Saucy Stories

     There was a period of a few months where we only went to the grocery store for a few basic items. I still bought the newspaper and perused the sales ads out of habit, but there just wasn't money left for groceries after bills and gas for the car. No, I didn't waste away to a size two. We ate out of our pantry and freezer.  I browsed my cookbook cabinet instead of the grocery ads. We mainly shopped at a fruit stand and Amish goods market on the way home for fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and eggs. We couldn't afford meat very often.

     I started really paying attention to the grocery store sales. Many of these buy one get one free foods that I could purchase almost for free with coupons were full of chemicals. Pasta sauces, seasoning packets, boxed dinner mixes, even beef and chicken broth are often laced with chemical additives and MSG. I didn't realize how many modern foods contain MSG. I had mistakenly thought they did away with that when they learned that it made many people ill. Silly me...

     My two year old grandaughter has been in my house all along. When she was on formula we called her the exorcist baby because she projectile vomited constantly. She was switched to every formula there was and nothing worked. However, she flourished as soon as she went on regular food. She tries all foods and eats almost everything with great gusto. She loves the home cooked meals, asks for beans, and eats tomatoes like candy. She even eats things you wouldn't expect a baby to eat like chicken with hot sauce, tacos, bean tostadas, guacamole, and spinach artichoke dip.

     My five year old grandson moved in with us and for a week straight he refused my dinners and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead. He only eats peanut butter and jelly, pizza, chicken nuggets, fries, apples, bananas, cereal, and corn dogs. Gradually we hope to have him taste some new dishes. 

     I usually drop into my produce store on the way home from work. It's the end of the day and they give great deals on everything they won't be able to sell much longer and sometimes it is just free. One day I was given an entire box of tomatoes. I brought them home along with red peppers, garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. I chopped, peeled, sliced, steamed, and ran everyhting through the food processor. Everything went into a big stock pot on the stove and cooked a long time. As a matter of fact I was cooking sauce on Halloween night when a little girl, probably around twelve years old, sniffed and asked what I was cooking for dinner. She then went down the street and marched her dad up my driveway so he could smell dinner too. My daughter tried the sauce that night, closed her eyes, and said, "Please don't ever buy jarred sauce again." I haven't bought sauce since. I cook a box of tomatoes at a time and put the sauce in freezer bags. We use it for pasta dishes and pizza. I plan to try it as a soup base too.

     Goodbye coupons and grocery stores. I think I'm much better off without you.

Regal Savings

I've recently reorganized my coupon system. I had tried just keeping the inserts and clipping them as I used them. I stopped when I noticed I wasn't really saving as much as I used to when I used the envelope system. I bought new envelopes, new organizers, and little  tab things so I could mega-organize into even more categories. This saves me time because after I make my shopping list I can grab what I want quickly without wading through too big a stack to get the coupons I need. Now I spend less time and save more.

My first big shopping trip after the reorganization was amazing. I was out of a lot of items around the house and there was a big sale at a local grocery store. I saved an even hundred dollars off the regular price, almost half my bill. Of this total saved, $71.85 was the sale price discount and a whopping $28.15 was my coupon savings. I paid $114.82 for a trunk load of food and household items and had to place some of my order on the backseat of the car when I ran out of room. To top it off this grocery store also has a fuel program and many of the items had extra fuel savings as well so I earned enough points to be able to bring two vehicles to the gas station and fill them up for thirty seven cents. No, not thirty seven cents per gallon, thirty seven cents period! My gas was free I just paid a small amount for tax.

It wasn't enough to earn me a spot on Extreme Couponing, not that I would want to, but the cashier clapped her hands when she saw the savings and the couple behind me in line gave me an appreciative "Wow!" It was a nice change from grumbling and eye rolling. We can thank the economy for that. I'm still Rodney Dangerfield with the younger set though. When I told the kids they just said, "That's great mom."  in a monotone and kept their gaze on the computer or the cell phone. I get no respect. :)

Grocery Store Chatter

The Extreme Couponing chatter will just not die down. Customers in the checkout line will mention it each day, some in amazement of the show and others wishing their coupon skills were better. We now have one or two extreme couponers of our own. I witnessed one the other day making a purchase of 75 Powerades. I didn't see what her final price was because I was on the counter.

