February is American Heart Month, and I’ve partn February is American Heart Month, and I’ve partnered with @MedIQCME and Duke Health to raise awareness about atrial fibrillation (AFib), also known as irregular heartbeat which affects 12 million people.My father was diagnosed with AFib and my family has a history of this condition, so I do my best to learn as much as I can about it.

I’ve learned that when the atrium’s squeezing becomes irregular, blood doesn’t flow as smoothly through the heart and clots can form. Those clots can travel to the brain, disrupting the oxygen supply and causing a stroke. People with AFib are at approximately 5 times greater risk for stroke than those with regular heartbeats. Stroke is a leading cause of death and also of serious, long-term disability. It is essential to get to a hospital quickly if you suspect a stroke in yourself or others.Learn the acronym FAST to recognize the signs of stroke: 

F = Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A = Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? 

S = Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?

T= Time. If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

Take this survey (link in bio) for the chance to win 1 of 5 $100 VISA gift cards—takes less than 10 minutes.

Thanks, @mediqcme, and Duke Heart. Supported by an educational grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer Alliance.
Another flower arranging therapy Reel, this time w Another flower arranging therapy Reel, this time with roses and a little Stevie Wonder. I could do this all day! 🌹 #traderjoes #flowers #roses #therapy #selfcare
Mimosas, beignets, and Benedicts, oh my! Brunch is Mimosas, beignets, and Benedicts, oh my! Brunch is my absolute favorite meal and @louieswinedive in Clayton treated us so well! I will definitely be back. 

#brunch #stl #stlouis #food #stlfoodie #hosted
Brunch vibes. #latergram #brunch #stl #stlouis Brunch vibes. #latergram #brunch #stl #stlouis
A generous heart is always open, always ready to r A generous heart is always open, always ready to receive our going and coming. In the midst of such love, we need never fear abandonment. This is the most precious gift true love offers – the experience of knowing we always belong.” — bell hooks
One more week before she goes back to school for h One more week before she goes back to school for her second semester. Reppin #stl and @seriessixcompany. 

#stlouis #collegekid #stlmade #mykid
Flower arranging has become the self-care I didn’t know I needed. It’s a tranquil and relaxing experience for me. Get into it. 💐 #traderjoes #flowers #therapy #selfcare
It was about a mellow mood & self-care for me toda It was about a mellow mood & self-care for me today as I spent the first day of the year taking care of my mind, body, and soul. It went something like this…. #newyear #selfcare #overforty #fortyish
We made it a family night at @stlouiswheelpark. A We made it a family night at @stlouiswheelpark. A time was had and memories were made. Grateful that I got some extra days with these guys (thanks Southwest—now run my son back his reimbursement 😂).
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Cubicle Life, Featured, Healthy Living/Eating, Household Stuff, What's On the Menu? · September 6, 2011

7 Things I Have Learned During My 1st Month of Couponing


Couponing has never been my thing. I’ve tried in the past to clip coupons a few times but I ended up either forgetting them when I shopped or let them expire before I was able to use them. Pretty much, I was a couponing FAIL of epic proportions, so I chalked it as something that I wasn’t cut out to do in life. It was when I visited BlogHer last month in San Diego that I was introduced to a lot of coupons during the conference—good ones too for free or half off on a lot of products that I actually buy and use. It was then that I set out to make this couponing thing work for me and my family, because, who doesn’t like to save money?

My first trip to the grocery store post BlogHer, I saved $35 off of the total price of my bill. And I didn’t even use all of the coupons I was given. Seeing that reduction on my bill made me realize that it was worth me putting in some time into it to try to save money each and every week.

So now that I am almost 4 weeks into couponing, I have learned the following things:

  • Do your homework: The savings come, not just in coupon’s face value, but in what the price of the product is BEFORE you use the coupon. The goal is to ultimately spend as less as you can on the item. So if the item is on sale at Place B and you are at Place C, you aren’t getting the most out of your money. Find and compare the actual price of items before you hit the road and shop where the item is lowest, increasing the savings with your coupon.
  • Be organized: I don’t shop with a coupon binder (I am in the market for one, though, so if you know of a good one, please let me know), but I do shop with a list on my smartphone and I pull and separate my coupons before I enter the store. This helps me attack my savings and make sure that I am getting everything I need.
  • Only buy what you need: On shows like Extreme Couponing, you see families stockpiling items. I do believe you should have a surplus on the items you use, but I am really picky about food and feeding my family a lot of packaged and processed foods. I also don’t have a lot of space for storing a lot of overflow, so I only buy what I need. I think when you are truly buying to save, you aren’t in it to overbuy. And in the end, it really isn’t necessary.
  • The goal is to SAVE: The most I have saved on a shopping trip at one store has been the $35 I mentioned earlier. The least amount I have saved has been $7. I am realistic in my expectations and understand I may not save big each and every time I shop. But when I add up my monthly savings, there is a significant amount still left in my account because of couponing.
  • Use the Internet: There are items that I buy that I have yet to see coupons for in the newspaper. I have learned to use the Internet to my advantage and go to the company’s website to see if they have a printable coupon I can use in the store. This has worked for me several times, and I don’t leave the house until I have checked all of the websites to see if printable coupons are available. There are also many couponing sites that will let you print out coupons at your leisure. You can check out Crate and Barrel coupons and Harry and David coupons.
  • Know the store’s couponing policy: Holding up the line because you don’t know the store’s couponing policy is not a good look. If you have any questions, consult a store manager before heading to the checkout line.
  • Participate in store savings clubs: A lot of drugstores and grocery stores have discount or savings clubs that you can enroll in (usually for free) and earn points and rewards that you can use when you shop. Great for using, you guessed it, with coupons!

