Meet Melanie…

Melanie’s expertise on Fabulesslyfrugal.com… I am an expert at shopping online. So, I keep any eye on daily deals and any other online deals and coupons that are FAB.  I also try to keep the catalina lists updated.

The most frugal thing Melanie has ever done is… I didn’t want to pay for engagement pictures. So we just had my husband’s roommate take pictures of us at a park for our wedding announcements. He had no photography experience and the camera wasn’t even very nice. I was fine with how they turned out back then, so I guess it worked out.

Melanie’s frugal fashion tips… I like to shop online when possible. I can still use coupons/coupon codes on sales that are in the stores, but I can get some additional cash back from Ebates, and usually find a way to get free shipping too. Just make sure you are familiar with the return policy. My fashion tip: Don’t buy it unless it fits well and is flattering, no matter how cheap it is. It is possible and worthwhile to find quality/long-lasting and flattering clothing at FAB prices.

Melanie’s favorite place to shop online… Amazon. I am definitely an Amazon woman because it has such a huge variety of items and competitive pricing too. I always price check on Amazon before I buy something. I like to buy my kids’ clothes on OldNavy.com though. They have such cute clothing and lots of sales.

Melanie is not always frugal… I grew up in a very frugal family. But I can be very frugal about some things and not so frugal about other things. I think I enjoy shopping a little too much now days! But I do always search for the best deal on everything I buy and I always have enough to pay the bills. I tend to splurge on kitchen and dining items. I love having quality cookware, serveware and other kitchen gadgets.

Melanie has not always couponed… After my second child, I had to quit my job. But I have never not worked before. I felt like I had to search for ways to work from home to make money and keep busy. I decided that my “job” could be trying to spend less money by couponing. Then I found this blog…

Every family size can coupon… My family currently consists of myself, my husband, two little boys, and a little girl. Wanna know how much Melanie spends on groceries each month… Unfortunately, we are all very picky about what we eat. My grocery bill could probably be a lot lower otherwise. I usually spend about $300/mo.

This is what Melanie HAS TO have that is not frugal… I can think of a whole slew of things that my husband thinks he has to have! He loves having the latest and greatest electronics. I can be picky about some brands and the quality of items, but I still consider that to be frugal because quality items can last longer or do a better job (and you can still find great deals and coupons on them too). As I mentioned above, I’m willing to spend more to have quality items for my kitchen, especially.

Melanie’s favorite thing to stockpile… I like to stockpile anything that doesn’t expire too quickly. I always have a lot of cereal, snacks (try to keep them mostly healthy), deodorant, toothpaste, and all that sort of thing. Even before I started couponing, I liked to have backups of everything that we use regularly. Now I can just do it for a lot less!

Melanie realized she was addicted to couponing when… When I had to talk myself into buying something I needed even though I didn’t have a coupon for it. Also, when I started getting multiple newspapers delivered to my door on Sundays I felt I must really be committed.

Do you think Melanie would still coupon if she had 1 million dollars… Yeah. I’m sure I would keep it up. Would I still be renting a home? No.

This is how couponing changed Melanie’s life… I don’t look at grocery shopping the same way. Couponing has opened up a whole new little couponing world to me. Couponing, and my frugal friends, have inspired me to become more frugal and wise about my spending. And it has led me to this blog, which has been a huge blessing.