The Stroller Strategy: The Usefulness of Cup Holders

Day 41

I still take unplanned shopping trips. I know, I know, I should be ashamed of myself. I know that planning transactions is how I score very deep savings and yet I still find the need to run into a store on a pinch and NOT save nearly as much money.

But I always have my coupon files on me. So on these unplanned shopping trips, I still try to sift through my coupons quickly and use what I can. For this, I have found my baby stroller cup holders to be an excellent tool.

When I find a coupon that matches up with a product, I stick the product in the stroller basket and the coupon in the cup holder. I go through the entire shopping trip sorting through my coupon file and removing the applicable coupons and putting them in the cup holders. When I get to the register, I have the products in my stroller basket and the coupons in the cup holders and I can get out of there as quickly as if I had planned the trip…well, almost!

Deals on the Go: Why I carry scissors in my coupon organizer

Day 40

 

I would encourage anyone who is couponing to carry scissors with them. I have had so many moments where I have been glad to have scissors/wish I had scissors since starting this project.

Sometimes coupons are left on my windshield. Sometimes they are in a store circular that you come across at a doctor’s office. Or in a magazine at the salon. Or sitting in an envelope in the mailbox. Or at the end of a receipt.

And I have found that if I do not clip it and organize it in my coupon holder right away, the likelihood that I will remember to do so later is quite small.

So a small child sized pair of scissors in my purse has been a lifesaver, or more appropriately put, a money saver.

To Buy or Not to Buy: My take on unnecessary items

Day 39

Perhaps it is because I started this project in the spring, but I have noticed a large amount of sales on allergy medications. Every week there are some really deep savings on allergy meds. I once calculated that I could have gotten a bottle of a brand name allergy medication of about $0.60. It almost seemed “too good to pass up.” But I did pass it up.

I passed it up because it is a totally unnessisary purchase for me. Nobody in my household uses allergy medications. Perhaps if I were to find a friend or family member who uses the medications I have found on sale, I would advise them and help them score some deep savings. But the idea of stocking items that we do not use does not appeal to me. And the way I reason it, if it is a product I will never use, then it is a waste of money. Even if it is pocket change, it is a waste of pocket change.

If it were an item I could donate, like dog food for my local animal shelter or canned goods I could donate to a soup kitchen, I might feel differently. But I just cannot bring myself to purchase a deeply discounted item that I can’t fathom a use for.

Perhaps you feel differently. If so, please comment, I would love to hear it!

The Angry Cashier

Day 38

I went to the pharmacy today and purchased some cosmetics and shampoo using a combination of coupons and store sales and catalina’s (those recept coupons that print out with some purchases). It was quite a show.

In my experience thus far, most cashiers are so supportive and accommodating and patient with my planned couponing shopping trips. But today, I ran into a wall. Everything was going smoothly until one coupon refused to scan. I had read all of the fine print and knew that it should work, so I insisted that she “try again”. When she did, it did work (I’m not sure what buttons she had to push to make it work, but suffice to say that it did work).

 Then, I showed her a bar code that was sent to me via e-mail for an additional $3 off of a purchase. The e-mail clearly said, cashier “can scan code from smartphone or printout” but she insisted that she could not scan my phone. I asked if we could “try it” and she became cross and shouted across to another cashier, “Can you explain to this lady that I can’t scan a phone!” Then she looked at me menacingly and said, “Do you want me to call a manager?!”

I should have said “yes.”

But there was a line and she was upset, and it is a coupon that won’t expire soon, so I said “no, it’s ok.” And I left spending $3 more than I was planning.

But the receipt from this transaction printed out even more coupons and savings, so I will definitely be back- but perhaps I will visit another location!

