Saving money without coupons, sort of

I am still using the binder system, but am about a month behind in clipping and filing coupons! I've even gone shopping a few times without coupons (somewhat)! *gasp* So, how did I manage to do that without an anxiety attack? I've decided my time is worth $$$ and sometimes I just don't have the time to keep up. So I'm spending a bit more on groceries, but I'm spending more time on important things rather than ignoring my family, home, and work, to coupon and adding additional stress to my life.

However, I still need to save money, so I am not completely coupon free! I've been shopping mostly at Safeway (though still love Trader Joes with their great prices without coupons, and stock up on bulk items at Costco) using the Just4u program, club prices, and sales of course! On the Safeway website I can click on all I need right at one place, plus I get great personalized deals and can easily load coupons onto my Safeway club card, no clipping! Perfect for when I just don't have time to keep up, but can still feel good about saving money. I know I could be saving more if I got to work on that binder collecting dust in the corner, but I still saved quite a bit and know I've spent my time on the important stuff.

I hear the binder calling... I'll get back to it eventually I'm sure.

Still Couponing, Back to the Binder and no more Coupon Mom

Yes, I am still couponing! But I am back to using the binder, did I already tell you that? For a while I was dating and filing my inserts, than checking the couponmom website for sales & lists of the coupons to clip. However, after a few frustrating months of searching through my inserts and not finding the coupons that were listed, I gave up that system.

Suddenly most of the coupons listed were not in my insert! I believe my local inserts or those where the couponmom site comes from have changed and are just different now. I tried to find another site I liked, but none were as easy to use or gave me what I needed. Plus, I was wasting valuable coupons that I would have used had I known I had them!! So something had to change. I went back to the binder.

I collect my inserts, usually have about three or four of each one. I take one stack of the same date and type at a time and separate each page into it's own pile. Then clip, so that I am clipping all the same coupons at once. I put the clipped coupons into piles per category and once all the pages are clipped, I file them into my binder. I only clip the coupons I know I will use and some I would use if the sale was good enough. Saves me from clipping all coupons and having to clean so much from my binder later.

I know some extreme couponers are cringing that I throw away so many unused because they might get a deal and make money off them, but here in California we don't have double coupon days, there is almost never a chance to make a profit. Even if there were, it's so slim, it's not worth my valuable time.

Before each shopping trip, I look through my sale flyers to find who has the best sales for the items I need. I pull my coupons & put them into a wallet size organizer. If I'm going to Safeway I also click on coupons and deals on their just4u website. They have some great deals! I also still love taking advantage of RiteAid and CVS's rewards programs!

I don't look over the sale flyers every week. Only when I need something. I know I may miss a great sale, but I spend less if I just don't go after sales when I don't need to. I could probably save more money, but I am saving much more than I used to, so I'm very happy with that!

Does Couponing Work in California?

Sorry for the long wait! This is what my system has come down to and what is working for me in my crazy busy life:

Couponing does work to save money so I will continue with it after my summer experiment! But only on certain items, mostly non-edible items, such as soap, toothpaste, detergent, cleansers, etc. These are the things I stock up on.

The first of each month new coupons come out, so I check http://www.coupons.com/ and www.couponnetwork.com for online coupons, but only print those I know I will use, such as laundry soap, cereal, yogurt, etc. I don't print many as the cost of ink outweighs the savings in most cases. I always check www.kelloggs.com also.

I save the newspaper inserts each week, and would love to clip all coupons so I have them with me at the store in case I come across a sale or clearance item, but I just can not possibly find the time to keep up with them, so I save the entire insert, date & file them.

Each week I check my favorite site, which is still www.couponmom.com, for extreme deals. When I need to grocery shop I check the store flyers and www.couponmom.com for sales on things I actually need that week. (I keep a list on the fridge & add to it as I run out of things.) I modify my grocery list if needed to substitute for sale items or add something I can't pass up. I print my list, then pull & clip those coupons. Then I check for store coupons or any other coupons I may have to go with these. I keep these in an organized binder.

If I'm going to Safeway, I check my personalized Just For U prices & card holder prices, add the savings to my card, make my list online at http://www.safeway.com/, print it, write the rest of my shopping list (any items that were not online) at the bottom or on the back & write the amount of each item I want next to it (usually based on the # of coupons I have for that item or sometimes the limit you're allowed to buy for sale price) & take it shopping with me. I don't bring the binder, just my little mini coupon organizer folder that has the coupons I will be using in it. In the back of it I may have coupons I might use after I check prices when I get to the store. It's not always possible to know ahead of time how much something is, or if another brand will be a better deal.

