Interested in tracking your spending with me? Refer to my original post. http://1faithfulsteward.blogspot.com/2010/01/keep.html
Did anybody notice when this regular post just sort of disappeared? I would be entering in a receipt and get interrupted by something (baby, child, husband, dinner, phone, etc.). By the time I got back I couldn't remember what part of the receipt I'd already figured up and what I still had to do. I also couldn't remember if I'd already added the 2nd receipt to the total or . . . maybe I was on the third one. To make matters worse, several times while I was otherwise busy, my 1 year old helped himself to my pile of receipts (misplacing some) - and thus, further confusing the issues. It was so easy just to tell myself that I'd do this tomorrow - when I had more time - only that really never came. . . . : ) So, I had to come up with another solution. I decided that what I needed was a place to enter in each receipt separately. Then I would at least know whether or not a particular receipt had been entered. (I don't really have a good answer for getting interrupted in the middle of a receipt.) I found a new "Savings Tracker" (No need to switch from the old one if it has been working well for you.) at TheCouponProject. (Scroll down to the bottom of her post to find the link to download.) I have been using this, in combination with the original one - posted on my blog - for several weeks now and I like it. I did change several things to better fit what I wanted it to track (I liked the categories that the original one I posted tracked.) And I added extra pages so that I could track RA, Wags, CVS, and grocery stores separately. I also found a couple of formulas were incorrect, so I had to go in and fix those. Oooh, and this new tracker has a separate place to enter and track rebates. So, if you were/are having any of the trouble I was you might want to check this out. In keeping with the request of TheCouponProject, I will not be posting the new tracker here. You will have to follow the link and download it for yourself. However, after you have downloaded the tracker, feel free to email me for my version of the tracker. (Note: It may take me a little bit to get back to you as I'd like to send you a complete version and I'm still testing it and working out kinks.)
(I only made it to Rite Aid this week.)
Rite Aid
Spent OOP: $6.70
Store Coupons: $72
Manuf Coupons: $26.99
Rebates: $6.99 (MIR from Renpure "Try Me FREE" hangtags - you can do this MIR more than once.)
Real Cost to My Family: MADE $0.29 after MIR
Total Value of Products: $105.69 (I just used the sale value of the items.)
Total Saved: $105.98
% Saved: 100.27%
As I get caught up - might take me a while - I'll post my year-to-date totals.
Let's encourage each other! Let me know how you did this past week. You are welcome to track your spending with me, or I'd also love to hear about your latest, greatest shopping trip.
Don't have a blog or web page to link, just post in the comments section.
I have taken a few weeks off from Rite Aid this year (including last week) but my Year To Date totals are $1093.59 of products brought home and made $72.54. So I have saved a total of 107%.
ReplyDeleteI don't go to CVS much but I have brought home $133.64 of products and made $6.97. 105% saved there.
I don't get many "steal" deals at Giant Eagle but have saved a total of 36% there. A huge imporovement from a year ago - never used coupons!
Thanks for all your hard work Erin.
H.K.
Hello H.K.
ReplyDeleteI just figured out who you were. : ) That's funny. I'd seen you comment before, but couldn't figure it out. (Wasn't sure if you were family? He, he.)
Okay, I haven't really put much time into CVS. I think that you've just inspired me. Just wondering, do you shop Walgreens? And if so, do you save more at CVS or Wags?
Thanks for posting!! It's so nice to see how other people are doing too. It's a real encouragement to keep working hard at this.
Erin
Haha yep you figured me out :)
ReplyDeleteI do NOT shop walgreens. I do not like it there. I hated always having to get a filler item in order to use a coupon. And since their RR's only last 2 weeks, I lost too much money there it's not worth it for me.
CVS's ECB last 1 month and most stores let you use expired ones. So that works out better for my busy schedule. It seems like it's hit and miss there though...I have gotten a little lazy lately because I have enough of a stockpile right now of the major stuff, I've kinda slowed down a bit.
The only way I have figured out how to put scenerios together is by using the obvious stuff, like free after rebate listed in the ad. I can never remember what I have coupons for or what the other rebates are. How do you keep up on that?
I'm curious, how many hours a week do you spend couponing? Both organizing coupons and putting together the scenerios?
H.K.
I had a few RR's expire recently on me too. This was the first time I'd ever let them expire. But with the 3 boys I've just found it so much harder to get out and shop. Taking all 3 just does NOT work for me. (1 is great, 2 is fine, 3 is a no go.) Even though the total was only $3 or $4, it was very disappointing. I haven't tried to earn any more since then. I have been to Walgreens several times, but only to pick up items that were FREE after coupon (Purex, toothbrushes, floss, and vitamins).
ReplyDeleteHow do I keep up on coupons? or rebates? Hmm, I use a coupon database to keep track of where coupons are located and what rebates are currently available (I'm planning on putting one on this blog soon). The coupons that I know for sure I'll use, I cut out as soon as I get them and put them in my notebook - notebook is divided up by store. I put them with the store at which I plan on using them. The rest of the insert, I just file away by date and wait for the right sale to come up.
How much time I spend varies by how often I get interrupted. : ) If I can work without any interruptions, I can generally put together my scenarios in 2 hours. And then it takes me another couple of hours to get all my coupons together and organized for the stores.
I'm still trying to figure out how best to juggle my time (since the baby). So, every couple of weeks I try a new system or strategy. If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them.
Erin
Hey!! sounds good here yeah thats right keep it up the good work.
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