Coupons #1

I remember my mother staying up to all hours of the night clipping coupons. She'd sit at our kitchen table just cutting away; trying to save a little here and there. After all, she had quite a few mouths to feed. My friend used to work at CVS. She would tell me about these 'crazy coupon ladies'. She said they'd come in, buy $80 worth of shit and only pay 19 cents. I wondered if my mom was one of those ladies. I doubt it, she doesn't have much snap.

In the past months I have been clipping coupons, waiting for sales and jumping at the opportunity to save 47% off my grocery trip. Like who the fuck wouldn't in these times. Couponing is really an art form. I'm not super serious about it. Hell I can't be, it makes my brain hurt. I figure if I can save something on the things I already buy, then count me in.

Here's a few of my tips (surely stolen from someone else) :

• Only clip coupons for products you currently buy. Buying something just because you have a coupon isn't helping you save.
• Compare store brand products. I've found buying a store brand product is sometimes cheaper than a specific product with a coupon.
• I have store shopping cards that allow me to load coupons directly onto the card. Go to P&G eSavers, CellFire and/or ShortCuts. Most of these sites have the same coupons.
• I also visit product websites. I needed Sweet-N-Low this week (I don't like the generics). So I went to their website and found coupons there. Sometimes contacting them requesting coupons works.
• Check store ads online. I check my store ads online to see what's on sale each week. I make a list of everything on sale that I want, then hunt for coupons.

After saving close to 60% on my grocery bill, I sent my friend a text...

"I'm turning into a crazy coupon lady"