Coupons
So I have several friends/family who swear up and down that using coupons and a website and using this"system" you can save close if not 1/2 on your monthly budget + stock up on food storage at the same time. Using a website and matching sales with coupons...so yeah sounds GREAT! So I ordered a Sunday only paper and am getting coupons plus the coupons from my mother in laws paper as well as she can't use the coupons for the food they offer because of her many allergies. So this is technically my second month although last month I didn't have a newspaper. It was technically all sale items (and one online coupon)
Well, tell me what I am doing wrong because I am NOT saving! (at least that much) Granted this is only the 2nd month and they say it takes about 3 months to see a difference. I will continue to try but the more I look at things and such I just DON'T see how people are getting cereal for $.50 or toothpaste for free without doubling up coupons. I mean seriously! What's the trick? Last month I made budget but barely and was able to stock up on some food storage at the same time but that was just from looking at sales items. I used 1 coupon last month! ONE! In that aspect I did get a tub of butter for $.45 but butter is relatively inexpensive to begin with. So anyway...this month I am already over budget and I am still a week out. I have used more coupons this month combined with sales. And this month I did put maybe 5 items into food storage but nothing to talk home about. (that's pretty standard each month for me on my budget) Now we had two baby showers and a wedding this month that went into my grocery budget but last month we had 3 unexpected Dr. appointments that went into our grocery budget as well (about what I spent on the showers and wedding this month)and just for clarification we don't budget Dr.'s appointments, showers and weddings every month because...well...they don't happen every month. If we know of a Dr. appointment coming up we do budget that separately but if it comes up unexpectedly we just try to squeeze it into the grocery budget (to save money) and if not it comes from savings. BUT last month. I was able to squeeze those three things into budget but really it was just shopping the sales and I stocked up quite a bit with food storage last month too. Maybe the sales are not that great this month because although I have used more coupons I feel like I have saved nothing compared to last month.
Ugggh...Now don't get me wrong we are fine and have money in savings I am not trying to cry money blues. I am just saying to myself. "Is this REALLY worth it?" The newspaper, clipping coupons, organizing them ect...)(really it is a hassle but if it saves that much money I am willing) I now spent money on a newspaper we don't read (the reason we never got one before) and 90% of the coupons we won't use (hair dyes, make up, frozen food items we don't eat ect...)and the few I will use will it really make a difference. Now granted I have looked on line for a coupons as well and found one that I used that saved me $2.00 and that was great! But other than that. I just don't see how this is making a huge difference even after taking the "class". (more sales pitch to buy a newspaper) but nonetheless.
Now mind you I do have a subscription to the newspaper (coupons) for 6 months now so I will continue to see if it makes a difference over these next 6 months. But seriously to those of you out there who are using this system where am I going wrong?
Okay...vent over...
