My number one rule of couponing

Don’t make a list of what you need and then find coupons for them!  Instead, you should do the opposite- look at the coupons you have then make your list! 

Now, if you are like me and have small children, there are sometimes that you’ll need diapers, formula, juice, etc. and you won’t have a coupon, and that’s ok!  Pretty soon after you start to shop from the sales and coupons you have, you’ll begin to start what we call in the coupon world, a stockpile!   A stockpile is all the things you buy that you don’t immediately need.  For instance, every so often coupons will be out for toothpaste that will make them free at the store (Kroger usually- they mark Colgate down to $1, like it is right now, and there will be $1 off or $0.50 off coupon which doubles to $1, in the paper).  I save these until they are marked down so I end up buying between 4-6 at a time, we have a drawer full of toothpaste, that is our toothpaste stockpile.  We didn’t need toothpaste this week, but if I can get anything for free, I’m buying it!  I don’t have a large stockpile yet, but when I do, I’m sure my husband will be more than happy to make room in the garage for things like toilet paper, paper towels,  and cereal!!  Now, to get him to buy me an extra freezer is a different story!

To get started making the most of your money and planning a shopping list, (and until I have time to post on here what the best game plan is for the week)  let www.southernsavers.com help you plan your shopping trip!  Tomorrow, I will post rule #2. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section, I will be happy to answer any question you have!

Publix, January 20, 2011

I started the morning doing laundry with no plans of shopping or looking at coupons today.  As I poured the detergent into the washing machine I realized I was running low on detergent, and where does my mind go?  Yes! To coupons!  I wondered what I had…  So, I looked at southernsaver.com to see if there was a good deal and the madness began.  I was so excited at how many coupons I had, I was actually shaking!  There is a big sale this week on Kimberley Clark items, there are booklets at Publix behind the customer service desk (which my husband so wonderfully picked up for me yesterday) as well as in the paper from last week (I think)  So, saying all that, my purchase today ended up being (drumroll, please!) :

Worth $121.67, paid $22.30, saved $99.37!  Since January 1, I have already saved my family $370.07!

Kroger, January 18, 2011

Went to Kroger today off Husdon Bridge Road because I refuse to go to the one off Jonesboro Road anymore!  They took ALL of my printables without making me feel like a criminal!  I was able to take advantage of the “Buy 4 Kelloggs products and get 2 gallons of milk free” promotion, but just barely!  The cereal I had coupons for was gone and all they had left was Apple Jacks, I bought them anyway because the deal was too good to pass up.  I had to convince myself it was not the end of the world not using a coupon!  Saying all that, this is how I did:  Groceries were worth $149.01, spent $48.73, saved $100.28!  Here is the picture of what I got: