Couponing goes EXTREME

I am a frugal shopper. I have always been cheap (as in not loving to pay full price, not the other kind of cheap....:). But I have never really tried to get the most out of the common coupon. I have certainly gone through phases where I clipped and filed them, but they just kind of built up my my folder, and expired. Using them is where I get hung up. It is hard enough to get through a store with a toddler, and at least one other child with me, without adding to the madness by cruising the aisles really slow, so I can match up coupons with products.

Lately, you see all of these women (some of them friends) singing the praises of shopping at super discounts, or even getting items for free by combining manufacturers coupons with a stores weekly specials. I am a little intimidated by the whole thing. It stretches my organizational, and attention to detail skills to their absolute limit. Clipping, organizing, going from store to store, those are all things that go against my grain.

Now I must give props where they are due. This whole couponing thing is certainly not new. I remember my frugal pal Kellie telling me how to do this way back in the early 90's. She is the queen of getting stuff cheap. Now there are magazine articles, websites, and TV shows all dedicated to the art of "Extreme Couponing". I want some of this action! So, if I run into you at the market, and I have a furrowed brow, and I am studying the shelves with complete concentration--- that means I am on a mission to save money- so don't take it personally if I look at you with a glazed expression. Happy shopping!

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