I wanted to take the time and share a little about myself now that I have taken a couple of weeks and familiarized myself with the forums a little.
I currently live in MB though I plan on settling down on the East Coast in the next couple of years. I am a military wife. My husband is currently serving his 34th year in the Canadian Air Force and plans to retire in the next couple of years.
I am originally from England, though I have been in Canada now for 12 years and have had the pleasure of living in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and now Manitoba and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to see so much of this beautiful country.
We share our home with multiple furbabies, many of which are rescues. They bring so much to our lives and nothing can turn a day around as quickly as being snuggled and nuzzled by the furkids.
In preparation for retirement I have begun couponing so I can learn more about it. I had considered it for a while but never really got into it until the show extreme couponing. Do I want to mimic the show? Probably not though I do understand that if you put a lot of effort into couponing, the savings can be wonderful. The end of May was when I attempted my first multi coupon shopping day, and I ended up saving $222. My favourite moment was Safeway when my original total was 310 dollars and my after sales/coupons total was 170. It took a bit of planning but was so worth it and the high I got from it was infectious. Even my hubby was excited and I am blessed to have a husband who is extremely supportive of my couponing.
The money I save each month, I am putting aside for the retirement as there will be a few months (until Pension kicks in) when there will be little to no income in the home and I aim to have set aside enough money to live on during those times.
I am also beginning to plan a stockpile so that we may have as little outlay as possible during that time. It's a gimme that Bathroom Tissue, Paper Towels, Tissues, Soap, Body Wash, Hair Care products and so forth, can keep a long time but I am still learning about which foods can be stockpiled safely for a time. The couponing efforts I will be making, will be for our every day groceries, and stockpiling for the retirement. Any tips and advice on the stockpiling would be greatly appreciated!
I do get coupons from wherever I can. Save.ca, websaver.ca, brandsaver.ca, gocoupons.ca and tear pads. I don't take many from the tear pads. I followed someone elses example and I just take 3 unless it's something I use a lot of and even then I am conservative in my coupon taking. I understand that many people have a bad opinion of coupons and people who use them, but I find that most people I interact with when using the coupons, are okay with it. I think a great part of that is down to attitude. I am very polite and I warn other customers behind me in line that I am going to be using a few coupons in case there are people in a rush. If the person behind me has only a few items, I also let them go first.
The coupons I get from save.ca and so forth, I order all of them, even when I don't use them. They are great for friends who can use them, and for those who are local to me (or even in other provinces when there are a couple of months until expiry) I am always happy to share them or trade them. The ones I don't use are usually including baby products, children's products, cosmetics, diabetic, lactose intolerant, and food products that I simply don't and won't use.
I look forward to being an active member here at Smart Canucks and want to thank you all for the welcomes that I have had, the tips and hints, and the really informative posts that have helped me transition so easily into a life with coupons! It is truly valued and I look forward to learning so much more from you guys.
I hope you have a fantastic weekend.
Happy Couponing!
Char
