a totally awesome trip to target.

yesterday i broke one of my biggest shopping rules: i went to target for "just one thing". this is a pretty big deal since, you know, ive worked really hard on getting us on a schedule of going to target once every three weeks. but i really, really needed a new datebook, right now, and we were a good week away from an actual target trip for diapers and cheese (i dont know why but the target sliced cheese is way cheaper than the grocery store sliced cheese).

so alice and i went to target for just a datebook. im really picky about my datebook, it needs to be cute, compact, and have both a weekly and monthly planner in it, but thankfully the first one i looked at was perfect and it came with a nifty desk calendar perfect for scheduling my blog posts (no matter how hard i try and do it on ical or write it on paper, i just have to write it out, on a calendar or i cant stick with it). i was also really happy to find a new weekly to-do list pad in the dollar section, because mine is running out of pages. and so we were done. mission accomplished. i even managed to avoid buying alice candy. we can go home now. 

except, of course i wasnt going to something as terribly inefficient as taking alice to target for one thing. thats just not how i roll. at least, thats not how new and improved uber-efficient to-do list master victoria rolls. i also got all the rest of that stuff in the picture. for free.

see earlier this week couponmom.com said there was going to be a TON of stuff at target that was free after coupons. well, coupon mom (in addition to having a terribly designed and impossible to navigate website) isnt always very accurate (at least in southern california), so i double checked. and most of the target printable coupons she mentioned didnt exist (or were regional). BUT all of the deals with manufacturers coupons were legit. so i got eight folders (which i actually need for work and my upcoming gig teaching at my churchs homeschool co-op), two packs of pens, two packs of razors, AND six bottles of shaving cream. for sales tax. all i payed for were the datebook and notepad. it was awesome. 

i posted a picture of my haul on instagram, and accidentally fell down the rabbit hole of tags and got a glimpse into the world of extreme couponing (apparently people trade and SELL coupons through instagram. seriously). and i realized something: i am SO not one of those people. i mean, i LOVE finding deals and cutting corners to save us money and make our life more comfortable, but i have WAY more important things to do than go to the same store four times a week and buying 75 tv dinners. i mean its great if youre into that, but thats just not how we want to live, and thats DEFINITELY not how we eat. 

so i got an idea. im working on starting a semi-regular feature of completely normal ways to save money on groceries. because while i totally believe that most people are spending too much, i KNOW that there isnt one foolproof method to grocery shopping (which, by the way, is exactly what EVERY money saving blog or book says). so stay tuned. im really excited about this.