Manifesto Part Two....

Ok, so I'm confessing...I got a wave of butterflies when I brought this up to pen a new post...I had 58 views on my little ole blog yesterday and picked up one new follower.  Totally a humbling experience.  I have several blogs that I follow and they talk about how they love their readers, and comments totally make their day, blah, blah, blah...I rolled my eyes until today.  Ahem, so thank you all so much for coming by, even if you just read it once, it means a lot to me and is so humbling...in a weird and very showing up for your final in your underwear kind of way.

So a couple of clarifications...

• I want to reiterate that I don't personally go and pull all the ads for grocery stores etc...I rely upon my hero from Southern Savers to do that. 
• I DO subscribe to the Sunday paper. 
• You are generally limited to two prints per coupon online.  Don't let that stop you from clicking on every link to see if you can print more.  All they can do is say no.
• The rule above applies to per IP address...basically meaning per computer.  If there is something that is a really good sale or I really want a lot of, I may or may not print my limit on my computer and my husbands...just sayin'...
• Obviously storage is VERY important.  My pantry is laughably tiny.  Thankfully we have this little space under our stairs in the garage where this shelving fits perfectly and we house the family grocery store. 

Now on to the logistics...I'm ALWAYS very interested in finding out EXACTLY how someone does something successful...EXACTLY.  So I don't want to overwhelm you but you're about to get a lot of information.

How do you keep track of coupons?

1. Coupon Binder was my first foray into coupon organization.  A large three ring binder, baseball card holders, and dividers.  Here is a link to an example that links you to this example so you can see both women's inputs.  I liked it because I could see everything, but I HATED folding my coupons, running out of space, and if it got turned over they fell out everywhere.
2. You can also use the Coupon Binder method above, but NOT clip your coupons out of the coupon booklets until you need them.  You can just date the front of the flier and file it for use when you need it.  I did this method for a while, but found that it got messy, I got lazy, and it ended up not being very organized for me.
3. I have recently started with My Coupon Keeper and I have to say I love it.  So you can do this method with anything you want...I've seen it done with shoe boxes, accordion files, and index card holders...I chose to pay for this one because, as you can see, I've been through many iterations of organization.  I liked that this one has very durable materials, it is wide enough to accommodate larger coupons (like the ones from online) without folding them, you can reorganize your filing system on the fly, it already employed the folder system for shopping so I kinda felt on the same wave length with the creator (and the folder is little too).

How do you decide what coupons to clip and what not to?

• From the Sunday paper, I clip pretty much everything, with my new system.  With the exception of animal food and refrigerated coffee creamer (though I'm kicking myself because it's on sale and would be just a few cents...but I DON'T NEED IT and don't have anyone to give it to...see how this gets out of control?) I clip it all.  There is the possibility that I might buy it if the price is right and the coupons are there and it's on sale.  There is no wasted effort with a snip or two more of the scissors and to file it away. . .and I KNOW I have it if I see the opportunity.
• Web Coupons...I usually only print the ones that are matched up in the ads.  I often will run across things that I buy with frequency and print those too so I already have them.

Where all do you shop?

•  I really only shop at Publix.  Mainly because I don't have time to go to the other places.  They carry out my groceries, smile, I understand their sales, and weirdly, they are brightly lit (I know, who puts that in their requirements for a grocery store...)
• Jasen totally prefers Kroger and has done well on his couponing adventures...don't tell him I just posted that for the world to see, please!  :)
• I REALLY want to take the next step and start going to Rite Aid or Walgreens because I've seen some bloggers post some amazing deals they have gotten there and have spent little or nothing or even MADE money.
• I tried to start taking advantage of Target deals, but I very much had an epic FAIL at my first attempt.  I spent way more money than I'd anticipated, ended up returning most of my stuff (I know, it WAS kind of embarrassing) and didn't get as much money back as I'd expected.  I have more studying to do. . .and don't be put off by my experience.  I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes with these things just because of how I think about them...and I'm sure my expectations are WAY off too :)

Ok, that is a lot of information for this post...what questions do you have? 

Couponing Manifesto

I recently posted on Facebook about some amazing grocery savings I had and received lots of questions about it.  A light went off in my head, after my epic response disappeared, that I should format it into a blog post!  Tada!  Not only am I sharing my experience I have simultaneously roped you unsuspecting readers into navigating to my brand new baby blog for some cursory oohs and ahhhs. . .muahahahaha.  Ahem. . .So now on to why you're really here. . .a couponing best practice sharing!

