A penny saved...

Overall, I feel like Chris and I are fairly conservative with our money. That's not to say that we never splurge (or that we don't eat out WAY too much... our weakness), but I sincerely try to find good deals whenever I can.

Several months ago, my friend, Kendall, was sharing with me her new found passion in couponing. Admittedly, I was intrigued, but not interested enough to actually put forth the effort for myself. I didn't really think it would make much of a difference in my overall grocery/cosmetics/household items expenses, so why bother with the hassle of it all?

Despite this, I decided to go ahead a give it a try... that is, couponing. The first time I really saved a chunk of money, I got a rush from it! It felt so good to save money on things that I hate spending money on anyway. I feel like couponing helps me be a better steward of my blessings from the Lord above. I feel like it helps me be more fiscally responsible. For me, the little effort it requires is truly worth the payoff!

Here is an example of this past week's adventures in couponing:
Notice, my total bill was $11.35, and my overall savings was $41.98! For a little less than $12, I was able to get all the cosmetics/household items I needed for the week, plus some extra (and somewhat random) groceries!

And it's really soooo easy! Each week, I go through my favorite store ads (Walgreens being one of them), notice what's on sale or has a store coupon, then match up manufacturers' coupons with those items. I keep all my coupons organized in a binder that holds plastic baseball card sleeves, according to category, for easy access. I get the majority of my coupons from the Sunday paper.

Also, there are several websites out there that help match items and coupons for the best deals of the week, which means even less work for you!

Chris and I have really noticed a difference in what we spend weekly on groceries and cosmetics since we started couponing. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned!