Pennies

The other day I was watching “The View” and they were talking about ways to save money, get things free, etc. Some of the ladies seemed a little embarrassed about using coupons. That surprised me. I have had an unusual life I would say. I’ve never been rich but there were moments of plenty growing up and times of poverty. For several years it was just me and my Mom and were were BROKE. It was a big treat for us to scrape together .99 cents to go get a Frosty at Wendy’s. You know what though? When we got that Frosty we savored every bite. That time in life taught me to appreciate what you have. We would go to the library and for free through books we could travel the world. We would make treats at home like putting Coke in a cup in the freezer and making our own icy treats. I would not trade those experiences for all the money in the world because they taught me to appreciate the little things and find the joy in the every day. I heard a quote from Kirk Cobain once that I’ve never forgotten. He said that having alot of money was really great in alot of ways, to be able to buy whatever you want but he missed going to a thriftstore and getting so excited over finding some treasure for a little bit of cash.

As a new Mom I hope to teach my daughter to appreciate things as well. Even if we had a ton of money I think I’d still use coupons. It just makes sense! Why spend more than you have to? Why pay more if you can get it for less. A friend of mine said her wealthy father always told her as she grew up, “You never have so much money that you can afford to waste it”.

I’ve started using coupons more and more. I’ve discovered that you can save alot with them and even get things for free! I love saving money, finding a deal and especially getting things free! There are already alot of really good sites out there that explain it, do it and show better than I could so I’ll just give you some links:

http:www.moneysavingmom.com

http://www.grocerycouponguide.com

At first I was really overwhelmed when I started reading about coupons. There are all these stories of women who stockpile and get $200 worth of groceries for like $40. It seems really complicated and time consuming at first. So I decided to just start where I am at, with very little time to do this and with my Sunday Paper and the Internet. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you really get deals when you use coupons for stuff that’s already on sale. I’m not a hardcore coupon Mom yet, planning my meals based on whats on sale but with minimal effort I’ve already gotten some stuff for free and some great deals! Basically sites like moneysavingmom.com do the work for you and show you what stores have on sale and what coupons to use to get great deals or free things. It’s awesome! I try to check the website for the deals that week before I go to the store and see if there’s anything I need.

For example, I got a ton of formula coupons in the mail after the baby was born. Formula is crazy expensive. However, one day I noticed that there were a bunch of cans of liquid formula on the clearance rack at the grocery store. (I have since realized that is a great place to find deals!). Those cans are normally over $4 each and they were marked down to $2.25 each. With my coupons I managed to get about a dozen cans for .25 cents! They were marked down because the brand was changing it’s packaging! Nothing wrong with them at all!

Not coupon related but I also got several really good quality bags of granola for $1 each. It’s been perfect for something I can eat quickly in the morning while my hands are full with a baby. I was able to get a package of noodles for free and a can of baked beans as well. Every little bit counts!

It actually kind of fun for me to find these deals it’s like a treasure hunt. I try not to overthink it or put to much pressure on it so it stays that way and doesn’t become stressful. This to me is what finding the beauty in every day life is about. Finding the fun in every day activities.

Do you use coupons? Any tips or ideas you want to share?