CNC: Look, honey, 80%!

Do not read this post if you have an addictive personality.

I went shopping this morning at QFC.  And you read right, I saved 80%.  No joke, boys and girls, I spent $43.62 but I SAVED $178.38... $125.98 in store savings and $52.40 in coupons.  Or, you could say that I spent $0.61 per item!!!

I could've done better, but I LOVE Tully's coffee and I like to have decaf around in the winter when I want coffee at 8pm with my 49 cent Milano cookies.

And, yes, I only paid 49 cents for Double Chocolate Milano Cookies...

that may or may not last the day.

I could go through the list of savings of every coupon I clipped and printed, but I'll spare you that boredom.  I'll tell you how I did it. 

1. I had two windows open one for clipping one for printables. (I'm a serial multi-tasker.  I heart windows.) 
2. I looked through the QFC circular and found items I use (not need right now, not items on my current meal plan, rather... items that I have used in the past and will likely use again, items I use in general).  Example: Pepperidge Farm Cookies. 
3. I looked, there were coupons I could clip out of my 10-10-10 SS (that's October 10th Super Saver). 
4. AND there are printable coupons on the Pepperidge Farm website. 
5. I clipped. 
6. I printed. 
7. And I scoured the ad for more items I would use at my house...

Ronzoni Pasta... print (free - 50 cents)

Hormel... print and clip (25 cents ea).

Jello... clip (50 cents ea).

Reynolds... print (1.50 ea).

Pringles... clip (60 cents ea).

Imagine Broth... clip (50 cents ea). 

(those are final prices, not coupons, Dear Reader!!!)

You get the idea. I will never make another shopping list without doing this.  You don't even have to buy the newspaper (or dumpster dive like I do) to get clippable coupons when you've got The Krazy Coupon Lady's printable database and Hot Coupon World's *mostly* comprehensive database and then you can order coupons you need from a clipping service like Manufacturers Coupons. 

You may ask, "But, CnC, how do you find the time?"

Dear Reader, fret not, my children are fed and clothed, my bathroom is not *too* gross.  But I also make time to save my family money.  I sincerely want to be generous.  When I can buy four cans of chili for the same price I could buy one at regular price, I can buy my one and give the other three away without making a dent in my budget. 

I can help someone. 

But what if I cut my grocery budget in half and I can still give stuff away?  That's pretty cool. 

Besides, I'm a stay at home mom,

it's in my job description ;). 

.