Once upon a time I was a major coupon shopper. Ever seen those women on TV that get $300 worth of groceries for $20? Yeah, I was one of those. I stockpiled so heavily that my wonderful husband built me a pantry, one that was highlighted by 5 shelves that were 8 ft long and 2 feet deep. It was a stockpiler's dream.
About a year ago I put down my coupon book and walked away. After really looking at the receipts, the time and effort put into it and the excessive junk food we were eating, I realized it wasn't worth it for us. There are tons of great deals out there, but I had a house to remodel and something had to give. For a large combination of reasons, it just didn't work for me any more.
Fast forward to the present. Stockpiles of canned and boxed foods were dwindling back down to our "normal" level (which is still much larger than most families, because I do stock up when I find good loss leaders). However, my craft and decorating supplies were growing faster than I could find a home for them. Instead of bringing home 75 cans of 25 cents soup, I began bringing home 75 quarts of 25 cents paint.
Although I could have easily said, "Honey I need a craft room," I didn't. I reorganized the space I had. That smaller stockpile fit well into my "craft shelves" and the craft supplies filled up all those pantry shelves. It was a win-win situation. The revelation came none too soon, because my craft supplies were spilling all over the house.
Do you have mis-used space?
It might be your best real estate asset!
Posted at DIY Day
I am with you on dropping the coupons. Over the past year, I've started eating "core foods", which do not usually have coupon offers. So, I ditched the cheap junk food and opted to look for good sales on veggies. I also reazlied the BJ's membership wasn't saving me much money, so I ditched that as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a couponer either. We just stay away from a lot of that food.
ReplyDeleteWanted to say hi and it will be fun to meet you in Nashville!
i am not a couponer either
ReplyDeletei know there is space that i am not using... since moving into the house in october i know i need to do more and make more space and i am sure i will
I am way to disorganized to be a couponer!
ReplyDeleteGlad you made good use of the
Already-there-storage.
Smiles, alice
I'm with Alice... IT seems like such hard work, but do need to shop more wisely...Good rearranging there! Lezlee
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about that the other day. The only coupons I ever see are for junkie stuff...maybe some chicken broth, toothpaste, or diapers here and there, but not many healthy things. Hmm....
ReplyDeleteI know about the coupons, me too. But, I have to empty space in our home, every inch is accounted for.
ReplyDeleteGreat inspiration as a lot of us are working on re-organizing and cleaning in the new year. Love & blessings from NC!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the coupons. They are good when a store has a special and you get something for a really good deal, but the constant fiddling with them seems like a waist of time. Since I started blogging we don't have food in the house anymore anyway, ha ha, so need for a pantry or coupons.
ReplyDeleteLove the reorganization and I'm with ya on the coupons. It's almost a fulltime job to be a really good couponer. I have a fulltime job and certainly don't need another one :-)
ReplyDeleteIf I have a coupon and need a product I'll use it but not having a coupon doesn't keep me from buying a product if I need it. I try to shop wisely but sometimes time is worth more! keep up the good work on organizing!!!
I guess I'm the opposite of the rest of you guys. I LOVE my coupons!! I sit down every week with my coupons and the sales ads and see what deals I can find. I usually do it while watching some sport on tv so really it's not time lost (because I would watch the game anyway).
ReplyDeleteLoving the reorganization!! I'm working on that in the basement right now. It's a huge task but I'm determined to get it done.
I am always going back and forth on the coupons. I seem to spend more with coupons. I would much rather have a great craft storage place! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteYou know me -- I can't put the coupons down! :) Your craft area looks great though!
ReplyDeleteI did that for awhile, it is time consuming and then when you get to the store it takes forever...I love the crafts much better!
ReplyDeleteWow. Thanks for the freedom to ditch the couponing madness. I started the journey last year, and it is very time consuming. I don't ever see the big savings that most tout, but I do shop wisely. This year being a commitment to healthier eating, most of the coupons don't fit what we need to be eating anyway.
ReplyDelete~Mari
I am big on coupons, but only for items we use. I hardly ever find coupons for the food we eat. I mainly use the coupons for household and health & beauty supplies.
ReplyDeleteSometimes you just gotta move things around a little bit for your needs! Worked out great that you just had to interchange the two areas.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW!!! I am a very frugal shopper, and I started down the coupon trail once or twice, but am so glad I rethought my grocery budget - value and price are two completely different things. If you like Velveeta and NearFoods you'll be happy in Coupon Land. If not, it's usually a losing proposition. I do still get the Sunday paper and clip several dollars worth for stuff we actually use, so a half-hour investment over coffee usually pays off. Beyond that, meh.
ReplyDeleteGood use of real estate - good for you!
Hey, Gina, thanks for stopping by & chiming in on that post. I think you will be fine using a nice soft aqua for your wall color. Take a look at Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams, it's a good one & I don't see those colors going out any time soon either. Good for you on the beadboard.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was a coupon queen & could figure out how to get all that stuff for so cheap, but I've never put in the time it takes either. I'll use coupons here & there, but don't spend a lot of time on it.
Are you kidding me? I'm reorganizing my whole house! Lol. I got tired of the stuff that just seems to collect in my closet and started organizing everything I can, however I can. One of my big goals this year is to clean up the clutter and organize the mess in and around my home.....so far its working. Sort of...lol
ReplyDeletemy best mis-used space turned into my art studio when MIL moved out in June. It's a wonderful bedroom, full of light, with an ensuite bathroom. I love it!
ReplyDeleteBut the rest of the house needs decluttering and organizing after years of family members moving in and out.
I've come to the same conclusion about coupons: too time consuming and not always nutritionally sound. Crafting is much more fun anyway, and good for the soul! :)
ReplyDelete