Most people simply cannot believe that I’m not a coupon gal. With eight kids and a dog to feed, not to mention my love affair with fine linens, upscale décor and top-shelf pinot, what on Earth would make me skip a pastime like clipping coupons to save on our weekly, two-carriage full grocery bill? Time, that’s what.

I tried to embrace couponing shortly after we said “I do” 24 years ago, but like many good intentions, I never stuck with it. Although if any of you have seen the reality show “Extreme Couponing” like me, you might be giving this a second thought after watching them leave the store with $600 worth of “stuff” and only paying $4.24 for all of it.

And though extreme couponers swear by their stockpiles, I just don’t see myself turning our garage into a stockroom that is loaded with salad dressing, toothpaste and cat food anytime soon, so last week several members of our Parents’ Council chimed in about practical and realistic ways that we enforce to try and save money for our households.

Here is a combined list that we all contributed as we enjoyed some delicious ice cream during the Wickford Art Festival this past weekend.

Swap books, music and DVDs cheaply on the internet. You can very easily swap the books and CDs and DVDs you’ve grown bored with via the internet with others. Just use sites like www.paperbackswap.com and clean out your media collection, and trade them with others online. You’ll soon get a flood of new books (or CDs or DVDs) to enjoy, mailed right to you — for free.