Bring on the Coupons!

My name is Becca and I have a problem. I suck at following a budget. Now before you judge, it's not like I'm out buying everything that catches my eye. It's always the same thing. Food. Food is my downfall. We have to eat, right? And eating right can be expensive. And all those crazy coupon ladies just downright scare and intimidate me. And I don't have that kind of time. And Landon's a handful. And, and, and...

I was able to convince myself for a couple of years that couponing just "wasn't for me." But, my excuses were pathetic. Why pay more for something when you could pay less, or even *gasp* get it for free? So, one of my New Years resolutions was to learn how to stick to a budget and save money by using coupons.

I did a lot of research about how to get started and yada yada yada and was so excited that I'd be able to exercise my crafty side in putting together a coupon box. My coupon box alone makes couponing way more enticing. Details at the end of this post.

Next, I set a budget, told Scott to hide my debit and credit cards, converted to the envelope system, got my Sunday paper subscription, found a couponing site that I like (Savvy Sister Shops), and let the fun begin. I'm happy to report that on my first couponing trip to Walmart I got multiple items for free, paid under $0.50 for many others, and walked out of there with quite a bit of stuff for $17.70. I was so giddy with excitement! I can coupon! It's not too hard or time-consuming after all! Saving money is fun!

I must also share the couponing success behind my new kicks. I've been pumped for months waiting for the Toms ballet flats to come out. Well, they're finally here but with one slight downer - they're 80 bucks. 80 bucks! For one pair of shoes! Heck no, I would not spend that much on shoes. So, I've been eye-balling these red polka dot babies from Old Navy for a few weeks now. Saved a couple coupons and ended up only paying $5.27 for a $25 pair of shoes. Bring on the coupons!

Coupon Box
Materials

• Rubbermaid container
• Scrapbook paper (patterned and plain)
• Labels

Directions

• Measure and cut the patterned paper to fit in your box. Label each with your categories for coupons. Behind each divider put a folded piece of plain paper to act as an envelope to keep your coupons in. 
• My categories are: Baby, Baking, Batteries, Beverages, Bread, Candy, Canned, Crafts, Cereal, Cleaner, Clothing, Condiments, Dairy, Entertainment, Feminine, Frozen, Health Food, Hygiene, Jelly & Peanut Butter, Laundry, Meat, Office Supplies, Paper Products, Pasta, Produce, Restaurants, Salad Dressing, Sauces & Seasonings, Snacks, Expires Soon.