Anti-coupons

As I mentioned in my last post, as one of my "extreme budgeting" measures I decided I would start looking at coupons. I think I'm officially letting myself off the hook for that one.

I got a bunch of coupons yesterday in the mail. I looked through the QFC stuff (my local grocery store) and the Valpak ones. What did I find at QFC? Stuff on sale that I shouldn't be buying anyway. For example, Special K bars are on sale. Unless they are selling them for about 5 cents a bar, it's still an unwise use of money. They are cereal bars that are so tiny they actually make you hungrier when you eat them. How could buying them possibly save you money??

The Valpak coupons are all for stuff I don't need to be spending money on anyway... mostly gourmet pizza places, and then I also got a Kohl's coupon. Ahh, the land of temptations!!!

But I have been good so far. I've only bought one designer coffee in the past week and I don't even miss it that much. And today I signed up for this women's luncheon thing rather than going to Chipotle Thursday so I could get free food. (And of course I also care about hanging out with other women engineers and stuff....)

Here's my 5th rule for the new, improved, Amy-budget:

5. Only take out the minimum amount at the ATM. Waaay back in undergrad I used to only take out $20 at a time. Once in a while, if I knew I was going out something, I'd get $40. When I started working, cash went faster and I didn't have an ATM near me so I'd get a minimum of $40, sometimes $60 or more. Here in Seattle for some reason the choices go $20, $30, $50, so I have always been getting $50. Not anymore!! If nothing else, it'll force me to go for a walk and get some exercise every time I spend $20. :)