My Savings Journey - The Beginning
At this time last year, I was struggling to keep my grocery budget in check. I had set a weekly spending limit - but always seemed to go over. It was especially hard on the weeks that we needed a lot of personal care items - like toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo. Three dollars here, four dollars there, it all added up and put my grocery total over my budget. Then there were the little trips in between - we ran out of laundry detergent, fabric softener or dishwasher soap. Further expenses that kept my totals above my budget. Keeping extras of these items on hand was not an option. Like most, there were too many other costs involved in raising a family to buy many extras.
I started to hear a lot of buzz in the off topic forum of Scrapbooking Message Board I frequently visited. People were talking about “The Grocery Game” and the huge savings they were getting on their grocery bills. The more I read about it, the more it peaked my interest. Couponing was not a new concept for me. For several years after I got married - I used coupons faithfully. Like most newly married couples, we did what we had to do to survive, and couponing was one of those things. I kept my coupons organized, swapped with co-workers and did quite well with my savings. But over time life got busier with my family and career. The coupons seemed to dry up. I saw less and less coupons in the paper that I could actually use. Eventually it just didn’t seem worth the effort anymore. So I stopped.
It had been over ten years since I actively used coupons. I didn’t give it much thought. We were doing well in our careers, our family was active and growing and our plates were full.
And then we hit the brick wall.
My kidneys, which had been compromised but stable, began to rapidly decline. The life that I created and so enjoyed began to crumble around me. My energy levels declined as rapidly as my kidneys. I had to pull back on my commitments, which included leaving my job. I also had an online business which was growing at a tremendous rate. I was able to focus on that full time after leaving my job, but eventually that too became more than my body could handle. I sold my larger online store, which was very sad for me to let go of. By this time I was on Dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant. Finally that day came and it was a success. What joy! What I didn’t anticipate were the complications I suffered from dialysis and the transplant, which kept me in and out of the hospital for a year and put me on a long road to recovery.
I had a lot of time on my hands during my recovery, so I spent many hours on the Internet. My favorite places to visit were scrapbooking boards, since that is my favorite hobby. If you’ve a Scrapbooker, you know the message boards are not just about scrapbooking. We enjoy discussing just about everything you can think of. As the buzz picked up about the Grocery Game, I decided to give it a try. What did I have to loose with their four week trial for just a dollar?
The Grocery Game is a service that matches sales and coupons. The list tells you the percentage you’ll save and if it is the rock bottom price so that you know when to buy. Each week you receive a list for your chosen stores which you can use to plan your shopping. Grocery Gamers “stockpile” groceries, personal care and household items so that they never have to purchase them at full price. The first time I shopped with my Grocery Game list - my love for couponing instantly returned! I began reading more about couponing and how to “play the game”. I applied the principles that I had used for couponing in the past and built upon that with all that I was learning. Within my first few trips I was already seeing savings on my grocery bills of 50 to 100 percent plus! Yes, there were times I saved more than full price and the store paid me to purchase items. What an odd, but wonderful feeling! Spending less money than I was before couponing, my pantry was full and my stockpile growing. It’s been such a wonderful feeling knowing that when we run out of something all we have to do is go to the stockpile. No more quick trips to the grocery store because I was out of laundry soap!
I took the same principals and applied them to all areas of my life. Soon I was saving on everything - clothing, meals at restaurants, pet supplies, you name it! If we needed it, I had a coupon for it. Even my business benefited from couponing as I was now buying all our supplies for a fraction of the full price. It made a huge difference in our lives at a time when we needed it most. Best part - I was having fun!
Couponing has become a sport for me. I totally enjoy the “thrill of the hunt”. When I see all that I am saving now, I realize all the money I wasted by giving up couponing for all those years. Imagine if those savings had been invested! If you haven’t started couponing yet, the best time to do it is now. If you already use coupons, this blog will share tips and help you to find more deals to increase your savings.
We all have a personal story - how we came to this point in our lives and what motivates us to seek more ways to earn and save money. I’m looking forward to hearing your story and hope that participating in the Deals and Dollars community will help you move towards the goals you have set for yourself and your money.
