Gettin' In On the Coupon Craze!

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I've been a casual couponer for a while now.


You know, one of those people who clips a coupon here and there.


But then the tv show "Extreme Couponing" came along.


And then I took a coupon class.


And then I got bitten by the "you-can-save-lots-if-you'd-just-work-the-coupon-system" bug.


I like to save $$, but I'm not by any means "extreme" like this gal:




She'd buy a bigger house to hold her stockpile if she won the lottery???? Hrrrmmmm. . .I think she should use her winnings to invest in some new shelving. Check out 00:58 to see what I mean. . . That shelf ain't long for this world. May it rest in peace.

I will now take a brief moment to discuss my frustrations with the extreme couponing craziness that has swept the Nation. I think it's rather rude to completely wipe out the shelves of the grocery store. Do you really need 55 boxes of cheerios? Seriously. Save some for others. Pre-order the stuff if you really do NEED it. Mmmmkay? I recently encountered an elderly woman during my shopping adventures who was just plain devastated that the shelf had been wiped clean of the original Pam cooking spray. The remaining butter flavor would not do. Nope. I thought she was gonna cry for a minute. She kept staring at the shelf and saying "no original, no original" in a high-pitched, quivering voice. Tragic.

If you're not careful, this extreme couponing tv show can really make you feel overwhelmed and inferior when it comes to the couponing process. But these crazies are doing like 50 transactions at the register and tying up the poor cashier for an hour or more! Come on. There are much more realistic ways to save. I don't want the cashiers at Publix to run the other way when they see me comin' with my tricked-out coupon binder.


That is all about that (stepping down from my soapbox).


I did my grocery shopping yesterday.

And I didn't even pay attention to my savings at the register due to an in-depth conversation with the bag boy regarding the load of Christmas trees being delivered outside and how his family will be having steak for Christmas dinner this year. I told him I'd be joining them.


And the convo with the cashier about Thanksgiving being just one week away. Yowzers!


So when I got home it occurred to me that I didn't even look to see how much I saved.


So I pulled out my receipt.


And I was happy.


I busted a move. You know. . . I did a happy dance.


When I saw a three-digit #:

I'm sure many "extreme couponers" would consider this number to be a drop in the bucket, but it made this couponing novice quite proud! Holla!

There are some really great websites out there to help you save some cash. My personal favorite is Southern Savers. This site is chock-full of info regarding how to get started with couponing. It also lets you choose your favorite stores, shows you sales and coupon matchups for the stores, and lets you print an accompanying shopping list. It makes finding deals super easy. I like easy. Me and easy, we're like BFFs.


Here are some more great links to help you keep cash in your pocket:

Coupon Mom
Coupons.com
Redplum.com
Smartsource.com
Couponsuzy.com
Couponing101.com
Myfrugaladventures.com


Also, my friend Peter has an informative post on his blog regarding more ways to save. Check it out here.


So, what's the most that you've ever saved?? I'd love to hear your comments about your epic savings and money-saving tips that have worked for you guys! Give me a holla!