So, I know that I have not written for a month, but I have been busy trying out something that I would now like to report on. I have been working on the art of extreme couponing, which is defined as the systematic shafting of your local grocery store through the use of superior organization, patience, and manufacture's coupons.
After one month I have learned a lot about this art and here is my check list to test if you are ready to do this.
1. Do you know thy grocery self: it seems easy enough, but it is not. In order to really make savings and make this count in an extreme way, you have to be committed (not the straight jacket kind) and love grocery shopping. Do you know the "normal price for food" and could you spot a good deal? The truth is that over the month I averaged 72% saving on all of my grocery trips. When I was sloppy or lazy it was more like 50-65%, and when I was really trying I got as high as 79%. Here the thing if you are not committed and hate grocery shopping, the chances increase that you will spend more money and start eating worst because of the need to use your coupons.
2. Is time really money? To do couponing it takes time, I mean lots of it! Time to get coupons, cut them, organize them, look through the ads, match up deals, and then go to all the stores. I spent at least an extra 3-6 hours messing with the grocery shopping.
3. Do you have the storage? I filled up all of my free storage space in a month, freezer first then on from there. It's a lot of work to coupon right and if you do not have the space it might be wise to choose wisely what you buy.
4. Are you flexible? Buying food only when it is on sale and couponed means you must be flexible in how you eat. Will this drive you crazy? I can promise you there are very few, if any, coupons for organic and specialty foods.
If you feel comfortable with your answers at this point let's get to the basics of couponing
1. Sign up with all of your local grocery store's web pages, club cards, and make sure you get their ads.
2. Get coupons, for Sunday's paper and online. You will need a lot of them, I found 4-5 for each product worked well with the coupon policy at my stores.
3. Know your stores coupon policy.
4. Get a coupon binder with coupon holders (I used baseball card sheets).
From here you are ready to begin
The next step is to get the ads and create a list, then go shopping.
Here are a few rules and tips I learned along the way
1. Never forget or mix up your binder ( I did this twice) :(
2. Resist the urge to buy things you normally do not buy.
3. If a deal does not feel sweet enough do not do it.
4. Find a coupon friend, I did not do this but would like to in the future.
5. Be willing to wait and cut your losses.
These are all I can think of for now. I hope this was helpful, if not I am ok with that. I can tell you this much, there is a really and somewhat disturbing rush you get when your bill is $102 dollars, and you think, "I can't pay for that" then you give them your club card and coupons and the bill drops to $30 dollars and the casher says," that was like $26 dollars in coupons, you should teach a class about this" that it all feels worth it and you feel like a drug junkie out to get their next fix.
Happy Couponing!!!!!