I always check the clearance section! And then do my shopping. Watch to make sure your coupons scan correctly at the register & your card savings are applied! And always check your receipt before you walk away from the register. Yes, people behind you will be impatient, but there's always mistakes. Of course I don't always see them till I'm home because I don't operate well under pressure!

I love Costco, and always check their coupons before going there. I go once a month to stock up on things I use a lot of. I have made a price list of things I always buy, so I can make sure I'm getting the best price at Costco vs regular stores. It's hard to tell since you're dealing with bulk amounts if you don't know how much they normally are and in what amounts. Some things there are awesome deals, others not at all.
I always buy bread, tortillas, frozen chicken & ground beef, and freeze them. And you can't beat their milk & eggs if you'll use that much, which my family will!

RiteAid is my favorite for most household items/non-edible stuff. I really like their +UP rewards program. You can save a lot if you pay attention to what rewards you'll get. Buy those items first. Then buy your other items & use the rewards you just got on that second transaction. CVS has a similar program, but RiteAid has so far had better & more deals, I have found. Also, RiteAid lets you use multiple manufacture coupons if they're different, on the same item, where CVS does not. I compare prices at theses stores and sometimes Walgreens (as these are the drugstores in my town) and sometimes with PetSmart or Petpals if I need cat food or litter. I have been getting canned cat food (Friskies or 9Lives)at .30 per can if I have coupons and/or there's a good sale. Costco sells it for .50 per can when you buy a flat. Which is still pretty good.

I still shop at Trader Joes, they have great prices to begin with and healthy yummy food. Just can't beat that! I like to stock my freezer with dinner's from there. And the farmer's market is the best for produce. I go to the Dollar Tree a lot for pretzels, popsicles, rice, dried beans, candy, etc.but you have to be careful there that your food is healthy (check those labels for MSG, high salt, & high fructose corn syrup!). And sometimes things seem like a good deal, but you may be able to get them for less than a dollar elsewhere.

I make sure not to buy just because it's on sale or a great deal. If I don't need it, I don't buy it. At first I spent way too much! And I'm careful not to stock up on something I haven't tried. I have had to give away things because my family didn't like it! I do buy extra if it's an extreme deal and give all the extra to my church food pantry. They give it to the needy in my community. Not just food, but toothpaste, deodorant, etc, they need all that stuff!

I try to send expired coupons to the military. At first I sent them tons, but now that I'm not clipping all my coupons, I only send what I have clipped and that's if I have time to pull them out of my binder before they've been expired for more than a month. 

To keep up on it as much as possible, I date and file my inserts each Sunday. After I print any or get coupons elsewhere, I file them right away in my binder. While I'm filing, I check the page I'm on for expired coupons as I am putting the new ones in. I put the expired ones in a designated box to sort and send to the military when I have a handful. I also file right away when I get home with coupons I didn't use. If I don't do this immediately, I never will! They will get mixed up, lost, and/or ruined. So that's something I have to force myself to do & put off other things till it's done, but if I don't, this whole coupon thing will be a waste of my precious time!

If done right, you can save quite a bit of money! I don't think you can save tons and ton here in the middle of California, where we have no double coupon days. It may be also because I eat healthy. If you buy lots of junk food, you probably could save more. There are always coupons on chips, candy, frozen foods that are not the best for you, etc...

But every little bit counts! It does add up quickly. It is a bit of work, but just being aware of the sales, how to use rewards, and check for special prices you can add to your store card, etc, can save you a lot!
You just need to find a system that works for you that is manageable & not overwhelming.

If I think of something else I already do that really helps or come across something new and wonderful, I will post again. Otherwise,

HAPPY COUPONING!

Slow Going

I've been so busy this summer, visiting family or family visiting me... I haven't been able to keep up! I have not printed any coupons (which I don't think is worth the ink for me anyway) and I haven't had time to clip a single coupon! I did, at least, file my inserts with the date on them. Well... file, meaning I put them in a pile on a side table! I really need to get this under control again! My binder is full of expired coupons. I'll have to stay up late a night and go through it.

I have made a couple small shopping trips. I saved $65 at Safeway, mainly using their online coupons you can add to your savings card, and the prices with their Just4U savings program. I was glad I brought my binder because I got Frosted Flakes cereal that was in clearance (due to the box being partly damaged), and with my coupon it was only about .50!

I also shopped at Rite Aid & bought a bunch of toothbrushes for only .99! I thought I'd get a bunch of +UP rewards, enough to cover the rest of my purchases, but only got $1.50. Apparently there's a limit for one reward on some items. Oh well, it was still a good price and the rest of my items were all good prices too with the sales & my coupons!

I was excited to get my husband's favorite toothpaste (the only kind he will use!) for only .74 each last week at Save Mart, too! They were on sale for 2 for $3 and I had coupons for .75 off each one. I bought 10 of them! Half I'll give to charity, but we'll be stocked up for a while!

