Grocery Cart Confessionals

Grocery Cart Confessionals: 10 Ways I Am NOT Frugal

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By Kelly on October 25, 2010

Yesterday I talked about 10 items I will never pay for again.

That might have been shocking for some and snoozy for others.

I will admit that I have always thought of myself as a “money appreciator” and not a “frugal living”.

The reason I confess this to you is that I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me.

I’m as flawed as they come. I love getting a great deal, but I also love nice things. I save as much as I can as often as I can – but I’ve also learned that it doesn’t matter how cheap something is if you don’t use or love it. I’d rather have one expensive shirt that I love, than a closet full of cheap shirts I don’t like.

So without further ado – here’s the top 10 list of how Kelly is SO FAR from frugal.

1. Hair.
I’m in Gena’s chair every seven weeks. Every other time that I’m there, I’m getting my hair highlighted with three different colors. Yep, I’m high maintenance. But I learned long ago that… Bad Hair = Unhappy Kelly.

2. Make-up.
I buy MAC eyeshadow, Nars Lipstick, and Smashbox Eyeliner. I’ve tried drug-store brands before and I don’t think they cover as well. For the few times per week that I wear makeup – I want it to look good.

3. Beer.
We have a beer fridge. It has beer in it – all of the time. And it has multiple kinds of beer. All of our friends know where the beer fridge is and that it will be filled. I like that.

4. Wine.
We have a wine cellar. It has wine in it all of the time. (Noticing a pattern.) While they aren’t super expensive bottles of wine, we usually have at least four cases of wine on hand at all times.

5. Coffee with half-half.
Good coffee with half-half is non-negotiable in my house. My kiddos know to leave me alone until I’ve had my first cup. Caffeine and I are friends.

6. Christmas for my children.
The magic that anything can happen and all wishes can come true only lasts in childhood – I’ll feed that fairytale for as long as I can.

7. Pedicures.
I’ve tried to do it myself and it looks like a HOT MESS. I’ll pay someone to rub on my feet and make them look pretty.

8. Jeans.
You feel good in jeans that fit. I’ll pay extra for jeans to help hold some things in and lift others up.

9. Running Shoes.
I change pairs every three months. I buy what is comfortable. I don’t look at the price tag – because shoes that hurt means not getting my bum off the chair to workout.

10. Sheets
I need high-thread count cotton sheets. I sleep better. I’m not itchy. I figure sleep is one of the most important things we can have – might as well make it as good as possible.

PS. I believe that everyone SHOULD have non-negotiables. As long as it is part of your budget and you are meeting your financial goals, there is no guilt in splurges.

Your turn? Confess….what are some ways you aren’t frugal? I’d like to hope I’m not the only one with an addiction to Sephora.

Grocery Cart Confessionals: 10 Things I Will NEVER Pay For

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By Kelly on October 24, 2010

Readers often ask me to publish my personal price book.

And I always have the same answer…

“No.”

I don’t say “no” to be mean or to “hoard” my information. I say “no” for a couple of reasons.

First, my personal price book will look very different than your personal price book. (Betting CLIF bars aren’t on everyone’s top ten “burn-through” items – they are on mine.)

Second, my stockpile is full. I can wait for laundry detergent to be $1.35 for a 32 load bottle because I have 12 other bottles in my stockpile. (Total truth.)

But, there are several items that come up regularly for FREE. And I thought it would be helpful if I highlighted the top 10, as well as give you an idea of where I get them for FREE.

One caveat, items are FREE in the time frames I discuss, as long as you are not brand specific. If you are brand specific, you can still get them for free, just not as often.

1. Toothpaste. You can pick these up every four to five weeks at either CVS or Walgreens.

2. Men’s Razors. You can pick these up every four to six weeks at either CVS or Walgreens. Also, about once a quarter Target has razors for free too.

3. Body Wash. Every four weeks either Target, CVS, or Walgreens will have body wash for free.

4. Contact Lens Solution. Every quarter CVS or Walgreens will have contact lens solution for free after ECB or RR.

5. Mustard. About twice a year Hen House will have French’s mustard for free after coupon.

6. BBQ Sauce. All of our grocery stores will have free barbecue sauce between once a month and every week during the summer. (Seriously, I think KC Masterpiece was FREE about every week this summer.)

