Couponing

I am not an extreme couponer by any means, but I've gotten better at using them recently and they've certainly helped stretch our grocery budget. With grocery prices rising the way they are and with some medical bills we're still paying (did you know a lab charges almost $400 to analyze a placenta? and that just using a hospital for an ultrasound costs over $1,000? that's not even the ultrasound cost!), stretching is a gooood thing. This last week, for instance, I ended up with a free bag of organic baby carrots, boxes of brownie mix for .63 each, and a 32 oz container of yogurt for $1.39. The baby carrots go in the Strider's work lunches, I try to eat yogurt frequently, and the brownie mixes wouldn't normally be in my pantry but there are a couple big group functions coming up soon where I'll be expected to bring a dessert or side dish. Boxed brownie mix for .63 is, for me, worth it.

Friends and I were discussing coupons in another forum online and I ended up with a very long-winded comment about how I make coupons work for us. It was so long, I decided it could be a post here. ;)

1) One of our stores doubles all coupons up to .50. I try to have coupons on hand when I'm at that store, because while something might not be worthwhile to me for .50 off its price, it would be for $1 off its price. The 32 oz container of yogurt that I got last week went down to $1.39 because of a .50 coupon doubled. I don't mind store brands either, but this was cheaper than the store brand.

2) I combine coupons with sales 99% of the time. If it's not on sale, it's probably not worth using the coupon, because most coupons are for things that are a bit higher priced anyway. The exception would be staple items... I had a coupon off of apple cider vinegar once. I knew I was going to need it and I knew it wasn't going to go on sale anytime soon, so I went to the grocery store that had it the cheapest and just used it there.

3) I usually try to just clip/print coupons as I come across them, store them all, and then when I'm making my grocery shopping list, go through them again. I also try to have my all my coupons with me when I'm out and about because sometimes there will be an unadvertised sale that will go well with my coupons.

4) I used to be really picky about which coupons I clipped, thinking that it would be better if I only clipped ones that I was *sure* I was going to use. Now I clip many more, because I'm never sure when things will be on sale and suddenly be worth getting. The .63 cent boxes of brownie mix that I got recently are an example of that.

5) It usually takes me about fifteen minutes to go through the coupon booklet on Sundays and clip what I want (I can do it while we're watching a movie or talking). Then I usually hit the MoneySaving Mom blog once a day for news about internet coupons. About once a week, I look at the ones on my MyPoints account. Moneysaving mom is where I got the coupon link for $1 off organic veggies that I was able to use in combination with a store sale of $1 to get 1 lb of organic carrots free. It may not save us a ton of money each week, but it does save us a little bit and that little bit adds up, especially with some of the bills we're dealing with right now.

6) I don't believe in hoarding, but I do believe it's prudent to stock up and maintain good supplies for your families in a cost effective way. Coupons help greatly with that. Last week there was a Wal-Greens store coupon for .99 for Dawn dish soap and a coupon in the Sunday fliers for .50 off the same soap. We didn't need dish soap yet, but .49 is a fantastic price and so I purchased a bottle. Now when we run out of what we're currently using, I won't have to pay full price for one. I'll have one that I got for under .50 ready to use. :)

7) FINALLY. (whew. you thought I was never going to end)... it took me a while to get into a good groove and fit for me for my couponing. There are people who are more efficient at it and people who buy things with them that I just don't use (Febreeze, canned vegetables, Lunchables, etc.). That's fine. I don't need to have my grocery receipts look like someone else's; I need them to show that I did the best I possibly could for us.