Failed Attempt at Coupon Savings

I have spent over a year trying to get into this couponing madness, and come out frustrated every month that everyone around me is saving $100 or more each month, and each time I try I come out spending more than I normally do! I don't think I have had anything drive me to such great frustration in my life! I'm sick of feeling stupid because I can't do this. So each month I determine to do it, and each month I fail. This month was no different. I spent FOUR days trying to put together a shopping list with coupon matchups--and I used all of the helpful sites. I have been a neglectful mother the last few days as I set my kids aside to try to put together a list. Today I got sick of ham and rice (what we've been eating every day for the last month), and we've had not breakfast or lunch foods for a few days. Pay day came, and I decided coupons or not, I have to get groceries. Well, the girls threw a kink in our plans, so I only made it to Wal-Greens and Publix for the bare necessities, and still failed! In the end I forgot milk and bread which were two of the main necessities we needed. I was so much more mentally stable in my shopping when I wasn't trying to bend over backwards to have a coupon for everything and only buy with sales.
So, one thing I can join the club on: I did take pictures of my venture. This will be my first time posting pictures on my blog, so we'll see if I get it right.



So, Publix: Kellogg's cereal BOGO. Cereal was $4.09/box, had $3.50 in coupons, got 8 boxes. Spent $12.86, saved $19.86 at Publix. I stress that I saved that much at that store, and on store brand, because this still came out to an average of $.012 an ounce. That's approximately the same as what I spend on the gigantic bags of Malt-o-Meal at Wal-Mart. So I really didn't save any money, and got a head ache doing it.


Wal-Greens: This was my first attempt at using RR and doing multiple transactions. Didn't pan out as well as I would have liked because I wasn't able to get all of my q's printed. Then due to a mess up with the first transaction, my q didn't get processed for the Pantene, but I didn't notice that until I got home.
Transaction #1: Pantene 2/$8 w/ $2 RR (should have had a $1/2 q attached) = $8.60
Transaction#2: Nivea Men's Bodaywash BOGO ($4.99) and Dial Men's Bodywash BOGO ($5.99) Had a $3/1 q for Nivea and $1.50/2 for Dial. Minus $2 RR from first transaction = $5.31

Not as good as I was hoping, but I guess not the end of the world. Comes to $3.16 per item.

DH is at Wal-Mart now picking up all of the true necessities that had to be neglected because of tired and hungry babies. He's going to check WM prices and see how much I really saved. Considering the time I put into this, not enough.

I hate the quitter attitude I've developed toward this, but I also had the frustration that radiates my entire being when I attempt to make this work.