coupons, coupons, coupons

OK so I went to FHE tonight. I usually never go (because I hate it) but I also have very few friends in my new ward so I need to make an effort to be social. And, we'd been informed that a coupon guru was coming to teach us how to use coupons. I had to go to hear this crazy coupon lady speak.

I show up, and there are two coupon people there, both from my home ward. One is Stephanie, my young women's president growing up, and the other is a man whom I don't know. He calls himself Captain Coupon. Amazing.

I hate using coupons, with a few exceptions I'll get to in a minute. I assumed you'd spend hours cutting coupons and getting newspaper ink all over your hands to save about four bucks a month. And, quite frankly, I think it's embarrassing to use coupons. Little did I know the extent to which coupon clipping can save you money grocery shopping. This man and woman claim to save 80-90% of their grocery costs in coupons. Captain Coupon's all-time record is getting a $400+ grocery bill down to less than $20. There are apparently three types of coupons you can use in conjunction with one another: manufacturer coupons, competitor coupons, and doubling coupons (they merely double the savings up to 50 cents from the other coupons you're using). The right combination can bring your food items to a negative balance and help offset the cost of other food items in your cart. Grocery stores will not actually give you the money if you're left with a negative balance (as Captain Coupon once was) but will insist you buy more groceries. Basically these coupon gurus are feeding their families on little to no money and I find that quite impressive.

Now to the coupons I already know I like:

• Costco, in general, has some great coupons every month or quarter or however often they send them


• Banana Republic will give you 20% off one item if you fill out a customer survey online attached to your receipt


• Bed, Bath & Beyond has those 20% off coupons every now and then


• JoAnn Fabrics (and other craft stores) usually have coupons sitting by the door as you come in

Maybe, after FHE tonight, more coupon clipping will make its way into my grocery shopping. Does anyone know if Trader Joe's and Whole Foods accept competitor coupons? In any case, this was hands down the best FHE I've ever been to. So entertaining. And thanks heavens I was sitting next to Diana for continuous under-our-breath dialogue, because I simply could not text Kirst and Linds fast enough about Stephanie's appearance as the coupon Guru.