Couponing!

It started when Riley was born. We were in a difficult place and I refused to buy things like diapers without deals and coupons (first by necessity and then stubbornness.) Then things got better and I forgot all about that single-minded determination to save money. That is until now. Last week Mike made a MAJOR purchase. We got a 3D TV, 3D Blu-ray player and 2 family packs of glasses. He waited for a sale and used gift cards, but it was an upset for sure and there have been so many "upsets" lately for one reason or another. As fate would have it, on the first day of the new fancy TV I saw my first episode of Extreme Couponing.

I assumed it was one of those laugh at/pity the weirdos kind of shows, but I was fascinated. I watched every episode I could get my hands on and instead of making me laugh at the freaks, it made me feel lazy. I used each episode as a learning opportunity. Once I'd seen the show I hit Google looking for couponing blogs. My two favorites currently are My Frugal Adventures and Addicted to Savings. You don't have to follow blogs you can simply Google: "__________ matchups" for each of your favorite stores. You can figure a lot out just by looking through the sale ads (which are ALL available online).

So far I've learned a lot. The first step in saving money can be achieved by anyone, even without the full time commitment couponing requires, PAY ATTENTION. Sounds simple, but how often do you march into a store any old day and time and throw stuff in your cart without a glance at the signs? How often do you zone out at check out and swipe your card without even registering your total? For me those bad habits were constant. Warning: Once you start paying attention you can't stop and it begins to cause physical pain when you pay more than you should.

I've learned you have to shop at more than one store. Sales are the best way to maximize your coupon value. Grocery stores change sales on Weds and big box stores every Sunday. Pay attention to dates on circulars though because occasionally they have 3 day sales, etc. Most grocery stores in Florida do not double coupons or allow overages. They cover up to the value of each item. Most accept one store and one manufacturer coupon per item. A lot of stores take competitors coupons (Target, Sweetbay, Publix), but CVS will not.

I've hit a couple milestones in the few weeks I've applied myself to couponing. I spent less than I saved, I scored free items with clever coupon use and I've officially organized my coupon binder. I've started (this week) making meal plans based on grocery store sales and what we've got stocked up. It's exciting, but so much work. It's taken a physical toll on me already, going to 2-3 stores a week (sometimes two trips), but I think it's also good physical therapy.

The Pluses

• Save Money
• Sticking it to the Man
• Clearing Unwanted Stock for the Stores
• Building a Safety Net for the Tight Times/Emergencies
• Feeling in Control
• Fulfilling Primal Gathering Impulse
• Curbs Impulse Buying
• Encourages Organization of Grocery Items at Home (no more letting things expire)
• Social opportunities (trading, passing on of coupons and deals)
• Team Building Experience for the Family- "We're all in this together"
• You Eat Healthier (Because you're not caught unprepared running out for fast food as much and because there's lots to choose from).

Minuses

• Full Time Job Hours
• Heavy Binder Lugging
• Anxiety at Register (coupon/sale item not ringing up, math errors, etc)
• Physically Demanding (2-6 store trips a week, lifting heavy things into cart/car)
• Math Intensive
• Stress About Expiration Dates, Sales ending, etc
• Stress About Wasting Money
• The People Behind You in Line (buying a lot of sales items and forking over a coupon for every item on the belt doesn't win you friends).
• Checkout with Children in Tow Becomes Impossible.
• Requires Investment in Additional Storage

A bottom line to remember: Good deals and stocking up on things your family uses is smart, but don't buy something you don't need/use because it's on sale that defeats the purpose. It's always better to spend less money.

We're stocked up on soap, deodorant, dish soap, toothpaste, pet foods, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, side dishes and cereal now. This week I'm in search of laundry detergent, paper towel and lunch item deals. It's very discouraging at first, but I'm happy overall at our new direction. Maybe we won't be out of debt and stockpiled for a year in the immediate future, but maybe it's not as far off as it seemed before.