"How do you do it?"
That's what everyone keeps asking me. I don't think my savings are tremendous or unbelievable, by any means, but I've certainly come a long way since I started using coupons. I mean I'm
not one of those people that gets $100 worth of groceries for $10 or anything. But I think saving more than I spend is pretty awesome. (And even more awesome is that fact that Kendall stands beside the cashier at Publix now and waits for it to "flip." She gets as excited as I do!!) And now it's like second nature to me. When I first started, it used to take me hours to clip, sort, arrange, and group my coupons. But now it's an art form. It's all about the planning!
OK, so how do I do it? First, I swear by a website called
Southern Savers. I use this site to print my grocery lists. I just go to the home page, click on the store (I shop at Publix and Kroger mainly), click the box next to what I want/need, and print. The site has the best priced items listed along with the matching coupons to save the most money -- so this is where the planning comes in. I try to avoid buying anything that isn't
on the list at Publix or Kroger. When I first started, this was really hard to do. I mean, I need toothpaste when I need it, whether it's on sale or not. But once you get the hang of it, you won't need to buy anything that isn't on sale because you'll have a stockpile.
OK, so after I've printed my lists, I pull my coupons. I get most of my coupons from the Sunday paper, but occasionally I'll print from one of the websites on the list. I buy a double paper every Sunday so I get double the coupons. I clip everything that I
think I may need, even if it's not a brand I normally buy. In other words, I clip every coupon except ones for things like blood pressure monitors or diabetic supplies; I won't ever need those. But I still clip formula,diapers and wipes, though I don't use them, because those types of things make excellent baby gifts or donations to shelters.
After I clip, I sort. This is a personal preference thing. Some of my friends use a binder with baseball card protector sheets to sort. Some of my friends don't "clip" at all; they simply stack the coupon packet on a shelf in the pantry with the date on it. That way they can just clip the ones they want to use. I keep my coupons in an expandable check file, sorted into categories like "breakfast," "beverages," "fridge," "freezer," etc. (On a side note, I usually clip and sort mid week so that my entire Sunday is not consumed with coupon craziness.)
Once my lists are printed with matching coupons and I have my coupons sorted, I can pull the coupons I need for each item. I use an envelope for each store I shop at. As I pull the coupons for Publix, I write down how many of each I have on my list (this helps when you're in the store with the old lady running over your heels and the screaming preschooler in the buggy) and insert them into the Publix envelope. The envelope goes in the purse and I'm ready to shop. I don't take all of my coupons to the store (again, a personal preference) because then I may be tempted to buy things that are not on the list simply because I have a coupon.
That is the deceiving thing about couponing. I always thought that if I had a coupon, I should buy it right then. But actually sales run in cycles. (This is all on the tutorial on the Southern Savers website.) For example, toilet paper goes on sale about every six weeks. So when it's at it's best price, I use my coupons and stock up. That way I don't have to buy toilet paper again until it's on sale next cycle.
Makes sense, now, right?
Anyway, so once I get home with all this stuff (that I only paid $100 for, mind you), where does it go?
My poor family had to help me stuff paper towels and toilet paper into strange places when this first started. I think I had 15 boxes of toothpaste in my closet stuffed between my shoes at one point. Luckily for me, I have a crafty and handy do-it-yourselfer for a husband, and he built some shelves in my basement that serve as my "store." When we run out of something upstairs, I take a grocery bag downstairs and go "shopping." It's so nice. This area of our basement is affectionately known as the "bomb shelter" because I'm fairly certain we could survive down there in case of a bomb or other natural disaster! Usually more than half of what I buy at the store goes straight downstairs to the shelves to be kept for later.
So that's how I do it. I'm sure my explanation is oversimplified, but now that it is second nature, I don't even think about it. And when I do shop without coupons, it feels very strange. That's why we've started stockpiling for a Florida trip in a few weeks -- buy it now so we can save and spend the money on things that are more fun than food!
At least 15 people in this world love you.
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