I think my new plan will be to date and save the whole insert, but cut out the coupons I know for sure I'll use, since I do like to have them all with me when I'm at the store. We'll see if I can keep up with that!

I had a bunch of insert from the last couple weeks stacked up, so I've been staying up late trying to get my binder put together and everything clipped and filed. I was feeling totally overwhelmed all week because they were taking over my table! Lots of movie nights on tv dinner trays in the living room! But I finally got it under control and as long as I keep it up (clip them & file them once a week) it shouldn't get too overwhelming.

 

I was thinking yesterday, why I am clipping all these for stuff I'll never buy! But I remembered, I've only been doing this a month and I want to really try it the way the pros do (even if I don't get to double). After this summer if it's not worth it, I can narrow it down to only the coupons I will really use. For now, I don't want to kick myself later because I could have bought something I can give away and get something I need with it free. Does that make sense? Seems like most coupons are good for 2-3 months out, so I'll keep it up for that long.

 

I feel like a weight has lifted now that I got my last coupon filed (this morning), for now! I just need to keep up a schedule to stay on top of it. I think every Sunday night or Monday I will clip and file. The first day of the month I will print coupons,  and once a month I'll remove expired coupons and send them to the military.

 

This past Sunday we stopped by Savemart so my husband could get something to BBQ. Didn't have time to go home to get my coupons & I was thinking, "NO! I don't have them!" We bought a few things I knew I had coupons for & I cringed! I had to laugh at myself. What have I become?! We bought ice cream, too and then last night as I clipped, I found some coupons for ice cream. Darn it! Lol!

Me, My Much Needed Glass of Wine, and My Coupon's

Yesterday's post was actually from a few days ago, I just finally got it finished yesterday. However, since then some of my opinions have changed.

I've been trying to resist shopping. I have this nagging feeling like I need to go stock up on everything I can, immediately, and not miss any sales! Especially after Sunday's coupon's came in the paper. I bought extra copies since I knew the Proctor & Gamble coupons would be out. And then my neighbor's gave me some as well! I dated them all & they are in a neat pile on my table as I have yet to find a place to file them. I planned to file them each week by date and only pull them as needed, like the http://www.couponmom.com/ system says to. Seemed smart not to cut all the ones you don't end up using. I still had the rest of my coupons in a very full wallet size accordion file.

There are some great deals at Walgreen's on some items I regularly use, so I broke down and decided to go stock up yesterday! I spent ALL day planning this trip! I was SO frustrated! Luckily my husband was home, so he watched the kids. I logged on to the database and selected all the items I might buy. Then I went through all my inserts to cut the coupons. It took forever to find them all. I tried putting like pages together to cut them all at once and ended up cutting a bar code off one. So I just did a page at a time. I was very upset to find that some of the same SmartSource inserts from the same date, had different coupons or some were on different pages!

I couldn't spread them all out like the experts say to, since I did not have the space and I can't clear my whole table every time I want to make a shopping list! I was getting more and more frustrated! I finally had a mess of coupons everywhere, cut up pages I hope are back in the right piles, cranky kids,... you get the idea!

I then had to decide which items to actually buy and what order. I did not have all the prices. They are priced on the database, but the original price doesn't always seem to be the right price to me. And the final price often is after register rewards. I was very annoyed about that because I still have to pay for the items before I get rewards and have to use the rewards on something else!

I was (and still am) upset it was taking so long, but am trying to give myself some credit since I am half brain-dead most of the time when nursing (I currently am nursing my baby girl), and not sleeping through the night yet. Plus being interrupted every few minutes by my kids doesn't help. Somehow I finally managed to have three lists and an envelope for each with the corresponding coupons in the same order in each. I wrote 1-3 on each list and envelope & paper clipped them together. I brought my accordion file also, in case I needed any other coupons while there. And clipped my cereal coupons to the back of the last list because I wasn't sure which I would use. I was sure I had more cereal coupons??

I went to Walgreen's, which was baking hot inside! My husband wanted to come, too, so he got his own cart and took the kids to wander while I concentrated on shopping. I bought my first items, put them in the car, & got some rain checks for things that were out of stock. One of my first items was the Walgreen's coupon book, which I found out is free! The database had said $1, which is another reason I had that first list separate! Oh well. I took my stuff to the car and clipped a coupon I needed out of the book.

