Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge: Getting antsy
We invite you to join us! Please read the rules of the challenge first.
At the beginning of the challenge, I posted my goals for the challenge, as did my co-hosts (here are theirs: Going Green Mama, Shopper Strategy, Midnight Maniac, Mrs. Happy Homemaker). And in the last two weeks, I've posted update #1 and update #2.
I'm getting a little ansty for the challenge to be over already! Although I've enjoyed my break from couponing and deal shopping, I'm more than ready to get back into the thick of things. (Actually, I cheated a little by making a quick trip to CVS yesterday.) And my menu plan is getting a little monotonous.
The break has given me a little clarity about how I want to go about doing my deal shopping, though. This is my approximate planned schedule:
- Sunday - shop at CVS, Walgreens, and Winn-Dixie. Too often, the great deals at the drug stores, especially free items and moneymakers, are gone by the time I go shopping on Monday or Tuesday. As for Winn-Dixie, I am already near that store every Sunday due to a regular commitment; shopping that day will keep me from making an extra trip.
- Monday - plan for the big grocery trip on Tuesday. Also, plan one week in advance for Publix, CVS, and Walgreens. Again, all too often, there are printable coupons available for items, but when I go to print them out, there are no more prints available. Planning early for those stores will help me get the coupons I need.
- Tuesday - shop at Publix, ALDI, and one of my local grocery stores which has good deals on produce.
- Thurday - shop at any other stores where there might be good deals, such as Target, and plan for the Winn-Dixie trip on Sunday.
Speaking of February, I'd like to announce my February challenge: The Drugstore Bootstrap Challenge! I'm starting with $5 for both CVS and Walgreens, and throughout the month, I'll try to purchase as many items as I can, hopefully without adding any new money to the pot. To do this, I'll combine coupons with store deals to generate Extra Care Bucks at CVS and Register Rewards at Walgreens, which I'll then use toward new deals. I'll post complete information about the challenge in the next couple of days.
Have you been participating in the Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge? Leave a comment about your experiences so far. Or, if you're a blogger, link to your post about the challenge below!
I hope you found this post to be helpful! If you'd like to learn more about frugal living, couponing, freebies, and deals, please subscribe to the Frugal Follies newsletter, become a fan on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
2 comments:
If you don't have time to go to your Drug store on Sundays-really a challenge-it's helpful to know what day their truck comes in with new stock, so you can go back and shop when the shelves have been restocked.
Okay, I have been eating out of the pantry/freezer as much as possible but that hasn't stopped me from buying... I do not want to pass up a good deal at Rite Aid to earn free UPS! I have been buying a lot of things to use in February and March, actually. For me, this challenge has just forced me to think out my purchases more than normal.
Post a Comment