I am pregnant, so the next statement should be judged accordingly, but I balled like a baby when I saw the episode where a mother got $1,800 worth of groceries for about $105. I do realize that my emotions played a part in that reaction, but all the same, it got me thinking.
Now, I believe that "extreme couponing" is, just that, EXTREME. I don't have hours a day to spend on looking for, cutting out, and organizing coupons, but I do know that you can save a lot of money even with a minimal amount of effort.
Living in the rural area we do, we don't get coupons in our weekly newspaper. The "mail-out" coupons don't come to us either. That was my first obstacle to beginning to "coupon". I brainstormed some ideas and remembered that my grandparents get the Sunday paper, but rarely use coupons. So, a phone call later, and all those coupon inserts were set aside for me. The next thing I discovered is that you can print out manufacturer's coupons online via websites like Coupon Mom. A quick registration later, and I had found and printed about 30 coupons. Woohoo! I promptly realized that I CAN DO THIS!!
This is my first haul from my coupon-hunting efforts. Not too bad. And I followed the rule that states you shouldn't cut out a coupon unless it's a product you actually use. I did, however, cut out coupons for products that would be suitable substitutes for ones we use with the plan that I won't buy extra of a type of product, but will buy whichever is cheaper.
We are currently doing everything we can to save up for my maternity leave and then to pay down the last of our debts so that Princess Gummi can grow up in a debt-free, financially secure home. My goal for this first month is to cut our grocery budget for the month of May by $100 through the use of coupons, sales fliers, and careful menu planning. My ultimate goal is to cut our grocery budget in half by the end of the year.
I know this could be hard, but I also know that most parents have to go through a series of financial adjustments and sacrifices to provide the best life for their child. I wish I had done it sooner, but I am glad to be able to do it now.
What are you doing/did you have to do to prepare financially for the arrival of your child(ren)?
God Bless & thanks for reading!!
1 comment:
Hey Kim! I can't believe you only have 3 months left!! I did do the couponing thing for a while and still try to keep up with it. We also live in a small town and bargin hunting can be difficult. I did save money but I also found myself buying things I wouldn't normally buy. I would really like to get started with again and see if I have better results this time!:) Hope y'all have a great visit with the family!!
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