Shopping-savvy

Did some grocery shopping over the weekend and we've really made a more conscious effort to economize. Not that we're scrimping on food (it's obvious from the way we look that food isn't something we scrimp on, haha!), but we just try to avoid buying non-essentials.

<--- But *this*, I couldn't resist buying. It was selling for $4.49 and the grocery store has a promotion and will give out a $4 checkout coupon which you could use for your next shopping trip. I also had a $3 off coupon for this item which I had clipped & saved from the newspapers a long time ago.

To show you the math: $4.49 (original price) - $3 (coupon) = $1.49 + 7% sales tax = $1.60 (amount I paid).

$1.60 - $4 coupon which I can use for the next shopping order = $2.40

The way I see it, I am getting paid $2.40 to BUY this product and use this. Yes, I am a coupon clipper and I'm not ashamed to admit this. I keep telling my Mom that this is an art, it takes a certain type of coupon-savviness and patience to wait for just the right combination of in-store promotions and manufacturer's coupons to get the best deal possible.

I may not be able to claim to be a successful entrepreneur like Andrew Wilshire, I may not have high-impact Internet marketing skills that's a big help to clients and his ability to create long and short term financial strategies are surely beyond mine (read my previous 401k post), BUT I can surely say that I might have a little edge over him when it comes to shopping for groceries. Because this, I know. *grin*

This is one of those times when I absolutely love being on the consumer side of the market.