Couponing

I get so many different responses to couponing; 'I don't have time.' 'It cost too much money.' 'I just buy what I need.' 'I always forget them at home'

I go to school, work 2 jobs, and am a full-time parent! I have 2 hours a week, (sometimes 3) to coupon. I feed 4 for a strict, less than $300 a month. Without coupons, that is not a lot of food, (unless you are buying junk food.)

I buy the newspaper, or sometimes two. I also recieve my grandmother's inserts (minus the q she uses). I print out coupons, and do other things while my coupons (q) print out.  I use www.southernsavers.com for making my sale list, and only clip the q I need to for the sale, or items that are used on a regular basis, (you never know when an item will be on clearance.)

My inserts get filed away by the month and the other q get placed in a binder. Store q have their own tabs, and when I find man. q for the same item, they are paired in the store tab for double savings. I give away coupons that I do not need, sometimes even in the store. I buy items that are free or money makers to give to the local shelter or food pantry.

Everyone can coupon! My 2 y.o. helps me. If everyone couponed, even just a little, and gave an item to a local food pantry that they bought on sale, with a coupon, the food pantries would not be in the crisis that they are in.

Friday Deals

Most Fridays or Saturdays during the spring and the fall are spent looking for and visiting yard sales. While I use craigslist to plan my route of the week, I will stop and look at other yard sales along the way.

I went to a couple of yard sales today; while it wasn't a busy day, but I got some great deals.

I went to a yard sale on the way to a friends house, but didn't find anything. After picking up a friend, and her daughter, and going to lunch, I went to a yard sale that I saw on craigslist. It sounded promising, and seemed to have some of the items that I was looking for.
I bought:
Combination master lock - .50
35 2-3 oz containers - 3.00
4 books - .25 each
   Books that my daughter can use for a couple of years
A teacher's note board (that can hang on the wall) - 3.00
A stand up note board - 1.00
a pair of frog pants - .50
Total: $9.00

I needed to take my friend home, and saw a sign for a yardsale along the way.
Even though the yardsale was small, and did not look like it was much, I stopped anyways.

I bought
bluetooth with charger - 10.00
Leap Frog Leap Pad, with 3 games and the case- 10.00
 (There was another one at the other yard sale that was $20.00 for just the Leap Pad)
Total: $20.00

Now I know it doesn't seem like this is much, but it helps a lot with the learning projects and Christmas Presents. There is no way that I could have bought a Leap Pad without the yard sale.


 This is why I love yard sales.

The shopping Blogger and Full-Time Parent