Friday, July 29, 2011

To Coupon or Not to Coupon: Friday Finals

Okay I have to vent a little. I have been trying to figure out this grocery budget thing since I got married... 7 1/2 years ago...

So I had truly discovered the couponing phenomenon last year sometime. I was hooked immediately. I can get stuff for FREE??? No kidding!!! Why would it ever be free?? LOL I was on again off again with the couponing and recently went through an on again phase. Okay I admit... You can really get some great deals if you are watching the sales and religiously buy your Sunday papers every week. While I did this for a while I just simply got burned out. I noticed that while trying to save money I was spending lots of money on "free" stuff. Yes some of the items were free or had an overage but I did not ever see the type of deals and savings that so many others have been able to find. Our state does not double coupons so $.50 is just $.50 for me. So...

While I do think it is a great idea I just haven't mastered most of it yet. I just get tired honestly of the hours it takes to prepare for a grocery shopping trip. I do so love to save money but don't feel I can devote that much time to it. While I am sure I will go back to couponing soon I just need some down time I guess. I do notice I feel bad for paying prices when I could possibly get it cheaper later on. But then again I look at the sales and don't see things I would use or would need. So it is a catch 22....

Do you have any saving tips you can pass on? Do you coupon or do you just try to get the best deals where you shop? Share your tips and let me know how you keep your grocery budget on budget. Do you even have a budget? I would love to hear how you do it!

5 comments:

  1. following back thanks for stopping by... i personally can't get a hang of couponing

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  2. I WANT TO COUPON SO BADLY! No joke. I just don't know where to start. :( I really don't.

    I'm following from Weekend Blog Hop - hope you follow back! ox.

    Happy weekend!

    <3-Cami from First Day of My Life Life

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  3. It does take a lot to "coupon". I really do try to do it, though. Hi! Following you from Blog Frog in the Top Social Giveaways Community. Would love a visit and a follow back on my blog: http://blog.writerslairbooks.com. We are having a fantastic iPad 2 giveaway and I hope you will enter if you haven’t already! Thanks! Nice to meet you.

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  4. You know, I do use coupons but I wouldn't say I am extreme in any way! My secret to savings?? Meal planning and sticking to it!! There is so much waste in just running to the store and getting what you think you may use and then things come up and things get wasted. I sit down every Sunday evening and plan out meals for the week and I will check through my coupon collection to see if there is anything I can use. I also use a grocery check list so when I run out of staples I check them off to remember I need to get them. Extreme couponing sounds interesting, but you are right that in the end you end up spending money on things that you weren't needing or planning to buy and they can get wasted. Unless it is something like laundry detergent that isn't going to expire soon. I made a cute little menu planner that I keep on my fridge you can find here http://ourwaytolearn.blogspot.com/2011/03/weekly-menu-planner-free-printable.html And I use this really easy shopping checklist I found here as well http://www.freeprintablegrocerylist.com/

    Good Luck! And thanks for stopping by Our Way to Learn! :)

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  5. Thanks everyone for your comments and tips!! Keep them coming! I love hearing from you and everything you do to help save your family money! :) Thanks again for stopping by!

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I love to hear from you!