Weekly Grocery Trips October 26, 2011

We go grocery shopping, to get stuff to cook, so we don’t have to eat fast food….right? Yet my weekly grocery trip always goes something like this:

 

I browse the sale ads

I compare them to the giant coupon stash I have

I realize that no matter what’s on sale I will save more at ALDI anyways

I spend half an hour searching for a quarter to get a buggy at the store (I NEVER have change)

I make a half-assed list, hop in the car, and drive to the store

I do my shopping –

• Load the cart with groceries
• Unload them on to the conveyor belt
• Watch like a crazy lady making sure I’m not overcharged for anything
• Bag my groceries
• Lug them to the car
• Load them in the trunk

Then I’m off….To Kroger or Wal-Mart for the few items ALDI didn’t have or that are cheaper due to that stores weekly sales specials + a coupon combo. Once there I repeat the steps above – minus the bagging my own groceries….Now to head home.

I open the overloaded trunk (where half the groceries fall on to the sidewalk…yes, this happens to me regularly…)

Drag the groceries in the house

Put them away (usually to realize I forgot the 1 or 2 items I actually needed at the store)

AND …. After all that, I’m pooped….”Who wants to order pizza?” lol

My Attempt at Couponing May 13, 2011

Who watches Extreme Couponing? Well they’ve caught my attention. Before this show even started I had a friend that told me she coupons and gets a weeks worth of groceries for her family for close to $2o. I was beyond curious.

I have to admit I’m not nearly as motivated as the ladies on TV.  I don’t have the storage space or the energy to go that extreme. But being a SAHM of a one income family I’m all about saving money anywhere I can.

My goal is simple. Change what we eat as a family to eat what we have coupons for and to save save save! If you follow my other blog you know I’m all about saving money. I love ALDI groceries for that fact. But ALDI doesn’t take coupons since they have their own brand of goods. So I’m giving couponing a shot. Some things I’m sure I’ll always get from ALDI, I haven’t seen coupons for things like eggs and milk and at $.50 a doz / $1 a gal you just can’t beat those prices. I’m fortunate to have and ALDI, Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Target on each corner to give me the option to buy part of groceries for one place and part from another with no stress or pain in the butt

My plan – I borrowed an idea from a mom friend to use baseball card holders to hold my coupons so I can see everything easily. I only get on set of coupon inserts a week from my weekly paper, no stockpiles of coupons or hours of coupon clipping. I spent about an 2 hours clipping my weekly coupons and making my list based on the stores sales add, while propped up in front of the DVR catching up on General Hospital and One Tree Hill. [I’m sure if I wasn’t so interested in Sonny taking Carly to San Antonio to save Brenda’s baby it would have taken less time…lol…but hey doing it in front the TV makes it less like a chore]

So….The first week I went to Kroger and I saved $20 off a $70 bill, this week I saved $30 off $100. I’m still learning how they get stuff for free. And honestly I’m not that good yet…but hopefully soon! Yesterday’s biggest success were $.39 for Ken’s salad dressing, $.45 for Kraft BBQ sauce, 2 Old Spice gel soaps for $1.50, and 2 3 packs of Bic 4 blade razors for 1.50 each. I’ll have to keep you posted on if I have more success 🙂