I do use coupons myself but not to such extremes. I do not need 150 candy bars at once, nor do I need 80 boxes of pasta, and 50 bottles of ketchup would spoil before we used them. I only buy two newspapers and do not feel the need to climb into a dumpster for more. I do typically save 60 to 70% off the bill with sales and coupons. Last week I purchased a gallon of milk and a large bag of popcorn for 68 cents but that does not happen every week. It was a small purchase as well. It usually is just a random small purchase, not nine carts full of groceries for 50 cents. No TV cameras will follow me about for my shopping.

My dad was the coupon and rebate king. He would visit family and bring laundry detergent, shampoo, cereal, and other household goods as gifts. After his death I was told he did this for extended family and friends as well. My niece said he would show up with a huge box of stuff and say, "Here, I got this for a quarter."

As well as chatter in the store I also get several phone calls a week at the store. People will call and ask what our coupon policy is. Dozens have called asking when we have double coupon days. We have never had double coupons but they insist that it says we do on the Internet. I don't know of any stores close to my area that ever have double coupons.

Like it, hate it, or just plain fascinated by it, I don't see the interest in Extreme Couponing waning any time soon. It is still a big topic of conversation.

Everyone Has an Opinion

I watched TLC's "Extreme Couponing" with my daughter a few weeks ago. We were both amazed. My daughter thought it would be fun to do this and donate giant stockpiles to food banks. This caused me to picture her in a green hat with a jaunty feather and tights laughing as she carelessly tossed bags in an overladen cart, a sort of modern day grocery store Robin Hood.

After watching this show I kept thinking I would write a blog post about this because it was so bizarre. Many of you have watched before and beat me to it.

I do use coupons myself. I get some terrific deals and sometimes even come home with free products. I only buy what I will use before it expires. I don't buy stuff just because I can get it for free. If an item is free but I don't use it, I don't need it.

I don't have to write anymore about this as many of you have already done the work. Like De-ette, I couldn't help but picture some of the shows participants as future guests on the Hoarders show.

Fabulous & Frugal

Pamela had many of the same ideas. She wrote about a woman on the show who bought a huge stockpile of diapers for a baby she hadn't yet conceived.

Feral Homemaking

Judy noticed that many of the items promoted with coupons were not the healthiest option.

We May be Poor but We Are Happy

Sharon also saw the Hoarders connection. She has fancy videos to illustrate her post. :)

Midlife Mom Musings

Being a professional, Donna Freedman had inside information. She reminds us that producers look for exciting images and sometimes leave out part of the story for more dramatic television viewing. Read her post for the other side of the story.

Surviving and Thriving

Paula reminds us to collect our coupons in an ethical manner. Stop pestering that newspaper delivery person!

Monroe on a Budget

Some seem to think that the manufacturers and retailers are going to place restrictions on coupon use because of this show. I work in retail and I was unaware of a way to get credit for coupons that weren't actually used. Jill Cataldo explained why gang cut coupons are a problem.

Jill Cataldo

I don't know if a TLC show will have that much of an effect on sales policies in stores. After all, not everyone has rushed out to add members to their household after watching Sister Wives.

Slim Pickings

I have a theory that due to this never ending recession more and more people are turning to coupon use as a way to save money on their grocery bill. The manufacturers and marketing people are onto us. They know we look for BOGO(Buy one get one free) sales, and match two coupons with our purchase to get the items for a third of the original price or less. There have been less and less usable coupons each week in the Sunday newspaper. I've looked online for coupons as well and haven't found one worth printing for months. With the shorter expiration dates they usually expire before a good sale comes along.

I don't put all my time into chasing sales but I am determined to pay the least amount possible for those items we use in our home every week. If eggs are $2.00 in one store but $1.00 in another, I will pick them up for $1.00 when I go past that store unless it is out of my way. I will stock my pantry with non-perishable items that I use when they go on sale. The money I don't spend on household and grocery items at full price can go towards car repairs when needed, or savings, or debt reduction.

