Coupons - Making them work for you

There is an interesting discussion going on over at BoingBoing about coupons and how much they aren't worth the effort. Now, the girl given in the short example post isn't very realistic... sorry Christy. For one, she does her couponing at seven stores, primarily Publix, and even with coupons they're often significantly more expensive than (my favorite) Kroger, although sometimes they have FABULOUS deals and I snatch them up too.

So, the down and dirty plan for grocery shopping that has been successful for me goes something like this:
*Buy 2 copies of the Sunday Paper - If you buy them on Sunday, you can get them in one packet for $2.35 at Kroger or $2.36 at Publix. They are next door to one another where I live, so there's no real difference for me where I get them.

*Go to Grocerygame.com** on Monday and access the List for Kroger, Publix, and CVS. Check the running list of what I need against the sales prices and coupons I have for them.
NOTE: Grocery Game lists the week of the circular for the coupons, so I never clip them before I need them. I use a 3 hole punch and keep the circulars in chronological order in a binder until I need them.

*Check the personal finance blogs for tips on printable coupons for sale items that will make the price free or next to free. A few of my favorites are Money Saving Mom, Freebies 4 Mom, and Centsible Savings.

*Check my Miscellaneous Coupons pouch for any coupons I've received in the mail with my free samples.

*Do a quick Google search for any printable coupons for items on the list that I need but don't have a coupon for.

All of the gathering probably takes me an hour total. Then,

*I print the list for each store and put all of the coupons I need in the envelope for that store with the list.

*Mentally map my route to make one circle and not waste gas.

*Go to Publix and ONLY get what is on the list. - 10 minutes
*Go to Kroger and ONLY get what is on the list. - 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the checkout line.
*Go to CVS and ONLY get what is on the list. - 5 to 10 minutes.

As a general rule, I can feed my family of 5 on $75 to $80 a week, including all toiletries and miscellaneous household items. It takes me roughly 2 to 2 1/2 hours per week, including the shopping itself. This saves me a LOT of time. Before I shopped with a list and did my research before leaving the house, I made 3 to 4 trips to the store every week to pick up forgotten or needed things. I also ended up spending lots of extra money on impulse buys.

No additional expenditures on gas because I plan my route to maximize fuel economy. I also don't have to make those emergency runs to the store during the week anymore, so I am actually SAVING money on gas. I shop for gas at the grocery store, so I don't have to make extra trips to stop for that either.

Happy Dance Note: Yesterday I was out and about and stopped at Kroger just because I had cereal coupons. I got 4 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats and 2 bunches of bananas for $.94 ...behold, the power of coupons.

**If you sign up at Grocery Game, please list sunshinedavidson @ gmail.com in the referral link.

Correction to yesterday's entry

Wes has kindly informed me that since HE runs many various errands for me, I have miscalculated the amount of actual combining of trips that occur around here to save gas. *grin*

I guess we have a new goal to work toward!

Earth Day Post

Today is Earth Day! Although, to be honest, we've been slowly working toward making every day a more Earth friendly day at Momma's house. It's very interesting to me that most of the environmentally friendly changes that we can make in our lives are also very budget friendly.

Utilities:

• Last year, we started replacing our light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lighting as the regular bulbs burned out.
• We desperately needed a new washing machine last fall, so we replaced it with a more efficient front-end loader. This probably didn't lower the energy usage for the washer, but definitely lowered the energy usage for the dryer, as the clothes had much less water in them after the spin cycle.
• Wes replaced our old thermostat with a new programmable one. This has made a large difference in both gas and electricity bills.
• Recently, I started washing all loads on cold wash/cold rinse cycles.
• I also hang up all socks, underwear, wash clothes, dish clothes, and hand towels, so there are less things going into the dryer.
• I unplug the coffee pot, bean grinder, and toaster every time I go into the kitchen. (Note to self: Probably ought to tell the family, so they don't keep plugging them back in.)
• You may find some great information on this over at Get Rich Slowly. JD is asking the readers for Tips on Energy Conservation

Waste

• We've started composting all of the vegetation we can (cut flowers that have died, table scraps without meat, grass clippings, etc).
• I started a recycling box for paper goods, but plan to research other recyclables for this area and find out how to keep from sending out an overflowing container full of trash to the curb every week. Lynnae at Being Frugal wrote a great post about Recycling and what is recyclable in her area. I learned some stuff from it!
• The children and I have been gathering clothing and items we don't or can't use to donate to a local abuse shelter.

Food

• I'm growing a small garden of herbs and vegetables, to cut down on our food bills and provide more organic food options to my family.

Gas

• I combine trips where I can, and buy gas at night, after I complete my shopping.
• I don't generally drive anywhere besides work and home more than twice a week and even then it's not more than 5 miles from the house.
• Although carpooling isn't an option for me, Spilling Buckets is carpooling now, and figures that he is saving about $2100 annually in the process.
• YL15 (in 4 days!) rides her bicycle the 3 miles to school and back every day so that Wes and I don't have to go and pick her up. Bus riding isn't an option for her in the afternoons.

Link Love!

• For some other fabulous posts about Green Living on a budget, check out these blogs!
• Wealth Junkies posts about Going Green in the Wallet
• Frugal Mom LA is Getting on the Green Bandwagon
• My Two Dollars had some other great links in honor of Earth Day too.
• Notes from the Frugal Trenches says Going Green Helps You Be Frugal!

Are you a pump watcher?

It's on the news, in the papers, and the topic of discussion around the water cooler at work. Are you watching the gas prices climb too? There is wild speculation on how high the prices will climb and how long they'll stay there. Some folks are flocking to GasBuddy to find out where the cheapest gas is in their area. Mapquest is even getting in on the action.

People where I work are talking about things they are having to cut corners on just to be able to make it back and forth to work. Does Dish Network cost less than Direct TV? How many of our cell phone services can we cut? Are we going to be able to go to Myrtle Beach this summer, like always?

I've been sending out referrals to the Grocery Game to everyone who mentions cutting costs. (If you head over there and decide to sign up, Momma would be very grateful if you'd use her email address for the referral: sunshinedavidson@gmail.com) I've also been shamelessly promoting the links to my favorite personal finance blogs and sharing tips from them whenever appropriate.

I know it seems a little odd, but I am doing my best not to pay attention to the gas prices at all. I have decided that it's just not worth the stress. I've been cutting our costs as I can, and have started my own Square Foot Gardens. I shop at Kroger every week, so I always have the $.10 off per gallon at their gas pumps.

Gas prices are going to go up, no matter how much I worry about it. I just remind myself that 25% of my 401k is invested in Natural Resources and try to hang on for the bumpy ride. What about you? Do you have tips for easing the pinch at the pump?