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 661.59  (previous total- I will calculate this transaction with another transaction at the same chain in a later post)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 20 minutes (10 planning and 10 shopping)

A Couponing Rule to Live By #3

Day 37

 

Another item that you can score deep discounts on is deodorant. If you are not picky about brands, there is almost always a coupon/sale combination for deodorant each week. Also, I have noticed that my local dollar tree sometimes stocks brand name deodorants, so if you have a coupon, you will get it for under a dollar. My best price for deodorant was 0.06 each, scored with a BOGO offer and a coupon for $2 off of 2. But even 0.80-0.90 is pretty good for an item that can retail for over $3. Consider this when you come across a deal on deodorant and STOCK UP!

A Couponing Rule to Live By #2

Day 36

Never pay more than $0.80 for Dish Soap. I mean the kind that you use for washing dishes by hand. One brand or another of Dish soap is almost always going on sale. And I have not come across a newspaper yet that does not contain at least one coupon for dish soap.

It is just one of those items that you are better off waiting for the perfect moment to combine a coupon with a store sale and then stock up. I have quite a few bottles in my stockpile after only a month of couponing.

Savings on Birthday Gifts

Day 35

My daughter is in a wonderful class of 18 students. Almost every student in her class has a birthday party in which my daughter is invited. I try to take my daughter to everyone’s birthday party. I know this sounds crazy, but we live in a town other than the one we grew up in, so my husband and I have only a few close friends and no family locally. So I feel like spending time with her friends from school and attending their parties is an important part of her socialization.

That being said, I need to economize on spending on birthday gifts: Both for the sake of time and the sake of money. I can’t go out and purchase a gift every time there is an invitation. So when I find something good, I try to capitalize on it. Last month such an opportunity arose.

My local Pottery Barn Kids had marked down a bunch of items that make great birthday gifts. Many of the items were projects, books, puzzles, and interesting kits from National Geographic. All the items were on clearance and boasted an additional percentage off. I bought about $50 worth of toys and games. On Saturday my daughter had a birthday party to attend and I chose 2 items from the Pottery Barn Kids Shop: A National Geographic Kit and a Football themed game. One item was originally marked at $29.99 but I paid $3, the other was $9.99 and I paid $1. So for a grand total of $4, I was able to give a very nice party gift. And I saved $35.98 off of retail.

In addition, I placed the purchases on my Pottery Barn Credit Card, which gives me $25 in gift certificates for every $250 spent, so while I might be a long way off from the gift certificate, I am one step closer than AI was before!

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 697.57  (previous total + $35.98 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0 (This occurred during a regular outing)

School Uniform Recycle

Day 34

My daughters school uses school uniforms from a prescribed retailer. Last year, I visited the retailer with a 15% off coupon. I spent $240 and bought the following:

1 Dress

1 Skirt

1 Pair Shorts

2 Pairs of Slacks

2 Polos

1 Blouse

1 Long Sleeved Polo

1 Sweater

1 T-Shirt

---------------------------

TOTAL 11 Items

My daughter and I were quite resourceful and this shopping trip lasted us the entire year. But she absolutely needs more uniforms for next year. She has grown out of everything I purchased her last year. So I am packing the old uniforms up, in the hopes that my second daughter can use them one day as well.

This year, a parent at my daughters school advised me to attend the annual Uniform Recycle Sale. I am so glad. I spent exactly $60.99 in gently used uniforms and received the following:

3 Skirts

1 Dress

3 Polos

2 Blouses

1 Pair of Shorts

1 Pair of Capris

1 Sweater

2 Long Sleeved Polos

1 T-Shirt

---------------------------------------

TOTAL: 15 Items

So to sum it all up, I got 4 items more than last year and I spent 179.01 less than last year. And the proceeds from the sale went to a charitable cause. I really felt like everyone won in this transaction.

