Coupon Stockpiling.

[Tauwillow]

Dispor ~

DH and I like to go in bright and early in the morning. (6am or so) The shelves are freshly stocked and the store is near empty, so we don't have to worry about disgruntled shoppers waiting in line behind us at checkout.

If you don't like to get up early, I would recommend shopping right after your list is published. (mine is published Monday evenings) You might find out what times your list store restocks during the day/week and go shortly after that.

Even with all of that, we are always prepared for rainchecks, and then bring them along the next week. It gives me an excuse to buy lottery tickets at the customer service desk anyway.

IMALOVNDISNEY ~

The binder method is a lot of work. I do it while watching TV, though, so now even my trash television feels productive!

 

[momminnie]

Thanks for all the replies. I also get coupons inserts from friends,family and neighbors. I don't buy multiple papers but I have ordered some coupons. I won't do that too often. I have my coupons in the zippered binder. It is a lot of work and takes a lot of time. I don't think I would use very many if I had to go through the inserts all the time. I try and get list of sales with matching coupons from southernsavers.com and couponkeri.com. I really like those sites. My problem is I can't get to the stores before the other "coupon princesses" get there and buy everything out. So I'm getting a cellection of rainchecks going. I have a couple questions for you that have been doing this awhile. 1) Where do you put all the HBA that you stockpile. 2) Do you that have the binders carry them with you to all the stores? and if you do what reactions do you get? Thanks again for all the replies. I didn't think that I would get many replies because it didn't show up on my e-mail like usual.

 

[momoflizandains]

Thanks for all of the wonderful ideas. Please keep them coming.

 

[Kanda]

I have just started couponing and use the whole insert method. I have a file box type thing that I file the whole inserts, marked with the dates. Then when the websites list certain deals, they always list the insert and date to get the coupon from, so I clip it then to match up with the special. I also use sunday coupon preview dot com to print out a list of what's in that particular insert and put it in the front of the folder, sort of as a table of contents. Then, when you're in the store, you can just look down the list to see where the coupon is you need.

 

[estherhead]

Just popping on here to say that when you are starting it is important to not expect miracles. You have to build your stockpile before you can truly only get the great deals. I've couponed for 2-3 years now & have finally settled on a monthly budget (for food, cat food, toiletries) of $450.00. For a family of five. If I don't coupon I easily spend $650-700. I know this becuase I've had months in the last 2 years where I say, "FORGET IT! THIS IS TOO HARD!" And then suddenly I've spent $700. Yikes! So back I go to by alphabatized binder.

I buy more than one paper, get my parent's coupons, & have bought coupons off thecouponclippers. And e-bay from time to time. And I also will rip coupons from magazines & print them out.

I try to save 50% at the grocery store but am usually closer to 45%. Tho this week I got 65%! And at CVS I shoot for 75%. I know people get free stuff there all the time & I do too but I also like to get things like Zyrtec (I have awful allergies) and with coupons and sales I can consistently get that for 50% off which brings my free total down a bit.

Anyway, I think couponing is annoying. But it is OH, so WORTH it!

As for my whole, non processed, non-toiletry food, I generally buy it at Aldi's. Flour, milk, eggs (though you can get great deals on eggs or even free if you have friends with chickens!) Even whole foods you can stockpile. Strawberries went on sale here two weeks ago for $.79 per lb!!!!! Can you believe that? We bought them all (me & another lady who was there split them) and I came home & froze them. We adore berries & I can't tell you how great this is for us. Then this week blueberries are on crazy sale. I've frozen some but I'm going to go & get a whole bunch this weekend when I have time and freeze more.

I also share half a cow each year with my sister.

In addition to the bargains I also do this from this site:

http://littlenannygoat.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-heck-it-30-meal-plan.html

The first week of the month I go & spend $200.00 making sure I have all the ingredients to make my 30 meals. I also do Bento boxes for my girl's lunches at school (just Google that. Lots of info.) And dh & I live 1 mile from our workplace so we come home most of the time for lunch. This cuts down drastically on eating out costs, even ordering pizza. With the 30 meals I can always make, and the coupons on frozen pizzas we rarely need to order out or go out to eat. There have been months when I spent $0.00 on restaurant food (incl. fast food!)

My final note is that I would not be able to stockpile & save all the money I do without a large freezer in my garage. It is my biggest, favorite change we've made in the last 3 years. It changed my life. If I make a lasagna or scalloped potatoes, I make 2 and freeze one. When I make a cake I do it in 9" rounds instead of 13x9" and then frost & freeze one. It's amazing how great this is.

