Welcome to Centsable Savings Stories and Struggles! Each week someone shares the story of how she became a frugal shopper and what difference it has made in her life. This week, Kacey from Kacey’s Coupon Corner is sharing her story.
If you’d like to share your story, I’d love to hear from you. Please email me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com. More details are at the end of this post.
I have always been pretty frugal with grocery shopping. I would generally buy the store brand if it was cheaper than the name brand, and every once in a great while I would splurge on a brand name snack. I would hear how people would save money by shopping smart, or shopping with cash, but I thought I was already shopping “SMART.” I never used coupons on anything unless it was the exact thing that I bought anyway. I never knew there were coupons in the paper and never looked very far into it because, in my opinion, saving $0.55 on an item that cost $1.99 was not worth buying when I only spent $1.24 on the generic brand.
Wel,l low and behold, I was not only wrong but way wrong. One day back when I used to pay for DVR (I’ve now come to know of a little site called hulu.com if I really need to watch a show) I used to record Dr. Phil. I never really watched the show but my husband did (don’t tell him I told you that). He was watching the episode when Ashley from Frugal Coupon Living was on telling how she saved 75% consecutively on her grocery bill. My husband told me it was a really good show and to watch it. A couple days later I did.
Let me just say, my husband now feels neglected and cheated on with online coupon sites, newspapers, and blogs and sometimes wishes he could have his wife back (okay it’s not that bad:) He is so supportive and is so proud I’m saving money for our family.
My world has completely changed. My garage has now become a recycle bin in itself, my extra bedroom is now my personal store, and my car no longer has room for a stroller because my coupon binders and bins are in its place. I’m sure like every other coupon shopper I just cringe when I am unprepared and have to buy something at….yeah I’m gonna say it retail.
My first shopping trip was to Walgreens where I spent $33 and saved $101. WOW, I was hooked. I love a challenge, and coupon shopping provides this for me because it is always a challenge to see how much I can save. I am yet to save 100% exactly, but I have hit 99% twice so far. I am in awe at how little I knew about the world of coupons and am so thankful that my husband watches Dr. Phil:) I now use our extra money to pay for the things that we want to enjoy and couldn’t before. I’ve been able to stockpile so many things and feel a lot more prepared in this unsteady economy. (You can see a pic of Kacey’s impressive stockpile below.)
I of course have to tell everybody and anybody who will listen to me why they need to shop with coupons (or vouchers as my dentist would say, because coupons sound cheap 🙂 I decided to start Kacey’s Coupon Corner for all the beginners that lived in my area. I couldn’t find any other blog that was dedicated to the Grand Junction area, and we seemed to have a lot different sales even if the store was the same. I now provide full ad scans for Albertsons, City Market, and Safeway, and highlight many others, and I really enjoy helping everybody else save money, too. I’m not sure whats more exciting: saving 99% on my own bill or listening to my friends and readers tell me about how much they saved.
I am definitely more frugal in all other areas as well. I feel like I’ve always been very money conscious when it comes to buying non grocery items, but with the knowledge I have now, I feel like the deals just got SWEETER.
I’ve learned how to shop with online codes that I had no idea about before I started using coupons. I would always just go to Walmart and buy everything there because I always thought it was cheaper. I was so wrong in that area. I hardly ever go to Walmart anymore. I’ve learned that other stores have great deals or closeout items, and that if you just wait for the sale you can get things for so much cheaper. I’ve learned to appreciate yard sales. I refill my ink instead of buying new. I go to the restaurants or food joints that I have coupons for instead of just going where I feel. My friend and I have kids that are little and we swap all of our clothes and baby items. I’ve switched to cloth diapers. I check out books from the library instead of buying them. I am part of a dinner group. (We make 12 freezer meals and then swap so we have 12 different dinners….best idea ever.) I borrow things from friends that I may only need once in a great while, and I always make sure and return the favor. I just go without if I don’t really need it although I do splurge once in awhile on the things that make me really happy.
I don’t know where I read it but someone said “Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make the wheel work for you” which is so true. For example, for dinner, instead of making what you feel like, feel like making what is on sale at the store or in your pantry. Just learning this concept is what has changed the way I spend my money.
I am also super excited about being able to donate. I have always paid tithing to my church and felt like I was doing my part, but now that I have so much excess it feels so good to be able to give to women’s shelters and people in real need of them. That is really exciting. Even sharing with my friends or family is awesome because I don’t think twice about it. If they need something I grab it off of my shelf and hand it over.
P.S. If anybody tries to tell you that I dove in the dumpster for a bag full of Sunday Papers I’ll deny it till the day I die (or at least until I stop couponing….which is one in itself).
P.P.S. It had five inserts that week!!!! Gimme a break people!
Kacey’s stockpile after 4 months of couponingEach week I 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 me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail [dot]com. Bloggers and non-bloggers are both welcome to participate. Click here to read the stories of shoppers featured in the past.
