Adventures in Couponing

I have recently taken up couponing. A friend at church kind of influenced all of us girls with her amazing "skills"!! Haha But thanks to her, we're all doing it now and saving the "moolah"". I've always clipped coupons but I am now learning that I had no idea what I was doing! I would clip some coupons here and there and would save 4 dollars or something at Kroger and thought I was doing good. HAH! Well now I'm learning how to use them. For instance, I had NO clue I could use more than one coupon on just one item. This is called "stacking" and you can actually use up to 3!!!! Hello, why hasn't anyone told me this before! So now I've got my super huge notebook and my ten thousand hundred coupons inside it and I take this everywhere with me now! Yes, call me a dork if you want. It's okay because I'm saving money! And I've really seen a difference too. Since Ben and I have been married (4 years now), I have always struggled when it came to groceries. I've always spent more than I should and Ben will be the first to tell you that. The monthly average I typically spend is $400-500 which I think is just outrageously ridiculous! This month is half-way over and so far I've only spent $160. While the discounts in couponing has helped play a big part in that, it has helped that I am also more aware of what I buy. It kills me now to buy something without a coupon. Of course, sometimes I don't really have a choice in the matter, but more than likely I'm not going to buy that box of crackers that we really didn't even need! Here was my first true coupon adventure a couple weeks ago. Here is what I got:

All for $4.59!
How did I do it?

V8 Juice w Kroger card was on sale $2.49
-$.50 clipped coupon doubles
$1.49

Crescent Rolls w KC 10/$10
I had lots of coupons for when
you purchase 2 cans
$4.00
-$.50 loadable coupons
-$.50 another loadable coupon!!
-$.50 printable coupon which doubles!
-$.50 another which dbls!
-$.40 clipped coupon dbls
-$.40 another clipped dbls
-$.60 Yes, that's right I got credit!

Razors w KC were BOBO.
I had 2 coupons that were BOGO
too! 2 people I know of got
their razors absolutely free. I
didn't get so lucky though I'm
not complaining! Because I still
got a good deal. For some
reason my checker decided to
take $5.99 off the ones I was
purchasing.
$7.39
$6.99
-$5.99
-$5.99
$2.40 +2 Free!

And there you have it! My total savings was 91% -35.82