Non-Extreme Couponing

I don't buy cartloads of toothpaste.  Even if it's free.  Why?  Two reasons really.  First, I don't have a need for cartloads of toothpaste and second, the amount of time required to line things up in order to be able to buy cartloads of free toothpaste takes time that I don't have.  With the advent of shows like "Extreme Couponing" everyone seems to view couponing as a full time job or nothing at all.  But there is another way.  I like to call it "Non-Extreme Couponing" or "Couponing for the Rest of Us."  Perhaps you already have a job.  Or maybe you have children and a house to clean and stuff like that.  There is hope for you.  And me.

Yesterday I went to the grocery store and I walked out paying $55.  Here's what I bought:

3 bottles of Garnier Fructis Shampoo
1 bottle of Garnier Fructis Conditioner
3 boxes of Kellogg's Caramel Nut Cereal
2 gallons of milk
1 gallon of Sunny D
1 package of 45 strong paper plates
1 package of 6 paper towel rolls
1 bunch of bananas
1 bag of apples
1 cucumber
1 bunch of celery
1 bag of Hearts of Romaine
1 can of asparagus tips
2 cans of sloppy joe sauce
1 package of hamburger buns
1.5 lbs of course ground beef
3 bags of Birds Eye Frozen Vegetables
4 boxes of Idaho Spuds potato gems
2 cans of Wilderness Cherry Pie Filling
2 cans of Wilderness Apple Pie Filling
2 frozen pie crusts
4 Oscar Meyer Lunchables
1 LARGE 2lb.10oz. container of Old Fashioned Oats
8 - 1 liter bottles of Powerade
4 - 5 ct. Alegra 24 Hr. Allergy Relief

Now this is far and away not my "best" shopping trip ever.  This is just an average shopping trip.  It contains lots of items that I had no coupons for and which were not on sale.  And yet I still managed to pay less than 40% of what the groceries were worth.  How did I do it?  That will be the subject of the next page that I am adding to the blog..."Non-Extreme Couponing."  I will be working on it over the next few weeks and plan on having it completed in May.