Extreme Couponing

I am passionate about saving money in the grocery store. I believe that almost everyone can save some money on their monthly grocery bill with proper planning and revised shopping strategies. Many people have asked me over the years if I used coupons to save money. I did use coupons but not very often because places like Costco or the Grocery Outlet don't accept coupons. Oh sure, I used a cereal coupon now and then but I definitely didn't establish my grocery savings upon clipping coupons. That was then.

A few months ago a friend sent me a link to a website entitled The Krazy Coupon Lady  and since then I have slowly ventured into what I call "Extreme Couponing". Compared to folks who write and/or post on this site I am a complete novice, but by my own standards I have taken couponing to a new level. Look at the image I have posted here, it contains 10 grocery items that I purchased on Monday at Albertsons. The regular, non-sale price of these items is a combined $29.80. They were on sale for $18.00 and yet, Anneke paid ZERO to bring them all home. That's right, nothing, nada, zip, zero, free, free, free. The key to this example is that Albertson's regularly offers double coupons. These are coupons, found in the Albertsons weekly or Sunday newspaper flyer/ad, which will double any existing manufacturer coupon up to $1 in value. The paper contained 3 coupons and the store had a huge stack of extras. I made three trips through the check-out line each time using 3 of my own $1/off coupon in combination with the Albertsons based doubler. (3) $1/off coupons + (3) Albertsons doublers = $6/off each set of items x 3 = $18 in free groceries. This is just one example of my recent savings. In other cases during the past month the store has actually PAID me to walk out with certain items because of additional incentives, such as money back when you buy items. Completely crazy and yet it is totally legit. 

This type of couponing and the resulting shopping is definitely not for everyone. It requires paying attention to the Sunday coupons, keeping track of them, and of course reading the weekly grocery ads. However, with the help of web sites like the Krazy Coupon Lady or Discount Queens the research has been done for you. These sites point out where the best deals are and which coupons to use. Often there are links to online coupon sources and even unadvertised deals seem to show up here. By spending a little time browsing you never know what you might find!

I would start out slow if I were you as it can easily be overwhelming. Take a peek at the sites and see if there might be ways to include a few money saving tips and tricks into your grocery shopping. Be sure to let me know how it goes. And if you need further info, don't hesitate to email me.

Let the Savings Begin!

Last month I made my final student loan payment! I am only one month into my new savings plan (as opposed to the former debt repayment plan) but I wanted to report briefly on my progress. First there is the mental freedom which has been profound. Instead of being restricted in my choices by the debt ball & chain, I can think freely about the future. I am in the process of evaluating my work and income and am opening myself to possible changes. Additionally, with the money going into a savings account I can already see how quickly it will add up over the coming months. It gives me encouragement to save as I watch the money grow and can dream about choices in future spending as well.

Choice. How to earn, how to save and how to spend.....financial freedom gives choice. Don't underestimate this power.

My New Year's Resolutions

I have confessed this before, but I LOVE making new year's resolutions! This year is no exception as I look to our financial feedom on the horizon (see previous post). Taking stock of one's current financial situation is always a good idea, and equally important is looking ahead to where you want to be. You don't need to have an 8-hour family summit to determine this, but rather some time to think and focus are critical. Either by yourself or with your spouse, make time for finances. Here are just a few questions to get you started:
- What is your greatest financial challenge?
- What small step could you take this year towards a solution or a change in that area?
- Are you tracking your expenses?
- Do you know how much money takes to run your household annually?
- Where can you reduce your expenses in order to either make ends meet or increase your savings?
- What long term financial goal(s) do you have? Any that excite you and keep you moving forward?

My immediate goals include increasing my retirement contribution as soon as my school debt is paid off in late February. Another goal is to begin saving money like there is no tomorrow. This has been a constant challenge for me and my family as our household expenses are typically very close to our income. We will be able to put the same amount of money into our savings account that we previously used for debt repayment and begin to move forward instead of playing catch up. I have a specific dollar amount in mind for our savings account, and I look forward to meeting and perhaps even exceeding that goal. Finally, I would like to review my expenses for 2009 and tighten the belt where we've let it slide. I am guessing that will mean less meals out, which will be better for both our waistlines and our wallets. Any reduction in expenses is essentially a "raise" for us and will serve to increase the savings account. I look forward to hearing your resolutions/goals for the new year.