Comment from Carol M
Time: January 2, 2010, 10:30 pm

A Dec coupon box clean out turned into a stop at 2 grocery stores yesterday as I was in the city with DD for a medical appointment. Glad that we stopped in. I got the following:
store # 1
-6 ct pkg of store bakery seeded Kaiser rolls $1.25 (reduced=R)
-2 pints Daisy brand sour cream @ $1.19 and 99 cents
-8 oz pkg Weight Watchers shredded Mexican blend cheese (perfect for Nancy’s chicken and 3 cheese enchillada recipe that I want to try) $1.79
-1 pkg Yo plus indiv cups yogurt $1.50
-2 containers Breyers ice cream @ $1 ea
-1 Birds eye fzn mix veg 67 cents
-3 pkgs Hershery special dark kisses @ $1.89 (DD wants to make peanut blossom cookies)
-4 ct box store bakery apple turnovers $2 (reduced)
-B Crocker double pack box sr cream instant potates 97 cents
-1 box Capri sun drink pouches 99 cents
-2 cans Dole chunk pineapple @ 70 cents
-4 pouches various brands cat treats 2 @ $1.58, 1 free, 1 @$1.50
-2 boxes Krustez pancake mix @ $1.29
-store brand (SB) elbow macaroni 44 cents (R)
-3 boxes SB oatmeal packets @ $1 (R)
-1 30 oz SB tomato sauce 66 cents(R)
-1 15 oz SB corn 50 cents(R)
-1 28 oz SB stewed tomatoes 66 cents(R)
-1 15 oz SB very cherry fruit cocktail(R) @ 84 cents
-1 small can sb corn 25 cents (R)
-1 small can SB beets 33 cents (R)
-1 SB sloppy joe sauce 67 (R)
-Ronzoni smart choice rotini $1.17
-50 ft Reynolds recycled alum foil 99 cents
-2 Apple & Eve apple juice @ $2
-1 bag Snyder pretzel bites @ $1
-2 pkgs Ball Park beef franks @ $2.25 (sale)
-2 SB oven stuffer roasters @ 99/lb (sale)
-5 containers dried ginger @ $1.99 (R)
-12 oz container figs @ $1.99(R)

Store #2:
-4 pkgs Xmas peanut M & M’s @ $1 89 (R)
-2 pkgs SB “Farmhouse” sesame seeded buns @ $1.39(R)
-lg can Libby’s pumpkin $1.30(R)
-28 oz SB stewed tomatoes @66(R)
-28 oz can Ronzoni crushed tomatoes @ 84(R)
-2 SB cr mush soup @ 50(R)
-2 SB gr beans @ 38(R)
-1 sb small tomato sauce @ 27
-2 cut up fryers @ 99/lb (R)
-2 16 ozx pkgs Plumrose bacon @ $2.50

This is copied from a post on a message board. Yes, I use cps, combined with other strategies to save on groceries. The prices listed are what I paid after coupons for the items.

Comment from Paula Wethington
Time: January 3, 2010, 10:14 am

Readers: Carol’s shopping list is very do-able when you watch your grocery sales and have an organized coupon collection. I have a lot of how-to’s in my coupon tips and grocery archives and the Grocery Shopping on a Budget sidebar.

Yes, it does take more time to shop this way. But a lot of my readers in Michigan – and elsewhere – have more time than money these days. You need to work with the resources that you have.

Comment from Carol M
Time: January 3, 2010, 3:43 pm

Paula, while I did frequent 2 Stop and Shops on 12/30 (Dec coupon clean out day), I spent about 30 minutes in each store, which are about a 5-10 minute drive apart. I spent $101.25 total between the 2 stores, but saved at least 50% off on the items I got. $100 savings in a hours’ time, pretty good in my book. : ) The only downside to encountering these bargains is that I am officially $26.88 over budget for the month of Dec. I now start Jan with this overage carried forward, as a means to bringing my budget into check. Today’s newspaper brought a boatload of couopons (we also got the 5 flyers). I’d send DH out for another copy for the cpns but we’re experiencing snowy weather and slippery roads. Better off to stay safe at home.

Comment from Paula Wethington
Time: January 3, 2010, 6:33 pm

Carol – do you trade coupons with other newspaper readers?

I do get two newspapers at my house. But I get lots of leftovers from other people too. By the time all the hand-me-downs get sent my way, there are anywhere from 6 to 10 newspapers feeding my swap box. I just don’t get all the coupon packets right away. It takes a couple weeks before they catch up with me and get sent around some other coupon clippers I know.

The coupons my co-workers and I can’t use normally get donated to the coupon swap box at our downtown library. Right now I’m setting aside the later date coupons for grab bags at my February community education class.

Comment from Carol M
Time: January 3, 2010, 6:59 pm

Paula,
Mom sends me envelopes of clipped coupons every few weeks. This really helps. I don’t otherwise trade cpns, and we don’t have a community cpn box-wish we did, however. I feel that there is an increased need in our town, almost every week at CCD, I hear of yet another family where the Dad lost his job. (most families here have SAHM’s and Dad is a Wall streeter) Very expensive area to live in. I am certain that requests for social services are up. I checked a government link re: SNAP and our county only has 5% of the population using/qualifying for SNAP. As you are keenly aware, other areas of the US, such as yours has a much higher need. The hardest hit are retirees on fixed incomes who raised their families in this town, and can no longer afford to stay here. : (

Comment from Paula Wethington
Time: January 4, 2010, 9:18 am

Would your library be interested in hosting a coupon box?

My library’s box works on an honor system – take what you want, drop off what you don’t want. Every couple weeks or so, a clerk cleans out the old coupons.

Now to the bigger question … I know it’s hard for the middle-class families to make the leap into public and charity services. If they never used it, they don’t know what’s there. Sometimes – and this happened to me years ago – families make too much money for government assistance and it’s a waste of time going through the process.

But as I’ve since learned, there are resources available for middle class families. We just have to be a bit more “resourceful” in finding them.

Comment from Carol M
Time: January 4, 2010, 4:39 pm

I’ll see if there is a suggestion box. Good idea!