I know that this tip isn’t any good if your school does not have a uniform recycle sale. But remember, you can always organize an event like this at your child’s school. Or, you and a handful of parents with children of different ages can exchange uniforms and/or sell uniforms to each other. It saves money and it is environmentally friendly.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 661.59  (previous total + $179.01 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0 (uniform shopping is something we would have done anyway)

Photo Savings

Day 33

My daughter received a Scrapbooking Kit for her birthday. This was a great gift: she is super creative and loves stickers and pictures. I found out that WalMart.com gives you 25 free photo prints when you open an account, so I opened an account and allowed her to pick 25 pictures of her choice from our picture library for her scrapbook. She loved this activity, and scrolled through photos of her family and friends to come up with her 25 favorites. And it was really simple: we added the 25 to our cart, hit the “checkout” button, typed in the discount code, and picked up the photos after an hour.

According to the receipt, I saved $3.89 off of the retail price for 25 prints.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 482.58 (previous total + $3.89 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0 (This was something we would have done anyway)

Ask Before You Shop

Day 32

I needed  to buy one of those cheap umbrella strollers. This summer we will be travelling and the big day-to-day stroller will just be too bulky to lug around at airports and cruise terminals.

I saw a good candidate for purchase at WalMart for $14. I also saw another stroller that would fit the bill at Babies R Us for $19. But then I casually brought up the fact that I was looking for an umbrella stroller while I was out with some friends and it turns out that a friend of mine was trying to sell her old umbrella stroller on Craigslist for $4. I stopped by to see her the next day and sure enough, there in the garage, was a suitable umbrella stroller. It still had some of the packaging on the footrest of the stroller. In other words, it was practically new. And her kids hadn’t used it in years.

She wanted to give it to me, but since she did have it listed on Craigslist for $4, I gave her the money and left with my “new” travel stroller.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 478.69  (previous total + $10 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0

Reflecting on a Month of Saving

Day 31

This has seriously been a lot of work. And I have saved nearly $486 in one month. So I do think it is worth it. But it takes time, dedication and consistency.

I have built op quite a stockpile of diapers and shampoo. I have also stockpiled several paper towels. I have a good amount of peanut butter. I have a nice pile of baby food. Other items are present in my pantry, but have been used at a rate that prevent me from building up a “stockpile” of them.

I notice that baby food often goes on clearance long
before the expiration date. When it does, I try to
stock up.

Even the Organic baby food eventually
goes down in price!

 

But I have resolved to make this couponing experiment a little easier. This involves spending some money.  I spent $2 on bigger coupon organizers. These are plastic, more durable, and have more tabs so I can break down the coupons into more categories.

I also subscribed to the newspaper. It is just easier to see the paper sitting on my front door than to go out for one on a lazy Sunday afternoon. When I called to subscribe, I was told that I could get the paper every day for the “low introductory rate” of $15 a month. But after only 4 days of getting the paper, I can see that this is too much. I really only need the Sunday paper, as the others (I have observed) do not have any coupons. So I am going to try to change my subscription to either only Sundays or to multiple copies of the Sunday paper instead of a paper every day.

I will appreciate these little conveniences even more when I go back to work.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 468.69  (previous total - $2 for coupon organizers - $15 Newspapers)  

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0

The Plastic Cup

Day 30

I went to Dunkin Donuts today to get my semi-regular cup of iced coffee. Instead of going through the drive through, I walked in. This decision was spur of the moment. It was a rare moment when I was without the kids and decided to slow down a bit and “stop to smell the coffee” so to speak.

And on the rack inside the store, I saw these cute plastic sipper cups for iced coffee. Since I sometimes make iced coffee at home, I decided to purchase a cup. I had no idea how much it would be, but I grabbed it and went to pay. When the cashier rang up my transaction, I was shocked to see that the cup was 9.99. That is one expensive plastic cup! But the girl casually mentioned that I could bring the cup in for a refill on my subsequent trips to Dunkin Donuts.

I thought that I must be the stupidest consumer in the world. $9.99 seemed ridiculous for a plastic cup. But then I considered the environmental impact of me using one less disposable cup each time I go buy coffee and I made peace with my purchase.

