$42 ? Right!

I'm pretty new to the whole "couponing" thing. I've used them once or twice, but had a new vigor after attending a couponing class last December. I'm going at it gradually, mainly because I didn't take the time to go full force. Living rurally creates a disadvantage in my opinion. I don't always get the Sunday paper, and the times I have it doesn't seem like there was much in them. Regardless, I had my binder with coupons in it, sorted and ready. After work yesterday I did the unthinkable and made a spontaneous shopping trip. A crude list and no real plan. I didn't even know what was on sale where...all I knew is, I had to go get milk. A stop at the mailbox gave me my grocery ads, so a 2 minute glance at my favorite stores and I had a plan. Pretty good sales. Okay, so I only had to drive 20 miles instead of 35! Yeah! Not wanting to go on an empty stomach I swung through McD's and grabbed dinner then to the store where I ate my dinner in the parking lot as I browsed through my coupons looking for the sale items. Bummer....I didn't have what I wanted, but I did have a bunch of coupons due to expire in two days. I stuffed those coupons in my envelope (that had my list written on it) and then quickly sorted them according to the layout of the store (this helps me!). Into the store and picked up all on my list and several of the sale items. My cart was full, top and bottom! I kept a tally as I went through the store so as not to go over the amount of cash I had. I went to the checkout and my total was only $121! I had saved $42 between my coupons and my store rewards! YAY! That's a tank of gas! Of course as a newbie couponer, we get super excited when we make a "great deal"! My great deal of the day was Suave deodorant, te store had it for 99 cents, and I had a 50 cent coupon, the store doubles, so they owed me a penny! I had four coupons so I made a haul on the deodorant! I had some others that I got for just a few cents, but that was my top deal! Not bad for a spontaneous trip. I'm looking forward to the Sunday paper, since so many were expiring that must mean we are going to have good coupons coming up! Now....let's eat!