I went back and to my hardest, second, list. This one, had pricier items, like razors, which would give me register rewards so I could use them on my next purchase. But I had to look at each item and decide if it was worth it and how much I would be spending. And I wanted to make sure to get $10 of participating items, so I would get another $3 in rewards. I was so tired of thinking and anxious, since it was so hot and I knew my kids wouldn't last too much longer. Though they were across the store from me, I still felt pressured! I finally chose my items and then found my husband. My baby was hungry and starting to fuss. She wanted her mommy, so I had to hold her. My third list was simple, so I just grabbed the rest of my items & threw them in my husband's cart. Along with the toys he found, but they were deeply discounted, so I was fine with it! Oh, and they didn't have the kind of cereal I liked, so I didn't get any this trip.

We checked out. He took my son out, since he was getting too wild, but I had to hold the baby. It came to around $50 for my second list of items, but dropped down to about $30 after coupons and I got $8 (I think, I forgot to count them) in register rewards. I was aiming for $18, but I didn't get a lot of the items I planned because they were still too expensive even with the sale price and coupons. And some were out of stock. I got more rain checks for those items. But only the sale price. They can't rain check the rewards. Bummer!

The last list came to a little over $100! I about peed my pants! But I was so miserable, I didn't even care. I wasn't about to take everything out of the bags and pick and choose what I would and wouldn't buy! And my ice cream was melting fast! I was aiming at about $30 when I left home! But then I remembered to give her the coupons and then barely remembered to give her the register rewards from the last transaction. It dropped down to $53! Considering the toys being added and the tax I didn't account for, oh and I realized later I had forgot to give her some coupons for my fabric softener (so mad about that!) I was right on! I guess the database prices were mostly right.

Later, after I had nursed the baby, we had all had ice cream to cool down, and I could breath again, I tallied up my three receipts. I spent a total of $95.72 (OMG! Why did I do that?! Yes it's all stuff we'll use, but I'm trying to save money here and I still need to go get produce this week! Very mad at myself.)  However, I saved a total of $96.10! So I basically got double the groceries and I will not need plastic wrap or laundry soap for the rest of the year. I feel a bit better.

I stayed up late last night after everyone went to sleep, just me, my glass of wine, and my coupons! Oh heaven! I put all my clipped coupons in my binder. I will cut and put the insert ones in there as soon as I have time. I have decided I can find them easier that way. I can see them all without taking a bunch out of the accordion file! (Oh, I found the rest of my cereal coupons! I had stuck them in the wrong spot the accordion file!) Plus they are clipped and ready to make prepping for a shopping trip faster and easier. Also, since I will be sending expired ones to the military, they'd have to be clipped eventually anyway. Now I can just pull them as I see they've expired.

I do not like the couponmom system after all! I'll still use the website for the lessons, database, and forum, but I can't handle going through all the inserts, searching for coupons. And I like having them all with me at the store in case I come across something I know I have a coupon for. I think I will clip all my Sunday coupons once a week and I can clean my binder out as I go through it then. I hope I can get this system down so my next trips will be easier!

So Much to Learn!

I've been reading http://www.krazycouponlady.com/ & I love how easy the step by step for beginners is! And that it's cleaner, less ads than http://www.couponmom.com/. But I like the couponmom system better, where you save the whole insert & don't cut the coupons out till you need them. Saves cutting & filing all those coupons you won't actually use. And I don't want to lug around a huge binder. Just bring with me the ones I need for that trip. However I can see the advantage of having them all with you in case you see a clearance item or something you know you have a coupon for. I also like the couponmom database much better.

Anyway, I read all the beginner stuff on thekrazycouponlady. I was trying to find out if I should print all online coupons right away, or just as needed, but they may be gone by the time I need them. I couldn't find anything helpful, so I finally joined the forum on couponmom & asked the veteran couponers. It's a half & half (same with whether to use the binder system or save entire inserts). So that didn't help! I decided to print all the coupons I would use because I know they'll be gone by the time I see a sale. If I don't find I'm using them, I'll stop printing. I better start refilling ink rather than buying expensive new ones! ;)

And since I now have a ton of coupons from online & other sources besides the paper inserts, I really need to organize! My little coupon organizer from the dollar store is packed & I can't find anything in there. I happened to be at OfficeMax yesterday & I bought a big fancy binder! (My camera died & I got a gift card to replace it & ended up getting a cheaper camera so had extra $. woohoo!)

So I'm going to do both, save inserts by date, but file everything else in a binder so I can see it all.  I just need to get card holders to put in the binder. 

The most helpful thing I've read is to slow down! Don't get overwhelmed. I don't need to hit every sale. Stockpiling takes time & bigger savings come with time. Especially after I've got a good stockpile, then I won't need to buy as much each week. And there will always be more sales! Also, learn one store at a time. So I'm staying focused on Riteaid & Safeway until I have them down. Then I'll add CVS & Walgreens, etc.

Also, I found out military families can use expired coupons! So I will mail the expired coupons to the military. You can look it up on http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com/.