A few days later, on my way to work, I stopped by Dunkin Donuts with my cup for my aforementioned “refill.” And when the cashier rang me up the cup of coffee was $1 LESS than I usually pay! It turns out “refills” are cheaper than purchasing the iced coffee outright! I HAD NO IDEA! So the cup will pay for itself in 9 transactions. And I go to Dunkin Donuts for coffee at least twice a week- so in less than 5 weeks, the cup is free and then I begin SAVING on my coffee habit! And I use one less disposable cup each time.

$1.39 means I'll be BACK!

 

They should seriously promote this. It is an amazing deal for coffee drinkers. And a nice chance for me to grab a cup of coffee and relax for about $1.50.

Spread the word!

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 485.69  (previous total- I really won’t be “saving” with the cup until it has paid for itself in about 5 weeks)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0

Discount Clothing Retailers

Day 29

I love discount clothing retailers like Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx. It is fun to fish around in there and see what you come up with. But I rarely go to these stores when I need something to wear for a specific occasion. This is because it takes a LOT of looking to find what you are looking for, and there is no one employed to help you find the right outfit/shoes/accessories combination. And I am not very good at “putting it together.” I really rely on fashion magazines, salespeople, and my cousins fashion blog for advise on how to use clothing and accessories to put together a look.

But today I had a banquet to go to. And since I have recently lost a lot of the weight I gained while I was pregnant, very few of my clothes are fitting well. I went to Dillard’s first, where they had an amazing sale on some beautiful cocktail dresses. But they all started two sizes too big for me. The salesman was so helpful looking around for my size, but it seems like the “smalls” were all gone. As I walked out of the store I looked all the way to the other end of the mall where I could see the Ross in the distance.

I jumped in my car and went to Ross. I was in there for over an hour sifting through disorganized racks of clothing. But I did find 2 dresses: one cocktail dress for this evening and one wrap dress suitable for work. The cocktail dress was 20.99 (and it was Calvin Klein!) and the wrap dress was on clearance for 9.99. I also bought a strapless bra for the evening dress: an additional 9.99. All together I spent $41.

I always struggle with how to document purchases like this in this blog. How can I compare what I spent when I am not sure how much I would have spent on an item in a retail store? But this time there is a direct comparison: I was ready to spend $80 on a cocktail dress at Dillard’s. And instead bought 3 items for half of that: so I am going to say that I saved $40.

$40 is a good way to look at what I saved for the purposes of this blog. Although I suspect that I really saved much more if I were to factor in what I got for the money.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 485.69  (previous total + $40 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 1.5 hours (Sifting and trying on at least 9 dresses in order to find the two I ultimately purchased).

The Receipt Survey: Why Not?

Day 28

I know it sounds crazy, but I really do take a minute to fill out the customer surveys at the end of the receipts. Sometimes, I just save the receipts from my purchases all week long and then complete the surveys on my phone when I am in a waiting room or while my daughter is at her karate lesson.

Sometimes the receipts offer a chance to win a cash prize in a drawing- these are pretty much worthless to me. I have filled out tons of these, as have most people I know, and I have NEVER met anyone who won the drawing. I suppose if I do run into someone who got the illusive cash payout, I might feel differently about these surveys. But for now, I think they are right up there with buying a lotto ticket- a waste of time and money.

But then there are the stores that offer a discount off of your next purchase- just for doing the survey! This is great! Last Christmas, I was able to make pretty baskets for my daughters teachers using “Get $10 off $30” at Bath and Body Works- just from completing a 5 minute survey. When you consider that I got $10 for a 5 minute survey, it does not seem like such a bother. Few people make $10 in 5 minutes at their job.

So consider filling out the survey. Then hold onto the receipt. If you use it, it is worth it!

