Extreme Couponing....Update...

Honestly, I have written this post two or three times. 

About a month ago, I posted over at Christie's...


...that I would try Extreme Couponing and report back with my findings.

Initially, I dove right in.  I clipped coupons from the Sunday paper, compared sales, even tried some online coupon sites.  Your comments were greatly appreciated, and I found new websites I'd never even heard of for deals and extra deep discounts.  And, just as quickly, I learned that I am attempting to do this in one of the hardest areas of the country.  The coupons are extremely hard to come by, the policies stricter, and sales prices honestly, just not as good.  One coupon site boasted thousands of grocery store coupons, only to reveal five available in my area. FIVE.

Not deterred, I pressed on, I did what I could with what was available.  I began just with the grocery stores, and then moved to the pharmacies.  And, while I did very well (between 40 and 60%) this by far was one of the best trip ever...

5 boxes tissues, 6 boxes of cereal, 5 jars of Ragu, corn,
3 lbs of pork roast, 4 lbs of Purdue chicken, 2 sensitive Colgate's,
2 jars Skippy, 2 pks of Advil, 2 bottles of Hersey syrup,
1 box contact solution, 2 Suave deodorants, 2 Gillette deodorants,
1 Large Bottle of Listerine

I got approximately $180 worth of product for $50. 

In the end, I found that by just paying attention and stocking up when things are on sale, I could always save about 50%.  While I did have some items that I got lucky with like this $15 makeup...

....for $3, coffee creamer that they paid me (.15 each) to walk out of the store with, and this box of Oldest's favorite cereal....

...for free, those deals were few and far between. Basically, by planning out my trips and making a detailed list, I was spending a lot less money and a lot less time in the stores. But, perhaps the most surprising thing I discovered in doing this little experiment, was something I had no idea was even a problem.

Basically, as a single mother, financially supporting the family has been difficult.  With no child support in sight, and having to make enough to offset the cost of day care, at the end of the month, food just wasn't a priority.  In fact, we never had much food in the house, just what we needed to get by.  When Almost Hubs came into the picture, he often bought a few things here and there, but stocking the fridge was just not a priority.  We would eat what we had until I could no longer make a meal from what was left.  Then, in frustration, I would go to the store, buy a cart's worth of groceries, and spend the next few weeks trying to figure out where the money would come from to pay the rest of the bills. 

When I started couponing, I found that in order to get the best prices, we had to stock up a bit. I carved out a bit of shelf space and started stocking cereal, rice, sauce, and paper products.  Shampoo and deodorants were coming out to 50 cents a piece, and laundry detergent (Tide, Wisk etc.) were only $1-$2 each.   Meats were bought in bulk packages, on sale at a 50-70% discount, and were promptly separated and stowed away in the deep freezer.  No, I am not knocking down walls to make room for the new merchandise arriving daily, but by the same account, I don't need to buy shampoo, toothpaste or deodorant for at least a year.  And for the first time EVER in my home, we are not out of food.  I can honestly go into the fridge or freezer and make a meal on any given day.

It's truly... freeing. 

On the surface, nothing has really changed.  My kids will still whine that there's nothing good to eat, but now I can give them choices of what we do have. I will be able to offer the kids in the neighborhood more than just flavored pops in the summer, and impromptu lunches with friends will not involve a hurried rush through the grocery store in an effort to secure something, anything, to offer them for lunch.  Almost Hubs will still randomly decide to treat us to dinner out, but it won't be for lack of availability. And, I will be able to fend off the PMS crazed hormones with healthy amounts of chocolate instead of waging war with all of the ones I love the most. 

All of that, from couponing.  Who knew?


For other great ideas... scroll back up and click Christie's big blue button. Feel free to link up and share your own ideas. 
 If you have any questions or specific things about couponing that I may have learned, feel free to email me... also, check your dollar stores for health and beauty products, they routinely sell name brands like Tylenol, Suave and Gillette deodorants, shampoos, Ajax and Palmolive dish detergent, kitchen cleaners etc. for $1.