Miscellaneous

Generic is not cheaper! This is a blatant money saving myth! Don't believe it! Although, (sigh) I have to admit I fell for it for many many years. I mean when you do not have coupons then it is true but enter the coupon world and see that it is far far from the truth. For instance, the above box of cereal, Trail Mix Crunch. If you are a cereal fan you HAVE TO try this stuff. I am not so much a cereal lover but this is seriously the best cereal I have ever eaten! At $4.19 a box I would have never known....never. A while back they were buy one get one free and I had two coupons that made each box about $.20 cents each. You can't beat that and it goes to show that generic is not always better either in price or quality.....

Next up....my shopping trip this week. No pictures. I got too much and was too tired when I got home so this is as good as it gets....My two and a half foot receipt and proof of my savings....

I have to admit though I made my first major couponing mistake....I miscalculated the price of something thinking I was getting it for free and in actuality it was $1.50. Yuck. I also forgot one coupon and cheap as I am I had a deep seated debate with myself about turning my cart right back around and going back in to get my dollar off. I didn't do it. but jeez I am cheap!!! I didn't figure out the $1.50 mistake until I went back in three days later trying to repeat the same deal. Oh well. Live and learn. I still saved a lot. I paid $38 and saved nearly $100

And last but not least. I found a great coupon organising technique I found at Megan's site over at http://savingourcents.blogspot.com/search/label/coupon%20organization I liked it and thought it would really work for me. So off I went in search of a little (cheap...and ooo I got it for $.40 cents regular $3.99) photo book. I got an accordion file which has a big little slot in the front so I can carry a little pair of scissors and a calculator (no more mistakes!) So I was sitting on the couch a few days ago putting my book together, attaching stickers to indicate departments in the grocery store. Gazing lovingly at my accordion file and thinking lovely thought about all the coupons that will fill it's empty little slots when it dawned on me. I'M A COUPON MOM! This coupon book is equivalent to a mini-van in my mind. I heard some lady on Oprah last week say she cried for hours the day she got her mini-van. Kiss your youth goodbye. I'm the crazy coupon lady holding up the line and a coupon mom trying to eeek out every little penny in a tight budget. Oh my gosh. I have to admit I got a little verclempt. Then I refocused. Proverbs 31:19 "She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking." THIS is a good thing. I have skills. I might not be a big executive, but I am a tycoon at running my house! You go girl.... So all your mini-van driving, coupon clipping moms out there.....you go with your mad skills!!!!!