The Method to my Madness

Okay, I figured first I'd better give some of the basics behind how I keep it all organized.
The first thing I did was to buy a 3" binder (Actually, I didn't buy one-I just recycled one of my son's old school binders). Then, I use the top load page protectors to put the coupon circulars into. When I get them from the Sunday paper, I use a Sharpie to write the date on the first page of the inserts. Then I put all of the ones from one date into a page protector.

My binder has pockets on the inside and I slide all of my internet coupons into that pocket. I also have an Excel file that I enter all of my internet coupons into. That way, I can keep track of what I have and when it expires. I don't need to do this for the coupons from the paper because there are sites that keep track of all that for me. Here are the ones I use:

Hot Coupon World (sign up and use their Coupon Database)
Coupon Mom (You need to sign up and then you can see the virtual coupon organizer)
Warning: The problem with Coupon Mom is that you WILL get spam from signing up-I prefer Hot Coupon World

The IMPORTANT thing to know if you live in NW Indiana is: Buy the Chicago Tribune!!

Better yet, subscribe. I was at the taste of Chicago in 2007 and subscribed for 2 years for just $12.00. NONE of the NW Indiana papers carry all of the coupons. If you get their coupon inserts, you will notice MANY coupons missing from the list on couponmom and you will lack many coupons needed for the great deals. I called NW Indiana Times and complained but there was nothing they could do. So be sure to get the Chicago Trib.

I also have that Excel file I told you about on my Palm. When I go out, I am sure to have my binder in my car. That way, if I see something on sale that I didn't know about before-hand, I can check my database and see if I have a coupon in the car. Unfortunately, I haven't found an easy way to get the database for the Sunday insert coupons into a file that I can transfer to my Palm. Luckily, since I home school my 15 year old son, he is always with me when I shop so I can send him to the car to get the coupon...lol.

I go through the deals before I shop and remove the coupons from my binder that I am going to use. I put them in envelopes labeled with the store name that I will use them at. If I am removing an internet coupon from the file, I highlight the cell in my Excel file in yellow. This tells me that it is out but not yet used. Sometimes, a store I wanted to use a coupon at will be out of the item, so I will return it to the binder and remove the highlighting from the cell. Once I have used the coupon, of course, I delete it from my database. I also put my shopping list on my Palm so that I can check off the item as I get it and it disappears from the list. But, before I started using my Palm, I just wrote or typed out a list and put it in the envelope with the coupons. If you are really serious about saving money, you will have to go to more than one store. Just choose a route that will conserve gas while allowing you to go to more than one store.

I do lots of research before I shop and two of the sites that I use the most are:
Common Sense with Money &
Money Saving Mom

I usually go to Meijer first, and then loop around to Wise Way and Strack and Van Til-sometime hitting Aldi across the street if they have something unbeatable. I have found, however, that Aldi cannot beat Meijer's sale prices (neither can WalMart-people say WalMart, Sam's, or Costco have good prices on meat-but I've been there and if you get what is on sale, Meijer is cheaper-and you don't have to pay to belong!). Jewel is almost always more expensive than Meijer. Wise Way is higher for most things but if you only buy their sales you can get good deals. They are now accepting internet coupons but I don't know how long that will last.

Also, once per month, I make the drive to North Judson to a place called Bailey's Discount Center.
They have the most unbelievable deals.
Last month, a couple of my highlight deals were:
A case of twelve, 2 lb cartons of College Inn Organic Beef Broth for $2.99. (These are normally close to $4.00 each and I got 12 for less than that!)
I also got Tostidos brand tortilla chips @ 3/1.00!
I got organic diced tomatoes 3 cans/$1.00.
Cascadian Farms organic granola bars for 1.89.
Capers $.50.
Spices 3/$1.00.
17 oz olive oil for $1.99!
You get the picture... I am going the first week of every month and I will post a list of the best deals. If you can find someone to car pool with you to save gas money, you will save even more money. I figured with my awful gas mileage, the trip cost me $24.00* but I carpool so it averages to $12.00 a trip. I saved that just in the olive oil deal. I saved $45.00 on the beef broth. I recently discovered that MSG and MSG derivatives, such as partially hydrogenated anything, give me a horrible case of hives and insomnia so I stick with the organics now. The Tostidos saved me at least $8.00. We eat alot of them because I can my own salsa. But you can not do all of your grocery shopping at Bailey's. They only have select grocery items and these are limited and different each month. The deals need to be found at the other stores for everything else.

I hope to bring you these local deals each time I come across them. This is not the easiest area in the country for saving money...
Until next time...

*Gas cost based on gas prices of more than $4/gallon