TLC’s Extreme Couponing  has everyone including me rethinking the family grocery budget.   This show is insanity in the best way possible, well in my mind anyway.  I get a complete thrill from saving money or getting a good bargain and this show kills it!  They buy $1000 worth of groceries for like $40.  Insane I tell you!  You don’t necessarily need to watch the show, although you might want to if you don’t believe my previous statement.  Plus, who doesn’t need to save a little money?  Now you don’t need to become a stockpiler/hoarder, like some on the show but,  we all could be a bit more conscious of our spending.  This show helped motivate me to take a few minutes on Sunday to clip a few coupons and  test their theories.

Now my husband is in charge of the groceries and I am in charge of the toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.). This is going to sound completely ridiculous but, I always knew you could get grocery coupons in the Sunday paper but, it NEVER occurred to me that I could get beauty and toiletry coupons in the paper as well. So two weeks ago we decided to grab the paper and just take a look at the sale and coupon circulars. He was very concerned that there would be a ton of coupons for crap that we don’t use, and he was right there was but, there was also a bunch that we do. So far so good. Then I got my surprise and cut out half a dozen make-up, bodywash, pain reliever, face cream coupons.

I then cross referenced them with the sale flyer’s for CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aide.  Rite Aide seemed to be the big winner last week.  They had 3 things I needed, (the brands I use by the way, no testing out new products) and all on sale.  Hair mousse was on sale from $5.99 to $2.99 (unfortunately no coupon but still a good price); baby wipes buy one get one 1/2 off and also BOGO 1/2 on eye cream.  I had a $3.00 off coupon for the eye cream and $1.00 off for the wipes, that combined with the store bonus card I saved $16 off my total bill. 

I buy toiletries twice a month and I spend roughly $100 a month, now if I can save $16 on each trip than I’m saving $32 that’s 32% off my monthly bill, that $384 a year. Not bad, not bad at all.  Now one more thing….I know there is some controversy over Wal-Mart but one thing is certain they are the cheapest.  That eye cream I bought, my most expensive product, is $4 cheaper at Wal-Mart.  Did you know that Wal-Mart takes manufacturers coupons? They do.  Lesson learned, I would of saved even more if I went to Wal-Mart and used my $3 off  coupon.  I’m learning and I’m hooked. You should try it. 

But what you should try more than anything is taking control of your budget.  Doing a little math, do a little record keeping and keep you family’s finances in order.  It is so

important.  I heard something very disturbing the other day, a lot of people are only one pay check away from being homeless.  I can imagine that is true for a lot of people these days.  Please please do not take you family finances for granted, take the time, take responsibility and be in control of your wallet.

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