Extreme Couponing

Extreme couponer I am not but a wanna-be extreme couponer I am.  In an effort to cut out costs and cut down on trips to the grocery store, I have a set weekly amount for groceries and I attempt to come up with a 2 week menu based on the coupons I have and the sells in the stores.  I shop at Publix (love the BOGO's), Walmart and Target (use my Target redcard which saves me 5% on every purchase).  Saving money using coupons has taken me a long time and I am still working on saving more than 50% per trip.  I buy papers at the Dollar Tree in bulk (4-10 papers), use the internet for coupons, buy coupons through http://www.thecouponclippers.com/ and through ebay, use my Target redcard for savings, use CVS for Extracare bucks and shop at Publix for the BOGO specials.  In the 18 months since my son was born, I have never paid full price for a pack of Pampers diapers.  I spend an average of 3-10 hours per week cutting out coupons, organizing and making my shopping lists.  I am also working on developing a stockpile of items that do not expire or go bad quickly including toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, canned goods, bath soap, diapers, etc.  I have a long way to go but I love saving money.  If you have ever wanted to save money, stock up on papers from the Dollar Tree (yes, they are only a $1) and start clipping.  Give it time.  Even if you only save $2 the first time, you will save more the next time.

                        My Coupon Book and examples of inserts I use

On this trip to Publix, I had a total of $100.68, saved $45.90 and paid $54.78 (almost a 50% savings).