I just bought $225 worth of groceries for $50!

When I ask many of my friends whether they use coupons, I typically receive a number of standard answers in response. The most common response is, “I don’t use coupons because I can’t ever find any for items I regularly use.” This was the same response I received last weekend when I told a friend that I bought $225 worth of groceries for just $50 by taking advantage of Kroger’s one-day offer to double coupons up to $1. Here is a list of the majority of items I bought that day:

DAIRY: 4 packages of cheese, milk, soy milk, lots of yogurt, 2 Coffee Mate creamer
CEREAL AND BREAKFAST PRODUCTS: 4 boxes of cereal, 2 cans of biscuits, 2 boxes of pop-tarts, 4 boxes of waffles
SAUCES AND SPREADS: 2 bottles of mustard, mayonnaise, 6 bottles various sauces (salad dressing, teriyaki, steak, etc), peanut butter, 3 jars of jelly
TOILETRIES: 2 boxes of toothpaste, 2 cans of shaving cream, 3 bottles of fingernail polish, 2 single eye shadows, 2 body wash, shampoo, 3 deodorant,
SNACKS: 2 boxes of crackers, 2 boxes of NutriGrain bars, 12 boxes various snacks, M&M ice cream snack, Snickers ice cream snack
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: 6 boxes of Ziploc bags, 2 mega roll 6 pack Scott paper towels, Tide laundry detergent, batteries
MISC: pasta

So the next logical question is, “Do you really need that much toothpaste, deodorant, sauce, or cereal?” Perhaps not right away. However, there is a good chance that over the next six months all of the items purchased will be consumed. If we don’t end up using all of the toothpaste that I received for free, our local women’s shelter will gladly take my donation.

Another common excuse that I hear is, “I don’t have time to cut coupons.” I actually used this same excuse before I realized how much money I could save with coupons. A friend of mine introduced me to this amazing website called The Grocery Game (http://www.thegrocerygame.com) that does all of the organizing for you. On this website, you can find a list known as “Teri’s List” for the grocery store of your choice. This weekly list shows the lowest priced products matched with manufacturers’ coupons and supermarket specials (both advertised and unadvertised). With the Grocery Game, you don’t have to waste a lot of time standing in grocery store isles sifting through coupons and then wondering if you are really getting a good deal.

So can you really buy $225 worth of groceries for $50, or is this a one time fluke? Every week at the grocery store, I save at least 50% (including non-sale items such as produce and meat) and spend no more than 30 minutes looking through the Grocery Game list, cutting coupons, and putting together my shopping list. In my mind, if I can continually save this much money on groceries, then my family will be able to afford more exciting purchases such as a trip to Hawaii or a ski boat!

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This article was written by Anne Gowan.

3 Teens Who Are Building A Legacy

Earlier today, I was inspired and encouraged when I read about 3 teenagers in the local Houston area who are taking a lot of initiative and showing that you can make a positive impact on the world regardless of your age or financial resources. These teenagers have successfully organized a rather large-scale benefit concert in downtown Houston to raise awareness of worldwide human trafficking issues. I was impressed with the quality of their efforts and even more impressed with the quality of their character. They are fighting for the freedom of others by arming individuals with information regarding the facts of human trafficking. If you live in the local Houston area, then I'd encourage you to consider attending their benefit concert. If you live elsewhere, please consider donating to their cause. You can find out more information on their website, http://www.brokencords.com/.