Extreme Couponing . . . or not

Last month a friend of mine turned me on to a little trend and now TV show known as "Extreme Couponing." It sounded a little crazy to be honest but now I have to confess that I am addicted. I'm not one of those professionals who can walk out of Walmart with over $100 of merchandise for 50 cents or anything but I am saving money. On average about an extra $8 per week on my normal grocery shopping. It may not sound like much but that's about $35 saved last month.

It's easy to get side tracked from my main goals in buying healthy foods and meal planning and just follow the coupons and sales and buy a bunch of stuff I don't need. But I have to say that I think I've done an okay job in saving money on things we really do use. (I have come home with regret in knowing I shouldn't have bought something just because it was on sale and I had a coupon -- but you learn my making mistakes right?!)

I follow a coupon-blog called thekrazycouponlady.com and she tells you what is on sale at each store and what coupons to pair with those sales to get amazing savings. She basically does all the hard work for you. All I have to do is clip the coupons and make my list.

Walgreens had a sale that I wanted to get in on this week. So yesterday I headed over there with my envelope of coupons and list and this is what I came home with:

Two six-ounce containers of almonds, three cans of tomato soup and one nine-ounce container of dish soup.  If I had gone shopping without watching the sales or with coupons (okay I would not have gone to Walgreens at all if that were the case), it would have cost: $12.75 (plus tax). But I didn't . . . so instead I bought:

   * the almonds on a buy-one-get-one-free sale along with a $1 off when you buy two coupon

   * there was an in-store coupon on the soup so they were .59 each and I had a .40-off coupon when you buy three

   * the dish soap was on sale for $1 and I had a .50 off coupon

So, my total was only $4.45 (plus tax).  I know that the extreme-couponers that get featured on the television show aim for 95% or higher savings but I still felt pretty good about this purchase and the 65% savings since I know I will use all of these things! 

Last month a friend of mine turned me on to a little trend and now TV show known as "Extreme Couponing." It sounded a little crazy to be honest but now I have to confess that I am addicted. I'm not one of those professionals who can walk out of Walmart with over $100 of merchandise for 50 cents or anything but I am saving money. On average about an extra $8 per week on my normal grocery shopping. It may not sound like much but that's about $35 saved last month.

It's easy to get side tracked from my main goals in buying healthy foods and meal planning and just follow the coupons and sales and buy a bunch of stuff I don't need. But I have to say that I think I've done an okay job in saving money on things we really do use. (I have come home with regret in knowing I shouldn't have bought something just because it was on sale and I had a coupon -- but you learn my making mistakes right?!)

I follow a coupon-blog called thekrazycouponlady.com and she tells you what is on sale at each store and what coupons to pair with those sales to get amazing savings. She basically does all the hard work for you. All I have to do is clip the coupons and make my list.

Walgreens had a sale that I wanted to get in on this week. So yesterday I headed over there with my envelope of coupons and list and this is what I came home with:

Two six-ounce containers of almonds, three cans of tomato soup and one nine-ounce container of dish soup.  If I had gone shopping without watching the sales or with coupons (okay I would not have gone to Walgreens at all if that were the case), it would have cost: $12.75 (plus tax). But I didn't . . . so instead I bought:

   * the almonds on a buy-one-get-one-free sale along with a $1 off when you buy two coupon

   * there was an in-store coupon on the soup so they were .59 each and I had a .40-off coupon when you buy three

   * the dish soap was on sale for $1 and I had a .50 off coupon

So, my total was only $4.45 (plus tax).  I know that the extreme-couponers that get featured on the television show aim for 95% or higher savings but I still felt pretty good about this purchase and the 65% savings since I know I will use all of these things!