Hello, my name is Vinobaby, and I am a grocery shopping addict.
There. I’ve admitted it. My coupon clutch runneth over. My pantry overfloweth. I eagerly await each week’s sale flyer, then peruse the goods, carefully circling my favorite buys. The glimpse of an unadvertised in-store special makes my heart race. I clutch my receipts like a trophy at the end of each trip, and give a only nonchalant smile when the cashier says, “Wow, you did great!” And my receipts are long and lean.
Which may be the problem. As a SAHM on a tight budget, trips to the grocery are not only allowable expenditures, but essential. It is the one place where I can leisurely stroll the isles, browsing the new merchandise, filling the cart to the brim with goodies I feel good about buying.
In fact, I am quite proud of my receipt totals. I was a coupon clipper and bargain hunter extraordinaire long before it became trendy. I saved my Mom’s expired coupons as a little girl. In college, once I actually started buying food myself, I rediscovered the value of those little pieces of paper (hey, saving sixteen bucks back then was giving me a lot of beer money). Once I had my Kiddo and our income was cut in half, my monthly savings enabled me to stay at home with him.
Checking the totals at the end of each trip became a high. How much did I save compared to spend? I don’t meal plan or create weekly menus or any of that crap. I buy what I know we like that is on sale. If our favorite brand of pasta sauce is on sale BOGO, I stock up and buy ten jars. Pasta is on sale too? I have a coupon, so each box will be almost free–I know I have eight boxes at home already, but how do you pass up 19 cent pasta? I know they will be used…eventually…
I never know what is for dinner each night until about 5 p.m. and I decide what I am in the mood for. I actually like to cook. Sometimes dinner is a culinary masterpiece straight out of Gourmet, sometimes it’s dolled-up Hamburger Helper, but whatever I may want, the ingredients are most likely well stocked in my pantry and freezer.
My Mom is also the only person I am aware of that ever injured herself with this addiction. She opened her packed (yet amazingly organized) freezer one afternoon and a frozen quiche fell on her foot. When I came home I found her crying on the kitchen floor with an ice pack on her foot, waiting for my Dad to take her to the E.R. for an x-ray. Horrible daughter that I was, I just couldn’t stop laughing, and later had a great time telling everyone how my Mom broke her foot. Alas, now I can wholeheartedly sympathize with her plight.
Ever girl needs a hobby, right? I just happened to make mine more productive than say scrapbooking or knitting. Every week is a new challenge, trying to make the bill go down and the quantity of bags go up. And we get to savor the end result. I’ll take some Boursin and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken with a side of Truffle-Scented Mushroom Risotto any day over a crotchet toilet paper cozy.
Yesterday’s total was a whopping $36.92 with a savings of $77.98. Not too shabby. The only problem was my cupboards were full to the brim and my freezers were overflowing. Ugh oh. But we have saved so much over the years that I get a bigger, brand new energy efficient freezer next month for my 10th Anniversary present. No diamonds for me–practical gifts thrill me.
Now off to the pantry. What shall I make for dinner tonight…?
I get a major thrill from those savings too. It is a high.
But I really get a thrill from the crochet toilet paper cozy too.
Oh, you are GOOD. I do like a great deal, but I have in no way mastered it like you! 🙂
It is totally like a drug! I get annoyed with extra toiletries taking up room, but I do love my full pantry and freezer!
Stopping by from Time Travel Tuesday. I stumbled, already followed and Google +1 you! My post is http://practicalfrugality.blogspot.com/2011/07/earn-it-learn-it-teach-your-child.html
please come to my house and show me the way oh wise one! I desperately want to do it, but I know it takes a couple of months to start up the coupon collection and I get tired of waiting…
Stopping from Time Travel Tuesday! I love going to the grocery store too. I love finding new products and using coupons.
I wish I was a better couponer but alas, I feel like it takes too much time and energy. Don’t get me wrong, as a mom of 4 wee ones on an extremely tight budget, I shop at several grocery stores each week to get the best deals…