7. Candy Bars. Once a quarter candy bars will be free at CVS or Walgreens.

8. Dawn Dish Soap. With the $1/1 coupon from the Home Made Simple Coupon book – I’ve never paid for Dawn Dish Soap in over a year.

9. Bic Pens. These are always free at back-to-school time. I think I still have six or seven packages in my desk drawer.

10. Deodorant. You can get men’s and women’s deodorant for free at either CVS or Walgreens about once per quarter. If you are brand loyal, you’ll still be able to get it for free – it just may be once or twice per year.

PS: Most of the items at CVS or Walgreens are FREE after coupon and ECB or RR. In some cases, they are just free after a coupon and a sale.

What about you? Did I miss something? What is on your “I Won’t Pay For EVER” list? Leave a comment and let us know.

Grocery Cart Confessionals: I’m Sorry, I Didn’t Realize I Was Annoying

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By Kelly on September 21, 2010

A few weeks ago a reader asked if I would tackle the subject of how to not be the “annoying coupon person.” When she asked it, my mind went immediately to a situation that happened a couple of months ago.

A Southern-Lilly-Pulitzer-Clad Women (who also has a blog) posted a situation she had in Target and titled it “Coupon Hell.”

She told the story of being behind a women with a coupon binder who was buying a ton of stuff and then used multiple coupons to pay for the items. The problem – tons of the coupons beeped and the checker wouldn’t accept them (similar to my Target situation) and the lady kept having to put back stuff for each coupon that beeped. Well, as you can imagine, the story was less-than-flattering for coupon users and included a picture of the women and her binder.

As a couponer and shopper, I can relate with the southern belle and the coupon-binder savvy shopper (cause I’ve been both). I’m pretty sure they were both uncomfortable. One just wanted to pay for her stuff and get out of there and one just wanted the deal to go like she had read about it online.

So how do we as couponistas guard ourselves from being written about with the title of “Coupon Hell.”

Here’s my thoughts.

Shop When it is Slow.

If you know you are going to use a ton of coupons on a shopping trip, try to pick an off time to go. Late evenings, early mornings, or after lunch are all good times to go. Right around noon, five o’clock or on Saturday/Sunday morning are a store’s busiest times and you can probably expect a couple of looks from people who just wanted to buy a gallon of milk and go home.

Be Organized.

I’ve talked about organizing your trips before, but I never step foot into a store without writing out my shopping list and pulling out/clipping all my coupons. Each store gets its own list and corresponding coupons which I paper-clip together complete with my estimated cost per store. (So I don’t go over budget.)

Extra envelope.

If the item I put in my cart has a coupon, I put the coupon in the special envelope. This way if I find an unadvertised deal, if they are out of stock of the item I want or the deal wasn’t as good as I thought – I don’t have to sift through all my coupons. The coupons I will use at checkout are all in the same place.

Regroup.

At the end of your shopping trip, take a moment and regroup in either the paper or feminine products aisle. (I pick these aisles because they don’t have any traffic.)

Double check your list, the coupons you are using, and get them in order. I usually separate the store coupons from the manufacturer and the FREE coupons from the dollar off coupon. Also, I know the number of coupons I’m using – it makes it easier to track if the checker used every coupon or not.

Checkout Etiquette.

While you are in line, allow someone with only one or two items to go ahead of you. Let the checker and/or people behind you know if you are going to be using coupons and have them out and ready to go.

Believe me, no one (including myself) wants to be behind anyone who is searching her purse for several minutes for the last $.30/3 Pillsbury Crescent Roll coupon.

Stand Your Ground.

If you are using the coupon correctly and the register beeps, stand your ground. Explain the coupon to the cashier. More times than not, they will push it through. If there is an issue, decide if the item is worth taking the time to go to customer service, if not, politely ask them to take it off your purchase.

Thank them.

If the transaction went smooth (or even if it didn’t), thank the checker for their diligent work. If the transaction took a long time, thank the people behind you for being patient. Smile – Smile – Smile.

