Coupons

I have been trying to figure out the whole meal planning and grocery shopping thing for a while now. It got so bad that I just didn't know what to cook for about three months. I think, however, that I am finally out of my slump. I have a list of our regular dinner meals on hand to choose from and I am working on a staple list so that I am not running out of the regulars when I need them the most. But there is something else that I have been trying out lately and it is something that has stumped me for years. You guessed it .. Coupons.

There's been a lot of talk around the blogosphere about the drugstore game and couponing (like that? ... it has become a verb, its not just a noun anymore!). However its still something that eludes me a bit. Organizing them in order to be able to use them without fumbling around trying to find the right one or forgetting to use them at all has been the hardest part. Then there's the whole thing about finding the stuff that you actually use. Wow there's a ton to it. I did have some success on a recent shopping trip. I was able to save about $10 on a bill that should have read $110, so I only spent about $100. I even got things I needed! Milestones right?? I'm working on it tho. Slowly. Just getting to that point where I understand their uses and can get some good stuff is a wonderful feeling.

How about you? Are you using coupons or doing the drugstore game? How successful have you been? Tell me your story.