It's been quite a while since I posted, but I did a really good job in October and November doing the couponing thing. Not spectacular, which is why I didn't post.
In December, I quit clipping coupons and keeping track of what I spent. Needless to say, much more money was spent than necessary.
But I am now back. Coupons are clipped and sorted. I haven't yet restarted my newspaper subscription but that's on the to do list.
This weekend I am doing the major grocery shop. We've already spent about a third of the grocery budget: some to Boise Milk for yesterday's delivery (so awesome), some to Zaycon foods for their amazing chicken (I'll have to think about how to classify this, although I bought it today, I don't pick the chicken up until the end of the month), and Albertsons for roasts and misc.
My New Year's resolution for couponing is simple: no shopping without at least one coupon. I managed to save 33% using the coupons in the Albertsons ad and a couple of coupons I had. The coupon binder is bare, but still workable.
My other New Year's resolution is equally simple: throw less food away. Package up the leftovers and freeze them, use up what we have in more ways.
And of course, meet the budget and then cut it down some more. Maintain the stock pile, and eat wonderful, yummy, fresh food. I got a couple of new cookbooks for Christmas and they have really vitalized my meal planning. I'm making more crock pot meals, and hope to cut down the amount we have eaten out by providing dinners each night of the week. Crock pot dinners on Tuesdays, for instance, means my family can eat at a ridiculously early time and then go to their two martial arts classes. And they can eat early on judo night, the next night. My crock pot will be humming away.
I feel really positive about this upcoming year. Here's to a happy, healthy, and frugal 2012.
