Friday, May 6, 2011

A penny saved...

Now, I am not one to brag...but am one for crazy-ass reality TV shows about people using little pieces of paper to buy food. So, after watching the following...

I took to the newspapers, and cut me some brightly colored "paper money." I am not going to say that it was the most fun I have ever had, nor will I say I feel like this is my new hobby. However, the results were pretty dang good.

After sitting down with our local ads, making a list, matching-up my coupons to sale items...we were in the car. We went to Kings, Albertson's, and Safeway...which was A LOT. However, the pay-off was great. Our winnings:

Total for groceries: $147.56
I paid: $43.13       Savings: 69%
Best Deal: 6 boxes of name brand cereal for $5...total!

Here is what I learned:
  1. Couponing is great...but I wouldn't do it for every grocery run. 
    • It is time consuming and you feel a little crazy. I am planning on doing it once or twice a month for a big haul of things we always use. 
  2. You can still eat fresh and organically
    • We eat a lot of fresh fruits/veggies and do our best to eat as organically as possible. That said, Pop Tarts (although tasty) are not always high on my list. So I wondered, can you still coupon for organic products? Answer: Yes. Here is the best site I found with printable coupons for organics:
  3. Planning is key
    • Take the time to really sit down and survey what you need, where to get it, and who has the best deals. I did find that all three of the above doubled coupons up to a $1 discount...so coupons less than a dollar were doubled up to a $1 off discount. Bonus. 
  4. Only buy what you need.
    • I do not have a cat....so why would ANYONE buy cat litter if they do not have a cat? Even if it is free. Seriously...who needs 450 tubes of toothpaste. Give it to a food bank, folks.
For my next trick, an all-natural/all organic couponing run...

And we're back...and better than ever.

So, it has been a while since I posted. Here is what we've been up to:

We did some hiking...
 
 And painting...

Worked in the yard...

Played some mad crazy hockey...and won. A lot.
 Jesus rose from the dead...woot.
We celebrated with ham and ears.
Graduated with my Masters from CU...


 Hung out with one of my main men.
 Stud.

And that pretty much sums it up...here's to May and the start of summer play!