I’m stoked. My first coupon shopping trip, I saved an even 20%. Off of a $100 grocery bill, $20 is pretty substantial! This time, I saved 37%. If I’d stuck strictly to my shopping list and avoided the deals on produce for the boys’ lunches, my total savings would have been 57%!
I picked up a chocolate Yoplait Whip for free and out of curiousity. It was surprisingly good, though I’m not sure I would spend money on them. We got four big boxes of Van De Kamp’s fish sticks and filets for free. I had a couple “buy X, get 1 free” coupons. I ended up paying only a dollar for each large box of Rice Krispies (yes…I will probably wind up making Rice Krispies Treats again). A couple of boxes of Trix cereal for free because of a Commissary coupon as well as a manufacturer coupon. There were two things that didn’t ring up at their sale price (and I didn’t have coupons for them), which concerns me, but the difference isn’t worth making a fuss over. I’ll call them to let them know, though.
I’m sold. Simple as that. I was worried about all the time I spent coupon hunting and clipping not being worth it (or the ink and paper!), but this is great. To top it off, this was all at the commissary and after reading numerous accounts of irritable checkers giving grief over coupons, I was anxious. My checker was so impressed, though, that she stated it loud and clear to my husband (hanging out, shopping with me on his lunch break - what a guy!) and added that her son needs to find someone like me. Yes, I’m blushing. LOL I also loved that as she was going through them, there were a couple that she had to comment on. ”This is a really good one!” For someone so new at this (I’m almost 30 - I can’t believe I didn’t figure this out earlier), those words were awesome.
Happy girl. Happy, happy girl.
I’m a wife to one hot Air Force dude, a mother to two gremlins born six months apart (we’re special), and slave to the slightly feral Shoulder Cat and his cohort, The Velociraptor (remind me to clip her claws, please, she clicks when she walks).
Glad to hear your coupon outing was a great success. I find cashiers don’t really mind if you’re organized. And it sounds like you were! I read once about a random band of nice people who, armed with scotch tape, snuck through grocery stores attaching coupons to their respective products for unsuspecting shoppers to find and use. I AM thirty and I still can’t get the hang of them…:-)
PS: Thanks for stopping by my weblog today!
Doesn’t it feel great?! I just got into couponing recently when I started blogging. Now, ever time I come home from the store my husband asks me, “how much did we save this time.” I haven’t been doing as well lately with the wedding and all (of all times to save money, now was the time) but I am excited to get back into it. Do you use any websites for match-ups or do you just do your own?
It can be addicting. Just be careful…it’s so easy to buy things cuz they’re free or almost free, but it’s really junk. Not wanting to burst your bubble…Just want to be honest.
When I first started couponing, I got crazy and was saving 87% or more each time. I was bringing home tons and tons of stuff. Stuff I would have never bought before,but hey it was free. And then we packed on a little weight, and I got sick, some inflammatory neurological mess, and I realized all my “money saving” was costing us dearly.
You can still save a bunch and buy healthy things, but beware of the stuff you wouldn’t have bought before…and try not to buy it now.
I just read your getting healthy post, so it’s fresh on my mind. 
Good luck.