Couponing = Not as Important as Haiti

But, I'm sure you've all been wondering how this month of couponing has gone so far.

So, I'm going to tell you. And I'm not saying this to boast in any special powers I've been granted as a human being. Most of this stuff I have figured out and come up with as a result of pulling inspiration from a lot of different places online and from people I know and really thinking long and hard about where I'd rather have our monthly grocery money going if it's possible to actually save... and it is.

Here's the scoop.

As I mentioned, I've got a little strategy going that includes the following steps:

1. Shop only at Publix every Sunday this entire month (I do this simply because it's a mile down the street and incredibly convenient and I LIKE the experience there.)
2. Shop (mostly) the BOGO, Advantage, and weekly sales. (There are also the occasional exceptions for recipes, cravings, etc. Man can not live by coupon alone.)
3. Purchase one newspaper per person in our home = 2. (I have heard people say "one per person over the age of 10" and I think that means that kids over the age of 10 consume more? I don't know, regardless there's just two of us. I usually pick mine up at Walgreen's on our way home from church for $3.50 total. There are usually other good coupons from restaurants/stores as well as the articles and the rest can be used for wrapping paper, crafts, the firepit, etc.)
4. Write, in Sharpie, the date on the coupon inserts and stick them in a folder. (I find this saves from clipping every coupon unnecessarily... I'm not always going to use them all.)
5. Look through the weekly Publix Ad for deals. (Who knows, your favorite fruit, toilet paper, sub from the deli, or spaghetti sauce might be on sale. It's always good to stock up on items.)
6. Compare the weekly Publix Ad with I Heart Publix's weekly round-up of the ad + corresponding coupons available in previous (or current) Sunday coupon inserts.
7. Pull inserts or print those listed on IHP's website and cut only as needed.

The first two Sundays this month I only half-heartedly did any of this. I was definitely hitting the first point at full-speed but lagging in the others. I bought my first papers on 1/17 if that tells you anything.

Okay, so here are the results...

1/03 - saved 22%
1/10 - saved 21%
1/17 - saved 50%
1/24 - saved 68%
1/31 - saved 69%

Total $ Savings = $213.93

And just think if I'd done a full month at that rate!

Whew. Get's me all excited.

It's like a game for me, appealing to the mathematical, competitive, frugal, and domestic parts of my little brain. Plus, it's a learning thing and I always enjoy that.

Take for instance, these things I've learned in the last month:

1. You can use a coupon PER item at the grocery store, even when it's BOGO. Who knew?!
2. You can stack a manufacturer coupon (like the ones you get in the paper) with one Publix store coupon (also found in the paper or online/in flyers/magazines) and one competitor store coupon if you have any.
3. Yeah! Publix takes competitor store coupons (as long as they are manufacturer ones). Up until today, this meant Food Lion, Kroger, and Target coupons published by the manufacturer would work. Unfortunately, the local Food Lion is closing and is therefore no longer a competitor, but oh well.
4. Of course, Publix doubles all coupons up to $.50 a piece.
5. Buying multiples of an item doesn't make you crazy, it makes you smart. I seriously don't have to go shopping for salad dressing (which is a staple), cereal, tuna fish, or pasta for awhile if I don't want to. Instead of getting stuff when you need it, you have it in advance and at a much lower cost.
6. It doesn't take as much time as you'd think. Once you do it once or twice, it strangely becomes a lot easier and more natural. And for me, I've found it makes me less worried or bothered when it's "necessary" to get stuff that isn't on sale.

So my approach now, is stocking up on all the things we actually like/want/use/etc. that run the sale/coupon circuit and using even just a portion of the extra money saved to purchase stuff at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's that we like/want/use/etc. that don't run the sale/coupon circuit.

For us, it's all trade off and yet, our grocery budget is smaller than ever before.

And I have to say, I like grocery shopping more than ever before, as well!

Walking is Normal

So, today I went for a walk. It was not your average walk, considering I was out running (walking?) errands, those being namely going to the bank (post-budget committee meeting) and to the grocery store. We live within a half to a full mile from every major grocer, bank, fast food restaurant, and coffee shop in the area (heck, even our church is a mile away!), so I thought I'd take advantage of a breezy, warm mid-July (yay!) morning and get some stuff done, today.

Back before it was "green" to do so and before gas was up to $4 a gallon, I remember walking, or at least biking, to so many places when I was younger. Most of the places that come to mind are libraries, 7-11's, ice cream shops, grocery stores (for candy), and TCBY. I guess in those days if I wanted to get somewhere pre-driving, those were my only options. Once I had a car, the novelty of air-conditioned convenience blinded me to the bliss of pedestrial mobility (I totally made that up). It was only when I moved to Green Hills after college that my mind was re-awakened to the idea of using something besides an automobile (perhaps my own two feet?) to get where I needed to go. So much was within reach, I just had to walk (and I was a poor grad student). Novel idea, really.

Today was perfect. Well, despite the fact that I had to walk in the opposite direction about a half mile to go to the non-Publix U.S. Bank and then in the other direction to actually go to Publix. (Remember that one? ...whatever, it's the principle of the matter.) Here I was with my little reusable canvas grocery totes walking around Franklin and absolutely loving every second of it. (Okay, except for the part where the dump trucks drove by and conveniently exhaled a great deal of mess that I subsequently inhaled.)

When I left Publix with two full bags under both my arms, I must have looked a sight. I purposely made our list small considering the week is nearly over and we'll be at the lake for the Fourth, so the bags weren't awful. I made it halfway home when a very kind woman pulled up to me in her car and asked if I needed a ride somewhere. I was rather taken aback by the gesture, and when I said "no, thanks!" with as much cheer as possible, she prodded further. She said "it'd be no trouble - I'd love to help you out" and I told her it wasn't "a bother for me to walk on such a beautiful day" and she gave me a look of sympathy and drove off. I guess it hadn't occurred to her that I had walked to the grocery store by choice?

Before making it home, I dropped off a bill at the post office and thought about how happy I was to be walking. Whether it seemed crazy or not (why should it?), walking is absolutely normal. I mean, there are countries all over the world where walking is the norm and to do something as simple as getting food for the week involves working for it. And not just the working to make the money to buy it, but the effort that goes into getting it. In fact, the norm probably involves a much larger distance than I had to go today. I have it easy.

It reminds me of the whole "God gave you two legs, so use them" adage. Of course, that's typically used when you ask someone to do something for you when you could just do it yourself. But I think it rings true in these circumstances as well, that if I can, I should, at least as often as I can. It gives me perspective, saves money, gets me outside and active, and ends up helping the environment in the long run. What's not to love?

Design a "Green" Bag

Sorry for all of the shameless self-promotion, but I just entered a contest being put on by Kroger and designed this bag. You can only vote once per day, but make it a bookmark and do it! I mean, please? The contest lasts through May 23, so it's awhile but I'll love you forever if you do.

Seriously.