Couponing for Dummies

As I laid in bed this morning, deciding on an exact plan of attack for my long overdue Target trip, I realized I've never blogged about couponing. No, I thought. Surely I've mentioned it at some point. When I logged into Blogger I was amazed. I've never even touched on the subject which I love so much. I'm writing today to confess to all my readers (yes, all 10 of you) that I like to save money. I like to save money in the grocery store, when shopping online, when buying a coffee. I'm frugal and not ashamed to admit it. It's my frugality that warrants me the freedom to make impromptu purchases like the motorcycle I bought on Thursday...Wait, I didn't tell you about that either??? I'm a terrible blogger.

Anyway, I save money everywhere and take advantage of every offer I can. For example, when you buy a bag of Starbucks coffee you get a coupon for a free tall coffee in the bag. I've received at least 5 free coffees in the last 2 years. I don't care if it only saved me maybe $15. That's $15 I can spend elsewhere!

Another example of my effortless frugality is that I have a dining card for my favorite restaurants in the area. We often go to the same restaurants (if you're ever in Hilton Head check out the Serge Group restaurants) and with their card (which I received free as a gift from work) we always get an entree for free. That card saves us anywhere from $8-$30 every time we use it!

You might be wondering why I'm so obsessed with saving $1 here and $1 there. First of all, those dollars add up. And secondly, most of us "normal" human beings have been at a place in our lives where we need to decide how to spend our last $10. Gas in the car or dinner??? It's having so many of those types of experiences that brought me here today.

I began couponing at a young age. I was 20 and living with my first live-in boyfriend (yes we lived in sin but it's cool b/c we're married now). My technique was a mess and I had no idea. I'd spend hours clipping coupons I thought I might use, only to use a small fraction and let the others expire. It was time consuming and inefficient. It wasn't until my sister-in-law showed me her method that I learned how to be a more savvy couponer. I even went to a local class (it cost $15 to get in) where I learned all the rules, how to stay organized, where to get the best coupons, etc. Since then I've saved probably $1500-$2000 on groceries alone. I'm not exaggerating. Wouldn't you like an extra $2000 in your pocket??

But couponing is complicated and there's no way I can explain it in just this blog post. There are a few things I can explain that I'm sure you're thinking.

First, you don't have to shop like those crazy people on TV that come home with 30 tubes of Colgate. I buy normal stuff. I will, however, take advantage of a good deal and stock up on products that we use and like. For example, yesterday I bought 1 Old Spice body wash and 2 Old Spice deodorants. My husband prefers these brands (he's very picky). We weren't out, but we'll need them in the future so I wanted to buy them when I can for the lowest price. The 18oz body wash was on sale for $3.50. I also had a coupon for $1 off any Old Spice product. The $4.50 body wash cost me $2.50. His deodorant was also on sale for $3.50. I had a coupon for $1 off of 2 Old Spice Anti-Perspirants. So what normally would have cost me $8 (they are $4 a piece) cost me $6. This is a small example but it perfectly illustrates how there is NO REASON to pay full price.

Secondly, I eat incredibly healthy! I shop mostly on the perimeter of the store, buying up fresh produce, fish and poultry, some dairy and organic (not everything I buy is organic, however). We don't eat much processed food and make a lot from scratch. I am still able to save money on everything from frozen vegetables to blueberries to almond milk to Luna bars. The coupons are out there an all items go on sale at some point during a 6 week cycle. I saved $85 at Publix yesterday (spent $200) and came home with TONS of healthy food. We do not live on Pop Tarts and Totinos Pizza Rolls (though I do love me some pizza rolls!)

I use a website called Southern Savers to find out what's on sale and what coupons to couple with that sale. It's made my couponing life infinitely better! Also, if there's an item I need now that's not on sale I can simply look in her database for what store has it cheaper and search her coupon database for a possible coupon. The woman is a genius. And she is not unique. Websites like this exist for every region. Find yours.

So today I'm heading to Target for some grocery items as well as other household items. Not only am I shopping from a list with coupons coupled with sales (sticking to a list is very important for saving money because you ALWAYS pay top dollar for impulse buys),  I am also using a gift card that Doug and I got from his Dad for Christmas (Thanks Big Doug!)!! So today will be a very exciting day of shopping for free. I sure can't beat that!

If any of you think this couponing stuff is interesting, I'll be happy to share more on the topic. Just comment with your questions below. Have a happy Saturday!

Time for a Change

We've all experienced those days: the kind when nothing in your closet looks fit to wear, you hate all of your shoes, your hair looks drab and mundane, and you simple lack that confident glow. I had 7 of those days in a row, and decided it's time to shake things up a bit. On todays agenda? Tackling my mess of a closet and freeing it of all it's unfashionable items. I'm in no way the most fashion-savvy woman, but some hoodies from college, tops that show stomach, and sweaters from 10 years ago have got to go! And why do I have 3 pairs of running shoes? I replace them every few months because their worn out and hard on my feet. In the garbage they go!

Old skirts, pants that don't fit, shorts a 26-year-old should not be seen in, tiny t-shirts and the like will all be donated and hopefully reused. It's time for me to start dressing and looking my age. And along the way I'm sure I'll find items I forgot I had that would love to be worn again.

I've started wearing make-up to work everyday, too. In the past I would shower, put my hair up into a messy bun, get dressed, put on flats and head to work with a bare face. The last few weeks, however, I've made it a point to put on at least mascara and blush because it really does make me look older and more professional. It also makes me feel pretty and will help when Im having the above mentioned type of days.

My final step has been the most drastic so far: changing my hair. I debated for weeks on what route to take. A cute bob? Drastic bangs? Maybe just change my part. Highlights? Or low lights? And then I decided to go dark. Darker then I've ever been. I set the appointment and anxiously waited. My hairdresser was excited when I told her I wanted a dark chocolate brown, the color of my father's hair, with lots of layers for extra body.

An hour later my hair was DARK RED! Yup. A color I'm not sure I've ever seen before. If it would have been fall I could've gotten lost in a see of changing maple leaves. My hairdresser explained that they always mix red in with the dark brown color in order to cover up the lighter parts of a client's hair. We had no idea that my hair naturally pulls red because of the red undertones I acquired from my mother. She reapplied the brown and within an hour I was darker, but still with a tint of red.

I have to say, it looks pretty bad-ass. But I'm not sure about the red. I have a few days to decide if a return visit is necessary for another brown application.

One thing is for sure; the changes have made me feel fresh and new. It's exciting and playful to try new things, and I'm loving it. The next step will have to be a shopping trip. Maybe I'll tackle that next month.