Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Modern Mama Coupon Clipping


Thank you to P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? program and Kroger for sponsoring my writing about trying new things and breaking out of my everyday routine. Click here to find great savings on high-performing P&G products at a Kroger store near you. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

My friends at P&G and Kroger challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and try something new. I HATE routine and am always up for a change - major or minor - so this was right up my alley. A few months back I wrote a post about making our money stretch (literally, every single dollar) so I could stay home with Miss Paige (read that post by clicking HERE). In the post I noted there was one major place I could cut back, and really SHOULD do more of, but I just hadn't yet... and that is clipping coupons (cue dramatic music). Something about sitting down with a stack of coupons and my handy dandy scissors made me cringe. Not because I think I'm above it or anything like that - but more so because I feel like it would take SO much time for very little ROI. But, in the name of trying something new, I decided to become a coupon clipper. Well - sort of. More of like a coupon PRINTER and electronic coupon DOWNLOADER : ) I started by searching for products that I use all the time and buy on every shopping trip - bread, spaghetti sauce, chicken, toilet paper - and seeing if the manufacturers offered any printable coupons on their websites. Lo and behold - they did! Maybe I'm the only fool who never did this before, but I was really impressed with all the coupons available. On some of the sites you have to sign up for email newsletters - which is kind of annoying - but with the newsletters I found you receive coupons for $1.00 off everyday products - which can make a big difference! Here is the P&G one which is pretty great: http://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/index.jsp?utm_source=charmin

And then - during my searching - I came across something I consider utterly amazing... downloadable digital coupons! HELLLLLLLO?! Where have you been all my life?! I happen to do all my food shopping at Kroger, and if you go to Kroger.com and click on "In Store" and then "Coupons", you'll be amazed at this whole new world of savings that will open up right before your eyes. I know - I'm being a little dramatic. But for someone who's never done anything like this before, it really is pretty cool. In a nutshell, you register your Kroger swipey card thing (the one the cashier swipes anyway whenever you shop)... and then you click through all the coupons and click which ones you want downloaded RIGHT ONTO YOUR SWIPEY CARD. Genius! 

So here's to turning over a new leaf, saving money, and keeping Mama at home another few years : ) Thanks Kroger and P&G for the inspiration... I owe ya one!