The couponing begins.

photo courtesy of gettyimages.com

I'm pretty sure all of you have seen how this economy is shaping up for the new year. It's as crappy as it was for 2011. With gas prices topping out in my area at 3.35 a gallon for the cheap stuff, the necessity to save money is becoming more and more evident.

I know I stated this before, but this time... it's time to coupon. I have a subscription to the paper and everything. I joined a local group of coupon enthusiasts and I'm just about ready to go. I'll have to stockpile a little bit before the coupons really start to stack in my favor, but I'm prepared to shop the sales and meal plan according to the circulars. Here's a few tips on what I've started at my own home to save some cash.

Every Thursday the new sales flyers go out. I'm a partial shopper to Publix, so I look up what's on sale through their website or I peruse a site like www.southernsavers.com to see what the weekly sales stack against the coupons. (A handy Google search of coupon matching sites with your zip/area plugged in should net you the same results. Please note, the ones that ask for subscription fees or "signup" are usually bogus. Go with the free ones.)

This week didn't net me any great deals on the coupons, so I started making my list according to what's on sale. Here's how it looked:

Meat
Chicken breast, on sale for 1.99/lb, got nearly 2.5 lbs for three large breasts
Lean ground beef on sale for 3.99/lb, got approx 1lb of ground meat
Eye Round Steaks on sale for 4.79/lb, got approx 1 lb of steaks
Deli Sliced Smoked Chicken breast for 7.99/lb, I got half a pound for chicken roll ups

Produce
Tomatoes, 1.49/lb
3lb bag of Gala Apples, 2.99
Bananas, .69/lb
Blueberries and Strawberries, 2 for $5

Dry Goods
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta, Buy One, Get One (saves 1.89)
Kellogg's Special K cereals, all varieties, 2 for $5

Dairy
Chobani was 10 for $10

I got a few extra things not on the sales circular, which happened to be two cans of Hunt's diced tomatoes for two different meals that week.

The total at Publix for approximately one week's worth of food: 49.00

Then we hit Aldi. If you haven't heard of Aldi, you're missing out. No brand names here, but the quality is amazing. All the things you love, the taste the same and a fraction of the cost. Here's what we got at Aldi.

Milk, 2 gallons at 2.99 each
Whipped Cream Cheese at 1.49
Trail mix bags, 2 at 1.49 each
Mixed Nuts, 2.49
Large chocolate bar (husband's sweet tooth) 1.29
Loaf of bread with no HFCS, .89
Cinnamon Raisin bagels, 1.49
Package of whole mushrooms, 1.29
18 rolls of toilet paper, 5.99
String Cheese, 3.49
Honey Nut Cheerios, 1.49
Paper plates, 1.49

Total at Aldi: 33.00, that means I spent 82.00 on food that was either on sale or at Aldi.

That will net me at least three meals with meat for the week and one without (aka Spaghetti night). That keeps us stocked for breakfast, lunch/snacks for the kiddo (all fruit, vege or string cheese for him) and leftovers for the nights I'm too tired to cook. Not too bad, sans the coupons.

Here's another cost saving method that's been introduced to my house: a list on the fridge. Not a grocery list, but a list of what's in there. You know that thing that husband's do, where they say they can't find it, or we're out and you buy more only to find that you still had like, 3 left? Yeah. Now there's a list. Unless it's been crossed off, it's in there. It lets me know what runs out first, what I need to add to the grocery list and what we have left to cook with for the week. I even added a column for freezer foods. When I make a big batch of something like chili or soup, I freeze half and leftover the rest in the fridge. That way I have in between meals for work, or for nights that I'm too tired to stand at the stove. It's a great way to reduce waste and make sure you're not throwing hard-earned money down the trash tube. (Not to mention stockpiling for the two months when this baby gets here and cooking will not be top priority!)


What's your favorite cost saving measure for your house? Do you meal plan? Freeze? Once a week cook? 

Damn you Progresso.

Damn you. Damn you straight to hell.

I mean it, I really do.

And damn me, too.

I got suckered into your stupid commercial. The Loaded Potato Soup commercial. I really did, it looked good. It looked like something I'd want to eat when it was a comfort food night. It looked perfect.

The soup... was a lie.

In fact, it was disgusting. Granted, my standards are a little high, but I was willing to slum it a little for you, Progresso. (And basically any soup with bacon in it.)

You lied. Your commercial lied. Your soup lied.

It was tasteless. No seasoning, no salt, even. I wasn't expecting a miracle, really I wasn't. I was just looking forward to a night not standing at the stove. Warming myself up on a cool night with a little comfort food and a good, hearty soup.

That soup was not hearty, nor good. I wasn't even halfway done with it when the cream base started to separate from the oil. BP looked like they'd had a hack at my bowl. The oil slick now covering the top of the soup turned my stomach.

The rest ended up in the trash. Yeah, that's right. I threw away food. Frugal, penny pinching me threw away food. I won't be buying Progresso again, and I certainly won't be falling for any more of their commercials.

The soup aisle is dead to me now, and it's all your fault Progresso.

Thank you Fitbloggin.

The amazing group at Fitbloggin '11.
Photo courtesy of fitbloggin.com.

With all the new excitement that's been bubbling for Fitbloggin '12, I can't help but think back on my experience with Fitbloggin last year. I owe a lot to Roni Noone and her incredible conference and all the attendees. I'm not sure they know how much my life changed from that short weekend.

It was the first time away from my husband and my son overnight. I had to learn how to say goodnight to my son without being there to hug and kiss him. I had to learn how to function as a mom from a distance. It was hard, it was heart-wrenching to hear my son ask me when I'm coming home over and over. I dissolved into tears over my wine more than a few times. But they didn't turn out any worse for wear when I came home. The house was intact, my kid was okay and my husband was happy to see me. I learned that I can be a mom and wife on my own just as much as I could right next to them.

Fitbloggin gave me something else that was so very special. If you're not into mushy moments, I would skip the next few paragraphs. No offense taken, really. Fitbloggin gave me the courage to realize that I don't have to be scared of losing weight. I was paralyzed by fear of failure so often, I gave up before trying. I know this is a common theme with weight loss. I know it's a common realization about halfway through the journey, which is where I'm firmly stuck for a bit.

I was terrified of having another kid. I got up to 300 lbs (and probably past it) after my son. The thought of gaining weight again, even on purpose kept me up at night. I knew how easy it would be to let it all go back on me. I knew all the excuses I'd tell myself to make it okay. I didn't want to get pregnant because I wasn't sure I could succeed at losing again. It was so hard to start. I got lost on the way, I forgot who I was as a person, I would guilt myself into not taking time for me and as a result I got unhappy. So unhappy I sincerely thought my marriage would end in divorce.

Fitbloggin gave me what I needed to remember who I was. It gave me the courage to see that it's okay to be me. It gave me my name back. A friend once told me, "You are responsible for your own happiness." That sentence never did make sense to me until the flight home from Baltimore. I understood it, then. I understood that my life is what I make of it. I can make myself happy, no guilt necessary.

I came home a different woman than when I left. I came home strong and secure in who I was, and that made all the difference in my marriage and my family. I came home happy.

That happiness is still with me. While my life hasn't been easy recently, it has never wavered when it comes to my marriage and my family. In fact, Fitbloggin gave me the courage to expand our family. I have no regrets about getting pregnant, or even the weight I'm gaining on this part of the journey. I know that I will find me throughout it all. For that, Fitbloggin was a huge factor in that. One that I'll never be able to say thank you enough.