Beginning the Journey!

Hello All! Thanks for stopping by my little piece of cyberspace! I'm hoping to accomplish a couple of things with this blog, first and most importantly being sharing my passion for couponing and secondly, helping you to save a LOT of money by following the simple methods to maximize your grocery store savings!

So, first things first. I have a lot of information running around in my head and will try to share with you in an organized fashion. However, when the thoughts get muddled, feel free to comment and tell me I'm being confusing. I'm used to it, I have a teenager. :)

Now that we have that over with, we can get to the good stuff. You want to start using coupons? Right? Well, being a cheapskate doesn't come overnight. It takes a change in thought. It takes a certain amount of dedication. It REQUIRES you to know what your family uses and how much you normally pay for these items. Still want to learn more? Let's go!

Let's start with the fact that your thoughts on shopping are going to have to change. Normal shoppers make a list of what they need, go to the store and buy it, then come home and put it away. They are happy if one of the items on their list is on sale. They may or may not take a coupon to the store. If they do take a coupon, they might save $1. Woohoo for them!!

A cheapskate makes a list of things that their family uses regularly. This list is our "watch list". When these items go on sale, we stock up! If you're family uses 1 tube of toothpaste a month, why not buy 12 when you can get them for $.50 instead of paying $2 a tube?? (Cheapskates don't actually pay for toothpaste, but this will be in a different post.) Would you prefer to pay $6 for a year's supply of toothpaste, or $24?? See how the savings can add up fast? This is done by buying the right amount of the right items at the right time.

So, let's list our first rule.
Cheapskate's Rule #1 - Know what your family uses and how much you use of it.

Homework assignment #1 (I know, I know...nobody said anything about homework!!)
Make a list of items your family uses regularly and foods that your eat regularly as well. Also, look around your house and find a place you can put 12 tubes of toothpaste.

Good luck! It's not hard, but can definitely be overwhelming when you start listing everything your family uses! Next post, we'll discuss what to do with our list.

Until then,

~Jessica