I began this money saving adventure at the beginning of January. I thought I would try it for a month to see if the time spent clipping coupons would be worth it, and yes it is worth it! On my last three weekly Kroger trips I saved $25, $23, and $20 with coupons! On products I was buying anyway! That is one of my criteria for clipping coupons, to only clip coupons for and buy products that I would normally buy anyway. It really is working! I love handing my little stack of coupons to the checker, and I am so proud when he or she comments on how much money I saved! I could save even more if I had coupons for produce and milk (I buy 6 gallons a week). I spend a lot of my grocery money on those two items.
I know that some of you are buying a month's worth of groceries for your family for the same amount that I spend in a week, but I am learning. I am spending less than I used to, and I hope to get even better at it! Before coupon clipping and carefully making my list, I typically spent $250 a week at Kroger for groceries, and $250 a month at Walmart on paper products, pet products, toiletries, etc. I know that amount shocks some of you, but that is what I spent. We ate all the food I bought, and we used all of the products too. I am now not buying any less, but am spending less on the items I buy. For the past several weeks, I have spent from $138-$202 on my weekly Kroger trips, and for the month of February, I spent $175 at Walmart. That is a significant reduction in spending!
I welcome any tips for further reducing my spending, so please leave me a comment!
The amount of money that you spend does not surprise me at all...I am constantly astonished at how much food costs...and upset by the fact that healthy foods and natural foods actually are more expensive than the processed, chemical laden other stuff. There's something wrong with that picture.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a coupon clipper but never could organize myself well enough...I would end up with a purse full of coupons that were expired bc I never could find them when I needed them. You have inspired me to slowly begin thinking about this process again though...we'll see :) Happy Weekend!
I too need to start clipping coupons again. I need to purchase some type of organizer. Either the coupons that I have clipped are accidently left at home or at the bottom of my purse. The only coupouns I clip are the weekly items that are purchased. Thanks Roan for inspiring me to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!!
ReplyDeleteRoan,
ReplyDeleteI have shopped on several different schedules through the years, and it seems to me that the frequency of shopping directly correlates with the different stages of marriage and your children's ages. When it was just Larry and me, we honestly ate out a lot and only shopped when we were going to eat at home. Then when Logan was born, I did once-a- week-shopping. When MC came along, Larry did most of our shopping for me, so I didn't have to carry two little ones shopping. We did that for a couple of years. At some point, it became a "treat" for me to go do shopping and let Larry keep the kids. We did it that way a few years. As the kids go older, I eventually worked back around to trying to do once-a-week shopping. We did a long stretch of that. Now that we have three drivers in our home and only live a mile from the grocery, I am back to going (or sending someone) to the grocery a couple of times a week or so. The pluses are our produce and milk is fresher, and I'm not buying food until I'm absolutely sure we eating at home that night - and how many are eating. Teens get really busy and are sometimes with their friends for meals. They also like to invite friends over to our house to eat, which we all enjoy. I know I will probably adjust again once Logan is away at college - and again when MC goes. The cycle continues...
I believe the biggest down side to making multiple trips to the grocery store is spending more money on things I probably would have just done without, if I hadn't been in the store. I've found a fairly good solution. Using cash for groceries. I tried using a regular envelope for a while to hold my grocery money and receipts. It quickly became crumpled and torn. I found a small zippered pencil case is great for this. It's large enough to hold my money and receipts, but is still quite compact and sturdy.
I am glad you are being so successful in your couponing! It's amazing how much you can save. Like you, I only clip coupons for things we regularly use. It keeps couponing doable!!
Blessings to all ~ Connie
Roan, this is Lisa, not Claire!
ReplyDeleteThis is probably a shivering thought to most people, but do you know of a nice, CLEAN salvage store near you? Mine (in Ripley) has cereal for $2 a box (in date and no holes in the boxes), and I can usually get canned goods for half the grocery store price (make sure you look for the ex. date on these also!)
Now, I have been in some nasty salvage stores before, but I have found a good one by me!