Mom, Prepared

I'm taking a break from clipping coupons. We had discovered the awesome way in which we could save with couponing, and began doing so with earnest. (Earnest? Ok, maybe not *earnest*). But then, being a one-car family, which hubby requires for work, our couponing efforts came to a screeching halt. His work picked up, then took him out of town for a couple of weeks, and then we just fell off the couponing bandwagon.

And we've felt it at the register!

I've also felt it in our stockpile.

We had so recently begun using coupons, that we didn't really have a whole lotta stuff in said stockpile. I mean, we've got some toothpaste & shampoo, lemme tell ya... but we were lower on the foodstuffs, just because we hadn't been doing it so long.

But now that things have settled down some... AND we've felt the effects at the register of not having coupons... AND we've seen our food stuffs dwindling from use, but not replacement, we are finally jumping back into it.

Just what can you accomplish from couponing?

Have you ever watched the show "Extreme Couponing"?

Now, don't get in a snit, here... I know many, many people who coupon who HATE that show, find it a gross misrepresentation of the fair and normal practice of couponing. I would have to agree on a couple of levels, there. But the fact of the matter is simply this: Once you learn it, and commit to investing the necessary time into it... you will slash your grocery bill by at least 40%. The aforementioned show often highlights, well, extreme cases, with savings that are much higher, usually 90% or even more. Depending on where you live, and your stores' coupon policies, this may or may not be a true reflection of the savings that YOU could net.

As for us, there is not a single store in our city, that we can find, that actually doubles coupons. If you have access to a grocer like that, count your blessings and grab a coupon insert & scissors!! But, if you are like us, without such a store in sight, you can still benefit greatly from the use of strategic couponing. It is not uncommon for us to save between 50% and 70% at checkout.

We are not shelf clearers; nor are we extreme couponers in any fashion. Unless you plan on realistically outfitting your whole neighborhood's pantries with hot sauce, I can't see a single, solitary need to lug 102 bottles of the stuff outta the store. I will always urge someone new to couponing (or even the pros) to use common sense, and fairness in their couponing endeavors. I do know, tho, that some people don't; because of this, couponers & the use of coupons has become somewhat villifed of late.

But that is definitely NO REASON to be wary of couponing.

The simple fact is this: Coupons are like money in your wallet at checkout.

Well.... back to clipping! Have an amazing day :)