coupon savvy.

Well, today was the first big coupon-filled shopping spree. It was not as perfect as I'd imagined it to be. I started at CVS where I had estimated spending about $10 or less and gaining about 6-7 items. The store didn't have the products I was looking for, so I ended spending a total of $0 and saving a total of $0. total downer. Next, I went to Bi-lo where I mindlessly chatted on the phone and tried to read my shopping list. Tip #1- coupons are serious business; they require strict concentration. With my coupons scattered all about the insides of my purse and my grocery list floating somewhere in the bottom of my cart, I decided to pull over and regroup. After I sorted through all my coupons I found a few more items and only picked up about 4 impulse buys instead of the cart full I usually end up with. I had a coupon for nearly everything in my cart! Next I went to apply for a bonus card because, I didn't have one and hellllooo major savings! I then went to the U-scan, because I'm a control freak and I like examining each coupon as I scan it, just to be sure the correct amount is deducted. My grand total before coupons: $40.73. ouch. My total after coupons: $29.62. I was a tad disappointed for only saving about eleven dollars, I mean after watching extreme couponing so many times I was convinced i would pay like $5.00. not what happened. But, this is my first try at this, and it's just going to take some practice. When I got home I got totally organized. This is my new system:

                                       I just took a floppy-disk organizer and labeled it with each coupon category.

then just filled it with my coupons!