Say you, say me

So I had my first triple couponing experience today. It was...umm...sort of successful. I mean, I got a lot of deals and spent $35 on $149 worth of groceries, which was not bad for my first time through. I stocked up on some staples, like rice and kleenex and toothpaste, but I was disappointed that some of my information (gotten online, my own fault) was out of date so some of my best deals didn't actually exist. I learned a ton, however, about how to do it better next time, and now I've got a stash of coupons started for next time so I'll be better prepared. The tripling lasts through the weekend, so I may make another pass after I've sorted out my stash and verified prices at the store's own website (clever, that, huh?) so I can save time.

This morning's visit was complicated by a few factors, not the least of which was that I took J, and it was breakfast time for him. So he kept sucking on a bottle that was too full for him to actually lift up and drink until I padded the shopping cart seat with the seat cover and turned it into a little bed for him in which he could recline and drink as we rode around. He was much happier then, at least until he got a dirty diaper, and I made him sit in it until we were done (it was my last pass, promise!). Bad mommy! But I had fun because I met up with a couple of friends of mine there and we traded coupons and deal advice, which made the whole outing more enjoyable all around.

But here is what I have learned: I need more coupons! Not just more, but more of the ones I like. So it's back to the recycle bins weekly for me, it appears. I need to get on some sort of schedule so I maximize my time and minimize my exposure to the sun. One bin is near our church and is in the shade, so I can pull up there and leave J in the car with the AC on and the door open in the shade right next to the bin while I search, my favorite set up by far. There are others, but they are in less ideal places, requiring early morning or late evening runs. But, this is the only way, short of paying for coupons, and I'm not adept enough at this yet to make that worth my while.