Some people are just mad.

Sometimes you just can’t change people’s attitudes. You may have done all the things I’ve talked about and you still get grouchy looks from the checkers or rolling of the eyes from the people behind you.

Shrug it off. Until they pay for your groceries, they don’t have a right to determine how you spend your money.

And once you get in your car and get home and stock your pantry – you really don’t care anymore.

What do you do to not make it on the Coupon Hell front page? How do you deal with the eye rolling? Let me know. Leave a comment.

Grocery Cart Confessionals: How Do You Organize Your Shopping Trips

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By Kelly on July 11, 2010

That’s a loaded question!

I’ve never put into words my “formula” for my shopping trips. Some of it is based on our menu for the month, some on what deals are going on, and some of it is how lazy I’m feeling that week.

But because you asked, here is the down and dirty of how I organize my shopping trips.

Throughout the week, I keep a piece of paper by my computer and write down any specific one-off deals I think look interesting from either Target or Walmart. I usually write down the item, coupon needed and final price.
On Tuesday, before I even look at a circular, I’ll check my meal plan for the week and see if I need any specific ingredients. If I do, I write those on my shopping list.
On Wednesday night, after all the coupon match-ups are done, I look at the store circulars for produce pricing (consulting my price book) and to see if any of the specific ingredients I need are on sale. Then I decide which two grocery stores I’m going to shop at based on their sale items and items I need for my meal plan. This may mean I pay more for red onions, but I figure my time is worth something too. Confession: I used to go to all the stores all the time, but now I try limit it to no more than two or three per week.
Once I figure out which stores I’m going to – I make a list by store. The list has five columns – item name, number buying, sale price, coupon, and final price. I do all this math to make sure I don’t go over budget. From past experience, I’ve found that can get into the “throws” of putting a sale list together and spend money on things we may not need. Coupons for items I’m buying at each store are paper clipped on to their list.
I usually shop on Thursday or Saturday mornings. Sometimes with kids, sometimes without. Always with my reuseable bags (gotta love that $.05) and always with my coupons.
I take weeks off. I used to “force”the deal by buying something that wasn’t rock bottom pricing. Now I just wait. Those weeks I may just hit Aldi for produce and a couple of staples and call it good. It is good to take a week off – your family and your pocketbook appreciate it.

For me the keys are price book, store listing with approximately money spent, and meal plan. They can work apart and be trip-specific successful, but long-term success is using those three tools together to help decrease your grocery bill.

How do you organize your shopping trips? What helps keep you in budget?

Grocery Cart Confessionals: Shopping With Kids

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By Kelly on July 10, 2010

Today’s post comes from my friend, Kim, who is the author of The Coupon High. She shares her love for the “coupon high” we all get when we save a ton of money everyday on her blog and today she is talking about shopping with the kiddos.

Love saving money with coupons, but avoid or dread doing it because you have your children with you? Well I have some helpful hints that might just save the day. They are broken into two parts of the shopping trip: Shopping and Checking Out.

Shopping

First, keep your youngest in the seat part of the shopping cart for as long as possible. My youngest just graduated out of the seat (he is 45 pounds and just too heavy for me to lift into the cart.) I will admit this makes shopping a bit more challenging, but it is still do-able.
The next tip is something my youngest daughter came up with by herself when she was 4. When we enter the grocery store, she grabs a bag from the produce section. Then as we walk through the store, she keeps her eyes open for tear pad coupons and blinkies. She usually grabs one for me, and one for herself. Not only does this keep her busy, but I end up with some nice coupons. Along these lines, when I go to CVS, I let the kids scan my card and give them the coupons I know I won’t use.
When I have all four with me, I put my youngest in his umbrella stroller and have one of the older ones push the stroller, while I push the cart. This keeps two of them occupied.
Have your older kids (5+) get specific items for you. Show them the description on the coupon and have them get it.
See if your store has a child care section. My store, Giant Eagle does, but I have never used it. I personally am more afraid of the illnesses my children might bring home, and ending up with a sick house, than having them with me. Plus I think it helps them learn the value of couponing. My kids will ask for something, and then before I even respond say, “No, I can’t have it because it’s not on sale and you don’t have a coupon for it.”
Buy one little thing that you know they would like (even if it’s not on sale) that you can offer as a reward. I usually get either Yo-Crunch Yogurt, Chocolate Milk or if they’re on sale fruit snacks

