.....that should be my licence plate number.
But as I sit here this afternoon doing my budget and entering expenditures in my money program, it's becoming very clear that the grocery budget needs some reining in.
I noticed a link on my MSN Today screen: How to slash your grocery bills. So I clicked it. It took me to an article by the head honcho of the Women in Red, a group of women who are trying to become debt-free, and are doing so publicly, via the Net. I was familiar with them, so I read on.
They recommend couponmom.com as a way to find out the sales in advance and organize your shopping, etc. And at couponmom, they recommend the Sunday papers and the Tuesday circulars as great sources for coupon bargains.
I hate newspapers. I don't subscribe to them. They're inky-messy, they never fold up just right, I don't have time to read them, and then I have the trouble of recycling them. But that's where the coupons are.
And the more I browsed around Couponmom, the more confused I got. I really have a mental block about all this. I desperately want to manage our money well, but can't someone else do the shopping and coupon organizing for me? I'm just literally overwhelmed at the thought of it all, shaking my head in a dazed way.
HOW do you coupon chicks make this work for you? I know some of you out there are queen bees at this life skill. The thought of carrying around fluttering bits of paper clutter in my wallet just is not me, but I'm afraid it might HAVE to be if I am going to get this monthly grocery bill under control. And even worse, that I will have to do all the shopping. (****screaming and hyperventilating****)
My sister-in-law Penny has walked out of grocery stores richer than when she went in. The cashier literally paid her to get out of the store- all because of coupons.
My friend Audra's cousin spends about $100 a MONTH in groceries. I do NOT know how she does it. Is this even possible, or do you think she is living on Jiffy Corn bread mix and cheap knock-offs of Kraft macaroni and cheese?
I'm mentally nauseated. I'm going to the chair in the living room to study. Kindly comment away, that I may glean of your wisdom.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
4 months ago
8 comments:
I do not like to shop either!!!
I don't use coupons, I hate getting the paper as much as you do! I have toyed with the idea of subscribing to the paper just for the coupons, but that seems like an awful waste to me. I should just find someone who doesn't use their coupons.
But then comes the next problem I have with coupons: they would actually cause me to SPEND more money, because I don't typically buy the things that coupons are issued for.
I know I could do way better at the whole grocery shopping thing, but rather than running from store to store, chasing sales down, I choose to shop at one store (Meijer) and do the best I can with their sales.
I'm basically just as muddled as you are, so I guess we can sympathize with each other? =)
Yes! A sympathizer!!
I agree...most of the coupons, it seems, are for things I don't use.
Our shopping consists of Costco (all milk and bakery, eggs and most meat), WalMart (personal items), and Fred Meyer or Safeway or Top, depending on where on the drive route we are. And to go to all three places in one day? Torture.
Crystal, I know you are a coupon chick. Chime in!
Actually I've been toying with an idea of a blogpost about how I don't really use coupons anymore except for diapers or the costco coupons.
In California I used grocerygame.com. But at Vons and Ralphs you could get double coupons. I tried grocerygame on here but it didn't really save me any money (to make up for the subscription cost).
Like you I don't really buy things that coupons are issued for, except for cleaning supplies and personal products and diapers.
The whole idea is you shop the lists from couponmom/grocerygame and "stockpile" on things that are on sale with a coupon. But then you are spending money on things you don't need yet, so I think it may be hard to get started.
When you have a healthy diet you are following (or allergy-free, diabetic, etc) I think your grocery bill is naturally going to be higher. We also will only eat organic beef b/c of hormones. This is expensive! Add that to vegan cheese,vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream, soy yogurt and soy pudding and it adds up! Not to mention soy and rice milk...[did you know that soy cheese has milk in it?]
Trader Joes imho is a great place to get snacks and allergen-free food for a good everyday price. Many items are $1-$2 less than fred's/safeway.
I tried the whole coupon thing after watching my dad use them... But the catch was that he was shopping at the Commisary on base where they only sell brand names.
I found that shopping out in the civilian world that Fred Meyer around here is just about the cheapest especially if you use their store brands. You can also get their coupons at the store.
Like crystal said, elsewhere in the country (it was this way in Phoenix) coupons were worth it because grocery stores to double and triple coupon day. They havn't seen fit to do that around here.
Groceries are expensive... We spend about $80 a week just for the 2 of us...
I am with you! I have no clue about all the coupons and would just end up with a papery mess all over my house, my car, and in my purse.
The newspaper thing, I hate it when my husband brings one home. It ends up all over the bathroom floor and yours truly cleaning it up.
If you ever do figure out how to get paid to leave a store let me know.
Great minds, Richard!
I have found Freds to be the cheapest as well, along with Trader Joes. On top of that there is free 1 hour child care AND a starbucks! I'm counting the days until Joel is 2 and I can leave them both for an hour while shopping.! THAT will make me like shopping!
I, too, tried the coupon thing, but couldn't find a way to make it worthwhile. I found that just planning my menu to make "cheap" things really helped. My sister-in-law is really good at this and one night a week does a dish with no meat (usually soup) and has other ideas. I would do a "no-meat" night plus a Mexican night that used beans instead of meat - then try to make things that used similar ingredients. I then found the cheapest places to buy those ingredients. (Trader Joe's for some dairy, like butter and yogurt - but Costco for milk and cheese and meat), etc.
Coupons are tough. But if you can figure out those double coupon things I'm sure you'd have it made.
Also, you just HAVE to read the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - I'd love to hear your opinion.
So, I know some parts of CA do double coupons, and some areas of Detroit used to... but nothing in Washington I think.
Trader Joe's is very cheap for what you can get there- no preservatives, artificial goo, etc. But the nearest one is on the back side of SeaTac Mall. Nice. :\
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