tally up the savings!

In 2009, I started using coupons, but only started tracking my savings in 2010.  Now that it's the new year, it's time to tally up our savings for the year.

Drum roll, please.....

$562.52!

That's an average of $46.88/month.  That really doesn't seem like much -- at all, really -- but it has allowed us to divert money into other pursuits (mostly tools).  But still, I'm pretty proud of saving that much, because that's better than nothing!  Plus, it actually sounded better when the total savings was $617.52 or $51.46/month, but to be honest, I had to take out the $55 we paid for the newspaper subscription this year.

In case you're curious, I did not count the savings we get from our Kroger card.  I'm certain that Walmart's prices are cheaper, so I don't really feel like I "save" much by shopping at Kroger.  I tried to shop at Walmart once this year, and it's just not for me.  Ideally, I'd go to Target, but it doesn't make any sense to drive fifteen minutes in traffic to Target when there's a Kroger a minute away from our house.  I also don't count any bulk savings from Sam's Club.  Let's be honest - it's not worth my time to calculate all that out.

If you're not into couponing yet or are just so-so on it, here's what I've learned so far:

• Get a newspaper subscription!  We started our subscription at an odd time, so we only paid about $55 this year for our subscription, but I imagine we'll have to pay twice this year.  But, it's convenient and plus, stores tend to arrange sales around coupons sometimes, which helps drive down the cost.
• Stockpile coupons.  Cut out the ones that you don't think you'll need immediately.  I still throw away quite a few, but I'd rather spend a few seconds clipping out and throwing away coupons than to not save.
• Consider using groupon.  I did count groupons as part of our savings; groupons accounted for about $80-$100 in savings.  We mostly purchased groupons for restaurants we already liked, but it also gave us the opportunity to try out places we'd wanted to visit.  The downside is that you do have to spend money to save money, but if you're going to spend it already, then you might as well save a little.
• Add Hip2Save to your blogroll.  She posts great deals, goes through stores' weekly ads and spells out which coupons can be paired with which deals, and posts lots of freebies!  CJ rolls his eyes when I get freebies in the mail, but most come with really good coupons.  My best deal from a freebie was a small bottle of contact solution that came with a $4 off coupon, which I paired with a deal at CVS to score a full-size bottle of contact solution, normally around ten bucks, for $0.49!
• Shop at CVS (or Walgreens) and take advantage of their Extra Care Bucks.  This did count as part of our savings, although it was probably pretty minimal ($50, maybe?).  I rarely go for the Extra Care Bucks deals for the week if I don't have a coupon.  By shopping this way, I haven't paid for dish soap or toothpaste in quite awhile (and don't intend to again).
• Stockpile...a little.  It really does make more sense to buy things when they're on a good sale when you have a coupon to go along with it.  For instance, I like the Febreze air spray.  It's also $3.49 regular-priced at Kroger, so I typically go for the cheaper stuff that I don't really like, but that does the job.  This week though, Kroger had Febreze air freshener on sale for $2.49 each or $1.49 each if you bought four.  Lucky for me, I had four $1 off coupons, so I scored four for $0.49 each or $1.96 total, which is typically what I end up spending on one or two lesser-liked air sprays anyway.

Also, I'll mention that it may not always make sense to use a coupon.  There are some items where I will buy the generic brand because I can't tell the difference.  I honestly don't buy too many generic products, but I'm also not too brand loyal either.  So, if it's cheaper for me to buy an item without a coupon than it is to use a coupon, unless I absolutely love the product in question, I'm not going to spend more just to say I used a coupon.

Last but not least, I'll debunk one comment I frequently hear -- that people don't use coupons because they'll buy items they normally wouldn't buy or that there are never coupons for items they want.  Self-control, folks!  Yes, I've purchased items I normally wouldn't have because I had a coupon, but that's pretty few and far between; I just use it as an opportunity to try something new.  And, if you coupon for even a few weeks, you'll see that there are coupons for a wide variety of items.  There are even some items that I frequently use that I won't purchase without a coupon, because I know I can get a better deal when a new coupon does come out.

So for 2011, I hope to save nearly as much, but hopefully much more.  It's actually my goal to cook more at home and if I can keep that up (thanks, new programmable crockpot!), I'll probably use more coupons and we should save more money in general (and be healthier).  If this is the case, I better clear out more space in the garage, as I'm sure CJ will be wanting some more new tools...