As some of you may know I began "couponing" a few months ago. What began as a way to save money on our grocery bill has turned into my new obsession. My kids now call me the Coupon Queen and I don't go anywhere without my coupon binder (where I store all my coupons). I faithfully read blogs and forums in order to find out where I can get the best deals for our family. Because I live in SoCal I have several stores to choose from when deciding where to shop. So each week I look at all the store ads and decide whether I will be going to Vons, Ralphs, Staters, or Albertsons. All of these stores are within 5 miles of my house, and some weeks I will go to more than one. I also make at least one trip a week to CVS and Walgreens. On occasion I will go to Target, Wal-mart, or Kmart if they have some deals I just can't pass up. I know some of you are thinking I am a lunatic and this all sounds like a hassle, but I enjoy it. My kids don't share in my joy, so sometimes I make shopping trips after Bob gets home from work.
At the beginning of July I decided to keep track of how much I was saving by shopping sales and using my coupons. I created a spreadsheet to track my results and entered in all of my receipts for the month of July. The amount I spent was not just on food, it included paper products, cleaning supplies, dog food (for 2 German Shepherds), health & beauty and pretty much everything we use on a daily basis. So here are my final numbers:
The full retail value of all I purchased without coupons, sales, or club cards was:
$1,445.67
The amount I actually paid was:
$563.05
Total savings of:
$882.62!!!! That comes out to be a 61% savings!!
I was pretty excited about my savings and just had to share. My goal for August is to get my monthly spending under $500. If you want to know how I was able to save so much I would recommend checking out some of the blogs I have on my sidebar. They are very helpful and will explain how to get started. Happy shopping!! :)
4 comments:
You go girl!!! Love it!
How? I'm just not getting all this.
1. Did you start going to stores you previously didn't go to?
2. Are you still buying the same stuff you bought before?
3. Do you have to frequently go shopping?
I guess I just don't buy very many name brand products. I go to Target, Costco, & Trader Joes once a month and that's it. I hate shopping.
How? I'm just not getting all this.
1. Did you start going to stores you previously didn't go to? Yes I did. I get coupons in the Sunday paper and online and look at the weekly grocery ads to see what is on sale. I then match up my coupons with the sales to see what I can get for a good price. I try not to pay full retail for most things and if something is very cheap I will stock up on it. Obviously it has to be something we will use or that will not go bad. (ex. Peanut butter, granola bars, cereal, laundry detergent, shampoo, etc. ).
2. Are you still buying the same stuff you bought before? Yes and No. I have bought different brands of detergent, shampoo, and dog food to save money, but I still buy Diet Coke, Coffemate Creamer, and some of my other favorites.
3. Do you have to frequently go shopping? Often, but I enjoy it. I probably go 3 or 4 times a week. If you hate shopping, this would probably drive you crazy. It would still work if you shopped once a week.
Basically, it is buying products at their lowest possible price, stocking up when you can so you never have to buy it at retail. I hope that makes sense!
I guess I just don't buy very many name brand products. I go to Target, Costco, & Trader Joes once a month and that's it. I hate shopping.
I'm so proud of you, as I know Bob is too. Who says an obsession can't be good?
love, Mom
Post a Comment