Saint Louis Missouri

[stlcouponwizard]

Hello Every one, my name is Neal Miller and I am from the Saint Louis Area. I am a couponer that shops to stock anything and every thing I can. what my family does not use or need I donate to locall charties which is one of the most wonderful things a couponer can do. We all are doing the coupon thing to help us make it through these tough times, most of us including my self never dreamed that we would be able to donate large quantites of product to other people that are in need. As if it was not enough reward to get all of these freebies, it only gets better when you can help others with your gift of frugalllity (if that is a word).
A little about me, I am a blogger and a becentsable Educator that has been couponing for about two years. I have been shopping for my family for nearly 20 years but never used coupons. My wife would supply me with them but they would remain in my pocket until she pulled them of the inside wall of the drum in the clothes washer when she washed my clothes.
One evening my Wife made me sit through a 2+ hour coupon workshop with about 10 other lovely ladies. Well I did not enjoy it and in fact the Educator asked if I was feeling alright because I sat in the back growling at my wife the whole time. Well a couple of days later I decided to test my new found knowledge at the Grocery stores. It sucked, I saved about $9.00 dollars and I was very dispointed. I returned home and sat down and read the information I received at the work shop (for the first time, just like a male) I started to collect coupons and a couple of weeks later I clipped and headed to Target. I picked up $174.xx of Product for $4.71 oop and smiled the entire way back to my car and all the way home.
Well I continued on that path and now buy around 20 papers a week for the coupons. With in 2 months I was certified as a Becentsable Educator and a couple weeks later I posted my First Match up on my Blog.
I have meet alot of good people in this part of the world (couponing) and very much enjoy what I do. I still tell people that attend my workshops that I hate to shop but I don't consider what I do as Shopping it is more like robbery. I do hate to shop and refuse to go to the store with my wife because she shops, I do my research at home and know what I am getting and how much it should cost me before I get to the store and I only get what is on my list, You would be surprised how much money just that will save you. The wife gets pissed, in fact she has quit calling me while I am shopping because she knows if it is not on my list I won't get it.
I wasn't planning on writing a novel here but I wanted to let you know how a 55 year old man started at this sickness We all call couponing. I often find my self thinking about what these coupons have done to me. I often have,,,, lets say discussions with managers about an extra dime or why they should give me the deal I wan't or they can return every thing to their shelves because as I put it " I'm not going to give you a dime for that $20.00 worth of product" And I mean it as stated.
Well I hope to meet a lot of people here, share some tips and Deals. Stop by the Grocery Store pages and check out some of the deals I find in my posted match ups on My Price Savings. Thanks to Melissa for the invite to post here and share my information. Good shopping to all.

[Melissa]

Well thanks SO much! We are So glad you're here. I love to hear from male couponers bc lots of men don't understand they CAN do it too!

Im sure we will always remember our first 'deal' I LOVE IT!

One thing thats great about the coupon community is that we all understand eachother. So when others (including my mom) call us crazy, hoarders or worse. We can come to the community and talk to people who really understand what its all about. I mean it took me a long time after I learned how to coupon to realize not to throw the coupons I didn't need away. There was a glade deal=FREE so here I am digging through the trash I hadn't thrown out yet...to get my 4 coupons=FREE glade. After that I realized NOT to throw a single coupon away!!

It does take time and practice but I am grateful everyday to be table to teach and learn from others!

[stlcouponwizard]

Melissa since the women of this country are starting to take over the work force and most mothers these days do in fact work outside the home what choice do us males have. The wife went to work for a reason (to help make enough money to live.) now us males need to step forward on several fronts. I for on do all of the cooking and shopping (food and personal care) for the house. I share all other responsiblites (except the toilets) with my wife and kids. It is the nature of the beast and all of those men better get use to it or hope they die before their wife discovers what other men are doing.

[stephanie_w03]

LOL
I'm a stay at home mom because it actually cost more for me to work with child care cost. My husband works and I take care of the house, but he does help and he works hard.

[stlcouponwizard]

I know there are a lot of stay at home moms and I wish my wife could be one. But with times the way they are we need her to work. The stay at home mother or father will never get enough praise for the job they do but times are changing and there are now quite a few fathers assuming the roles that the stay at home mother once did.