Don’t let television shows and atypical couponers give you a bad taste about clipping coupons. On an average, I have saved $15 per shopping trip using my coupons and quite pleased with that. Hopefully I can get better sniffing out deals and bargains in order to put my coupons to work even more for me, but so far so good.

What are your thoughts? Do you clip coupons? What is your average savings per trip? And what tips do you have for me? 🙂


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In: Cubicle Life, Featured, Healthy Living/Eating, Household Stuff, What's On the Menu? · Tagged: BlogHer, couponing, coupons, grocery shopping, Saving tips, shopping

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Comments

  1. nancy (aka moneycoach) says

    September 6, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    I’ll be following your story about couponing with interest. I have conflicted feelings about it. Obviously I’m all for saving money and being savvy. But where I am confounded is: in the time it takes to coupon, could you have used that same time to increase your income? I don’t necessarily think the answer is yes, but I’ll be interested in your take on it.

    Reply
    • The Cubicle Chick says

      September 6, 2011 at 4:03 pm

      Nancy, you ask a good question. For me, if I am saving money, then I am making money. Or so the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. I wouldn’t spend more time on couponing than I do on my income endeavors, but I think they do compliment one another at the end of the day. I think being smart about money is also knowing how and where you can save so that it benefits you and your family. Thanks for commenting. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Andrea Harvey says

    September 6, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    I actually appreciate this post. Mostly because the ladies on Extreme Couponing (all due respect) are a BIT much for me. I cannot get with those huge stockpiles. It’s quite intimidating. I, like you found myself trying to coupon and either forgetting the coupons or letting them expire. I told myself I would start back but I can at least take advantage of the little savings. So maybe I won’t end up with the grocery store “owing” me money but saving $20 here and there does not hurt either. Thank you for this post.

    Reply
    • The Cubicle Chick says

      September 6, 2011 at 4:05 pm

      Andrea, thanks for taking the time to comment. I am not looking to make money couponing. But if I can cut my grocery bill by 20% or even half, then I consider myself a success. I am not knocking the women of Extreme Couponing and what they do but they spend hours (like a full time job) on cutting coupons and using them. I don’t have that much time to devote to it. But I spend about an hour or two a week compiling my coupons and checking deals. It’s something I would like to do WHEN time allows.

      Reply
    • Antoinette says

      September 7, 2011 at 2:02 pm

      When it comes to couponing you have to either want to coupon or not. I am a person who was on the show and does not have a large stockpile. You have to get what you need for your family and move on. If you are trying to do what was done on TV, it will never happen. Saving $20 – $30 on your first shopping trip is great. It takes time, skill, and patience to want to be an Extreme Couponer.

      Reply
      • The Cubicle Chick says

        September 7, 2011 at 5:48 pm

        Antoinette, I never did see your episode on TLC. Will they be doing a new season or showing reruns?

        Reply
        • Antoinette says

          September 8, 2011 at 2:26 pm

          It came on thi spast weekend. The new season starts on 9/28/2011 on TLC. I will not be on that show, but I am working with them for something new with them. You can download the episode on Itunes. I wil be sure to let you know when the rerun come backonof my episode. Keep up the good work with the blog and I am working on being in STL for in October for your social media event.

          Reply
          • The Cubicle Chick says

            September 8, 2011 at 5:51 pm

            Antoinette, I will be looking out for your episode. Also, Ia m looking forward to meeting you if you come to Show Me the Blog next month. 🙂

  3. ArtDeal says

    September 6, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    I thought about doing the couponing thing just to save money on things I either eat or used the most. The hardest part is finding the coupons. I enjoy watching Extreme Couponing. I love that one lady was so detail and had an spreadsheet on her ipad. I will definitely be following your story.

    Reply
    • The Cubicle Chick says

      September 6, 2011 at 9:11 pm

      ArtDeal, you are right—finding the coupons is the hardest part (along with matching them to the lowest price). It is really time consuming, and the people who save hundreds each trip spend A LOT of time compiling and cutting coupons. I don’t think I will ever be at THAT level but I do enjoy saving. We will see how this goes… 🙂

      Reply
      • Antoinette says

        September 7, 2011 at 2:06 pm

        Finding coupons is easy. They are everywhere. I think where everybody gets it wrong is that they have a grocery list and want a coupon for each of those items. EC only shop sales. They get the coupons each week; they print them from the computer and wait for a sale. You have to keep in mind and this is what I teach when I teach coupon classes. Sale+ Coupon = FREE or Cheap. It is full price and you are adding a coupon, you are paying full price.

