Extreme Coupon-ing - for the lazy Mom :)

It's fabulous when you can chat with savvy Moms, and get great insight into how to save money. At a Book Club/MNO last night, I chatted with some moms about their couponing strategies and where to get the most bang for their buck. I LOVE a good deal, but here are some reasons I have been leery of "true" coupon-ing.

1. I like to eat well. I'd say we eat around 75 % organic. Sometimes less, sometimes more. I would like to eat more organics, but I find myself in a moral dilemma when staring at organic red peppers that cost 6 bucks each! I just can't do that...so, we don't always eat peppers.
2. The time, the time, who's got the TIME??
3. I watched a few clips of that show, Extreme Couponing, and saw women loading up on candy bars and potato chips - which is what I always seem to see coupons for in the paper. Gross. Not for me.
4. I already am disorganized at checkout with my "cash only" budget for groceries. I'm getting better, but I still do separate orders from time to time. It's the only way I can keep us on track. SO, I don't want to be the crazy lady digging through her purse and fumbling to check out. You know that lady. Not cool.
5. I don't know the rules for coupons or grocery deals. Sometimes there are different abbreviations, and I have just been to lazy or distracted (I wonder by who) to figure it all out.

Well, I had my eyes opened last night. Not only can I save us a TON of cash, but I can still eat well. A mom suggested I use the site, www.southernsavers.com, and I have been brushing up on my coupon knowledge on and off all day. Now, I have a shopping list for Harris Teeter (did you know they double the value of every coupon??) and a stash of fresh coupons.

I don't know how I'm going to manage keeping up with our meal planning, but I think I'll just have to re-work the steps. Here's my new plan:

1. Go through the Sunday paper weekly, start stockpiling coupons. Don't clip anything yet.
2. Go to website and check out deals at Harris Teeter and Kroger. Make shopping list.
3. Print internet coupons for what I need.
4. Search and clip through my own stash of coupons.
5. Get a general idea of our weekly meals and add anything else to list.
6. Go shopping with my list and stash and SAVE!

I'll update next week and let you know how it goes :) I'm armed and dangerous people!