Ok.....so maybe I just don't have the knack for this so-called "extreme couponing." I got a taste of it about 2 weeks ago when I meticulously clipped every coupon that I thought I might use. I debated on which store to try, which day to go, etc., etc. and decided that I would try Kroger for two reasons: 1) they double all manufacturer's coupons up to 99¢, and B) the store is literally 30 seconds from my house...a minute if I have to kick my neighbor's cat out from under my vehicle (chill out....not really).
So coupons clipped, list in hand, off we went. Oh yeah.....Jon had to go, too...I see all these crazy women on TV who drag their husbands with them. There was no way Jon was escaping this one!
All in all, not a horrible trip. Now I didn't save 101% like some of these wackos, but I did skip out of the store saving a hefty 52%! Not too shabby IMO....I stocked up on the "bells and whistles" air fresheners (you know...the ones that are normally ~13$/each) for, like 3$ a piece. Over 30$ of "smell goods" for ~8$....it was my shining glory! I caught the bug. I wanted more....I was determined to beat that 52%...
Fast-forward to this week...a holiday weekend. Apparently people don't want to save money the week after Resurrection Sunday (calm down...that's not blasphemous....that's the *apparent* truth). So I had to rely on my past "stash" of coupons. Nothing like the industrial-size Trapper Keeper that the woman on TV had, but more than nothing. I also spent 1-1/2 hours yesterday skimming the circulars, clipping & printing online coupons (probably spent a few $$ in ink, now that I think about it!), and loading digital coupons onto my Kroger card....and off I went.
Foiled....I ended up only saving 33% AND I couldn't (because I didn't have coupons to stack with the in-store savings!) even buy everything that I needed! I really only needed toilet paper (I have minor panic attacks if we get down to less than 6 rolls...you never know when a crisis will hit!!!) but I made myself wait to buy it because Carnival Foods had a 12-double roll pack for 4.88$!........4.88$!!!!! They also had a big taco combo coupon that I HAD to cash in on. The toilet paper required an additional 15$ NON-COUPON purchase...and the taco coupon required me to buy a minimum of 3 lbs. of ground beef. I could handle this....
Needless to say, I wound up with enough taco "stuff" to feed my entire block (did I forget to mention that I had had doubled coupons the night before for taco products???) and I spent ANOTHER 33$ just so I could save 1.50$ on toilet paper...they got me. They suckered me right in...
So I don't know if I am cut out for all this hardcore couponing. Maybe it's not for me. I made a special toilet paper trip! If that's not crazy, I don't know what is!
But if you're in the mood for tacos, feel free to stop by!
Yeah ... sometimes we all get "suckered" in ... a deal too good to pass up, something we just HAVE to go to another store for, until we actually think it through and realize, as you said, yep ... we got too excited!! Anyway, couponing, at any level, is great, as long as we buy what we NEED, on SALE, and don't get caught up in the hype. Last week I had $67 in coupons, this week I had $22, but every little bit helps! I watched Extreme Couponing last night and, while I could see myself purchasing 48 bottles of Vitamin Water because I like it and we would drink it, I can't see purchasing 59 bags of candy (since I'm already overweight, I don't think I need that much candy) and a huge number of brownie/cookie/cake mixes. I almost think it's a strange sickness to have an entire garage or room in your house to have thousands of grocery items, including 1000 tubes of toothpaste and enough shower gel for 20,000 showers (think about how many years that is). I enjoy couponing ... have just started using "M Perks" at Meijer, and do a few printed coupons from the internet. Mostly I stick to the Dispatch and ad bag coupons and feel I do a pretty good job with it. Yesterday I got a kitchen mop I had wanted ... regularly $24.99 on sale at Meijer for $19.99, then had a $3 coupon. To me, that's a good deal ... I waited for the sale and applied the coupon. I don't panic at the register and have heart palpitations if my bill doesn't go down to zero. Also, I am not sure how many stores actually give you more "off" than the coupon. If I have a "$1 off" coupon for something that is .79, Meijer is going to give me .79 off, not $1, so the woman from Extreme Couponing is either very lucky that her store does that, or the store was doing that because they were on TV. Well, your blog has turned into my blog, so I will end. It's great that you're couponing ... it's fun and can be addicting, but never needs to be an obsessive activity or cause panic at the cash register!! Love you!!!
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