Checking Out

Have your kids get in the act. I usually go through self check-out at the grocery store even though my cart is full, so that I can easily break up the transactions to get the best deals. My kindergartner loves this because she gets to help.
Have your kids bag – On my last shopping trip even my 3 year old helped with this. My 6 year old was so proud of herself because she taught him how to do it. He really enjoyed it because he was disappointed when I took a break at the end of a transaction, and cheered when I started a new one.
Let them scan the items. Of course I hand it to them first to make sure it’s going in the right transaction.
Have them insert the coupons into the drop box. My daughter even knows to get the pen from the credit card machine and stick it down in the bin to push the coupons down when the light doesn’t stop flashing green.

I also let them look at the magazines as long as they are careful with them, and check to make sure they are all in place before we leave.

I have two other bits of advice.

Start them when they are young. My kids know that checking out takes a while because they’ve been exposed to it. They are used to it and usually behave.
If the kids are going nuts, finish the transaction you’re on and end it. This usually gets me a bit upset, so I’ll offer a small bribe, such as an icee, in exchange for being able to finish the transactions.

Those are just my ideas, I would love to hear what other’s do to keep from going nuts while Couponing with Kids in Tow.

Grocery Cart Confessionals: 10 Things I Hope to Accomplish in Frugal Living this Year

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By Kelly on July 9, 2010

Yesterday, I reflected on the things I wished I would have known when I started couponing. Today, I’ll look forward and talk about things I hope to figure out about frugal living in the next year.

1. Become happy with my coupon organization system. It seems like an on-going challenge. Either clip all the coupons and organize (which takes a TON of time), but you get to score the unadvertised deals. File all the inserts (which takes NO time), but I miss out on the advertised deals. Or the hybrid method (which is a little of both) and a complete compromise. (You get some of the unadvertised deals and you have more work.) I need to find contentment in whatever system I pick.

2. Start using the Walgreens Register Reward system.Yep, I post about it, but I very rarely take part in it. I don’t think God blessed me with the “Walgreens RR Brain Gene” because I always biff the deal or my RR are expired whenever I go. If you are Walgreens Coupon Ninja – feel free to come and train me.

3. Figure out how to share the love. I need to find a way to bless my favorite checkers. They are like icing on my coupon cake – when I get them at the register, my experience is so much better.

4. Start teaching DS about couponing. He asked about coupons the other day – wanted to know how they worked and what they were worth. I figure if he is asking, then I need to start teaching. (Any good tips on this would be GREATLY appreciated.)

5. Find alternative uses for body wash. I’m not joking when I say I have enough bottles of body wash to keep me clean for the next five years. I give away as much as I can, but at some point the recipients are going to wonder if they smell bad or if I have a body wash addiction. And even if I use it as hand-soap, I’m still a good three years out.

6. Bring more organic produce and hormone-free milk into our house. Maybe it is because I’m online all the time or maybe it is because I hung out at farms or because it tastes better – but something in my “gut” says we need to start doing this in our home. But don’t worry, I’m not going to go “crunchy” on you.

7. Find a bulk food store. We use too many beans, chickpeas, wheat flour, etc. to not be buying in bulk. Also, it would be nice to buy a little of something to try it out instead of having to purchase a whole pack.

8. Become braver in the kitchen. I really would like to know how to prepare some of the items I see in the weird vegetable and weird ethnic aisles. But it seems like a constant battle between making something the kiddos will eat and not being labeled as the “Mom from Fox Trot Comics” and embracing my inner-foodie.

9. Take a week off.When couponing starts to feel like “work” – I need a break. If I take a week off, I enjoy shopping more the next week. It also helps the budget because I’m able to bank the money for the following week. (Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean I won’t post. I just won’t shop.)

