I saved big….

I am not a coupon person. I want to be a coupon person and save that money but it never happens until the other day.

My typically coupon routine is to put all my coupons in this cute organizer that I have. Then I go to the grocery store only to realize I left my coupons sitting on the table at home. OK, so I have done that 100 plus times so I thought lets get smart and put it in the car. Great we can’t forget it right. Wrong! We get half way through our grocery trip and find out we have left it in the car. With two kids I am not about to go out and get it. That $2.00 coupon just isn’t worth that much pain. So I pull this stunt about every other grocery trip. Drives me crazy!!!

Now when I do remember the stupid thing, I find that my coupons are expired or I get to the check out and find I needed to buy two boxes of cereal to save a 1.00 and I only have one box. Does anyone else hate that? Seriously why do they expect me to buy two or three of something when I really just want to buy one? My house is small, kitchen has limited space so I can only store so much. I would rather they make it 50 cents off and only expect me to by one than expect me to buy two or more. I am ranting…

Well last weekend I received some really great coupons in the mail from Kroger. I decided this time I was going to do things different. I cleaned out my nifty coupon box, threw out dozens of expired coupons that I could have used and started a new. I collected all the coupons that were stashed all over the house and started clipping. I organized everything into each compartment and thought this isn’t going to be any different. So I grabbed a sheet of paper and started my grocery list (something else I always leave at home). Now as I am making my list I pull out coupons that go with items on my list. I make special notes if I need to buy two of something, I have it written on my list. By the time I am done I have this nice grocery list and all my coupons that I plan to use for my next trip.

My big grocery day comes, and I remember my organizer and go shopping. Follow my list well and then I get to the check out. My total is adding up fast and we have passed the $200 mark. This is normal for us so I got over the shock factor long ago (dog food and diapers are killers). After she finishes ringing my order I enter my Kroger card for discounts and hand the clerk my coupons. As I watch my big $218 bill drop like a rocket I am doing a little dance. My grand total was $125. Can you believe it; I saved $93. My best deals in the trip, the Iams dog food that was $21, I had a coupon for $5 off and then I had my P&G E-saver tied to my Kroger card witch gave me another $3 off the dog food. The same thing with the Huggies diapers I bought, a $3 coupon and another $1.50 from my Kroger clipless coupons. I was so thrilled by all of this and I learned that coupons really do work if you are just organized. Right now I am all pumped up over my savings but I assure you I will be back to my old ways in no time. I want to be that organized person but I never am.

Are you a frugal shopper with all your coupons or are you more like the typical me?

Paperless Coupons

Coupons are one of those things that I love and I hate. I tend to clip them all the time and then I either forget to take them to the grocery store or forget to use them. Then it never fails when I have them to use they have expired. Recently I found a new thing called Proctor & Gamble E-saver. I am a Kroger shopper and some of you might not be familiar with Kroger but P&G had other stores that you could load your coupons to if there isn't a Kroger in your area. On the Kroger web site you can go in and select P&G e-saver program, sign up and pick your coupons. You don’t have to print anything out you enter your Kroger card number when you sign up. Then you select the coupons that you want or will use and they are saved to memory on your Kroger card.Now when I go shopping I can’t forget my coupons because they are already attached to my Kroger card. I love this!