Welcome to Centsable Savings Stories and Struggles! Sorry this is a day late this weekend. With all the website transitioning yesterday, I felt it was best to postpone this post a day.
I am still in need of frugal shoppers willing to share their stories next month so I continue to need your help. If you’ve ever thought about telling your story, now is a great time to do it! Email me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com if you are interested in participating. More details are at the end of this post.
This week we are featuring Kim from Coupon Kim. Kim has had her share of challenges, but she is working to overcome them all and she’s learned a thing or two about frugal shopping along the way. Thank you for sharing, Kim!
What has collecting coupons and saving money done for me? I’d like to start my story by quoting one of my own blog posts from February 1st, 2009. This should help you get an idea of who I am AND how I felt a mere 2 months ago.
“A little history–years ago I found myself in the middle of a nasty divorce, a single mother of four children (under the age of six at the time), a mountain of bills and moving into a two bedroom home, and I didn’t have a job. Was I in a mess or what?! Could I have sunk into a depression and given up–absolutely! Did I? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I pulled up my boot straps and got to work–literally! I interviewed like a fiend, and I was truly blessed to get offered a job at Gateway Computer at the lowest level you could start there. It wasn’t much money at all, but I was offered the opportunity to work as much over time as I could handle so I did. I worked 16 hours a day, spent endless time away from my children and made some decisions that I still second guess. In those times that I would break down and cry because I never saw my kids, I reminded myself that I was doing this for them, and that it would pay off one day. And it did. Over the course of 6 years, I worked up through the ranks of Gateway, getting one promotion after another, until I was a Regional Manager for Southeast Training Centers! It was a very high point in my career and I was making plenty of money to take care of the kids, paid off all of my debts, bought a new house and found a wonderful man to start over with. Then I was laid off and so was my husband within 2 months of each other. Bummer. What to do? We have 7 children to raise!
Thankfully, both my husband and I already had side businesses that we had built over the years, all dealing with computers and web development. This had sustained us well until the economy started to plummet. No longer was building a website a priority for companies. So here we are, both with a tremendous amount of talent, in a business that companies no longer see as a priority. The debts are starting to mount again and it seems it happened overnight. It didn’t, but we didn’t see it coming. This is where we are now. We certainly aren’t destitute–we just need to cut some things–so here we go!
Like most Americans, my grocery bill has gotten outrageous and out of control! With so many people in the house, it’s difficult to even keep the fridge full! I’m sure many others have all felt this way. You go to the store, purchase what you “think” are your groceries for the week, only to see them disappear in two days. You are then back at the store, picking up a few things. Those few things turn into $100 and you are like, I KNOW I didn’t just spend $250 on groceries in three days!! I HATE going to the grocery store–it is by far, the worst chore I have! I would rather flush the money down the toilet because that is where it goes anyway.”
So what you read above is how I felt 2 months ago. Let me tell you how I feel now.AHHHHH, the wonderful world of couponing. Shortly after writing the above post, I started reading voraciously on every coupon website I could. I took in all the information and made a game plan. Boy, it was not as easy as I had once thought, and I DID re-think whether it was worth it.
It has become my goal to save as much money as possible and every time I find a new coupon match up, it thrills me! My husband is floored by the deals I find and loads of bags I bring home. THEN I tell him how much I spent and he has finally decided this coupon thing is worth the time! I have a HUGE stockpile of items, and I probably won’t have to buy toothpaste, cereal or shampoo for over a year.
Once I got the hang of it, I was amazed at how many deals there were out there and so many things for free.Not only have I cut our grocery bill down to $25 -$30 a week (formerly around $200+), but I have been able to buy brand name items for less than store brand. I’m finally able to buy all the stuff I skimped on for years. No more are the days of running to the store to pick up a tube of toothpaste that ends up costing $100 just because I’ll pick up a few more things while I’m there.
I was never much for the drug store unless I was there to pick up a prescription. Now I find some of my best deals at CVS and Walgreens. I’m taking advantage of all the rebates which also allows me to buy things I wouldn’t have before. The cashiers have come to know me well and although I had a few hiccups with a few of the employees, most of them have come to enjoy seeing just how much I’ve saved. I’ve even had employees ask me for my website so they can figure out how to save so much. This definitely makes me feel very proud!
I also joined a local Produce Co-Op where I pay $16 and get a ton of fresh produce from local farmers. They need the boost, and, to be honest, the produce is 50 times better!
In addition, I’ve started collecting freebies (or inexpensive items) that I won’t use and donating them to a couple of different places: a women’s shelter and a group that makes care packages for military families. I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to take those items and see their faces light up. I have even started volunteering at the women’s shelter doing some computer training. It is fulfilling to say the least.
So back to the original question – What has collecting coupons done for me?
1. I finally have a new hobby!
2. I’m teaching my kids how to save money and be frugal – which I think is one of the best lessons that I can teach them.
3. I’m not only teaching my kids about saving money, but also their friends! They call me Coupon Kim and they want to make me a cape.
4. I feel that I am contributing more than just my time to my family – I’m contributing my time to other families via volunteering.
5. I’m connecting with others that feel as strongly as I do about saving money and becoming debt free.
6. I’m spreading the word via my blog and getting other friends to jump on the bandwagon – and they are thanking me getting them going.
7. We are slowly but surely paying down our debt and working towards being debt free!
8. Last, but not least, I actually like the grocery store now!
Each week we feature a different shopper’s story. Centsable Savings Stories are the stories of people just like you who are working toward reducing their budgets, bargain hunting, living a more frugal lifestyle and constantly learning along the way. If you are interested in sharing your family’s successes and struggles, please contact Katherine at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com. Blogger and non-bloggers are both welcome to participate. Click here to read the stories of shoppers featured in the past.
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