Centsable Saving Stories (and Struggles)

My family: My husband and I have been married just shy of five years. We have a beautiful daughter and one special boy/girl on the way. I taught elementary school for four years and was taking a year’s leave to stay home with our little girl. Once we found out we were pregnant again, the leave was extended.

Where I’m coming from: One year ago I was a wife living a very comfortable dual income lifestyle. This year, my husband and I have found ourselves on one income providing for a young child. I began “couponing” a month or so after our daughter was born. Friends and family were regularly asking me about my bargains and the best sales each week. Tired of repeating myself, I began posting my weekly deals on my family’s personal website. Once word of the deals spread, the personal website wasn’t so personal and it because obvious to me that I need to start a site solely devoted to couponing and bargain shopping, thus Frugal Coupon Mom was formed. Within two months of the creation of Frugal Coupon Mom, I was featured in US News and World Report, mentioned on People.com and then made it to the set of the Dr. Phil show. I am still recovering from the whirlwind. After some thought and discussion with friends and fans, I decided to move from a basic couponing blog to a more comprehensive site devoted to the whole lifestyle of frugal living – subsequently, Frugal Coupon Living was launched.

Struggles: My biggest struggle is adopting this new lifestyle. I have always been a frugal person, but I never had to think twice about a splurge. Being on one income now, I do have to think about every purchase and what it means to my family’s budget. While I enjoy this new life and love the simplification of it all, it is also in many ways more complex and requires more of my personal time. It is difficult devoting myself to my husband, daughter, family, and friends. One last major struggle is in understanding the “business.” As I mentioned earlier, I started the website for family and friends. I never intended a business, never spoke to a lawyer, never worried about html code or programming; I am learning to teach myself many new things.

My Purpose: My sole purpose for this website is to help others. I did not start blogging for the money, for the fame, or for the attention. I just wanted others to realize in this economy you too can save a lot of money on your weekly shopping trips. I felt guilty keeping these deals a secret. I am the type of person who sees someone with an expensive bottle of detergent in their grocery cart and I share with them where they can get it free and even offer them my coupon. I obviously love to teach, share and make tiny impressions in the minds of others (thus my degree in teaching). I hope Frugal Coupon Living can help many moms, dads, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons.

My Stores: I love Walgreens. I am in Walgreens several times a week. The cashier once rung my purchase up with an employee discount, not to cheat the system, but just because she was truly confused. The people at my corner Walgreens know my story and my family, and I know theirs. I also love CVS, Publix, Walmart, Winn-Dixie, Albertsons and Target. While I live in a larger city, I still love that small town feel of walking into a store and being welcomed by your first name. That is why I treat the cashiers, employees and managers with the utmost respect. I have gone as far as speaking on the phone with a manager over the holidays. There is nothing like relationship!

The Future of Frugal Coupon Living: I plan to take each day as it comes. I will welcome any open doors the good Lord places my way and accept any circumstances that come as well. If the site turns into something greater than I ever dreamed, then I will enjoy it and continue to use it as a tool to share what I have to an ever expanding audience. If not, then I’ll continue to help out my friends and family save a few bucks on their grocery bills. Either way, I will enjoy this wild ride as long as God allows me to stay on.