Practically Speaking: 5 Reactions & Secrets to Couponing

Do you coupon?  What's your strongest reaction to the idea?  Coupons bring strong feelings to the surface:

1. Thrill: moving in for the kill.  The wide-eyed wonder of watching your bottom line disappear, pennies at a time.  Its you against the cash register.
2. Dread: the overwhelming work of it all.  The job is mundane, repetitive, and could make a sane woman loose her mind.
3. Guilt: mostly when you pay full price.  Once you're hooked, its hard to walk away from clipping your paper money.
4. Relief: stretching a tight budget even further.  Empowering to make your dollar work. 
5. Embarrassment: be honest, some folks judge.  Plus, some don't want to shop next to your tedious pace, nor get in line behind you at the cash register (solution: shop on senior discount days; you're more their pace). 

I confess, I do coupon.  These are 5 feelings I experience every single cycle of clipping and shopping.  Couponing is not my hobby.  I have never tried "extreme couponing"  In my little world, couponing is a necessity, and dare I say, a spiritual discipline.  Frugality, simplicity, stewardship, and all that.  On an average grocery trip, I "make" about $30/hour (including research, clipping, shopping, and putting groceries away).  That's good enough for now.  

Can you share any couponing secrets in the comments?   I need a few new ideas.  Planning gives me the peace of mind to be fully present for the task at hand, and not fully consumed.  Planning is freedom of heart.  A few secrets I've learned:

• Shop at your favorite store every time.  You'll know the prices, where to find items, and you will learn the coupon policies.
• Follow Coupon Mom.  Her book is sharp, her research spot on.  Get on the weekly email alerts.  Print the weekly database price sheets for your favorite store, and shop based on what is a good deal.
• Focus on a single product.  Commit to clipping and watching sales on laundry products only, or maybe meat, dairy, or beauty products.  Truthfully, I can't do it all.  But, I can handle one area.
• Dual ink your grocery list (uh-oh, my anal side is showing....).  Sometimes, a sale price is not the actual shelf price.  Girl, don't buy it if its not on sale AND you have a coupon!  Instead of sorting coupons in the aisle and deciding if it is a good price, I pull all coupons at home, based on Coupon Mom's weekly database.  My grocery item is written black for a normal, non-coupon item, and blue for a coupon item with the sale price.  Double check your research!  If it ain't a good deal, or the manager adjusted the sale price, keep walking.  Before stepping up to the cash register, sort your coupons one last time.

Book Review: Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook

Disclaimer: It takes a lot of courage to say Martha Stewart is my homekeeping hero, since many of my dearest friends would rather die than read a word by Omnimedia. Let me just say I love that her ideas, her recipes, her plans, always work the first time. No adjustment needed. Brilliant!

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook is the ultimate, hefty bible for more than you ever wanted to know. I suggest buying this book for those upcoming wedding showers, as it is sleek, beautiful, practical, and timeless. Hardbound and heavy enough to kill an intruder, illustrations and instructions are given for organization, cleaning, maintenance, and planning. The stress and money saved by properly caring for your possessions will be well worth the read, and well worth the gifting. The charts are easy to use, fully comprehensive, and are simple to follow. The black and white illustrations are beautiful enough to frame. If anything, let this guide help you create space to be in your lovely home. As the dedication states,

"To all mothers and daughters,

fathers and sons

who have a room, an apartment,

or a home to care for."  

That's pretty much all of us. By far, this is the best of Martha Stewart. My hero.

Practically Speaking: Special Menus

There are a few ideas that will not only save you money, but they will also enable you to give more easily of yourself. Adapting these for your own will create space for you to easily give of yourself--and enjoy doing it:

1. Master a simple repertoire of recipes: main dish, side, dessert.
2. Keep all basic ingredients on hand at all times.

Whether I have company drop in, a home bound friend, or a hankering to fellowship at my own table, it is much easier to be available when I already have a game plan. I'm a pretty simple cook, so I've used several recipes as my "company" recipes, often a hearty soup or easily transportable casserole. Make ahead for yourself to enjoy on those "off" days.

Keep your pantry well-stocked with necessary items. For me, this often means keeping a cake or brownie mix on hand, or making sure to keep my pantry items stocked. Nothing is more stressful than realizing I'm out of sugar--or eggs! A running grocery list on the fridge helps this. Don't be afraid to keep mixes or easy to prepare options on hand (frozen bread, soup mix, etc.), especially if you're comfortable adapting them into an even better recipe.

