New Love of Couponing to Save us money!!!

I have totally fallen in love with couponing!! Before the show on TLC, I always thought couponing was just a hassle, and not really worth the time for just a few pennies saved. Boy was I wrong. While I certainly will not go to quite the extremes as the drama of the show, I am learning so much about how this can really save us a lot of money!!

I have a husband and 4 kids so we go through some things so very fast! Examples: cereal, laundry soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, school snacks.... etc...

Over the last couple of years our grocery bill has just ballooned out of control! And I have had a revelation from God on how I can help bring us back down to a real grocery budget and not break the bank trying to feed out family.

I have set some ground rules for myself:
1. I don't need to stockpile 40 and 50 of items that we never use, or rarely use. They show that in the show just for dramatic purposes, and if I ever had the opportunity to get that much of something for free, it would for sure go to Hope Mansion.
2. I will not allow it to become an obsession. It will not consume my life and if I can't get the steal of a deal for whatever reason, then I will not get all teary about it.
3. I will simply be grateful to God for what He is providing for us.
4. I will give back to Him for providing for us.

Here's what I have done so far:
Stocked up on about a month's worth of cereal for about a dollar a box. That was exciting!!
Got about 2-3 weeks of school snacks again for about a dollar a box.
Got 2 bottles of Nivea body wash for $1.50 (I wouldn't mind getting a few more to give away to family, but they were all out...)
Got 8 Reach toothbrushes for $1.50
Got 3 containers of dental floss for free!! Oh how i love free!

Here's my goals:
1. Learn how to get toilet paper and paper towels for as cheap as possible.
2. Learn how to get laundry soap for as cheap as possible.
3. Learn from this how to use God's money wisely without becoming obsessive.

Thank you God for this revelation and for teaching me how to use our resources wisely. I don't want to have wasteful spending anymore. =)


Here's a blog from one of the Extreme Couponers from TLC's show.