Last week, Sarah posted a Frugal Friday post and invited us to join along this week. I'm glad she did - At the beginning of the month, I started doing some couponing and I'd been wanting to share what I've learned but wasn't quite sure where to fit it in here on the blog since it isn't my normal sort of post. I probably won't talk about this much here, but I it's been useful information for me and I really feel that I have found some incredible deals. I imagine most of you are in the same boat as me - already having a hard time getting ends to meet and now that the inflation is in full swing, finding it almost impossible to meet your budget and still eat something besides mac and cheese. So, I decided I would try to do some coupon bargain shopping. Missy had sent me some links to sites she was using a while ago and I finally went and looked at them. I started by reading Money Saving Mom and my first week I did a Walgreens diaper deal where the diapers came out to be about $2 a package. So far, this is the only blog I have read, but it's very comprehensive, easy to figure out, and I'd highly recommend it if you have been baffled by the coupon world previously (I was) and you want a good place to start. And then just tonight I delved into Hot Coupon World a little bit - it's a forum based website and a lot harder to navigate, but I was able to find details about deals at some of my local grocery stores.
I was most excited last week when I got all of the items in the picture for under $20.
Here's what I've learned so far:
1) It can be time consuming. I'm trying to strike a balance by letting others do some of the deal figuring for me, but it still takes time to clip and sort coupons. I've been spending a few hours a week doing it for the past three weeks or so. I've also started keeping track of my budget more carefully. I'm committed to do the couponing for at least three months. If I see a marked decrease in spending over those three months, I'll probably keep it up.
2) It's helpful to have multiple coupons. How do I get multiple coupons? Ryan is a little embarrassed that I do this, but I fish them out of the recycling bin. Our town doesn't have curbside recycling, so there is just one big recycling bin in the Kmart parking lot and I stop by when it's convenient and spend 5-10 minutes rifling through the top papers to find the coupons. There are other ways of doing this and lots of ideas about how to on the couponer sites. I don't pretend to be experienced at all in this, but this seems to be working for me.
3) You have to visit multiple stores. This is the part that I dislike the most. I had really been trying to just do one grocery store trip per week before this to save time and money, but with couponing, it's essential to visit the stores where the deals are. I am lucky to live in a town where all of the stores I visit are within a 5 mile radius of each other, so if I've planned well and the boys are behaving, I can hit four or so in a row in about 1.5-2 hours. I've been trying to go on Monday morning (I don't shop on Sundays) before the products on those really great deals are gone.
4) It's all about combining sales with coupons. Ideally, I would have a subscription to the paper so I got all the ads and all the coupons, but I find it just as easy to look at ads online, so I just try to remember the coupons I have and check them with the ads. This is where all those websites come in handy too - let other people figure out the deals for you and just read about them. Oh, and I was going to mention that none of the stores in my area do double couponing, so you don't need them to get great deals.
5) It can be addicting and a little bit fun. It's kind of a thrill to walk out of a store with a receipt that claims you've saved over $50 from the retail prices and even $30 from the sale prices (my total bill was $12). It's also really fun to have a deal where after you get your rebate (and most rebates are so easily done online now), the store will have paid you to shop there! I've only been doing this for three weeks and both of these scenarios have happened to me.
Feel free to ask questions - I'm a newbie at it, but I think I'm doing pretty well. I entered our budget info again today and found that we are well under our food budget for the month, so it looks like it's working.
Have a happy weekend everyone!
Wow! All of that for $20 is a great deal.
I have to figure out how to get multiples of papers too. We dont have a community recycling bin like that.
Posted by: Sarah | July 19, 2008 at 06:40 AM
Oh how I love couponing!! I believe that I see a little CVS shopping?? I got the shampoo deals too.
I have a great stockpile going with the bath and body items. I'm still trying to convince my hubby to use them when he goes out,Lol.
-Andre'a
Posted by: Andre'a | July 19, 2008 at 06:55 AM
Way to go Jess! I did that for awhile, but it became too time-consuming for me and my kids are so difficult at stores in general. There's no way I could hit four stores in a row. I also didn't like how I ended up buying different brands all the time. I did think of it, though, as a job in a way, because by saving money I was increasing the power of Mark's income. Maybe, though, as things get more and more expensive, I'll start doing it again. Thanks for all the great information!
Posted by: Cayenne | July 19, 2008 at 08:54 AM
I use thegrocerygame.com You have to pay for it, but it has a free 8 week trial. You should clip coupons for a few weeks before you try it. I think it saves a lot of time, and what I save makes up for the cost in the end.
Posted by: lisa | July 19, 2008 at 09:14 AM
Jesse...I ordered one of your checkbook covers from your Etsy site and I love it. It almost makes me happy to pay bills!
If you live in Eastern Idaho I wonder if you went to school in Pocatello or Marsh Valley? I went to high school at Marsh Valley and just wondered if I knew you... random I know but I love your blog and feel like I know you. But can't remember names very well!
Posted by: Sheri Blaisdell | July 19, 2008 at 03:40 PM
I've been doing a little couponing and deal hunting this summer. I'm sure it'll be easier when school starts. I'll have more time to search for coupons/deal and more time to shop. Oh, and I won't have to give in to some of the items DS wants to buy!
Here are a couple other sites for you:
http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.fishingfordeals.com/
Posted by: Christy | July 19, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Wow, I just came across this blog and I love it! You have such AMAZING ideas!!!!
Posted by: Danielle | July 20, 2008 at 12:12 PM
I think you are doing VERY well! The whole time issue is what gets me, but I am all about saving $.
Posted by: natasha | July 20, 2008 at 07:42 PM
it's already been suggested, but i HIGHLY suggest thegrocerygame.com you do pay for it (but it's like a buck or week, or so). the website is pretty easy to use & you only have to shop at one store. it takes a couple of weeks to ramp up (she explains that sales go in 12 week cycles) so you may not have all the coupons at first, but i've had incredible savings and not very much wor at all. & i don't buy things just because it's on sale, i only stick to brands i like.
Posted by: kelly | July 20, 2008 at 09:57 PM
I don't think I can take all the credit. I got into it through another blogger! The whole thing is pretty amazing once you get it down. I'm not into it as much as I should be yet, but every little bit counts!
Great job on your deals!!!
Posted by: Missy | July 21, 2008 at 06:29 PM
I also recommend thegrocerygame.com. They do all the work for you combining sales and coupons. All I do is hold onto the coupon inserts without clipping. Then I clip the coupons as I need them--they tell you which insert and date you can find the coupon. I have saved so much money with the subscription!
Posted by: Pieces | July 31, 2008 at 09:21 AM