale that week for $4.99 and you have a $1 off coupon, plus the store perhaps has an online coupon for an additional $1 off, you're now getting that item for $2.99. Combine that with the fact that Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid all give you some sort of "rewards" incentives on SOME items, you might possibly walk away with the item having not spent a dime. If you do that you've just graduated from 8th grade. Then there's high school, college and graduate school, and that's where it gets really FUN.
Marci and I have seen videos of people shopping through the store, filling their carts full, getting to the register and the total being somewhere around $275.00 before coupons. Then the coupons are handed over and you watch that total reduce with each coupon scanned, and guess what????? The final cost was .01!!!! Yes, .01. Now thats FUN!
