Coupons

Good morning!

It's Monday again. And it's a rainy one. I'm sitting in my office enjoying my coffee before the little monkey wakes up. I'm almost scared to type too loud. This peacefulness is all too good.

Today also means it's time to hop aboard the strict fitness train again. Yesterday, I found myself browsing the Victoria's Secret swim catalog and well...it was pretty scary. No, not the actual catalog. Those girls and swimsuits are lovely. But the thoughts of the efforts I'll need to put forth to actually buy anything from there are quite frightening. I did it last summer though. I reckon I can do it again.

Last night, I finally got started on another resolution. Actually, I've been meaning to grab a couple papers for the past 3 or 4 Sundays and kept forgetting until yesterday. But one of my resolutions is to save lots of money this year. Darren drove me around after church until I found a newspaper stand I liked. Coupons are kinda crazy here. It's hard to find a non-empty newspaper machine if you don't go first thing Sunday morning. And I wasn't allowing him to stop at any sketchy-feeling gas stations. I'm skeered. What can I say?

After possibly cursing out one machine for taking my $4 and driving all the way into the next town, I finally scored myself 2 newspapers with all of the coupon inserts still in them. (People sometimes take several inserts when they pay once to open the machine. Cheaters!)

I started clipping and organizing as soon as we got home. It literally took me over 3 hours to get everything finished. There were a ton of coupons in the inserts yesterday!

...Oh, how did that beer get there? Oops.

I'm not aspiring to be on "Extreme Couponing" or anything. That show gives me anxiety. There's no way I could take $500 worth of groceries up to the register in hopes that my delicate planning gets me down to $5. I just clip the coupons I think I will/could use. Then I'll check websites such as "Money Saving Mom" and "Southern Savers" to find what stores will have the best deals and what coupons to pair with them. You won't catch me with extra shelves in my living room housing 500 rolls of paper towels or a freezer full of free junk food. But I might buy 5 razors or so if I can catch a good sale. Those things are crazy expensive!

Trash bags, coffee, juice.. the necessities. 

So, do you coupon? What are some of your best tricks? Some of the lingo and rules still confuse me a little bit. 

Have a great week!

-Jennifer