Couponing as a Couple

This quote always makes me laugh... it reminds when I used to take my husband to the grocery store with me B.C. (Before Couponing). Every-single-time we got to the checkout line, he would do this obnoxious, fake heart attack thing when the cashier read the total. Even though he was joking, it was so embarrassing. I leave him at home now.

Since I've started couponing I decided to take my husband along on one grocery store outing - just so he could realize what I go through at the store... scanning for deals, going through my list, sorting coupons, managing a toddler, getting everything/everyone in and out of car and house. Not only did we spend more money than I planned (he kept adding things to the buggy), but he was so paranoid that our daughter was going to get run over by a shopping cart. Oy, vey!

I decided to let him sit the grocery trips out, but (mistakingly) sent him on a CVS run for me one weekend. I had two items on the list and a coupon for each - paper towels (which would produce ecbs) and dog food (also would give out ecbs). I wrote everything down in detail and gave him the Ecbs we would be cashing in so we wouldn't have to pay out of pocket.

He came home 45 minutes later (CVS is 4 minutes from our house) with the paper towels - the wrong brand, so no ecbs, and no dog food. And, worse, the ecbs I sent him with were all spent. Bless his heart.

Now he stays home and is just thrilled when I come home with my long receipt and tell him I saved 70%. And he has replaced the fake heart attack thingy with a huge smile! Plus, he's more than happy to be the guinea pig for all my freebies. :)

Please share how couponing works within your marriage! Do you enlist your husband's help cutting, sorting, shopping, etc? I'd love to hear your tips for "training" your husband to be more frugal.