That’s exactly how I’m feeling right now. Scattered. I hunt for coupons from manufacturers and stores, clipping and labeling. And then I look to match those coupons with sales at Publix, at Target, at Wal-Mart, at anywhere. But until I go to the store, I typically don’t really know the final price for, say, toothpaste until I’m standing in front of it and can flip through my coupons. And then I rack my brain to think if that final price is different from what the final price would be somewhere else with other, different store coupons I have. And is that the sale price I’m remembering?
I went to Publix the other day. It was an interium-style trip. I didn’t have a mile-long shopping list, but there were essentials that we needed: milk, bananas, yogurt, a candy thermometer (not essential, but I really want to try to make caramel for my Valentines). I spent $76 and saved $12 through coupons and sales. I feel like 15% isn’t so bad when I’m not trying to stockpile but rather get my family through the week with healthy food and Valentine’s candy.
And there, I’m told by my husband, is my problem. He says with an air of authority (although I don’t quite know where it comes from) that you have to be ready to stockpile some and plan long term in order to reap real coupon savings. And apparently yesterday at Target when I bought two jumbo boxes of Luvs Diapers in order to get the $5 gift card back doesn’t count. Nope. it’s things like buying seven cartons of chicken broth when I only need one can because when you combine this store coupon with that sale and this other manufacture’s coupon here and buy it all at this store because they double coupons ever second Thursday . . . Plus, I’m told, you know, I’ll use all that broth around the holidays. (Seven cartons?)
*sigh* Sounds like even more of an opportunity to make me feel scattered.
