Sunday, January 10, 2010

Koo-pahn or Kyu-pahn?

However you say it, coupons are definitely a good thing. If inquiring minds want to know, I'm a kyu-pahn girl myself.

I think the recent state of the economy really brought coupon queens (and kings) into the limelight. There are blogs and newspaper columns devoted to couponning, and some people have turned it into a hobby. It's the new scrapbooking. I know there are web sites for trading coupons and people get together to do the same thing IRL (in real life).

I've made half-hearted attempts in the past to cut coupons and use them, but it seems like I don't have the coupon with me when I go to get my breakfast bars, or the only coupons I come across are for foods that we just don't need. $1.00 off Pop-Tarts? No thanks.

We get a local paper delivered to the house once a week. It's free, and it usually has two coupon "booklets" (what the heck to do you call those "magazines" of coupons anyway?) with it. I decided today to sit and look through the coupons. If I found a few worth using, I'd make the effort. I needed to hit the grocery store anyway and I knew Harris Teeter was doing a double coupon special this week.

Well, color me converted. I only clipped coupons for stuff we'd actually eat and use (like string cheese, pasta, and Lysol cleaners), and I actually found all of the items. Check out my list of coupon discounts:

















This is the first time I've been to Harris Teeter since the new year started. I had $20.04 in VIC savings, and - are you ready for this? - almost $38 in coupon savings!













Are you KIDDING me?!













I'm pretty impressed, and I'm definitely convinced that this kind of savings is worth the effort. I don't plan to get a binder for organizing my coupons nor do I plan to join any online couponning communities, but I can certainly look through a newspaper once a week and clip a few coupons for stuff I know I'll buy anyway.

And I'm giddy at the thought of Harris Teeter's TRIPLE coupon event!

4 comments:

Gma said...

You just paid for dinner at Daniel's and if that doesn't encourage you to clip a few coupons then I give up!

McMom said...

Good for you!! I am terrible at remembering or shopping with coupons in mind.... just for fun go to www.southernsavers.com and check out the Harris Teeter heads up she gives you. You MAY get hooked on this site if no other....Look at ME giving coupon advice!!!

Anonymous said...

Not to burst your bubble, but remember I use your home phone number whenever I don't have my VIC card.... Maybe I need to get new VIC cards and leave one in my wallet for when I don't have the right set of keys with me!
-Chelle

Shan said...

Good job! My VIC savings were $42.76 and my coupon savings were $ 97.26!!!!

Cindy - Southersavers is great! I have been using it for about 2 months now and I haven't gotten tons of steels! Bi Lo is a great place to shop with coupons, you end up getting alot of things for free or close to.