Living Smart Starting with 40 dollars and 40 cents

Tax season brings out a lot of emotions for people. Some are excited for getting some extra dough. Some dread it because of having to cough up said dough. For Tim and I, it was a time to really reflect on our finances. We both have full time jobs and are mostly smart with our money but now that we have a new car, we needed to get more strategic about where to spend it.

So I made it my mission to start making smarter choices in my spending and I knew one of the biggest ways to do that was through grocery shopping.

I'll be honest. My hubby usually does the grocery shopping. He enjoys it and he is faster at it. I don't hate shopping but I do get distracted and sometimes I make impulse purchases. But not this time. No way, Jose!

I started by clipping coupons that we receive every week in the paper. I only clipped coupons that were things that we usually buy or I wanted to try. I think this is a big key to not getting sucked into getting things that you don't need. Once I had my coupons and my biggest weapon, my bonus card, I hit the store. Well I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with my savings.

That's right! I saved $42 bucks. It wasn't my only savings either. Our grocery store (Giant) is doing a special gas deal where you earn points towards money off your gas. And you read the bottom of that receipt right! In addition to the money saved, I also received an extra .30 off gas onto my existing .10 for a total of .40 cents off per gallon for up to 30 gallons. We have been using that special for awhile and its been great to save money every time we fill up. Needless to say, I was excited. All it took was a little extra planning and a little more time at the store looking at all the brands and store sales. It was worth it. I wasn't the only one excited.

Okay, maybe he didn't really care. :)

I know this may not seem like a huge step but to me it is. If I am able to save 40 dollars a month on groceries, that is an extra $480 in my pocket. And if I can do it, you can as well!

So what have you done lately to save a buck or two? Any one have any tips on ways to save at the grocery store? Don't worry- I'm not going extreme shopper on you but I am totally going to put a little more effort into my groceries.