        Reply
  4. @JenniLoLo says

    September 6, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    Doing the coupon thing is hard and I think the Extreme Couponing show leads people to believe they can go and buy hundreds of dollars worth of groceries for $50 and forget that it’s called “extreme”. Personally I have fun with couponing and the show did reveal some tips to better organize the process (especially for the organizationally-challenged people like myself). It can be fun if you view it as a scavenger hunt in finding the best price. Personally I just converted to a zippered Mead Five Star binder and spend several hours a week cutting and finding coupons, but every few weeks I take a break because it can get overwhelming and all consuming. I am very much looking forward to future updates you have about your couponing experience!

    Reply
    • The Cubicle Chick says

      September 6, 2011 at 10:33 pm

      Hey Jenni. I remember seeing you tweet about you couponing earlier this year. Yes, it’s a constant struggle to stay on task and do it each and every week, especially when you are super busy with other things. Hopefully, I will be able to maintain. We will see!

      Reply
  5. Lisa Kanarek says

    September 8, 2011 at 9:36 am

    These are all good ideas. I agree about buying only what you need. I’ve watched a few of the couponing shows and it seems that while they’re saving money, they’re spending money on shelving, storage units, etc. And what are they doing with all of that extra stuff? Would love to see it go to a homeless shelter and other worthy charities. Thanks for the reminder to check the Internet for coupons before leaving the house.

    Reply
  6. Jen - Life With Levi says

    September 8, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    Great tips for a beginner like me. I always feel like I need to use coupons, but have a hard time getting organized. Seeing the savings on my receipt is a great motivator, though!

    Reply
    • The Cubicle Chick says

      September 8, 2011 at 10:34 pm

      Jen, yes, I am with you. When I saw that I was saving money on my first visit, I was sold. The clipping and organizing is so worth it.

      Reply
  7. JaTara says

    September 9, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    I’ve been at this since April and I can truly say that it’s made an impact on my family’s finances. I enjoy it and I love watching the balance go down once I start handing over my coupons.

    One tip for you: follow local couponing bloggers in your area…they already did the legwork of matching coupons to sales for you, which is how you get the REALLY good deals. I read both nationwide and regional couponing blogs in order to get a good idea of what’s out there and what’s in my area.

    Reply

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February is American Heart Month, and I’ve partn February is American Heart Month, and I’ve partnered with @MedIQCME and Duke Health to raise awareness about atrial fibrillation (AFib), also known as irregular heartbeat which affects 12 million people.My father was diagnosed with AFib and my family has a history of this condition, so I do my best to learn as much as I can about it.

I’ve learned that when the atrium’s squeezing becomes irregular, blood doesn’t flow as smoothly through the heart and clots can form. Those clots can travel to the brain, disrupting the oxygen supply and causing a stroke. People with AFib are at approximately 5 times greater risk for stroke than those with regular heartbeats. Stroke is a leading cause of death and also of serious, long-term disability. It is essential to get to a hospital quickly if you suspect a stroke in yourself or others.Learn the acronym FAST to recognize the signs of stroke: 

F = Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A = Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? 

S = Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?

T= Time. If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

Take this survey (link in bio) for the chance to win 1 of 5 $100 VISA gift cards—takes less than 10 minutes.

Thanks, @mediqcme, and Duke Heart. Supported by an educational grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer Alliance.
Another flower arranging therapy Reel, this time w Another flower arranging therapy Reel, this time with roses and a little Stevie Wonder. I could do this all day! 🌹 #traderjoes #flowers #roses #therapy #selfcare
Mimosas, beignets, and Benedicts, oh my! Brunch is Mimosas, beignets, and Benedicts, oh my! Brunch is my absolute favorite meal and @louieswinedive in Clayton treated us so well! I will definitely be back. 

#brunch #stl #stlouis #food #stlfoodie #hosted
Brunch vibes. #latergram #brunch #stl #stlouis Brunch vibes. #latergram #brunch #stl #stlouis
A generous heart is always open, always ready to r A generous heart is always open, always ready to receive our going and coming. In the midst of such love, we need never fear abandonment. This is the most precious gift true love offers – the experience of knowing we always belong.” — bell hooks
One more week before she goes back to school for h One more week before she goes back to school for her second semester. Reppin #stl and @seriessixcompany. 

#stlouis #collegekid #stlmade #mykid
Flower arranging has become the self-care I didn’t know I needed. It’s a tranquil and relaxing experience for me. Get into it. 💐 #traderjoes #flowers #therapy #selfcare
It was about a mellow mood & self-care for me toda It was about a mellow mood & self-care for me today as I spent the first day of the year taking care of my mind, body, and soul. It went something like this…. #newyear #selfcare #overforty #fortyish
We made it a family night at @stlouiswheelpark. A We made it a family night at @stlouiswheelpark. A time was had and memories were made. Grateful that I got some extra days with these guys (thanks Southwest—now run my son back his reimbursement 😂).
My family gifted me $250 worth of Sephora gift car My family gifted me $250 worth of Sephora gift cards as one of my Christmas surprises. Take a look at my haul which includes makeup for oily skin and a some faves! #sephora #haul #skin #oilyskin #beautyproducts #overforty #midlifewomen
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