Monday, January 23, 2006

read em and weep....

i have no doubt this post will only further convince you of my innate lunacy.
but i gotta share this - it's part of who i am....

so i do coupon shopping. i am a semi-professional. i am like the nuts you see on tv. i clip four sunday papers each week. i file my coupons in two three ring binders with baseball card sheets. i subscribe to a website that gives me a list to shop from each week.

This past weekend, my local grocery store had Super Triples up to .75 cents. that means a .75 cent coupon is worth $2.25. same for a $1 = $2.25.

so here's what i brought home this past friday from the grocery store...





this haul included:
13 bottles of shampoo and conditioner
8 boxes of oatmeal
4 pkgs 12 double roll Quilted Northern toilet tissue
3 loaves of Sara Lee bread
5 Nestle cookie doughs (Class Valentine parties)
4 boxes of Splenda
2 fresh pineapples
2 bags of fresh spinach
9 packs of drinkable yogurt - kids love this stuff
4 containers of Soy Milk
12 boxes of breakfast Lean (Hot) Pockets
6 12 packs of soda
5 boxes of South Beach crackers and cookies
3 bottles of Aleve (50 ct)
4 boxes of Kellogs fruit snacks
4 bags of goldfish
5 South Beach lunch wraps
2 Schepps sourcream
2 Uncle Ben's Rice packages

and more..................
PLUS, the only generic item i bought was the store brand paper plates. they were 67% off shelf cost.


so, you ask yourself - how much did she pay for all this?????
The shelf total - what it rung up - before coupons and my store card was $423.63.

I paid............................

drum roll please ........................................



$129.49
do the math. that's 30 cents on the dollar!!!!
that's like going to the grocery store and everything being 70% off retail!!!!

I said earlier in this blog that i believe shopping is a sport. and in my game, she who saves the most money and gets the most stuff WINS....

Note: I have three freezers and a walk in pantry and four full bathrooms to store all this stuff in. one of the rules of shopping like this is to stock up on items when they are cheap or free. by the time you need them again, they will have cycled and you then get them - again - cheap or free...

13 comments:

flounder said...

They still make Fresca?

t_cole said...

Flounder-
yes, they do & OMG i luv that stuff! they even have two new flavors. Peach and black cherry. don't like those. stick with the tried and true original grapefruit citrus.
E- there's always hope...
you just have to be a nut...

E said...

You're my hero, wow! I try to clip coupons but then they sit in my purse and expire. I'm a coupon flunkie.

Pixie said...

WOW! I used to be big on coupons in the Uk but WP will only go to bloody Aldi( he loathes grocery shopping) here so all the coupons go in the bin!
Of course if ever I get my DL and can drive their alone you can bet I will be doing coupon shopping at several stores.;)

t_cole said...

DON'T throw those coupons out - send 'em to me!
tell him how much money you can save
tell him to drop you off and then pick you up later. that or take him with and plant him in front of all the magazines...
I just couldn't live without my coupons and grocery shopping. i feel for you pixie, i really do...

t_cole said...

thanks Ben.
it's funny, really. in this area - i'm not the only loon with a binder...
especially during triple coupon weekend - that brings out all the nuts.
And other less organized shoppers - with their coupons stuffed in envelopes and folders will stop me in the aisles to check out my binders and how i have them organized. most think i'm brilliant - a little over the top - but brilliant.
sometimes checkers will give you some attitude. i just keep smiling and laugh all the way to the bank and the pantry...

Nobody said...

HOLY SHIT.

It must take you like 2 days to put all of that shit away. Though I understand the magnitude, as we have a horrendous obsession with Sams Club/Costco. WHy buy 4 rolls of TP... when you can have 40?!

Anonymous said...

woo, hoo! girl - you continue to amaze me! you know, it takes a special person to do this and do it succesfully. you rock!

;) sjc

Mouthy Girl said...

Couple of things:

You are the coupon queen. I've been inspired. I'm hoping my piddly envelope won't make a pro like you snicker in the aisles. Perhaps I'll get that binder thing under way. I would SO like to shlep a load of stuff like yours into my house...especially with that whole 30 cents on the dollar deal. *grin*

Do me a favor, sister, email my ass. I have a couple of things to say. I think they'd be of interest.
ringldr@hotmail.com

Big Pissy said...

WOW!!!!

I bow down before the Coupon Queen!

That is SO cool!

You know I love a good deal :)

KC said...

I am friggin' amazed at your organizational coupon abilities. Whoa! I've never seen anything like it.

I'm in awe.

I'm speechless.

t_cole said...

thanks peeps.
your appreciation and admiration make my day. that and the fact that none of you out right called be a obsessed lunatic.
i didn't tell you but one of my girlfriends tells me i need an intervention - she thinks i'm that crazy with this stuff. but she sure smiles real big when i send her husband (friend to my hubby) home with free flavored creamer, hot chocolate and frozen cookie dough. =)

WILLIAM said...

Holy Crap. Holy Crap.