I CAN'T BELIEVE I EVER PAID FULL PRICE!!!

I have to share my exciting experience. As some of you know, I have started couponing to save money on our monthly grocery bill. A friend from work told me about her success and I was jealous of how much she is able to save on her monthly food/staples bill. So I figured I would give it a shot. The main reason I decided to give this a shot was because I used to spend anywhere from $700-800 per month on food (don't judge me....I have to feed a growing boy who eats a lot of food)! Anyway, my goal with couponing is to bring this WAY DOWN.

Now, this is not the ordinary couponing where I clip a few and save a few dollars here and there.....the method I am following incorporates stock piling coupons to get the best deals at the grocery store when items are on sale. With this method, I spend pennies on items (compared to regular pricing) and stock pile enough of them to last for 10-12 weeks until they go back on a good sale again.

I started mid-July and started saving right off the bat. It does however take some time to build up your coupon supply and I am now just starting to get the really good deals. How do I get so many coupons you ask?? I get them online as well as in the Sunday newspaper. I found out about a special with the Tacoma News Tribune where they deliver 3 copies of the Sunday paper each week to my house and I only pay $11 per month (pretty good deal huh)? This allows me to stock pile my coupons. The real serious couponers get 6 papers each Sunday, but I am not to that point yet :-)

Couponing does take a lot of time (clipping, reading ads, finding deals, etc), but so far it is SO WORTH IT. My August goal: $400 on groceries (and still cooking/eating as we normally do). This would cut my bill practically in half. This is going to be a huge challenge since I am still new to this, but it's just that: A CHALLENGE. I seriously cannot believe I EVER paid full price on anything. It is amazing how much you can save if you take the time.

This weeks deal:



8 boxes of Cheerios
Regular price: $4.49 each = $35.92
I paid: $4.49 total for all 8

14 Cans of Prego
Regular price: $3.39 each = $47.46
I paid: $2.93 total for all 14

48 Cans of Tuna
Regular price: $1.25 each = $60
I paid: $15.84 total for all 48

GRAND TOTAL BEFORE COUPONS/SAVINGS: $143.38
GRAND TOTAL I PAID: $23.26 for all 70 items
TOTAL SAVINGS: $120.12

If you couldn't already tell, I am pretty proud of myself. I am so excited to tell you my final total for August groceries. Hopefully I will hit my $400 budget.

Besides couponing, there is not too much new on our end. We have been doing a little camping this summer which has been super fun. We bought a tent, which is the first time I have ever tented. So far, so good. We have had fun and the dogs LOVE it. We are gearing up for our vacation in September where we will be camping along the Washington and Oregon coast. We are looking forward to this and cannot wait to get away for more than a couple days.

Both of our jobs are still going well. I am still super happy I made the career switch, I LOVE my new job. I actually enjoy working everyday because it's fun, challenging, and I enjoy the people I work with. It has made a WORLD of difference in my life. Less stress and I feel like I can enjoy the little things again! Garrett is still running the truck for Aramark. Because of the economy, he loses some business here and there, but he is still doing rather well.

Besides all that: Garrett and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary on September 6th. Time sure does fly! September is also a big birthday month for me and my little guy (Rusty). Rusty's and my birthday actually falls during our vacation week this year so we are excited to have a birthday on the beach! Now...pray for decent weather.

Well, that's my little update for now. Be on the lookout for my next couponing deals!!

CHEERS!!