My Brain on Efficiency: Weekly Cleaning Chart

Confession: My brain has enough ADD patterns that I often loose my train of thought by walking into the next room (this probably isn't a shock to most of you). I'm the type to forget to finish my coffee, then forget I put it in the microwave to reheat...until I find it again the next day when repeating the pattern. Must. Focus. This weekly cleaning chart helps me track what needs to be done this week, plus brings a bit of satisfaction in striking off accomplishments. I recommend a big, red marker, for it is most satisfying:

	o Wipe surfaces, including sink, counter tops, the outside of the ventilation hood, fridge and cupboard doors, top of refrigerator, appliance exteriors, shelves, and furniture. Kitchen o Wipe the inside of the oven, microwave, and toaster oven. Kitchen o Flush drain with boiling water. Kitchen o Discard foods and beverages past their prime. Kitchen o Dust light fixtures. Kitchen o Wipe the inside and outside of trash and recycling bins. Kitchen o Vacuum and mop floor. Kitchen o Dust surfaces and objects, including furniture and light fixtures. Dining room o Vacuum upholstery and floor. Dining room o Fluff and rotate sofa cushions. Living room o Discard magazines and catalogs on coffee or side tables; store those you want to keep. Living room o Dust surfaces and objects, including furniture, light fixtures and electronics. Living room o Vacuum upholstery and floor. Living room o Sort through in-boxes: pay bills, file paid bills and paperwork. Office o Dust surfaces and objects, including furniture, light fixtures and electronics. Office o Vacuum floor. Office o Dust the tops and spines of books, shelves, and light fixtures. Library o Dust light fixtures. Entry and hallway o Launder machine-washable throw rugs and runners. Entry and hallway o Vacuum landing. Entry and hallway o Mop floors Entry and hallway o Change and launder sheets and pillowcases. Bedrooms o Fluff pillows and comforters. Bedrooms o Discard magazines and catalogs on side tables; store those you want to keep. Bedrooms o Dust surfaces, including furniture, objects, and light fixtures. Bedrooms o Empty trash. Bedrooms o Vacuum Bedrooms o Clean toilet, bathtub, shower, and sinks. Bathroom o Wipe mirrors. Bathroom o Change and launder bath mats, towels, and washcloths. Bathroom o Dust light fixtures. Bathroom o Empty trash bins, kitty litter. Bathroom o Vacuum and mop floors. Bathroom o Wipe hand and pet prints from windows and glass doors. Throughout o Sweep porch, stairs. Throughout o Water plants. Throughout o Carpet clean on small area. Throughout

Holiday Planner: 5 easy steps

Start the new year off with a plan to celebrate family and loved ones! Create your own holiday binder so that generous space is created for family milestones. With a centralized plan, traditions can be remembered and future ideas can be saved. Use your binder in the weeks leading up to, during, and following a holiday.

1. Buy a 3", 3-ring binder and 10 subject index tab system--or larger. Zip lock binder baggies are helpful for loose recipes and notes, too.
2. Label your index tabs in sequential order. I start with the church new year of Advent, but do what works for you. Try Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Valentines, Easter, Pentecost, Birthday, Gifts, Seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall).
3. Make a basic outline for each holiday (traditions, favorite foods, etc.). Re-use templates that help you plan ahead. Always make extra copies for next holiday!
4. During the holiday, check your plan and make adaptations as needed.
5. After the holiday, make notes of what worked, what didn't work, and if there is something you hope to add next year. Even a sticky note is a helpful memory jog 365 days from now!

Book Review: Simplify Your Holidays, Marcia Ramsland

While the last 8 weeks of holiday season are fresh in your memory, check out Simplify Your Holidays, by Marcia Ramsland. Find it on amazon.com for as little as $3.65, used. This system helps me remember details from year to year, plus offers flexible templates and customized plans. A bit of feedback:

AUTHOR: Ramsland is my home-making hero. I re-read her books for focused simplifying and practical organizing. Her website is helpful and streamlined.

FORMAT: Impractical because this is an odd, medium-sized, 3-ring binder. The rings in the original binding were quickly broken. Transferring the contents to my large, holiday binder was an easy solution. This lets me easily slip lists, copied templates, and annual updates into the binder chapters.

CONTENT: The thoughts are practical and simple to use. The templates are worth the price of the book, as there are four separate organization plans from which to choose. Pick what works for you this year, and you still have a solid game plan. Focusing your holiday vision into practical terms is a true life-saver.

MY FAVORITE: The templates! Can be copied, scanned, or edited. 

THE CATCH: The binding bugs me! Impractical.