A penny saved is a penny obsessed about
So I'm pretty much obsessed with saving money. Call it cheap, if you will. But I just consider myself extremely frugal.

Seriously, this is a hobby for me. I get great satisfaction from finding fabulous deals on just about anything and everything. I love shopping, but only when I am finding things on sale. I am a hardcore bargain-hunter. I hate parting with money unless I am positive I am getting the absolute best deal on whatever I am buying. I work really hard for the money I have, and I refuse to be taken advantage of when it comes to giving that money away in exchange for goods and services.

I get this from my parents. My mom, especially. I've been cutting coupons out of the Sunday paper pretty much since I was old enough to be allowed to play with scissors. I remember my mom's Coupon Envelope, and our massive trips to the grocery store when I was younger, during which we would completely fill up the shopping cart, then hit the checkout line. After all of the groceries had passed over the scanner, my mom would then deposit a hefty stack of coupons for the cashier to ring through.

On my own, I don't buy massive quantities of groceries like we did for the family. But, I still collect coupons, and proudly turn them in to the cashier so I can save a few bucks each time I hit the grocery store.

It is SO satisfying.

So you may be asking, "Just how obsessed is she?" Well, I will tell you.

I hate WalMart. But, it is the cheapest place to buy all the essentials: groceries, toiletries, household tools and whatnot. So, about every two months, I make an enormous WalMart list, I gather all of my coupons, and I spend anywhere from 1-2 hours at WalMart, filling a cart full of cheap goodness. By the time I am headed to the checkout lines, my cart is overflowing. BUT, I know I am saving a lot of money somewhere down the road.

And I know I will not have to set foot back in a WalMart for at least another two months.

I buy offbrand groceries as much as possible. I do have some standards for quality that I cannot sacrifice on some items. But for the most part, the generic can of green beans is the same quality of green beans as any name brand, and it is four cents cheaper. It all adds up, my friends.

I buy in bulk. If I have a coupon that requires buying two items to save 35 cents, I will do it. Even knowing it will take me the better part of the next 6 months to use up one of the items, let alone both items. Over those 6 months, I have saved almost a dollar. I buy toilet paper by the case, even though it is more money to shell out up front than if I buy it only as I need it. But, in three months, I will have saved 50 cents. And... it all adds up. SO satisfying...

I only buy clothes on sale or clearance, if at all possible. Go shopping and pick out the stuff you like at any store, then wait a few weeks and go back to get it when it's sitting on the sale rack. In my personal opinion, NOTHING is worth full price. It is the same item when it is later marked down 50%, plus you have cash left to buy something else.

I generally have an ongoing list of stuff I want or need, either for my house or wardrobe or whatever. For each item I will have a price in mind that I am willing to pay for that item. Then I just keep an eye out for it to reach that price, someday, somewhere. It makes shopping kind of exciting. You never know when you will find that bargain or what item on the list it might be. It pays off to always be on the alert for discounts.

Sometimes, however, I get so obsessed that I get frustrated. I do everything I possibly can to save a buck or two. Like, last year I decided that I don't use my home phone enough to justify paying $30 a month for it. So, I cancelled it.

Of course, at the same time my mortgage payments went up a lot more than the $30 saved from the cancelled phone. But, it was something.

This year I am obsessed with saving on my electricity bill. But it is not going as well as I had hoped. I switched from TXU to Gexa, because Gexa promised me lower rates and American Airlines miles. I'm all for getting extra stuff, in addition to saving money. But so far, my last three months of electric bills are about $10 more than they were at this time last year.

I've even started replacing all of my household lightbulbs with those energy saving flourescent lightbulbs that are supposed to save tons of money over time.

Yet, each month when I get my bill, I am broken hearted that I do not seem to be getting any fabulous savings from all of my energy efficient measures.

My next step is to evaluate the insulation situation in my attic. SOMETHING has to work to get my electricity bill down. I will not be defeated. I WILL SAVE MONEY!

I'm also obsessed with gas prices. This is what I do in the car, whether I am driving myself around alone, or if I am with others.

"Ooh, look! Gas is only $2.98 there!"
"Wow, $3.10? I found it for $2.89 yesterday."

You know how some people ride around and read signs? I ride around and announce my gas price findings for the day. I stare out the window, hoping to see a secluded gas station that is not in the main flow of traffic, and that is selling gas for 20 cents cheaper than anywhere else. I am so sad when I HAVE to fill up because I am about out of gas, I find the cheapest gas I can find at the moment, and then as I drive away and round a corner, I find it cheaper. GAH!!

I am on CONSTANT gas price watch. I will drive a few extra streets for cheaper gas if I know it is there. I am obsessed with finding the cheapest gas possible, because the whole gas price fluctation and ridiculously high prices just makes me angry. We are helpless to do anything about it. We are at the mercy of the gas people. So, I will take it upon myself to not pay any more than I absolutely have to, to keep my Jeep running. And I will tell everyone where I find the cheapest gas, so that they can save money, too.

I am also sadly considering giving up the Jeep in search of a more practical car. But, I'm not sure I can really give her up. I love her so much. But, it is SO tempting to save money with a more practical car.

What else do I do to feed my obsession? Well, let's take a look.

1. I bring my lunch to work most days. I have no problems eating ham sandwiches for five days in a row, or eating leftover for lunch and dinner all week.
2. I feel like I have saved a million dollars on gas if I don't drive anywhere for lunch or run errands during my lunch hour.
3. I am refusing to use the Tollway to get to and from work, if at all possible. I have to leave for work a few minutes earlier to take side roads, but the satisfaction of sticking it to the Tollway Man by not paying to drive that day? AWESOME.
4. I don't consider myself much of a cook, but I eat at home most nights. It saves tons of money over eating out or grabbing fast food.
5. When I first started my blog here on Blogger, I refused to pay for the upgraded account so that I could include photos, etc. I kept the simple, free blog. Now, 2.5 years later, I can upload photos for free! HA!

The goodness of saving money never ends.

C.T.