For many of us 2012 was a year of changes. Many people lost their jobs, some found new ones others are still looking. Maybe you welcomed a new addition to your family or sent an older one off to college. What worked in 2012 may not work in 2013 and what didn’t work in 2012 needs to be changed to something that does!
Personally I want to start 2013 off on a good note- I want to have a successful 2013. So I thought over the next week or so I’d share some of the things I plan on doing to make sure 2013 is a banner year for my strategic couponing.
First, I am going to analyze 2012. What items did I overstock on? What items did I not stock enough of? Where did I blow my budget?
Then I will decide for 2013. If you are expecting a new addition to your family- you may want to add to your budget. Diapers and formula can be very expensive. If you are sending a child to college- maybe you need to transfer some grocery budget out and into the “college” fund. It would be better to have too much in your grocery budget and be able to lower it than try to squeeze all you need into too low budget. That will feed frustration and isn’t a good start to 2013.
Then write it down. That is why I post Tuesday Totals. I don’t really expect you to be interested in what I buy or what I spend but when I have to show my success or failure each week with over 10,000 friends- it makes me stick to my goal. You don’t need to share it with anyone but having it in writing – even just on the fridge- keeps up accountable.
Make a list. Knowing what your family eats and uses is very important. I suggest making a master list of all the items your family uses routinely. For example my list would include things like canned tomatoes, chicken broth, pasta, A1 steak sauce, cereal, oatmeal, and about a thousand other items! These are the items we stockpile when they go on sale. Make a side list of the items you tried but just didn’t work for your family. Unless these are free & you can donate them- don’t buy them!
Take Inventory: With another week of no coupons this is a great time to take inventory of what you have. Check expiration dates of all the products on your shelves. Anything expiring within 15 days either gets used this week or gets donated today. Anything you have too much of gets donated or given away. Wipe down shelves & get organized.
Are you just starting on the Coupon Train? Here are some ideas for you to get ready for 2013 and to REALLY start saving!
-Make your master list. What do you buy week after week? These are the items you need to stockpile.
-Set your budget. This is a good post to help walk you through reducing your spending while still stockpiling (Click here)
-Think about your shopping loyalties. A good post about breaking loyalties: Click here.
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