Dorky coupon pic!

Since this blog acts as a journal as well as a blog, readers have to put up with dorky coupon pics like the one below! I just had a friend ask me why I'm so into couponing. Well....here's why. This is my Albertson's trip for last week.
I purchased the following:

3 bags frozen Tyson Anytizers
10 cans Campbell's Chunky Soup
5 cans Old El Paso Refried Beans
2 bottles Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 tubes Colgate kid's toothpaste
6 boxes Betty Crocker fruit snacks
8 boxes (3-pack) Pop Secret Popcorn (my nightly indulgence!)
3 Dove shampoo
1 Dove deodorant
1 head of lettuce
3 boxes Special K Cereal

Retail on all of this is about $158. I spent $26. That's about an 85% savings. It's as if I paid 59 cents per item on that list. The bags of Frozen Anytizers are $9.99 each in themselves. I know a common assumption is that you can only get items you don't really use or need for really cheap, or almost free. Not the case! Are there incredible coupon deals on things we never use out there? Of course there are. It doesn't mean I'm stuck buying those things. As you can see from the photo, I can get screaming deals on everyday products that most families can use. Do we always eat Special K Cereal? No. BUT, if I can get it for less than .50 a box, WILL we eat it? Sure....we're just not that picky! Couponing satisfies my need for retail therapy and stocks up my food storage with things my family WILL use for a fraction of the cost. THAT is why I do it.

These are pics of my food storage. In the 8 months out of the last 13 or 14 that I've had the time to coupon, I have built this up. I started with nothing. Now I have a year (or more) supply of laundry soap, dish soap, dryer sheets, feminine products, Kleenex, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, household cleaners, razors, shave gel, body wash, bar soap, band-aids, medicines of all kinds, vitamins, and more I'm sure. With the food I have built up in storage, as well as the two chest freezers we have, I could feed my family for months....easily. That's a great feeling! And I was able to do it without spending more than I would have if I was just living week to week. You know how it is...you head to Wal-Mart to get a few things for the week, and rarely walk out having spent less than $100! You can see from the photo above the kind of damage I can do with 1/4 of that amount now. All right....I promise the next blog post will be about something OTHER than couponing! : )