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 445.69  (previous total)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0 (No shopping today)

The Return Visit: A coupon Strategy

Day 27

I went to Banana Republic today armed with a coupon that was sent to me via e-mail for 30% off. My husband needed work shirts. The shirts he typically buys are around $50, but today, I decided to splurge and buy the shirts that retail for $79.50. With my coupon, the nicer shirts came out to $55.65, or roughly the price of the cheaper shirts. My husband was genuinely appreciative. It was nice to be able to treat him…and still spend about the same amount of money that we usually would!

Banana Republic offers discounts for teachers. If you are a teacher or school administrator, bring your valid school ID to Banana republic and they will take 15% off regular priced styles. Although I am an educator, I rarely use this discount because I am also signed up for their e-mails, which often yields me deeper discounts.

The "nicer" shirt.

 

They also often offer coupons when you purchase something, offering 40% off a regular priced item on certain specified Wednesdays. If you are planning to purchase an expensive item, it is worth going in to purchase something less expensive first, so that you can get the 40% off coupon. Consider visiting the same rack over the weekend, and then return to the store the following Wednesday to use the 40% off coupon they gave you for the sale purchase.

I should seriously learn how to turn these photos
the right way. But look at that Total Discount-
You can see the savings no matter how the photo is
positioned!

 

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 445.69  (previous total + $47.70 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 5 minutes (Printing the coupon from my e-mail).

For the Days Without a Coupon

Day 26

Here is the problem with couponing. You become better at it, you’re saving money. And then you come to a transaction where you know you should have a coupon, but you do not. Then you are totally dissatisfied and mourning the loss of this ridiculous amount of money. That is how I felt today when I got to the store and realized that I could not find my coupon for “Little Swimmers Diapers.” But I did need the diapers. And of course, as soon as I got home, I found the -1.50 coupon folded up amongst my other things. And you would have thought I’d lost my life savings the way I felt about it. But look at my receipt: I saved $19.50!

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 397.99  (previous total + $19.50 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 15 minutes (Planning the shopping trip).

More Diapers

Day 25

I saved on diapers today, on an unplanned shopping trip. I have stockpiled about 4 boxes of diapers, so I shouldn’t have to buy diapers for a while.

 

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 378.49  (previous total + $8.23 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0 (Necessary shopping trip).

Back So Soon...

Day 24

I went back to Winn Dixie today for 2 reasons:

1- I needed to buy postage stamps and this was the closest place.

2- I realized that I could get shampoo for less than a dollar

I saved $3.99 off of retail.

 

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 370.26   (previous total + $3.99 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: 0 (I had to go shopping for the stamps).

BOGO- What a Beautiful Thing!

Day 23

We eat a lot of seafood in my family. I prepare seafood two to three times a week. So when I saw Buy one get one free seafood items in the Winn Dixie circular this week, I had to go stock up. They also had toilet paper and paper towels on sale, which I coupled with my coupons. I planned this trip rather quickly, using an abbreviated version of my item by item method described on Day 18, and since the circular was only 2 pages, it only took me about 20 minutes.

 

But it is a good thing I did scan the circular, because I almost missed a great sale/coupon combination in deodorant. It was so good, that even though I forgot to purchase the deodorant in my first transaction, I went back into the store (a feat made difficult because I had to return to the store with my baby who thought the shopping was over). But I got the deodorant.

2 sticks of deodorant- regular price 2.99 on sale for 0.99 each= total 2.00 and I had a $2 off of 2 coupon. SO they were free. And I only paid 0.12 tax.

 

This made me smile. Even if the baby was wailing in the stroller.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 363.28   (previous total + $25.27 saved off retail and .50 earned in fuel perks- since I have a 10 gallon car + 2.99 x 2 saved on deodorant)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 1 Hour (planning and shopping).

A Couponing Rule to Live By

Day 22

I received another circular from the pharmacy last night in the mail and decided to do another one of my planned shopping trips using the steps from my blog entry on Day 18. This time it went a lot quicker. Only about 15 minutes. I settled on 5 items. I spent $7.16 and saved over $14 off retail.

