Being married to a man who loves a deal has made me think that I, too, have become pretty darn savvy when it comes to saving money on the products and foods we use the most in our house. But lately, with the thought of baby number 2 bouncing around the books, I decided that maybe it was time to up my game a little and venture into an otherwise unknown world to me.
What I have learned and seen will SHOCK YOU! Just kidding. But it may be surprising some of the methods and lengths people will go to to literally save a buck. But the most surprising part? It works.
So here I am to impart what the month of August, in all of it's hotness and glory, taught me about how to live like the queen of England on the salary of Prince George's nanny. (if you can get good enough at it.)
1) Couponing. Couponing sounds simple enough, right? You clip a coupon here and there and you squeal as the register discounts it from your item. WRONG. That's how sissies do it. Real couponers know that if you want the most bang for your buck, you collect as many coupon inserts from as many sources as possible, you get organized, and you get BOGO.
There's a lot of math involved in couponing, which makes me hate it a little bit. But, in the interest of saving money on one of my biggest vices (groceries), I took the plunge and went to an actual couponing class. What I learned there:
A) there are so many more sources for getting coupons than you may think. It's not all about sunday papers and physical clipping anymore. There are people you can PAY to do it for. Why pay for coupons? Simple. You don't have the time to gather and clip them yourself, and the benefit outweighs the cost. I went to the website www.thecouponclippers.com, searched their inventory, and ended up with about $40 worth of coupons (for stuff I do and for sure WILL buy) for $4. They arrived, clipped and neatly with a personal note within a few days. I went on my first shopping trip after trying this to walmart and was delighted to find out I had used $20 worth of my coupons. That and the savings catcher (more on that later) brought my savings to a total of about $30. Not bad.
B) Bogo is your friend. Buy One Get One Free deals (combined with couponing) is the best way to get the cheapest price for your items. Sales run in a 6 week cycle, and coupons will last anywhere from one month to three, so you have a good chance of catching your stuff that can wait on sale.
C) Rainchecks. Because of the crazy couponers out there, the best stuff usually flies from the shelves. But don't be sad. Simply ask for a raincheck for the item, and when it is back in stock, you get it for the sale price.
D) APPS. The new walmart savings catcher does a lot of the work for you. If you shop there, dl the app, scan your receipt, and it searches all of the competitors adds for sale prices. The best part? It refunds you the difference in the form of an e-gift certificate. The first time I tried it, I got $7.36 back to use on my next trip. Another good one? Target Cartwheel. Add the special deals right to the app, and when you check out, they scan a bar code that takes all of your coupons. No hassle.
Now that we've covered the basics of couponing, let's move on the next greatest underground mom trick I have tried this summer. Consignment.
If you live in a place with one million churches, like I do, you are most likely going to have one -two consignment sales pop up in your area. These often benefit the church in some way like funding missionaries or youth groups or something, which I personally have no issue with, so it's fine for me. The other part of the proceeds of course go to the consignor themselves, so everybody wins.
Here, there are about 10 different consignment sales that run in the beginning of fall and then again in midwinter to early spring for the different seasons. I've hit up two already, and both experiences were interesting to say the least.
Here's what you need to know about consignments:
A) They usually run two days (for the public) If you volunteer, or are selling, you may get to shop these early. But, if you're like me and you aren't ready to get rid of your precious little clothes, then the public sale it is. The first day is going to be crowded, and everything is going to be "full price." Now keep in mind that I didn't pay more than $5 "full price" for anything I bought, which is why this is such a good deal. The second day is usually a half price sale, but be prepared for it to be pretty picked over.
B) Read the rules before you go! Most of these sales have a name and website (Giggles and Grace, Wishes and Wonder or some stuff like that) and they will have ground rules about what and even WHO you can bring. Some don't allow young kids (liabilities), some don't allow strollers and some will provide bags while others say you're own your own. But you may also have to be specific with your choice of carrier. The last one I went to specified all baskets had to have towels taped to the bottom to prevent floor scraping. These people don't mess around.
C) MOMS BE CRAZY. The dirty looks and crazy eyes you will see a consignment sale will make you never want to venture there again. Also, watch where you put down your stuff. I thought I'd take my haul over to an empty place in a corner just to add up what I was spending and before 5 minutes I had two moms come up to me, and start looking through my pile AS I WAS COUNTING IT, and asked me if I was getting stuff. Uh, yes. Hence why I have it all in my possession. Back off.
But is it worth it? Sure. I'm saving as much as my time can allow right now with little effort. $30 or so on groceries here, and $50 for some really nice warm play clothes for V when the weather turns cold. Some of it from places we never venture into, like Children's Place, or fancy local boutiques. (We're a Carters Outlet/target kind of fam)
Anyway, I know this was the longest post ever, so I will leave you with this pic of Violet in her new (used) Auburn cheer outfit that we score for $4.
Happy hunting!
Love,
Dominique
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