Coupon Crazy

As I have mentioned before, I have started into the coupon thing. I just wanted to share one tool that really is helping me out. First off, this website www.pinchingyourpennies.com is pretty informative. They have a great idea of what they call a price book. I am really starting to use mine a lot. (I just used one of those fat lil notebooks so I can keep it in my purse all the time.) They have their deals in a 3 star, 4 star and 5 star system. 3 star being a medium okay price and 5 star is a killer, stock up deal. So this is how it works. It has about 150 items broken down into the 3 different prices, and then you have blank pages to add your own items. Today for example, I noticed Albertson's has Doritos on sale Buy1Get1 Free $3.99, which makes them $2/bag. This has to be a great deal, but how good of a deal? I look in my little price book, and 2$/bag is actually only about a 3 Star (***) price. So it is an okay deal. I started a blank page under D for Doritos and took some notes on what they cost and where I found that deal, so next time I see a deal I have something to compare it too, that way the SALE sign doesn't sucker me into buying something that I think is a good deal, but it really is just an okay deal and that price is what the store down the road sells them for on an everyday basis. It is a book that will be a continuous work in progress but I am so excited about it. There are too many times where I have purchased something and I don't even know what it cost. Those days are over. I guess I look at couponing as a part time job.