Like a Virgin...

Yes, I admit it. Before last night, I was a coupon virgin. I'd never used one in my life, at least not that I remember. There are a lot of excuses people have for not using coupons. They don't have time for couponing, they don't want to buy any of the things that one gets coupons for, it's not worth the effort, they don't want to be the crazy coupon lady.

I could probably use every single one of those excuses, but the real reason why I had never used a coupon is that the idea had truly never occurred to me. I like a bargain as much as the next person, but I didn't think to even TRY to save money on groceries. So, once I realized that it was an option, I was all over it.

Yes, couponing DOES take time and effort. Yes, there are some items that you're going to get coupons for that you would never buy, and there will be things that you want to buy that you'll never see a coupon for. Not to mention, there are going to be some people that think you're the crazy coupon lady...or man (yes, men can coupon too!) Those excuses do have SOME merit to them, but not enough merit to make you miss out on these savings.

Because, I promise, there are LEGITIMATE savings out there. Last night, I went to Harris Teeter. I bought 17 items. I used nine coupons. I spent $22.15 and saved $32.99. Don't want to do the math? Don't worry, I did it for you. With a mere nine coupons, I saved 60% off my bill. Sixty percent! In my very first couponing attempt. That's legit.

Every item that I bought was something my roommate or I will use, so I didn't buy anything crazy to get these savings. To get an idea of how it worked, let me share my shopping list:

1. Fiber One Bars - I bought 2 packs of these, because my coupon required me to buy two. I eat one of these for breakfast every single day, so I knew I'd use the two boxes. Normally it would have cost me $7.38 for both boxes, but I paid $5.88. Not a great deal, but still less than I'd normally pay! (Tripled $.50 coupon)
2. Betty Crocker Cake Mix & Frosting - I had a coupon that required me to buy both cake and frosting, but they didn't have cake and frosting that matched for the kinds I like. So I bought Yellow Cake and Rainbow Chip Frosting and I'll buy Chocolate Frosting and Rainbow Chip Cake later. Normally it costs $3.78 for both, but I paid $.81 for both. (Cake Mix was on sale plus tripled $.75 coupon)
3. Pringles Snack Stax- Normally cost $3.69, but I paid $2.19. (Tripled $.50 coupon)
4. Special K Cinnamon Cereal - I didn't have a coupon for this, but it was on sale and on sale again (not sure why, but I'll take it). Normally costs $3.79 but I paid $1.77. I would have bought several boxes of this if I could (best. cereal. ever!) but the store had a limit of just 1 at that price.
5. Peanut M&Ms - I bought two bags of these because my coupon required two. They were $.99 each, so normally I would have paid $1.98 but I got them for FREE! (Tripled $.75 coupon)
6. Knorr Rice Sides - I bought two because my coupon required it (and because I love these! They are super yummy and a very easy side dish to make! So easy even I can do it!). Normally they cost $1.29 each, but I got them for $.25 each! (Store had them on sale for $1.00, and then I tripled my $.50 coupon).
7. French's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce - This is something I wouldn't typically buy, but it was something that I thought my roommate would like. She uses honey mustard on a lot of things, so I thought since I got a good deal on it, it was worth trying for her! Normally it costs $1.99, but I paid $.49. (Tripled $.50 coupon)
8. Ghiradelli Candy Bar - My roommate is a big caramel fan, so I picked her up a giant candy bar! Always good idea to sugar up your roomie on a bad day! ;) Normally costs $2.49, but I paid $.99. (Tripled $.50 coupon)
9. Crest Vivid White - If you're not a brand snob, you can pretty well ALWAYS get toothpaste for free. However, I am a brand snob in this case. I love Crest Vivid White! Normally it costs $3.65, but it was on sale for $2.49 so even without a coupon, I picked one up.
10. Hot Dog Buns- While I was home for Easter, the sweet Easter Bunny brought me Nalley Chili, which I love but can't buy down South! Yesterday I didn't get to the store until almost 8 pm (I was busy watching one of my clients get his first NASCAR win(!) and then Indy 500 Bump Day was too good to turn off!) so I didn't have much time to make dinner after. I figured Chili Dogs sounded easy, quick and yummy! Thus, I needed buns. I paid full price (scandalous!) but did get the HT brand, paying $1.39.
11. Country Crock + Calcium - I had a coupon for Country Crock that allowed me to buy any size. Normally, it's generally the cheapest option to buy the smallest one, but my store had the large tub on sale making it even cheaper than the small one. Normally it costs $4.29, but I paid just $.94! (Store had it on sale for $2.14, and I tripled my $.40 coupon)
12. Jello Temptations - I kept seeing commercials for these and they looked yummy, so when I got a coupon for any Jello product, I decided to give these a try. Normally they cost $3.19, but I paid $1.39. (Tripled $.60 coupon)
13. Ballpark Beef Hot Dogs - As I mentioned above, I decided to make Chili Dogs for dinner, so I needed some hot dogs too. I had a coupon for Ballpark Beef Deli Style Hot Dogs, but I'm a pretty picky person and it's rare that I like hot dogs, so I wasn't sure I wanted to try new ones, especially since my coupon required me to buy two packages. My store did had the regular ones for sale though, so instead of $4.99, I paid $2.49.

Normally, I won't give you guys a complete breakdown of my shopping list, but I figured it might help to see what I bought. Also, seeing the price breakdown makes it easy to see just how much you can save.

I should mention that before I went to HT, I also went to Food Lion to buy some fruit. Food Lion doesn't normally have as many good coupon deals. However, they do usually have the cheapest prices for produce. I saw that they had grapes for sale for $.99/lb (great price!), so I bought my grapes and bananas there. Spent $5.10 for one bunch of bananas and two bags of grapes.

Note: This week was Triple Coupon week at HT, so I saved a little more (about $5.00) than I would on a typical day. Harris Teeter always doubles coupons, but Triples doesn't happen all that often. A lot of grocery stores double coupons, up to a certain amount, so be sure to learn your store's policy so you can plan your purchases accordingly. :)

That's it for now, Lovelies! In my next entry, I'll teach you how NOT to coupon (ie - share my strategy for my first big shopping trip!)

Xoxo!
Miss Jess