I've Been Bitten

This will not be me in 10 years.

It's always been a goal of mine to someday figure out how to really stretch my budget. So, I finally decided there's no point in putting it off any longer. I've officially become....a coupon lady (the kind of woman I was intensely annoyed by as recently as two months ago). Nate has a paid clerkship with a law firm this summer, so we're saving, saving, saving for when baby girl comes in October. Finally, after five and a half years of waiting (not always patiently), I'll be able to be a full-time mom and part-time instructional designer (I enjoy what I do and I'd like to keep working just a few hours a week to keep my skill set current). But I want so much for the transition to be as financially smooth as possible. So I've started looking for any way I can save even more money in the coming months.

I used to think I didn't have time to clip coupons, so I'd just try to hit Walmart for what we needed when we needed it. I think it was finally the dismal abyss that is the Orem Walmart that pushed me to hunt for deals elsewhere. It's only been a couple of weeks since I've started paying close attention to weekly store ads and collecting whatever coupons I can. I do have one rule...I refuse to fill my house with stores of random things I really don't use or need--even if they're free. But, I've saved way more money than I expected. Just today, I scored $65 of groceries for about $20. And I'm officially addicted. It's a great outlet for my obsessive-compulsive tendencies and my brain is constantly on the prowl for the next great deal.

However, it's definitely been a learning process. It's not exactly as glamorous as the TLC promos would have you believe. When you start couponing, here's what nobody tells you:

1) Those other coupon ladies mean business. Rather than having it delivered, it's cheaper to just go get your Sunday newspaper(s) from one of the little boxes on Sunday morning...HA...that's if you think you can actually FIND a Sunday paper in ANY box anywhere in the Provo city limits and get a full night's sleep. So far, I've managed to find what I need, but I have to get up at the crack of dawn (or Nate does--oh, how I love him) and drive all over town scrounging for the leftovers.

2) Did I mention those other coupon ladies mean business? Occasionally, you can use coupons to find an uber-amazing deal on something, something that's totally free, or sometimes something that even makes you money. This is where working full-time leaves me choking on "extreme coupon lady" dust. By the time I get to the stores at the end of my work day (on the very first day of the new sale, mind you...I'm not extreme, but I'm not complacent, either) all of the really good stuff is gone. Shelves completely cleared.

3) To get the really good deals, you very often have to instruct the checker to scan each item you want to purchase as a separate transaction. All of you fellow coupon ladies out there know that this is the best way to get the coupon discount plus all of the in-store discounts. BUT, this makes you very unpopular with the growing line of disgruntled customers behind you, most of whom just want to pick up a Pepsi or a carton of cigarettes (basically the people who had previously never even had a second thought about coupons and now hate them because I make them wait 10 more minutes to get their nicotine fix).Yeah, I'm now that lady.

Good thing getting to be at home with my babies is the best kind of motivation. Otherwise, this would all be way too much hassle.