Wednesday, January 16, 2008

On Shopping with The Queen of Payne

I love to shop with coupons. I come by it naturally. Daddy, many years ago, would drag us children to the Warehouse Market with his stack of clippings and make us hunt for things on sale. It embarrassed me enormously, and I would do little but roll my eyes when he would recap the entire experience in the car while he perused the receipt. "Look at this, they PAID me to take this," he would say, gloating in his frugality. (This was still during the time that coupons were manually entered and not adjusted by a computer to prevent exceeding product value.)

I am now my father. My children use the words "sale" and "savings" and "bargain" all in the correct context. They improved their scissor skills while simultaneously saving money on peanut butter.

I absolutely love going to the store and leaving with a basket or two full of items for $25 or less. I swear, it's happened, and my friend Amy will vouch for me. A couple of years ago, Albertsons began offering triple-value coupon sales once a month. They would triple every coupon up to 75 cents (which means a $2.25 reduction per coupon per item), and double coupons valued at $1.00. Amy and I would prepare in our own homes, clipping and organizing our coupons in labeled binders. Then we would meet at the store to tag team on the bargains. Those excursions afforded both of us the financial opportunity to do more with our family, while at the same time, bless others in their times of need. Since then, several Albertsons stores have been permenantly closed, and the triple-value coupon sale ceases to be, but there are still deals to be had now and again.

Today's post is dedicated to my friend Amy, and our many shopping trips together. This week, I stocked both my freezer and my pantry, and though I spent $140, I saved $116 -- about 46% of my grocery bill! And yesterday afternoon, I remembered my dad when Albertons nearly paid me to take home some Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter and the clerk was stumped by the fact that my purchase was to me completely free.

5 comments:

  • Amy

    Woo Hoo for sales and bargains!!!

  • Randi~Dukes and Duchesses

    Way to go! I did the grocery game for a long time and was just thinking this morning that I need to get back into it ... maybe your post was the kick in the pants that I needed.

  • Anonymous

    haaa...a girl after my own heart!!!

  • Emily

    That is amazing and inspiring! Maybe I will not throw away all the "junk mail" I get everyday ad start looking for bargains instead. I know that my hubby would appreciate it. Good for you with the Peter Pan!!

  • amy

    Awww! I'm flattered to have been featured on your blog. I only wish I had the time now to continue the bargain hunting with the intensity that we did back then! I still have many of my Albertson's receipts. My favorite receipt of all times is from Walgreens where I walked out with 32 packages of gum for a grand total of $0.00!!! :o) Good times, good times...

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