Dh likes what he likes & gets in his head what he wants. He was raised in a city as the youngest & he often was allowed to just pick out a restaurant at whim. It was frustrating to me for years as I knew what a waste of money it was for him to just say at 5:00, "I'm in the mood for such & such," and go get chinese take-out or McDonald's (not to mention the calories ) But he liked what he liked & wasn't used to my, "Let me just make RiceARoni." When is RiceARoni ever better than Chinese take-out?

Now, though, I post on the fridge the index card with that nights meal on it, often it's already in the crockpot or marinating by the time we leave for work. So all day he knows & thinks about what's for dinner, and since it's just his favorite 30 meals, by the time 5:00 rolls around it IS what he's in the mood for. And the kids like it too.

Then with the Bento boxes I pack the girl's lunches as I do the dishes & put away the leftovers. Once I got in the zone of all this it's amazing how well it is working.

One thing, though, I did NOT start all these things at once. I would start one of them & give it 3-6 months before adding the next. That way you have time to discard the ideas that don't work. If you try to start it all at once you'll find it all too difficult & quit.

I find that shopping at Aldi's for 3 months is a nice first step. Then add the 30 meals. That took me 3 months just to figure out what were our favorite meals & the easiest! Etc.

Wow, that got long. But as a final note: if I didn't do all of the above, we couldn't afford our annual trip to Disney. Period. So is it worth it? You BETCHA!

 

[mward73]

I coupon as much as I can with the limited time I have for it. DH went to the grocery store this week - he NEVER uses coupons, but I forced mine on him (he's the guy in line rolling his eyes when someone plops a big stack of coupons down). He came home saying he saved $20 with them. He was pretty shocked by it. lol I think I finally have him understanding to use them (though I'm sure he won't clip them). We have a stockpile of some stuff. He used to think I was crazy, but now loves that he can wander downstairs to the supply room and grab things whenever he needs them instead of waiting til he gets to the store.

 

[magiclj]

Do you that have the binders carry them with you to all the stores? and if you do what reactions do you get? Thanks again for all the replies. I didn't think that I would get many replies because it didn't show up on my e-mail like usual.

I will take my coupon binder in the store with me. I love the reactions. People have looked at me and said "Wow you are like one of those people on Oprah!" People have stopped me to ask me how much I save. People have looked on with awe and said "That's what I need to do - that is so cool". Husbands have pointed it out to their wives. One man even stopped his cell phone conversation to ask me about.

I have never gotten dirty looks - more looks of envy that I can be organized enough to save money.

I don't always take my binder in - it depends on the time I have for that trip. Sometimes I just have enough time to grab the stuff on my list and use the coupons I had pulled earlier.

As far as storing my extra HBA I have some 18 gallon rubbermaid totes in the basement. I have closets shelves full and I have under the bed storgae containers. Don't tell my son (20), but right now there are 35 boxes of tampons under his bed for my daughter. (she only likes the expensive pearl and I scored the 35 boxes for less than $20 dollars after sales, coupons and rebates). When my HBA stockpiling got out of control I started giving it to my family to make room for more delas - it does become an obsession -FREE!! It does take up some space, but so does my husband's toys for his hobbies. My hobby is soo much cheaper than his.

 

[momminnie]

The coolest thing just happened! I went to get more baseball card sleeves from wal-mart. Then I went to the grocery store with my 11yr old son. I was digging out my coupons and my list so that he could help me and this lady and her teenage daughter came by me. Lo and behold she had it! Her Bible as her husband calls it. I started laughing. I told her I was laughing because I have one just like it but I wasn't brave enough to take to the store yet. Her daughter rolled her eyesShe said that they laugh at her but her daughter is going to the beach for the weekend and she is going to pack a box from her stockpile. She also said that they have more food in their pantry than they have ever had. I just thought that it was cool to see a fellow "coupon Princess". There was a second "coupon Princess'" in there but she wasn't quite as friendly as the 1st. That just made my night!

 

[momminnie]

Bumping!

 

[momminnie]

Bump!

 

[jenanderson]

I have a large envelope of coupons that I will not be using and want to send them to someone. If anyone is interested, please send me a message.

I have MANY diaper coupons in the group and a variety of other coupons as well. I just hate to see them expire or go to waste since it seems like everyone on this thread is into using coupons.

Jen

 

[hmdavid]

Love all of the tips! I have just started couponing so the organization tips are great!