Saving money at the grocery store
With the show “Extreme Couponing” playing on TV these days, I’m running into more and more people who are either starting to “coupon” (verb – not to be confused with a “coupon” – noun 🙂 ), or are “coming out of the closet” with their binders in tow! I am seeing more and more women (and MEN!) with their 3-ring coupon binders chock full of money saving printables and circulars.
My couponing story
I started couponing 19 years ago – when, as a newlywed, I had to learn to live on a very tight college budget ($20/week for food for 2 of us). Back then, there were no computer, no “grocery game” websites, no Coupon Queen or Consultant out there doing the match-up work for me. It was just me.
I have to say . . . I don’t think I had the patience for it then (nor the time – being a full-time nursing student and working part-time). I did it for awhile, but then just learned to live on Kool-aid, Ramen noodles, Hamburger Helper and other traditional college staples. We also did not purchase things like paper towels (I think I owned 1 or 2 rolls of them the 1st 3 years of marriage – and someone gave us those! That all changed when I had a baby! Oh boy – the messes!), but managed the old-fashioned way – with rags that we washed and reused (imagine that!).
Fast forward 18+ years, and with 5 kids and a hubby to feed (one of those kids growing faster and eating more than the other 4 put together – and he’s only 9!) – and living on one income – last fall I figured I’d give “couponing” another try.
Couponing vs. Using Coupons
Yes – I had still been using coupons for years . . . but see . . . there’s a difference between “using coupons” and “couponing”. If you don’t know the difference – then I dare to say – you probably just “use coupons”. 🙂
Look around the store next time you shop. Do you notice the people with meticulous lists, 3-ring binders that are 10 inches thick, a look of determination on their faces reminiscent of players on a football field, and a shopping cart full of multiples of various, seemingly-random items?
Those are “couponers” . . . who “coupon”! And I am proud to say I am one of them!
If you say (like I used to) “I just don’t see the value in coupons. I can usually get the generic version of an item cheaper than if I used the coupon. PLUS, so many of the coupons are just for junk food, which we really don’t need more of here, or things I don’t really need or want.” I hear ya. But, can I just say – there is another way to use coupons. You just have to learn how to “coupon”, instead of just “using coupons”. 🙂 I know it seems like a lot of work, or confusing . . . but you can do it (if you want)!
Extreme Couponing
Now, many of you might be saying “oh boy . . . I can’t stand watching people on that TV show. Like, who really needs 47 bottles of ketchup or 56 bottles of BBQ sauce?” I agree. Let me just say . . . I’m not an “extreme” couponer (though – my kids have said to me as I’m clipping coupons – “Mom, you need to go on that show! You’re an extreme couponer.” 🙂 I guess to them 4-6 extra boxes of cereal is extreme!).
Up until 2 weeks ago, I only bought 1 Sunday paper (I now get 2 – but I doubt I’ll get more than that. I’ll tell why in a minute). I only use one computer to print coupons (you are allowed to print 2 coupons PER computer).  My mom and a neighbor would give me extra coupons from time to time, but I did not walk into the store with 20 coupons for the same item. I know that I have felt personally frustrated at spending a lot of time planning my shopping trip, printing and clipping coupons, only to get to the store and find the “shelf cleared”. Was it just one person who cleared it, or several people? I don’t know – but it is frustrating.
I think it’s great that some of the “extreme” couponers do give a lot to charity. I HIGHLY recommend that! Since last fall, I have also felt the freedom in our budget to give more than we have in the past because of coupons. What a blessing . . . not only to others, but to us as well. It feels good to give generously!
I talk about extreme couponing to bring up a point . . .
Don’t get carried away!
I have friends who will spend hours and hours and hours every week, hunting, printing, clipping, ordering and scouring for coupons. It’s an every day thing. It’s become a job. They feel relieved when they go out of town and don’t have to “think about coupons” for a day or two, but then get overwhelmed at feeling “behind” on clipping, sorting, hunting, etc. On the TV show you will hear how many of those people spend 20-40+ hours “couponing” every week! (Now – for some, it really is there job -whether because they lost theirs, need one, or are a stay-at-home mom or dad. This “job” helps them “bring in income” (by the money saved) so to speak – as it does for me here as well. But stick with me for a minute . . . . )
I, for one, do not want to spend my life pouring over coupons. Yes, I have a lot of other responsibilities as a stay-at-home mom of 5 kids, but I also want to be able to fully enjoy and engage in this life God has given me! I do not want to spend hours upon hours each week sorting and clipping 10 sets of newspaper circulars, printables, etc . . . just so I have a warehouse full of items “in case” I need them.
