My Adventures in Couponing

In my post about extreme couponing a few months ago, I said that I would be content to just be a regular couponer, not an extreme one. While my kids now call me an extreme couponer, I like to think of myself as having reinvented my couponing strategies. Why the need to reinvent? Well, a couple of reasons. For the last 12 year or so I have clipped coupons occasionally and mostly used them for my grocery shopping trips to Kroger. Kroger would double coupons up to 50 cents and triple coupons up to 39 cents. So if I had a coupon for 35 cents off of a jar of relish, and it was on sale for $1, the coupon tripled to $1.05, and I got the relish for free. Since TLC started showing Extreme Couponing, many people have begun to abuse the system, clearing shelves of items, holding up check out lines with stacks of coupons, and probably costing the store too much in labor and revenue. So as of last month the Krogers in my area discontinued their policy of doubling and tripling coupons. I was not at all happy about this.

The other reason I felt the need to revamp my coupon system is our need for Disney vacations. For our family a trip to Disney World is the most perfect way to take a break from our busy lives and enjoy having fun together. There is a level of service, friendliness, cleanliness, and magic that I just haven't seen anywhere else. Last week we booked our first Disney Cruise for the fall of 2012. While Disney vacations can be more affordable than many people think, taking our family of six on a big vacation requires some saving and careful planning. And since I do not have a job that brings in a paycheck, I am contributing to our vacation savings account by saving the family more money through couponing.

I used to buy one double Sunday newspaper and clip the coupons that I thought I might use. Now I will buy two double papers and clip all of the coupons. You never know when a deal will be available to get something for free, and if it is not something I need I can give it to someone who does. I don't normally eat Raisin Bran, but I had coupons and combined them with a sale yesterday that made them $1 a box. I bought 4 boxes and will donate them to the St. Vincent de Paul food bank at church. I don't normally purchase Bayer aspirin, but combining my coupons and a store sale I got 4 bottles for free. I also used to keep my coupons in a small coupon holder that would fit in my purse. Now I have put together a 3-ring zipper binder with clear sleeve coupon organizers divided into more than 20 categories. It is so much easier to find the coupons I'm looking for when a deal becomes available. One of the boys now refuses to go shopping with me if I bring that big green binder along!
I stumbled upon the perfect web site for the couponing Disney fan - Couponing to Disney www.couponingtodisney.com . It is based on using your coupon savings to pay for your Disney trips, so I was immediately hooked. While I don't use all of the suggestions on the site, I have picked up some helpful tips. I have started shopping at CVS and Walgreens since I discovered that I can get many things for free or less than $1 using Extra Care Bucks and Register Rewards (like shampoo, razors, and toothpaste). The website also posts great deals at other stores and on Disney themed deals as well as information on rebates.
So while I still do not consider myself extreme, I have been surprised to find that with a little extra work (3-5 hours a week) I have been able to save a lot more money.

Our Latest Disney Adventure

We just couldn't pass up Disney's free dining offer in September, so it was time for a trip. Nick, Zack and I met up with my mom for a quick 4 day visit to WDW. The weather was gorgeous, the crowds were light, and the "world" was magical as usual. Even though we always visit some of our favorite places and attractions (Soarin, Finding Nemo the Musical, Toy Story Manis, fireworks at the Magic Kingdom to name a few), I also like to try new things each trip. Here are some of the new things we did this year:

1 - stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort

2 - arrived at EPCOT at opening and saw 7 characters within 20 minutes

3 - watched O Canada and Reflections of China in circle vision

4 - ate at the revolving Garden Grill in the Land

5 - visited with Buzz and Woody in the air conditioning at Pixar Place

6 - enjoyed an entertaining meal at the 50's Prime Time Cafe

7 - rode the new Star Tours II

8 - rode the WDW Railroad around the Magic Kingdom

9 - got Gepetto's autograph

10 - ate delicious Italian food at Tony's Town Square

Something I got to do without this trip was pushing a stroller or carrying a backpack. It felt so light and free! Speaking of no stroller, I was a little worried about leaving Luke at home for the first time, but he did great. Of course I'm already planning our next vacation - maybe a Disney Cruise in 2012! We are already saving and putting money away in our vacation account for that one.

It's Time for a Little Pixie Dust!

School is back in full swing. So is soccer practice, dance lessons, and Boy Scouts. That means it's time for our next trip to the happiest place on earth! Next week at this time I will be staking out a spot to watch Fantasmic!

This time the trip will be a little different. Normally we enjoy doing everything together, but only some of us will be going. Earlier this year my husband and 8-year-old went to Disneyland by themselves for a special birthday trip. I will now be going with the 10 and 12-year-olds. Also we are excited that my mom is joining us. Back in May when Disney announced a special package with the free dining plan, we decided that it was our turn. The meals at WDW are some of our favorite things there, so it was the perfect deal.

The one thing I am worried about is leaving the 16-month-old at home. He is still nursing, and I have never left him before. I have no doubt that my husband will take wonderful care of him, but he is very attached to both of us, so I'm anxious to see how he does. On the other hand this means not only a trip to my absolute favorite vacation destination, but a few days to have a break from high demands of having a toddler around. We also know that he would not enjoy waiting in line for rides, and he is not quite old enough to really get the magic of seeing all of the characters. Sure he likes to see Mickey Mouse in books or pictures or on TV, but I think he would be scared of them in person. The next time we go he will be just the right age to appreciate all of the magic and be a little more up for the excitement of it all.

We have a couple more days of school before it's time to pack. It is hard for all of us to concentrate when the boys ask randomly throughout the day things like "What is your favorite thing in all of Disney World?" or "What are we going to ride first at Hollywood Studios?" or "What is your favorite show?". Needless to say, this trip has been or main topic of conversation, and we can't wait to get there!

School Is Back in Session (Sort of...)

I decided to try starting school a little differently than I have in the past. I like to start in late July or early August because it is too hot to do anything outside, and then we finish in early May. Since Zack and Michael have 2 weeks of theater camp, I decided to start with Nick by himself. That gives me a chance to get him started on his own and give him some extra attention. Many times he feels like he has to wait around on my to work with his younger brothers before he can get some time with me to go over his school work, so this is nice for both of us. It also gives me a chance to finish getting my school room organized before I get going with all of them. It is hard for me to believe Nicholas is starting 7th grade (and taller than me)! It feels like just last year we were working on Kindergarten.

Other upcoming events for our house - Zack and Michael will be in a play about pirates at the end of their camp. It will be fun to see what they have learned. Soccer season is coming up, so we will start practicing soon. In September I'm heading to Disney World with Nick, Zack, and my mom. We can't wait!