I also learned an important lesson: I should not spend more than 0.50 on shampoo and conditioner.

I used to run out of shampoo and conditioner and then on a pinch I would pick some up at the Dollar store and think that I was getting a great deal. But the quality of the shampoo I was getting was not that good, and the quantity was somewhat less than the quantity I would get at a regular drug store. Now with coupons, I have amassed a small stockpile of brand name shampoos and conditioners and haven’t paid more than $0.75 for any of them.

So if I were to compile a list of rules in couponing, I would have to say that shampoo is one of those items that, with a little planning, you can almost always score deep savings on.

 

I will never pay full price for shampoo again.

 

May daughter has a cold, this will be gone in no time.

 

Seriously a good deal- especially since this is great
on sensitive skin.

 

The cashier actually commented on how well I did on this trip!

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 346.10   (previous total + 14.57 saved)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 20 minutes  (15 minutes planning and 5 shopping).

JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts

Day 21

My daughter loves making things. And the rain lately has been relentless. So after school today, she asked me if she could make little “critters” out of pom-poms. We had seen little critters like this at a craft fair a while back and I had mentioned that “we could make that” so today, amidst more rain, seemed like the perfect day to try.

Of course I carried my coupon organizer to the store. With a 50% off of one item coupon and a 15% teacher discount that I signed up for online, I saved $2.60 and spent only $5.74.

These unexpected trips out are when you appreciate
carrying your coupons with you at all times.

 

$5.74 for an afternoon of creativity with my daughter sounds good to me.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 331.53   (previous total + 2.60 saved)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 0 Hours (I would have done this regardless of the couponing).

Back to School Shopping in May

Day 20

I am on the e-mail list at Staples, the office supply store. Last week I received an e-mail alerting me that today they would allow me to buy several items for $0.01 with any purchase of $5. The sale started today and I decided to go early in the morning today because I assumed that with things selling for a penny, they might go fast.

When I arrived at the store, I could not find a single one of the penny items. I re-examined my e-mail and saw that the sale indeed started today. I looked for the manager.

 The manager was so nice and he explained that he hadn’t shelved the sale items yet, but he had them in a separate area in boxes for the staff to stack the shelves later that day. So I got first pick!

I purchased paper towels (on sale for 4.99) and zipper seal bags (0.99) for a total of $5.99. These items were things I needed anyway. It is a shame that I did not have coupons for these items to bring my total down closer to the $5 minimum purchase, but I figured that $5.99 was good enough.

Then I loaded up on the items that were on sale for a penny (with $5 purchase). I bought the allowable maximum number of items in an effort to maximize my savings.

Here are the items I got for a penny:

8 pack of bic pens

15 pack of erasors

2 pack of sharpies (permanent markers)

School glue

I bought 5 of each of the items above for a total of $0.20.

I saved $43.60 off retail on these 20 items.

 

These go in the "Stockpile" for now.

 

I may not need them until my kids go back to school in August, but they can go into my frankly tiny stockpile and will be available when I need them.

Being on a stores e-mail list may be more beneficial than clipping coupons.

Deep discounts are what I was hoping for when I started this project.
Today was a BIG DEAL!

 

 

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 328.93   (previous total + 43.60 off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 30 minutes (At the store).

H&M…AGAIN!

 Day 19

My “Wrapp” iPhone App sent me a coupon for $10 off any purchase at H&M. If you recall, I had a $5 off coupon like this last month, also from Wrapp.

Thank goodness they sent me another one. I have been so discouraged by the amount of time that foes into couponing that I needed an easy, fun and deep saving trip.

And my shirts from my last H&M trip are holding up wonderfully. So today it was time to get more. I bought 2 long sleeved striped t-shirts.

Shirt #1 original price was $12.95

Shirt #2 original price was $17.95

Total: $30.90

Both were on clearance so I got 50% off, bringing my total to $15.45. Then I got an additional percentage off because they were redlines (I think this means final clearance). I have no idea what that additional percentage was, but my total came out to $11.00 pre-tax. With my $10 off coupon, I spent $1.07.