Just having all those items in your house also requires time and effort – organizing, moving things around from one place to another (we have a closet in our playroom that has become a 2nd pantry to our small one we have in the kitchen), trying to find that extra bottle of ketchup hidden way in the back behind the bottles of Worcestershire, mustard, soup and boxes of pasta, etc. Sometimes I think it would have been easier to just run up to the store for that bottle of ketchup! 🙂
Know your limits.
Know what you want to accomplish with your grocery budget. Do you want to just shave off a little money-wise? Do you want to cut out so many sweets or junk food? Are you really struggling to make ends meet, and you already have a small budget for groceries?
Know what you want (to do/buy), and what you don’t want. What is your grocery goal? Meaning – I want to bring my family’s grocery spending down by $100/month. What does that look like? Where can I cut? Where can I spend? What kind of coupons are out there to help me accomplish that goal – and will spending time “couponing” be good for my family, my life, etc. Will it fit into the goals I/we have for our family (life)?
Know how to keep things in balance. You do not have to be anything like the people on Extreme Couponing to fully feed and take care of your family. In fact, you might find more peace, joy, time, energy and ability to enjoy your family if you don’t “extreme coupon”. 🙂 I know that my family does not each much mustard. So there is no need for me to spend time hunting down coupons to “buy” 7 (or more) things of mustard, just because I can get them for free (unless I am planning on donating them – which I have done in the past). But, with 5 kids, we do go through a lot of cereal (their preferred breakfast item). However . . . . does the type of cereal that tends to go on sale with the coupons (a lot of sugary ones) help or hurt my family? Are they good for us? (My kids – and hubby – would say “yes! I’m not so sure. But for now – I’ve been outvoted!)
My current plan/routine
Like I said, I now get 2 newspapers. The only reason I increased it from one, is that there are times that I do wish I had a duplicate of a coupon (and my neighbor stopped giving me her extras). I do not, however, enjoy getting 10 copies of the circulars. I had someone recently give me a bunch extra, and even though I could sit and organize and clip them while talking to my sister on the phone, I did not really enjoy it. I kept wishing I was done and didn’t like the thought of having to organize and put the coupons in my binder after cutting them all out. It’s just not for me.
But – You might love doing that. And if so – that’s totally OK! Again – find what works for you and what works/fits into your life. You might work full-time and don’t have the time to clip coupons. That’s totally fine! Maybe there are some other areas/ways you can improve your grocery bill – like cutting out some junk food, prepared foods, easy-to-grab prepackaged snacks, etc. For instance, we usually don’t purchase individual small packages of chips for lunches, but buy a big family-sized bag and divide it ourselves into smaller bags. Same with canned fruit into smaller containers.
I also typically only deal with my coupons on Wed morning (occasionally on Tues night of Harris Teeter is having a Super Doubles event as well as Farm Fresh’s regular double $1 Wednesdays). I do not want to be thinking about or dealing with coupons all week long. You may find something that works better for you. Go for it then! But, if it’s causing stress, anxiety, frustration, or too much loss of time spent with your family, friends and on things you enjoy . . . you may want to reevaluate what you are doing.
How has my adventure in couponing helped our grocery budget this past year?
Well – I’d like to say I hit my goal of $550/month for all 7 of us (2009 national avg for a family of 7 is between $814 (thrifty plan) upwards to $2114 for the “liberal” plan). But I didn’t. We did come down to an average of $664/month (down from $780-800/mo.). The 1st several months I didn’t spend any less than before . . . . but we had 4 times as much groceries! 🙂 My goals the rest of this year . . . to decrease the snacks and other things that I found myself buying because they were “so cheap” (50 cents to $1. But that can add up still if you get enough of them.). Though – a majority of my food budget goes to fresh fruits and veges (my 9 year old will easily eat 3 apples in one sitting! Gotta do some portion control there.), so I need to re-evaluate just where the money is spent, and if there is a way to get it cheaper, do without, or buy less, etc.
So – what can you do to help you reach your grocery goals?
What are your grocery goals?
Sit down this week and write them out. Start brainstorming ideas. What do you want to do with your grocery budget, your meals, etc. Maybe nothing. Or, maybe you’ve been waiting for someone to give you a nudge to do something different.
{nudge . . . nudge!}
You can do it!
Let me know what you come up with! What are your ideas and plans?
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