My newest love!!!

OK, I will probably not live this down, but I am now addicted to (drumroll.....) coupons! Yes, you read that right. Coupons. I now have a plastic filofax thingy in my purse that has a bunch of coupons in it ... divided out by grocery, department store, specialty store, and separate files for gift cards I have gathered for free based on purchases made recently...with coupons.

For you non-believers, the mom of my daughter's school chum told me about this website that drills down on all the supermarket sales ads, as well as consolidates the coupons in the Sunday papers, and posts a weekly "list" for your store on how to best maximize your coupons. It's www.thegrocergame.com and I went on as a lark. Read all the fine print. Scoured it. Found the deal...first month for a buck.

Well, surely I could save a dollar in the month to make up for the fee. I signed up. I scrolled through the lists. I compared to the coupons I always clip (just for the things we NORMALLY buy...I'm not one to feed my family what's on coupon sale, I will just take advantage of coupons for what we normally consume). Since the list is color-coded to hightlight best buys and freebies, it really caught my attention. Turns out I had some coupons and there were some sales that coincided to create a tsunami of savings.

Off to the store I went, where I saved almost 30% on things I was going to buy anyhow. To top it off, I got triple coupon savings I didn't know about without The List, as well as MONEY BACK! Now, who doesn't love money back.

The month doesn't end for two more weeks, but I will tell you right now that I have probably saved almost $100 on groceries by following this list and shopping at a couple stores instead of my regular haunts. I will report back on Dec. 8... the end of the $1 trial period.

I'd love to write more, but I have a coupon for $1 off Mrs. Smith's pies and I need to head up to the store and get a couple for Thankgiving. Saving money...that's living!

A Change in the Weather

Wow. The Dow is not the only thing falling rapidly around here. The mercury plummeted mid-evening as a front of frosty wind blew in from the north. The bright blue sky and ton of sun we had this afternoon made me think it was warmer than it really turned out to be...When I left the warmth of my kitchen to head up the hill to pick up the kids, the wind hit me like a cold slap. I had to go back in and grab a sweater. Tonight it is suppose to freeze. As Robert reminded me, "It is November." Time to pull out the winter jammies, make some tea and make a fire in the den.

Just looked at my email. My editor of almost 20 years (!) informed me that as of Nov. 25, DNR (Daily News Record) will cease to publish. Women's Wear Daily will pick up and incorporate the men's news. Another Wow. DNR has been a mainstay of Seventh Avenue for a century. I have loved talking with the menswear designers and retailers over the years. What does all this mean for the dissemination of information? Jean told me she would call in the a.m. to discuss. Sad day for such a venerable paper. And I wonder aobut my friends who have worked there forever. More info tomorrow. Change is hard. Whether it is change in publishing or change in the weather.