First I suppose I should answer the why do I coupon question before getting the the how. I like to save money, pure and simple! Why spend retail when I don't have too? By getting a bit organized and doing my homework I have been able to shave almost 75% off my normal grocery bill. Works for me!
The key is to educate yourself, a little knowledge goes along way here. Most sales follow about a 6 to 8 week cycle. I know that if I buy 3 or 4 large boxes of Multi Grain cherios for $1.50 a box it will last until the next sale. Now I know you are saying that you don't have the space for some large stockpile, well I don't either. I have dedicated some storage for things like laundry soap, but for me the answer is that I choose what I am going to stock up on. Meaning, what will give me the best bang for my savings dollars. I generally stock up on items I can get either for free, or very deeply discounted off of retail AND that I use or eat. Last week I scored multi grain pasta for .25 a box. I have 20 boxes right now, some I will keep and most I will donate. I also stock up on free tuna pouches because it is something I will always eat, and has a long shelf life. So, part of the education process is to know what you eat, how much space you have and what the regular price is. Another are to educate yourself is the stores coupon policy, which vary by store and brand. One Meijer does not have the same policy as another. Same with Kroger, and most chains.
Now, how do I get stuff for free you ask. Very simple actually, I match up sales with coupons, and if I am lucky, I also find a store coupon. For example, Meijer has Meal Box coupons you can print, as well as MPerks you load to an account. Both of these are considered store coupons and can be "stacked" with manufacturer coupons, which can be doubled at some stores. For instance, the pasta I mentioned. It was on sale at Kroger for $1.34 a box. I had 20 .55 off coupons which double. So I paid .24 cents per box. Now the Kroger I used doubled up to 5 like coupons per transaction, so my mom and I did 2 transactions each. In this same transaction I also bought Zone bars for .09 cents. I had .50 off coupons that doubled as well. These are both items my family uses!
Here is where the organization comes in. I have a binder with baseball card pages in it. I have it divided by department and keep the coupons I know I will use. I rarely us the coupons the week they come out in the paper, the stores know what coupons will come out and don't generally have the best sales that week. I just cut and file, and then when I see a sale that get's me the best deal, I then buy it. I will get into multiples in a moment.
When the weekly ads for my stores come out, I take a look and see if anything I need or will use is on sale, if so I then look through my coupons for matches. This can also be done online, there are many sites that will do the matching for you and even link you to printable coupons that are out there. This is key, pulling out your coupons and making lists before you go to the store will keep you on track. My biggest downfall when I began was that I would buy more than I needed because it appeared to be a good deal. But when I went home and crunched the numbers, it really wasn't. Again, education is a good place to start. Knowing what is a good price and what is a great stock up price will keep your grocery bill down.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it will take a couple of months to get to a place where you are shopping for sale items and not items you actually need. Honestly, for me the goal was to have the basics in my cabinet, those things I use time and again week in and week out. By doing this, I only shop to replenish, or for fresh items that I don't stock up on. Keeping and open mind and trying new items is also a good idea. Generally new products have the best coupons because the company wants you to buy them and try them!
Right now, I am stocked up on BBQ sauce, pasta, pasta sauce, tuna, coffee mate, coffee, protein bars, protein powder, frozen veggies, lean meat, juice, powerade zero, cereal, and grains ( these I buy in bulk).
Now, I don't eat a lot of processed foods personally, my family does a bit but mostly I shop for healthy options. This does make it a bit more challenging, but not impossible. Shopping healthy just takes a bit of creativity! Store like whole foods take and offer coupons too!
The biggest question is, where do you find coupons! Below is a small sample of where I get mine.
1. Newspaper - Ask friends and family for the coupons they don't use.
2. Online :
- www.afullcup.com -this is an online community that has a ton of resources. This is the site I use also to buy or trade for coupons. If I want a large quantity, I will post and ask for a trade, or sale. Usually it is about 10% of the face value of the coupon. This is good if you are looking for quantity.
- www.hip2save.com - this blog posts deals and links all day long to coupons and deals
- www.coupons.com - an online coupon generator. You can print 2 of each.
- www.stretchingabuck.com - this is a local columbus coupon blogger
- Facebook - if you "like" a company, something they offer up coupons.
- Company websites
- You can email the company of foods you like and ask.
- On the packages
- With your friends, you can set up a coupon exchange for those items you don't use but they do!
And the list goes on and on and on. I will update with more later!!
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