My Shopping History

I've never been a couponer. Coupons always seemed to be for things I don't need. I've always been thrifty, good at finding bargains, stick to my list so I don't buy things I don't need or go over budget. I always look for sale prices, though I just look at the things I need while there, I've never been one to spend time looking over the sale flyer's.

I began getting more thrifty after my son was born and I became a stay at home mom. Somehow I've managed to stretch our small budget over the past few years to always have what we need. Over the years my grocery shopping has evolved to pretty much only shop at Costco and Trader Joes. I spent some time tracking prices for all the things I buy regularly to make sure I was getting the best deal. Yes, I was that crazy lady with pen and paper blocking the isle while I wrote down every price! Or I would just write them down off my receipt when I got home.

I found Traders has the best prices and I love their yummy healthy food. Costco, I can shop in bulk to save more & make it last. I go to Savemart or Safeway (my local stores) once in a while to get things I can't at those stores. And I love shopping at New Leaf and Whole Foods (my local health food stores), but they're more expensive, so I only go there to get things I can't get elsewhere, such as organic baby and toddler foods. I also love going to my local farmer's market for fresh fruits and veggies! And usually it costs less, but not always. Oh and I shop at the Dollar Tree to get things like batteries, paper, bubbles for the kids, body wash... you have to be careful with snacks there, I read labels to make sure they're not filled with salt or high fructos corn syrup! Sometimes I find great deals there, though!

Now that I have another baby, who is almost a year old (starting to cost more and so into everything that I can't get as much work done on my home business) and we've had some recent unexpected expenses come up, our budget is stretched as thin as ever. I've tried to collect coupons in the past, I even bought a small coupon organizer a few years ago at the dollar store, but I never remember to use the coupons. I do use some for restaurants, mainly pizza, but grocery store coupons have never made it with me to the store! I've seen a couple episodes of TLC's extreme couponing and decided to give it another try! Though I don't imagine becoming an extreme couponer, I just thought maybe I really could save some money with coupons. I know it will take some time and effort to really make it work, but if I can save more and get what I need, it's worth it to me.
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