It's the last week of the month. Normally the week where Aaron and I are either already over budget, or barely have a couple dollars to get gas and food. Not this month! We actually have a little bit of moola left, not a lot, and it's technically earmarked for gas money, which means it should go into our irregular expense account for car maintenance, etc. It still feels good.
Part of the reason we still have money left is thanks to some savvy coupon shopping at Ralphs.
At one point, I was signed up for The Grocery Game, and maybe I'll give it another shot someday, but that was just too much work. I'm all about saving money, but I'm also all about my time. So I don't think I can ever be one of those people who regularly scours the coupons from the Sunday paper (but I do use them, so keep them coming, please Louise!), but I know which things I can usually find a coupon for and when I do I go find it and use it.
For instance, prescriptions. I had never filled a prescription at the Ralphs pharmacy before, and I knew there was a coupon for $30 on your Ralphs card in the weekly circular once. So I had this prescription and I waited on it for a little while keeping an eye out for that weekly coupon and I went to Ralphs and voila. I spent $10 on the prescription, but got $30 back towards grocery money.
I also had my $10 Ralphs rewards gift certificate, and when you add to that the coupons that they (Ralphs) sent me based on my shopping habits, plus the $5 off that can always be found in Clipper magazine, plus my "discounts" for sale items (ie buy one get one free Strawberries), I walked away having spent $49.50 tonight and saving $81. Although, I think that's misleading because of the sales. Still, my total before my pharmacy coupon, the rewards certificate, and the $5 off was $99. According to Ralphs overly enthusiastic savings, it was $81, according to my reigned in perspective it was $50.
Either way, I felt good walking out of the store with my loot. We have enough food for the whole week, no excuses to eat out, really, and that was my mission. We may not put that little bit of leftover money into our irregular expenses, but that's okay, because we're going wine tasting in Temecula on Saturday, and we can spend that without prematurely dipping into the March fund.
Now I am just hoping that we can cash in on a first-time prescription at Target. Maybe after that we'll hit up Walgreen's.
Part of the reason we still have money left is thanks to some savvy coupon shopping at Ralphs.
At one point, I was signed up for The Grocery Game, and maybe I'll give it another shot someday, but that was just too much work. I'm all about saving money, but I'm also all about my time. So I don't think I can ever be one of those people who regularly scours the coupons from the Sunday paper (but I do use them, so keep them coming, please Louise!), but I know which things I can usually find a coupon for and when I do I go find it and use it.
For instance, prescriptions. I had never filled a prescription at the Ralphs pharmacy before, and I knew there was a coupon for $30 on your Ralphs card in the weekly circular once. So I had this prescription and I waited on it for a little while keeping an eye out for that weekly coupon and I went to Ralphs and voila. I spent $10 on the prescription, but got $30 back towards grocery money.
I also had my $10 Ralphs rewards gift certificate, and when you add to that the coupons that they (Ralphs) sent me based on my shopping habits, plus the $5 off that can always be found in Clipper magazine, plus my "discounts" for sale items (ie buy one get one free Strawberries), I walked away having spent $49.50 tonight and saving $81. Although, I think that's misleading because of the sales. Still, my total before my pharmacy coupon, the rewards certificate, and the $5 off was $99. According to Ralphs overly enthusiastic savings, it was $81, according to my reigned in perspective it was $50.
Either way, I felt good walking out of the store with my loot. We have enough food for the whole week, no excuses to eat out, really, and that was my mission. We may not put that little bit of leftover money into our irregular expenses, but that's okay, because we're going wine tasting in Temecula on Saturday, and we can spend that without prematurely dipping into the March fund.
Now I am just hoping that we can cash in on a first-time prescription at Target. Maybe after that we'll hit up Walgreen's.
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