Why Frugally Me

Although my family is not strapped for cash we choose to be smart and frugal in the way we shop. I have created this blog to post ideas on how to be frugal with out being to extreme.

I was brought up as an only child with a single mother who worked jobs that paid just over minimum wage. I learned very young how to make a penny stretch. My mother was never a coupon shopper but we did shop the discount stores, bag your own grocery stores, and other bargain outlets. I never had the 'best' of anything but I had was was necessary to make due. As I got older I kept these values even when I could afford more expensive items.

Last year I was introduced to couponing via http://www.couponsense.com/ I was amazed at how much their system made sense, easy to follow and required far less time than I thought was needed for couponing. One thing I hate to do it waste time. Their website has matched up all the Sunday published coupons with the local weekly grocery ads. It tells you what's on sale, what coupon to use, how much with or with out coupon. They have a section to track your grocery bills and savings. The website also features an interactive forum for members to chat about any and everything, get local advise from other frugally minded folks, share savings advise and post great finds.

In the last year I have cut our grocery bill by 75% or more. I no longer pay $4 for a bottle of cleaner, $2 for a tube of toothpaste, $12 for toilet paper, or even $1 for a toothbrush. Now days I won't pay a dime for toothbrushes, deodorant, or toothpaste. I won't pay more than $1 for razors, shampoo, conditioner, or bar soap. I won't pay more than $2 per pound of 90% or better ground beef or $2 per pound for skinless boneless chicken breasts. $1.50 for a box of Brand Name cereal is too much in my book now days. I don't pay for Mustard any longer. I won't pay more than 35cents per roll of toilet paper or 16 cents per load of laundry. I shop the ads and use coupons to lower my grocery bill even more.

Today if I don't save at least 65% on my grocery bill, I feel that I didn't do a good enough job on that shopping trip. Not to many years back my husband and I used to shop at Safeway as our main grocer. We would go though the check out and out bill would be around $60 we would 'bet' on the savings. Our guesses would always range between 5-10% and one of us would win. We never saved more than 10% just using out shopper card and not planning our trips.

The couponsense.com system is so easy to use. I file my coupons each week from the Sunday paper. Each Wednesday or Thursday I go to the website, see what great deals are available and put together my shopping list. I clip only those coupons I am going to use for that shopping trip and hit the road with money savings on my mind. I can fill my trunk with groceries and only spend one to two hundred dollars. Costco is expensive to me now days. I love it. I never felt more in control of my shopping as I do today. My husband, on the other hand, would beg to differ. Our pantry is very stocked, out linen closest is packed with free toothpaste, deodorant, and other misc free items. He thinks I've gone mad, but I think I have gotten smart.

So why am I here? I am here to share ideas on how to save money, even if you choose not to coupon shop. I will also post about new products I try, how I liked or disliked them, where I heard about them, and of course, if there is a coupon available.