So I have always suffered from sever buyers remorse, even at the grocery store.  When I was newly married I would come home crying because I felt like I had spent too much money at the grocery store...poor Jasen.  Probably about 2 years ago, I was shopping at Kroger and saw a lady with this HUGE binder checking out and she handed the cashier a stack of coupons, and I watched in awe as her enormous total (that had made me break out in hives) dwindle to hardly anything.  I checked out as quickly as I could, and I'm not ashamed to say, I stalked that lady down in the parking lot!  I gave her my information and asked her to contact me because I would like to learn more; I felt like in light of the whole parking lot stalking she might feel safer in control of that exchange, because at this point I wanted to follow her home and make her my guru).  Thankfully she emailed me and shared some of her secrets.  Shortly after, I saw a friend's FB post on her couponing and I was hooked.  I'm a TOTAL sucker for a deal and for saving money.  If there was a sash and some badges I could put on there and wear around, I totally would. 

You don't have to invest in anything super crazy to get started, because you can quickly over complicate a very easy thing (I have an amazing talent for doing just that).  I started with a binder and some baseball card holder things (clear plastic page protectors)...there are several other methods of organization, and I'm currently on to a different one, but we can talk about that later.  I would say the BEST first stop is www.southernsavers.com.  She is amazing.  On the top of her page she has a tab that is labeled "Learn to Coupon".  She walks you through step by step what to do.  The REALLY beauty of her site, to me, is that she takes the circulars and sales for the grocery stores each week (Publix, Kroger, Walmart, and Target are the main ones) and lists everything out, tells you what coupons are available from the paper and what the date was and which circular, then she also links you to the ones available online, and THEN gives you a rough estimate of how much your item will be after coupons.  Then it gets even better, she has little boxes you can check and make your grocery list right from her page, and print out all the coupon link ups too!

My favorite and most beneficial store is Publix.  I know that many women I was talking to on FB only have Kroger and Walmart available for grocery shopping.  I have a friend who feels she does WAY better on deals at Kroger than at Publix, and I feel the opposite.  I really think it comes down to how you process the sales and the savings etc. . .

Strategy is important.  Here is what I do to maximize my savings.  I pull the sales each week for my grocery store of choice and make my list of things that are on sale that I need or will need.  I generally ONLY shop for the items that are on sale with minimal items that are not on sale on my list.  Once I have my list and all my coupons printed and cut, I go through and determine how many of each item I will be purchasing based on my coupon number.  I do my best to max out my purchase with the number of coupons I have each week.  I really like a stock pile and based on my experience if they are listed on the lists, and she has lots of coupons listed, and the end result is cheap...I'm going to buy as much as I can because if I have the coupons chances are those items aren't going to be going back on sale before those coupons run out. . .at least I haven't reached the level of mania to track that part. 

I have read lots of comments from people on couponing blogs about how they don't want to alter their buying habits just because it is on sale or not buy junk etc etc...I really haven't altered anything other than the money I spent.  Do I sometimes buy brands I wouldn't normally or items I wouldn't because it IS on sale and next to nothing yes...but if I'm not going to use it, I donate it.  For example, Publix had a sale this week on Totinos Pizzas, they ended up being like $.25 each...I try not to feed my family those kinds of things with frequency, but for that price, I bought like 20 to stock up in the freezer for a another time (like the next year)...yeah, sometimes you get funny looks with your buggy piled high with frozen pizzas, covering up all the healthy food beneath, and your 3 year old practicing his evil laugh at all the people you pass...but those funny looks turn into parking lot stalkers after they have seen your grocery bill.

.....to be continued......

I'm a terrible blogger...I know...I'm sorry...

I know, I know, my new years resolution is already sadly lagging behind. . .you know the REALLY sad thing?  I find myself THINKING in blog post form.  Hey, it's a step up from thinking in facebook status form, right?  The SADDEST thing?  I can't think of a single thing to say in this post, ha! 

So here are some updates...

• We have a new 55" TV...it's obscene and beautiful.  And I'm waiting with baited breath for my rebates to come back so I don't have to box it back up to send it back, sobbing.
• We moved our old flat tv to our bedroom: LOVE IT.  It's totally like being at the theater in my bed!
• Roman has fully discovered Batman and went to school today in his batman PJ top with a cape.  I couldn't help it.
• He still likes boodies.
• He's now 3, which just blows my mind and he FULLY knows how to push my buttons, though when told he's pushing my buttons he replies with, "Buttons, where are you buttons, Mommy?  Where do I push?"  Jasen laughs and I just roll my eyes, what else can I do?
• A psudo-Spring has arrived and they can't figure out the temperature in my building at work...so by noon I'm sweating like I'm in an Ashley Judd movie.
• I have discovered the dough cycle on my bread machine...can I say HEAVEN!?!?  I can make some GORGEOUS french bread and I can't seem to stop baking.  Seriously, I had to run out to buy more flour as a snow storm was moving in because I didn't want to be snowed in without having enough flour to bake...it's THAT bad.

That's about all for now.  I promise that my posts will be more frequent and more thoughtful.  I hope people are reading ;)

Happy Valentines Day!
XOXO