Coupon Crazed

Why I Clip Coupons:
I like to save money, and in some cases I can acquire merchandise FREE of charge (the legal way!). I believe that it is my job as the shopper of the house to help our budget by cutting costs whenever I can. Also, I actively look for deals that I can use to make contributions to our local food bank.

How I Clip Coupons:
Sunday is a big day in our household. After a great morning at church and Sunday school, we head to the grocery store and grab a copy of the newspaper. Later, usually after the rest of my family is asleep, I get to work.

I have two traditional coupon organizers, each with thirteen pockets. Before I add the new coupons to them, I go through each section to remove any expired coupons. This is also a great time for refreshing my memory as to any coupons I might have forgotten I had. Once that's done, I clip what I need and sort them immediately into my organizers.

I have changed my ways a little when it comes to what I clip. At first I clipped everything, but I didn't really understand how to make coupons work for me. At the end of the month I had stacks and stacks of coupons that were not used and then expired. I couldn't find anything I really needed because of the volume of the little pieces of paper in my organizer. It was also impossible to search for something at the grocery store without an embarrassing avalanche. I gave up because I wasn't saving much money and I was doing a lot of work in the meantime.

When I started staying at home with my son, I decided it was time to get serious. This time, I only clipped the coupons that I knew I would use. I threw away quite a few without clipping them, but the ones I kept were generally redeemed. In the meantime, I researched a little and learned how to stack coupons and pair them with store sales to save more.

Recently, after a coupon conversation with a fellow clipper, I realized that I could do more good if I would clip all of the coupons in the weekly inserts. There were many deals--most of the time for items I could have had FREE--that I wasn't getting. So, I'm back to clipping everything, but I've changed my methods just a bit when it comes to how I organize them.

How I Organize Those Valuable Pieces of Paper:
When I clipped only the coupons I knew we would use, I organized them by brand name so that I could easily find them. At the time, I was very brand specific in my purchases, so this worked well. When I started clipping everything, however, on the off chance that I would get a deal I wasn't expecting, this was no longer practical. I needed to organize by category so that I could quickly find coupons of a certain type instead of a certain brand.

I divided my coupons into categories that I created, mostly based on location in a typical grocery store. For example, one of my categories is "Cereal Aisle," and in that section you would find coupons for cereal and cereal bars. The "Bread Aisle" category holds savings for bread, peanut butter, and jams and jellies. My shopping list is also based on the layout of my most-shopped stores, so this method works for me.

My latest problem is that I have a ton of coupons and they are a bit cumbersome in the two 13-pocket organizers I use (one pocket per category). I have decided to add an index card file to my system to hold the coupons I'm really only keeping "just in case." For example, we don't have any pets, and I never clipped the pet product coupons, but I have realized that if it's a good coupon and I can get the pet products for FREE, that would be a great donation to our local food bank. I don't want to carry around a wallet full of pet food coupons that I won't use, though, so they stay at home in my card file until I find an ad that compliments them.

It Works For Me:
My organization is not a perfect system by any means, and it is certainly the product of trial and error, but it works for me. What works for you?

Organization is only the beginning! Check back soon for more coupon posts!

100 Things About Me--This is getting hard! 20 more...

If you're interested, you can also see 1-20, 21-40, and 41-60.

61. I always have a Starbucks gift card in my purse.
62. I have never been to East Timor. (You're only gonna get that if your name is Carole and we spent eight hours together sitting at a table discussing the finer points of Arctic exploration and the methods of fencing in an apple orchard so that cows couldn't eat the produce...it was an excruciating day, and we were delirious when this little joke became the funniest thing we had ever heard.)
63. I took piano lessons as a child, but I didn't progress too much because I didn't want to practice.
64. I was on our high school welding team.
65. I had a huge crush on my swimming instructor when I was little (I was probably six or seven at the time) His name was Todd. I think. It's been a while.
66. My high school mascot was the Rebel. Yes, the Confederate Rebel. It was a tad bit controversial. Especially the large Confederate flag that was painted on the wall of our gymnasium.
67. I am named after a woman who would become the Superintendent of Schools for Webster County, Kentucky. (I told you, this is getting hard!)
68. I have been known to watch shows like Clean House and Clean Sweep so that I will not feel bad about my own housekeeping skills (or lack thereof). (Yes, that is sad and sadistic.)
69. I LOVE Graeter's Ice Cream.
70. I can write a word and its mirror image with my left hand and right hand at the same time. (Does that make sense? Here's a picture.)

71. My favorite summer Olympic sport is women's gymnastics.
72. My favorite winter Olympic sport is curling. I find it to be utterly fascinating.
73. Speaking of the Olympics, I have been to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
74. Some people don't wear white after Labor Day. Personally, I don't drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes until after October 1st.
75. I don't consume Peppermint Mochas until the day after Thanksgiving. It gives me something to look forward to.
76. Apparently I say "Whoa" and "OK" quite often. I know this because my toddler now says them constantly, and he didn't hear them from his father.
77. I really don't like craisins. I find them to have an unpleasant tartness. I do like cranberry sauce, though.
78. Fall is my favorite season, and it's what I miss the most (besides my family) living in Florida.
79. I have stood on the Appalachian Trail. (Not hiked it, mind you, just stood.)
80. I LOVE to vote! If you're a Floridian and you're reading this on August 26th, be sure you vote today!

Goin' Paperless...

Whether it is because of a noble stand we're taking or because of the guilt I feel over a recent impulse purchase, we (and by "we", I mean "I") have decided to go paperless in our household! No more paper towels, no more paper napkins, and no more toilet paper...well, OK, the last one isn't true, but I thought it might be funny.

