During Christmas my sister was telling me about a website called iheartpublix. Where my new BFF Michelle lists all the latest sales and corresponding coupons.
Fast forward a week or two and I was walking out of Wal-Mart with Hondo having just spent $200 plus dollars…this was after $120.00 spent at Sam's and another $100.00 spent at Publix for meat. This would not take into account the extra runs we would make when I realized we did not have lettuce, the girls were out of shampoo and did not tell me…or heaven forbid we did not have sugar for sweet tea. I also was due a Petsmart run for dog food and cat litter. I was adding up the numbers in my head, whining out loud and vowing to find a way to save tribal money! Not to mention that this year I have had drastic cuts with furlough days…and there are still shoes to bought with my name on them! I HAD to find a way to save a penny…heck a dollar! Double HECK…I had not bought one bottle of wine yet!
I remembered the website and thought it could not hurt to check it out.
You have to understand the cost to run a family this size…the amount of food and everyday items needed and the planning for just one grocery store run…to really understand what was at hand.
We have 8 people who shave….4 the face, 4 the legs…8 people washing laundry, their hair, their bodies and whatever dog rolled in the mud…we have 8 breakfasts, 2 who take their lunch everyday, 3 who take their lunch when needed, 8 who eat dinner…and 6 who eat all the freaking time….two dogs who eat a lot…a cat who needs cat food and another dog who insists on also getting cat food for dinner…we need cat litter…deodorant for 16 armpits…shampoo, conditioner, gel, hairspray, lotion, sunscreen, soap, makeup, body wash…light bulbs to help this tribe find their way out of the dark…toothbrushes, toothpaste, chap stick…Tide, Downey, dryer sheets…Comet, Windex, Softscrub, bleach, paper plates, napkins, paper towels, Kleenex, garbage bags….and oh my goodness how can I forget TOILET PAPER! All this for 8 people PLUS all the friends they can invite over in a weekend….
You get the picture?
I was in need of dire help!
I began this as any OCD person would. I created my spread sheet…began to track my savings…got my coupon organizer together…and began to learn all the coupon lingo.
What I have realized is that I have a knack for keeping up with what coupons I have…how I can combine a manufacturers coupon with a store coupon to save more….and that I am totally and completely addicted to this website….I have withdrawals if I can not check it several times a day (thank you Iphone)…and that once again my husband has the patience of a saint (try checking out in the express lane with 10 items…20 coupons and people giving you the stink eye to see if your husband truly loves you)…but hey you learn as you go along right?
My greatest savings is listed below. The cashier actually high fived me as we all jumped around, much to Noah’s embarrassment (he has vowed to NEVER go again). My receipt for this trip was as long as the driveway…yes we measured it!
| Total Purchases$287.38 | Total Saved $233.50 | Total Spent Out of Pocket $53.88 |
So I have decided that I will try my hand at sharing the deals I find.
I have added a button at the top of the blog so that you can see my savings for the year. I have gotten us down from roughly $250.00 per week to $95.00. There is no doubt that this number will drastically go down because I have been “stockpiling” (will explain that one later). This number includes EVERYTHING…paper goods, health and beauty, pet supplies, groceries, light bulbs and batteries, cleaning supplies…even gas cards for my new car! I have not made a Wal-Mart run in months…and let me tell you that I DO NOT MISS IT! The customer service, cleanliness and quality at Publix can not be beat!
Check out Michelle’s blog for the best savings around.
It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs
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