I really like a certain brand of stain remover for my laundry. It sells for $2.99 a bottle. I ran out but I knew it goes on a BOGO sale regularly. Sure enough the following week it went BOGO. I also had two store coupons for $1.00 off and one manufacturers coupon for 50 cents off. It would have cost $11.96 for four bottles. The BOGO sale saved me $5.98. I also had $2.50 in coupons. My final price was $3.48 for all four. That's only .87 cents per bottle. That was worth it.

On another note, I gave away all my large cooking pots, thinking I wouldn't need them in my empty nest. My largest pot was three quarts and that was fine for the two of us. On one of my previous trips I stopped by the Le Creuset outlet store in South Carolina and bought one pot to try. It is now my favorite piece of cookware. I've made the best soups and bean dishes ever in my little green pot. I just received a postcard from them advertising my green color on sale for 30% off. I just had to go, I love that store.

My daughter and grandbaby went to visit youngest daughter and my husband and I went to Orlando to find the Le Creuset outlet store. I love the one in South Carolina. It's in a quiet stand alone store with big trees all around and a gas station nearby so I can browse while my husband gases up. The Orlando store is located in the Orlando Premium Outlets on International Drive. It is a bustling metropolis of it's own. There are places for currency exchange everywhere, buses and trolleys, and a train ride and games for children. It took forever to find the store I wanted.

There were people rushing about everywhere with massive amounts of shopping bags from all the upscale boutique outlet stores. Some were dressed in the latest fashions and others were dressed in workout shorts, tennis shoes, and fanny packs ready for a full day of it. I noticed one major thing. We were the minority. I heard lots of voices, and heard many snippets of conversations but very very few were in English. I can't imagine shopping on holiday. I hate shopping. There were large groups of people from France and Brazil and Japan but very few from America. Is this a sign of our continuing recession or just a coincidence?

I returned home with a five quart oval pot in blue. It had a bigger discount than the green and my husband liked it. When my daughter saw the receipt she gasped. I said, "Hey, we're older and we can afford to splurge occasionally on items we really like and these pots will last forever. We'll probably pass them on to the grandbaby one day."

Carrying on a Tradition

When I was writing my dad's obituary I kept reading what I had so far and asking for feedback from family. I wanted to make sure everyone was pleased with the final product. I said that he was thrifty but my niece said it wasn't enough and she fondly recalled tales of him showing up with ten cans of soup and four bottles of laundry detergent and giving it to a family member and saying, "I bought this for a quarter." She said he gave care packages to everyone in the family and friends and neighbors as well. He did this for me and for my brother but I didn't know he was the rebate king in Delaware as well. One of the neighbors who helped care for my dad towards the end said he went shopping with him a few times and he was very precise and organized ahead of time. While the neighbor would meander through the store my dad would go select what he planned to purchase and not look at anything else.

When my kids moved to their apartments recently I sent each one with a box of cleaning supplies and a box of food and a box of soaps and shampoos. They were happy not to have to spend as much on household stuff all at once.

My husband said I am carrying on the tradition. He really noticed it on my last shopping trip. It would have cost $95.00 but everything was on sale and I had coupons. It would have cost $45.00 but I also had a rebate. I ended up paying $19.73 for $95.00 worth of groceries and household items. It isn't always that extreme, but I never shop at full price. My average savings are at least 50% of the bill and often more than that.

In my younger (and less bright) days I thought this much effort was a waste of valuable time. I wish I would have learned this lesson earlier in life. Paying attention to the small details has enabled me to make a huge dent in my debt, to the point that I can see within a year possibly being 100% debt free. I can soon make some changes I've been contemplating. What would you do differently if you were 100% debt free?

And How Was Your Day?

Today was my first Sunday off ever, and since Sunday is my husbands only day off we decided to do something. We kept discussing our day. "We can drive to the beach, or go to a nature trail." or "We can go have dinner and see a movie." We were both very excited to have a day off together. We woke up and while I made breakfast for the dog my husband drove my daughter to work. He then came back home and drove my son to work. When he came home we were still yawning and feeling drained from the past week. It's not that we are lazy or ill or anything, but we sat down and fell instantly asleep and slept til noon. The work schedules and coordinating all the rides to jobs are wearing on us. I know we needed the rest but it ruined our plans. We keep pushing ourselves for these jobs and earning a living just to survive, and we miss out on stopping to enjoy our lives sometimes. I don't mean to moan all the time, this is just my way of shedding more light on what it is like sometimes for the working poor. There are times when the budget is gloomy. There are less choices out there for work due to the economy so we feel stuck right now.

All was not lost, we did have dinner out and and some time for ourselves. We also tackled the unglamorous chore of grocery shopping together. For the record, we spent $61.59, and saved $79.04 ($26.20 of which was coupon savings.) We arrived home with five large reusable grocery store bags filled to overflowing. We will ride out this recession and keep these skills when times are better.

Grocery Shopping With a Penny Pinching Lunatic

I haven't always used coupons. When I was raising three small children and working and attending school I felt I didn't have time to put into it. In fact I made several attempts at saving and failed miserably. I was disorganized with the coupons and never bothered to look at the sales ads. Shopping was a hurried affair racing through the store and tossing items in the cart, sometimes without even remembering what was in the cabinets at home. It would have been to my advantage to save then but at least I have the skill now.

Once I made a commitment to this way of shopping it has become quite easy. Every Sunday I purchase two papers. I read through the paper and then I clip and organize the coupons. Occasionally there are really good coupons for pantry items that I use large quantities of. If there are then I will buy two more papers.

I organize my coupons into envelopes according to my own categories. I've never liked those pre-made coupon organizers. They are too small and there aren't enough categories. My envelopes are leftovers from old card sets and they are lined up in an old five by seven index card file box. The best thing about having your own system is creating your own categories.

When the new grocery ads come out I see what I may purchase if it is a good enough price and if I am running low. Before I shop I make a list and bring only the coupons I will use. I cook pulling what I want from my freezer or pantry. I never pay full price anymore. My family never feels deprived because we have what we want.

I never run out of toilet paper for instance and have to run to the store to buy a four pack for $2.74 because I have several 24 packs in the hall closet that I purchased for four or five dollars.

When people complain about the price of an item it makes me happy to know that when they were buy one get one free the previous week I bought eight of them and used my coupons to get an even lower price. I don't like being at the mercy of the ever fluctuating prices.

One more step is pulling the coupons that have expired once a month. It may sound like a lot of work to many people. It is only a small amount of extra work for me but it is all worth it for the savings in my grocery budget. The savings are huge sometimes. I usually save more than half off the bill. On one recent trip I brought home $130.00 worth of groceries for $30.00.

It may not be for everyone but it sure helps me trim my budget.

On Being Frugal

Frugality for me is born out of necessity. Being frugal allows me to survive on a low wage. The job market is so tight in my area due to the economy that a typical Sunday paper will have two jobs advertised. Sometimes it seems as if it will pick up and there are four or six advertised. Mostly the ads are for nurses, waitstaff, or telemarketers.

I work at a grocery store which is a good place to work right now, considering that everyone still eats. When I work the service counter I cash a lot of unemployment checks.

I try to pay cash and save up for most things I need. Sometimes when I need a large ticket item I finance. I like to take advantage of six months same as cash offers when they are available. I just take the total cost of the item and divide it by the number of months I have before interest accrues and mark that amount in my calendar so I remember to pay it on time. You have to be organized and keep up with the payments to make this work. Credit cards are charging up to 30% now. Remember when 18% seemed high?

Food shopping is a precise, well planned affair. I keep my freezer and pantry stocked with items I bought on sale, most often at buy one get one free, and I usually use coupons for the sale items as well. I read the weekly sales flyer's for all the grocery stores in my area, match coupons with sales, and make my shopping list accordingly. I buy the produce I need at a local produce stand unless the grocery store sale prices are better. I usually save 60 to 70% off the regular price.

It can be done, you just have to plan your purchases and stock up what you can when you find a good sale. I once bought a pack of ten pens, six bottles of shampoo, four bottles of dish detergent, two hairsprays,and four jars of peanuts for $1.35.