January Savings

Like a lot of people, I downloaded the Savings Tracker from The Coupon Project last December. I wasn't sure if I was going to use it or not, but I figured at least I'd have it if I chose to try it. Well, I did choose to try it. For some odd reason I decided to keep all of my January receipts. This is so not like me. I normally shred them about as quickly as I get them, but I was glad I didn't a few times last month. For example, most of the Walgreen's in my area have decided to alter their Catalina coupon generator so that you don't get your dollars off your next order register rewards if you use coupons to lower your out of pocket costs. I called the Catalina corporation to find out I should've gotten the rewards and by giving them the receipt numbers, I got them in the mail. It was totally worth it! Now I have a small binder that only has receipts, gift cards, and my cash. This way I can keep them all in one place.

So, this is how I did for January:

January-at-a-Glance
Total Shelf Cost:			$ 1,199.97
Total Coupon Savings:			$ 207.94			Variance:		$ (738.49)
Total Savings:			$ 461.48			Tax Paid		$23.67
Amount Paid (after rebates):			$ 738.49			Rebates Owed:		$ -
Savings Rate:			38.46%			Amount Paid (exc. Rebates)		$ 738.49

Wow, what a difference coupons and strategic shopping can make! I saved over $400 for the month alone! These amounts were including the times I gassed up the car, purchasing newspapers, and dining out. Really, it's not so bad at all! I'm pleased with these results and hope the numbers get bigger, which I think they will.