10. Allow splurges in the budget. For me this includes fresh flowers, for Hubs this is pistachios and high-end cheese. Even if we only splurge once every three months, it’s $30 well-spent and makes us appreciate the simple things that gives us great pleasure.

So does anyone have any answers to my questions above? What are some things you want to learn about or change in the upcoming year?

Grocery Cart Confessionals: 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known When I Started Couponing

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By Kelly on July 8, 2010

Last week was my birthday and it was one of “those”birthdays. Milestone, if you want to call it. For some reason, whenever I have a birthday, I always reflect on the past…my triumphs, my failures, my goals. Part of my birthday reflection this year has been about couponing and the things I wish I would have known when I started out a couple of years ago. So…here are my top ten things I wish I would have known when I started couponing.

1. That it is an addiction.“Hi, I’m Kelly and I’m a coupon addict.” If a coupon addiction group existed, I’m pretty sure Hubs would have sent me there and he would have attended coupon-anon. I was a junkie who needed the “score” – the feeling of walking out of CVS with $100 worth of products for $2.56 out-of-pocket and still having ECBs to spend next week. I was talking in a different language that sounded something like “I’m going to CVS to roll my ECB with a $4 off $20 and then submit a rebate to make the deal a $4 money maker.” Eventually I mellowed a bit (or everyone got used to me) and couponing just become part of my life – not my whole life.

2. Huh, you are saving money? Hubs did not understand the “grocery/drug store” game for six months. He would smile and say “Great Job!” when I would come home “jazzed-up” because I got Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Soap for free. But he didn’t get it. The moment it “clicked” for him was when he saw the bulging stockpile and realized I was spending less money than before. (For some reason, guys are visual. Go figure.)

3. Giving the look could lead to divorce. Don’t make the same mistake I made and give your man the “look” when he asks you buy something you don’t have a coupon for – it could lead to divorce. They have a right to want Ruffles with Ridges – buck up and buy them.

4. “Must-Buy-Googlie-Eyes” can break a budget. I never realized I could buy so much stuff for so cheap. I started buying everything under $.50 because it was so much fun. But, just because you can buy seven boxes of Pop-Tarts for under $.25 a box, doesn’t mean you should buy seven boxes of Pop-Tarts. (Especially when no one in your house eats them.) Cheap is great, but too much cheap can bust your budget.

5. Too much internet can rot your brain. Find three to five deal websites you like and stick to those (like mine, pretty please).As a blogger and frugal shopper, I find most deals get posted on most websites, so there isn’t a need to go out and look at ten different sites (multiple times) over the course of the day. Find a couple of bloggers who’s writing you enjoy (like me) and can relate to (like me) and either subscribe or visit daily.

6. Guys don’t like anything pink. This includes body wash, razors, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, gel, bar soap, and drink boxes. They’ll use it if they have too, but they won’t like it.

7. Buy a good pair of scissors.I got new Fiskars for Christmas last year and I had no idea what I was missing. For the number of cuts you do over the course of a year, you deserve good scissors.

8. Find a place where you can ask questions and not feel like an idiot. Find a community or group of like minded people where you can ask questions and not feel stupid. I had a TON of questions when I first started out and I was so thankful to have been part of the Coupon Mom Forum. They answered my questions and never made fun of me because I didn’t understand what BOGO meant. Speaking of which, if you ever have a questions, please email me. Believe me anything you ask, I’ve probably asked someone else before.

9. There is a coupon for everything (except Ruffles). There are coupons for fresh produce, meat, cheese, condiments, make-up, etc. – you just need to find them. Don’t be afraid to write to your favorite companies or trade coupons with people from a different part of the country – it’s a great way to increase your coupon variety.

10. Perfection is impossible.As hard as you’ll try, there will be times when you don’t pay the lowest price for something or you screw up a deal. (Yep, I biffs up deals quite often.) If you focus on each specific deal as your gauge, you’ll become discouraged. Focus on the overall picture of saving money and you’ll feel like a rockstar. Cause who doesn’t like getting Dawn Hand Renewal for FREE?

Okay, your turn. What are some of things you wish you knew about before you started couponing?