Grocery Store Adventures

So, I am trying the coupon thing. After having grocery bills run over the $200 mark week after week, I decided that it was time to do something...ANYTHING...even if it meant me eating easy mac every night. People are always talking about the great deals you get when you coupon, so I thought I would give it a go.

There are a few things that I have learned about couponing in my short time doing so:

1. You need a considerable amount of time on your hands to coupon...and be REALLY good at it, that is (GREAT...I have so much time to spare).

2. You need to be organized...in my opinion, VERY organized...with lists to various stores and coupons in an easily accessible binder (that's my method) that is clearly labeled (Once upon a time, this was right up my alley...but lately, I am having a bit of a hard time with my organizational skills).

AND....MOST IMPORTANTLY....

3. You may not want to take three children under the age of two when trying to focus and get the best deals.....they may just make you throw your hands up and yell, "I DON'T CARE WHAT IT COSTS....JUST GRAB SOMETHING AND GO!!!"

Let me clarify for #3.......

Ingles had some really good deals this week. With the coupons added, there was no way that I was gonna' miss out. Now, I had forgotten to give Cody the list so that he could go by after work, so we were forced to go Saturday before the sale ran out. The plan was to go to Ingles, pick a few things up, and then head to WalMart.  Yep...fun plan...and it just kept getting better. In order, here are the sequence of events:
1. We load up in the car to find that we have forgotten the Ingles card.
2. We unload the car (and anyone who has had to load and unload the three can appreciate the effort that it takes to do so) at Ingles to find that Mallory's seat will not hook to the buggy (so Cody has to go BACK out to the car to take Mallory out of the seat).
3.We get into Ingles to find that I have forgotten some of my coupons outside in the car....so OUT Cody goes again.
4. Faith and Cameron can not sit within the buggies of Ingles since they are so shallow (they usually sit in the back)...so they walk...WELL.....
4. Faith and Cameron decide the aisles of the grocery store are speed tracks...therefore, they are no longer walking.
5. I can't find a couple of the things that are on sale...and I really don't have the patience at this point to search.
6. When I turn around (and I really wish I had a picture of this), Faith has picked up a bottle of Corona from a six pack carrying it around the store...and...NO I was not in the beer and liquor section (although maybe I should have been). I was walking through there to get to the milk (because you know we go through at least three gallons a week, here!!!).
7. On the way to WalMart, I dropped Cody and the kids off at Pat and YaYa's. :)

To end on a good note, my son sure knows how to unload the groceries. I thought that this was super cute. Cameron put away Mallory's baby food for me. I love these kids.

On my next coupon extravaganza, I now know to be a bit more organized and to leave the kids at home! I may have the odds stacked against me with very little time and my mind being a bit loopy these days, but I am determined that I will CONQUER!!!