$1.07 for two long sleeved shirts.

But here is the fun part:  I bought some pretty bright colored shirts that I probably would not have purchased if they were not practically free. Because if I had been spending actual money on these items I would have forced myself to buy more muted colors. Something more practical that could be worn with more of the clothes I already own. This may sound boring- but that’s just me. If I am buying something, I want to be sure that it is going to actually get some use.

But if I am using a coupon, it gives my relentlessly practical self a chance to step out of my comfort zone. This is the surprising thing I did not expect from couponing- the chance to try new things.

This is the kind of day that makes me glad I took
on this project!

I promise- I'm telling the truth!!

 

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 285.33   (previous total + $29.83 saved at H&M)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 1 Hour (Walking around the store and relaxing).

No Rest for the Weary

Day 18

Exhaustion with this project is settling in.

After spending so much time clipping and organizing last night, I didn’t really want to plan a big shopping trip. I hadn’t even bought a newspaper this week, so the only circulars I had were the ones that arrived in the mail. Specifically one from the pharmacy. So I decided to meticulously plan a small shopping trip.

Here is what I did:

1. I went through the circular one item at a time with a marker.

2. I would take an item from the circular and then go to my coupon organizer and see if I had a coupon for that item.

3. If I had a coupon for that item, I would circle it and remove the coupon from my file. If I did not have a coupon, I would put an X on the item in the circular with the marker.

4. When I made it to the end of the items on sale, I had a circular with “X’s” and “O’s” and a stack of coupons pertaining to the items on sale.

5. Then I analyzed the sales with the coupons. If the discount constituted 60% or more, I kept the coupon. If not, I put the coupons back in my file. At this point, I realized that at the pharmacy today, I will buy 3 items.

It took 45 minutes to plan a trip with 3 items. It took 15 minutes to complete the shopping trip. One hour.

Granted, I bought a candy bar (which came out free) and 2 bottles of dish liquid (0.74 and 0.24 respectively). I saved $1.74. So one hour of work came out to $1.74. I’m not particularly dancing about my work to savings ratio here….

But on a brighter note, I realized that my shopping trip was much quicker than my non-planned and semi-planned trips. Also, as I went through the circular that I was becoming more efficient at spotting the deals and deciding which ones were “worth it” and which ones I should pass on. I really started to pick out +60% savings opportunities more easily as I went along. So I am exercising my brain and doing some pretty effective on the spot math. I think my grammar school math teacher- who had a really hard time teaching me percentages- would be SO proud.

Don't laugh- a lot of planning went into this!

...a LOT of planning.

 

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 257.24   (previous total 1.74 saved off retail)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 1 Hours (15 minutes shopping and 45 minutes planning).

 

Introduction to E-Coupons

Day 17

I have come to realize that coupons bring in some savings, but PLANNING brings in deep savings. So I need to plan better. It is the only way I am going to save big and score free items. Without planning I am just wasting too much time. So today I bought some bigger coupon sorters (2 of them: one for food, and one for other items). I then sorted and organized my coupons into more specific categories. This took a long time. Two hours.

Then I went online and printed all of the e-coupons available to me on coupons.com. I tried joining other couponing websites, but I noticed that many of them simply routed me back to coupons.com. So by just going to coupons.com I was able to print over 200 coupons. I printed them on paper that I had other things on, so the many printed pages were recycled pages. Then I stapled several pages together in order to save time on cutting. This took a long time, about an hour. Fortunately, I was watching TV with the family while I completed this step.

SAVINGS TO DATE: - $ 255.50   (previous total)

 TIME SPENT TODAY: - 3 Hours (Clipping and Organizing).

Print them out on any paper we have...

Staple several pages together so they don't move
while I'm cutting them.

Boohoo! Look how many coupons have expired!