Couponing

So...the big wave of couponing has hit us and now it is very fashionable to save money for normal folks.  Many of us grew up this way, and some of us lost our way...I didn't necessarily grow up cutting coupons, but I did grow up in a conservative household in which we were taught to be frugal, save money, go out to eat and get what is on sale, buy a case of canned veggies during a great sale... can at home with fruits and veggies when picked out of the field/orchard.  Yes, I said PICKED.  As I am told, we took a family vacation once to California, visiting a cherry "farm"- and we picked and picked.  I only know this because of a picture showing proof of a small child- perhaps 5 years old with silky blond hair pulled into a tail flowing down the middle of my back...and we ate those canned cherries for years.  I don't ever remember going into the basement and not having canned cherries on the shelf.  It has become one of my favorites from my childhood.


Inspired by television, of course, I have been trying my hand at the couponing.  I am not very good at it, but I realize it takes practice.  I can tell you though, that I have the nicest razor I have ever had and I could actually afford some shower lotion, which I did not even look at before because of the cost!  So, I am feeling more pampered which gives inspiration.  I am mostly excited, though, about the fantastic deals that I have been experiencing at Menards! 

Keep in mind when starting out that the coupon websites cannot give you every good deal out there, so you need to keep an eye out for great deals, too.  Are you overwhelmed?  Begin with just the free stuff to get you started.  There are many websites that will give you shopping lists.  Also, know that getting into the rebate arena requires a "start-up cost".  Thus far I am in about $400 at one store in rebates- and keep in mind the rebates are not necessarily for cash.  They are for store credit- however, once your startup costs are invested, you should be able to do a lot with the same money, over and over.

My latest excursion has left me feeling a little deflated, I tried to focus on groceries.  I did make some mistakes that cost me money, which is especially annoying if you are trying a product that you normally wouldn't buy.  I found previously that going to a self check-out relieved some of the pressure, but this time it only made it worse.  I did manage to save 25% of my bill, which is good, but again some of the items purchased I would not have normally bought.  So, this is the last lesson I learned, at first purchase groceries that you would normally need.  If you don't normally buy the frozen chicken tenders, $1 off of their $5 price tag will not save you money.

Good luck!