I have been working on this post mentally for a while now. Couponing is all the rage right now thanks to shows like TLC Extreme Couponing and while I am not extreme when it comes to coupons I am working hard to shrink our food budget. Now, let me say this, I am married to a foodie. He loves all kinds of foods and he is not happy unless the fridge is filled to the top and the pantry is busting out! So even getting all my good deals has not really brought down the amount I allot to spend for our family because if I save ten dollars my husband finds ten more dollars worth of stuff. So, I guess really what I am doing is trying to get the most bang for my buck.
Our budget every other Wednesday is $200. Seems like a lot and trust me I want that number cut in half but if I can get $300 worth of food for that price I am happy. I know not everyone has this to spend and on the other hand I know some people can spend more. This is what works for us right now. Currently I am working on building up a stock pile so that I can cut that number down eventually so we can just live off the pile and then restock every few months.
My first stockpile items were toothbrushes and toothpaste. So to get $32.39 worth of toothpaste for $2.39 I had to do a lot of research. I found out that the Walgreens near my work was running a deal for Colgate Whitening toothpaste $10 for 10. Now at Kroger that would mean each item is $1. But, at Walgreens it meant you had to buy ten to get the deal. So after two days of coupon research and check sale ads (it only took that long because the first day I went they were sold out) I clipped coupons and went to get my deal. I had multiple coupons for Colgate toothpaste; some were for 25 cents off some for 75 cents off. Combining my coupons and the sale brought my price way down. Walgreens allowed me to use multiple coupons (not all stores do) for the same items. So that worked for me.
This brings me to another important topic. Rain checks. The first time I went to get my toothpaste deal they were sold out and this is the first time I ever asked to have a rain check for an item. A rain check lets you snag the deal at the sale price if they are sold out because you can go back later when they have the item in stock and redeem it for the sale price. Listen, on Extreme Couponing they tell you not to be loyal to any one brand but that is not how I work. I like my toilet paper, my brand of toothpaste, and my hair products and I do not want to change everything just for the sake of a deal. If I can wait a week to get my deal, then why not?
Canned food. Now, I know this can take an unhealthy turn fast but I buy no sodium foods to help with that issue. I also try and stick with organic brands when I can. I watch Kroger every week to see when green beans, corn, carrots, and cream of mushroom soups (because we love green bean casserole) go on sale. When they get rotate through the high price weeks I wait. I know there is a very specific cycle to it and I just have not sat down and tried to figure that out. Now if I spent 30 plus hours a week couponing I could do that I just work full time and don’t have it in me to think about this every second of the day to be honest. On my last shopping trip I did stock up on some canned food essentials and thanks to a Kroger coupon (which they base on what you buy most of supposedly) I was able to buy a few of my organic, salt free favorites for a great price. So be on the lookout. When it comes to canned foods there is no reason to pay the full price. If it is not on sale this week it will be soon. So do not rush to build up a stock pile and pay $1.30 for a can of green beans when you can wait until they are down to 65 cents.
Also, make sure you look at the size. For me it is a better deal to buy the larger canned veggies because when they go on sale you get more for your money. Be aware of the price and size of items you buy. Same goes for toiletries. Sometimes you can use coupons and sales combined and get toothpaste or hairspray in the smallest size for the better price. I try and make myself aware of the extra trash this will make and work hard to not buy things with a lot of extra packaging. Some coupons allow you to buy the travel size of an item. To me the best deal for that is deodorant. The shampoo and soap seems like a waste to me but that is my personal opinion.
Look over your coupons. Just because the item you want is not on the picture on the coupon does not mean you can’t use that coupon. Read it over and make sure. It may picture the liquid form of your favorite laundry soap but you want the powder. Read the coupon. Does it say liquid only? Does it say a specific range of sizes? Check the expiration date. Check for buy one get one. Does it say it can double?
Another important thing to do is get your coupon policy. I have them for my favorite stores. I know what stores allow me to double and up to how much. At my Kroger a 60 cent coupon is better than a $1 off because that 60 cents will double to $1.20. It is the little things that start to add up. You have to know the policy or when you check out they could be missing important deals for you and never know.
Two more thing I want to touch on in this post is organization and where you get your coupons. Listen, you have to do what works for you. It might be using a binder with baseball cards. I use a multi pocket folder and I use binder clips to group like things together. I also use a slip of note paper to label each section. I tried a coupon box and I could not stand it. I tried a Ziploc bag and it did not work for me. So find what is easy for you and do it.
Lastly, where do you get your coupons? Start with the newspaper. Your local one can have different ones from the metro one that is in town. If I come across some really good deals I will buy extra newspapers because in the end that cost and more is saved. I also look through magazines like Cosmo and All You. All You magazine has a lot of great food and family coupons. Cosmo has make up and some clothing coupons. Another thing to do is check the coupon circular website. If you look at the front page of your coupon insert it may say Red Plum, Smart Source, or P&G or who knows what. Check their website for more deals. If you are a Target shopper search coupon in the search bar on their home page and a lot of good deals come up. I have a Kroger card and can go to www.shortcuts.com enter in my email and the number on the back of my Kroger card and load coupons digitally. Sometimes this is a good deal sometimes it isn’t. I cannot combine a digital coupon and a paper coupon so before you hit the grocery store make sure you know what you want to use and take the digital coupon off your card if need be.
I know this was a lot of information at once and I am sure I could talk about it so much more. Good luck and happy couponing!
Below are some of my coupon collecting/sorting photos. This is how I do it and it does not mean it will work for you so take a look and start planning y'all!
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| Here are some of the ads and magazines I look through. |
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| My adds, magazines, and tools of the trade! |
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Coupon policy.
I keep this with my coupons for this store so
when I check out I can have
this as a back up just in case. |
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My binder is a plastic type folder that is just multiple
pocketed folders bound together.
I can get to everything fast and it is easy to prop up in the
small child size seat of the buggy. It works for me. |