First of all, why should we go paperless? Well, for me it is a noble two-fold reason: 1)we waste way too much paper and 2)the paper we are throwing in the trash is pretty expensive. Why pay big money for inevitable trash? And, why kill a tree in the process? (What did a tree ever do to you, unless of course, a tree has fallen on you or your home, in which case, please accept my humble apologies--especially to my mother-in-law Donna.)

Now for my not-so-noble reason. I was sucked into one of those store gimmicks the other day where they announce over the intercom that an AMAZING product will be demonstrated in two minutes and only people in the store will be able to claim a free gift, etc. That day, the product was the Magicloth, a chamois-type towel that can part the Red Sea with it's absorbent power. I stood and watched, received my free gift (a small square of a Magicloth), answered a couple of questions (I tend to pay attention when people talk--it's the teacher in me) and received two more free squares of Magicloth. I watched the rag soak up water from a pie plate that was nearly overflowing (I can't tell you how often this has happened to me--don't you just hate it when your pie plates start flooding?) and then the presenter POURED a 2-Liter bottle of diet soda onto some carpet, and the Magicloth absorbed all of that, too. Now, I don't pour soda onto my carpet very often, but my toddler DOES pour chocolate milk on the floor occasionally. Could this be the answer to my problems? Finally, the presenter clenched the deal. "You can even replace your paper towels with these Magicloths!" That's all I needed to hear. I was almost out of paper towels, and the thought of going to Sam's to buy the industrial-size package and then STORE it was something I was not looking forward to. And, so, I became the proud owner of two packages of Magicloths (4 large towels, total). The price was about the same as the cost of the mega-pack of paper towels, so I thought, why not?

I took the lovely khaki brown towels home (they are approved for military field use, of course, so they must look like the desert) and cut two of them into four pieces each. I stashed the other two under the sink unopened in case I need a quick gift later. (Watch out, Teresa, your birthday is coming up!) I have used them now in place of paper towels for two whole days, and so far so good. They do wash well in the washing machine, and they dry pretty quickly (although, you must be careful to hang them dry--that was one of the questions I answered correctly at the demonstration). I DON'T use them to dry my hair as the instructions suggest is possible--that seems a little weird to me.

Am I 100% confident that we will be able to use these towels to totally replace our paper ones? Not really. Already we realized while planning for the recent tropical storm that washable towels are great until it's not possible to wash them anymore because the electricity isn't working. We bought one roll of paper towels and agreed that they were only to be used in an emergency. So, we shall see how this paperless venture goes--stay tuned!

Be sure to visit Biblical Womanhood's Frugal Friday for ideas on saving money!

Do you have a great granola recipe? I would love to see it!

100 Things about me--20 more...

1-20 are here, and 21-40 are here.

41. I start my Christmas shopping in July.
42. The last song I downloaded was "These Are the Days" by 10,000 Maniacs.
43. I think foie gras is repulsive and I refuse to eat it ever again.
44. I like being in my 30's--I think it's the best decade I've had so far.
45. My first college major was Pre-Med.
46. My BA is in French with a minor in English. (I changed my mind.)
47. I frequently quote things I hear on the Food Network.
48. I'm not so fond of heights.
49. I have never been to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I've been to the bottom several times, but never the top.
50. I have been in 23 US states.
51. I never have ice--I just don't use it. When my Mom (who loves ice) comes to visit she has to freeze water in paper cups because I'm using my ice-maker to store frozen vegetables!
52. I obsessively check my e-mail. I don't always respond right away, but I usually read messages as soon as they arrive!
53. My first cat's name was Bubbles.
54. I had the same phone number for the first twenty-something years of my life even though we moved, and my parents still have that same number.
55. Our first house was a log cabin that my parents built themselves.
56. I collect Cinderella memorabilia.
57. I once spent double the price for a Cinderella ornament on E-Bay that I failed to buy in the store before it was out of stock.
58. I now buy the majority of the Hallmark ornaments I collect by October, and many of them in July when they debut. (yes, I'm one of those people)
59. I drink coffee every morning.
60. I find the flavored coffee creamers to be addictive, and I have to limit how much I keep in the house!

Let's have a contest!!!

I would like to start making my own granola, but I don't have a recipe for it. So...do you have one? Send me your tried-and-true but simple recipes for granola, and I will post the best ones in a future blog entry! (Your reward will be all of the notoriety and fame that being posted on my blog entails! lol)

My only rule: No craisins. I really don't like them.

I can't wait to see your recipes! Thank you for sending them!

Pasta e Fagioli

Do you need a simple meal that is made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry? This is one of my favorite soups--Pasta e Fagioli. There are many recipes for this particular Italian soup, but I have taken what I like and simplified it so that I can make it in a hurry. Enjoy!

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced (the smaller the cut, the quicker it will cook)
2 heaping tablespoons of sun dried tomato pesto (I use the one that Classico makes)
4 c. chicken stock
2 cans kidney beans (I use one can of red kidneys and one of cannellini beans)
1 cup short-cut pasta (I use Barilla Plus elbows)

In a large pot (whatever you use to make soup), cook the onion in the olive oil until it becomes translucent. Add the bacon and the carrot. Cook until the bacon is cooked and the carrots are becoming tender. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to soften. Add the pesto and stir to combine.

Add the chicken stock and beans. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the pasta, and lower the temperature. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until the pasta is tender. Taste, and season if necessary. (Makes at least 4 servings)

That's it! An incredibly filling meal that only takes a few dollars and a few minutes. Enjoy!

Would you like to see more frugal tips? Check out Frugal Friday on Biblical Womanhood!

Random Thought of the Day

What about a new Olympic sport? It's called Toddler Dressing. The first mom to chase her toddler around the house, catch him, possibly wrestle him for a minute, and get him completely dressed to the shoes gets the gold. Bonus points for the mom who can squeeze in a diaper change.