Before we get into that details of couponing I wanted to say a few things on the subject.
First, I am pretty new to all of this. I've only been at it for about 3 months. I think I have a good bit more to learn. So if you're reading this and have suggestions for me, I'm all ears! Even though I'm a newbie, I have been able to save us a large amount of money AND we have a surplus of supplies on hand which is something I've never been able to do before. That's enough incentive for me to continue.
It's a little bit of work and it involves some commitment but the payoff is GREAT.
Secondly, I've heard a lot of people saying that they do not use coupons because they are mostly for junk/processed food or items that they don't buy. In response to that idea I ask: Does your family use toilet paper, cleaning supplies, shampoo, laundry detergent etc...? If you could save 50%-75% off of these items alone couponing would be more than worth the effort. Most families buy these items with their groceries. The money saved can easily then be applied to items like fresh produce and meats. Truth be told though, if you look, coupons and deals on dairy, meat and produce CAN be found but you MUST look for them.
Lastly, You have to think about this in terms of investing. Buy in numbers when you can get it at a fraction of the cost. Learn to live on and plan your meals around what's on hand.
The first thing you must do to save money is find the coupons. We subscribe to the Sunday paper. If you can possibly get your hands on more than one copy each Sunday, DO IT. I'll tell you why later. Thankfully I have grandparents who bring me their 2 papers each Sunday. That gives me 3 copies of each coupon insert.
When I get my paper(s) I pull out the coupon inserts and mark them on the front with that days date. The next thing I do is file them away by month. That way I can easily put my hands on them again.
At this point the work begins. I go to my new favorite website www.thegrocerygame.com
On this site you can subscribe to the stores that you shop in regularly. The site keeps track of the store's sales, even the unadvertised ones. It will list the item and what the sale price is, and where you can find the coupons for that item. The trick to BIG savings is combining a store sale with a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Publix has Right Guard Antiperspirant on sale buy one get one free.
Regular price: $2.79 B1G1 means that each one is $1.40
With a coupon of $1.50 off of 2
(found in the August 15th Red Plum insert)
that brings the total to $.65 each.
A 77% savings!
At that price you can get 4 for less than the price of 1 at the original price with no sale or coupon.
Three hints here:
1. When an item is on sale Buy 1 Get 1, technically you are buying 2 items, so you can use a coupon for EACH item. This is why more than one paper on Sunday comes in handy.
2. When you see items for a certain number for a certain amount, 3/$6 for example. You do not have to buy all three items to get the sale price. You can buy 1 for $2. Combine that sale with your coupon and you've got yourself a deal.
3. If the store has a coupon for an item you can combine it with a manufacturers coupon for double saving. PLUS lots of stores accept competitors store coupons as their own. YAY!
thegrocerygame.com does charge for a subscription fee but it is fairly nominal. The first 4 weeks are a free trial so go try it out and see what you think.
There are other free sites that I use often:
All of these have great information about your favorite stores.
Couponing to Disney for example keeps a running list of items from Target and WalMart that can be bought for $1 or less.
SouthernSavers has a links for CVS and WalGreens which both have amazing awards programs.
Alrighty, I'm tired now.
I gotta go look at the coupons that came yesterday.
More later.
2 comments:
There are a handful of products I buy for which I cam find coupons (Downy comes to mind) but honestly, there are so few that I finally quit even trying to use coupons. I buy Seventh Generation from Amazon by the case, make most of my own cleaners, buy laundry detergent from Amway, and a lot of other things from a co-op. I spent years faithfully sorting through coupons but eventually our buying habits and diet changed to such an extent that at most I might find 2 or 3 coupons for products we use per Sunday paper. It's no longer worth it for me. However, when we had babies I scrounged up every diaper coupon I could get! ;). Couponing can definitely be worth the effort for most families and a good use of time for a stay-at-home mom. However, when you are a weird, hippie, *green*, cook-from-scratch vegetarian, usable coupons are few and far between. We no longer get the paper (our local paper is a joke) but my parents do. I'd be happy to mail you the coupons periodically and then if you happen to run across any for stuff like tofu or Dr. Bronner's soap, you could send them to me. Lol!
Hey Rebecca,
Thanks for mentioning me in your list of free sites! If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
@Deanna, There are a ton of Organic coupons our there. If you love Seventh Generation or any other product, try contacting the company. Many will mail you coupons if you ask.
Take Care,
Karen
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