My Grocery Deals

It's been a long time since I took pictures of groceries, but since I just taught a coupon class and am really trying to get back into the coupons like I used to (sadly, I have been slacking the last couple months and my coupons were in a huge mess until just one week ago) I decided I needed to remind myself just how great this is.  Hopefully someone will see my list and picture and it will motivate them to try it.  Smith's had the sale I've been waiting for, so this was a great place to start. I definitely walked out of there with my coupon "high".

Here's a list of what I got and what I paid after sale price and coupons:

• 14 boxes of Kleenex (between .20 and .56 a box depending on the coupon and after the $2 catalinas printed)
• 8 bottles of shaving gel (.94)
• All laundry detergent (2.49)
• 33 cans Hunts tomato sauce (.34-.54 per can depending on the coupon)
• 4 cans Hunts tomato paste (.16 per can--and these were the big cans)
• 14 cans Hormel Chili (.17 per can)
• 4 French's Honey Mustard dipping sauces (.75)
• 4 bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (no coupons but still a great price--1.99)
• 4 40 oz. bottles Heinz ketchup (again, no coupons but still a great price--1.79)
• 2 each Cocoa Pebbles/Fruity Pebbles (1.44 for family size box)
• 4 Grape Nuts Flakes (.99)
• 6 Uncle Ben's Long Grain & wild rice (.67)
• 6 Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (.38)
• 8 Kraft Singles (1.71)
• 3 DiGiorno pizzas (3.49)
• 2 Kraft Deluxe Mac & cheese (1.49)
• 2 Miracle Whip (no coupons and not a great price but I am out--2.79)
• 12 boxes Ritz Crackers (1.32)
• 2 boxes of Cheez-its (1.99--not a great price but Colby pulled a sad face when I told him no so I caved)
• 9 Balance Bars (.16)
• 4 Kroger syrup (1.49--no coupons but I am out again and love this syrup)
• 2 bags Garden of Eatin chips (1.09--never had them before but I'm giving them a try)

All said and done, I spent $125 , I still have $2  in the form of a Catalina to spend the next time I go to Smith's, and I rolled out of there with TWO SHOPPING CARTS.  It was an awesome sale!  Unfortunately I didn't have any more coupons for hunt's tomato sauce, so I'm going to have to do some scrounging around and go back.  There were other things I wanted to get but my cart was heaped and stuff was falling out so I decided to call it a day. 

By the way, did I mention that I received rewards points based on the regular prices?  I'm up to 450 points already this quarter.  Another 50 points and it's off to the gas station we will go with both cars to save another $17.50 on gas.

For anyone contemplating using coupons, I don't know why you're waiting...

Eat From the Pantry Month

A couple of months ago I noticed that a lot of people whose blogs are dedicated to food storage and coupon shopping were having an "Eat from the Pantry Month", and apparently they do this for one month every year.  I didn't participate then, but have decided that this is the month for me!  There are a couple of reasons to do this...

1. I really have a LOT of food in my food storage...probably way more than my year's worth that I was shooting for.  In some cases, more than I need and things are starting to get shoved to the back and forgotten about.
2. We are trying to finish the basement and the more food I put down there the more crowded it's getting and the more stuff we have to shift around when we work.
3. I would like to take a month off of grocery shopping and concentrate on other things (like finishing the basement, for example...)
4. I'd like to try my hand at living off what I have bought already so that I can see what areas I might be lacking in.  Six months ago I didn't have any seasonings or spices in my storage.  If I had to eat for a year with no salt...well...that would just be horrible.

So...I am declaring April to be out "Eat From the Pantry" month!  I made a menu for the month, and from there I made a "shopping list" and went shopping in the basement for everything I need to make all the meals for the month.  Now my pantry is full and all I am going to shop for this month is perishables...milk, produce and bread items.  I actually may hit the case lot sale only to buy some cans of powdered milk (they have my favorite brand on sale at Macey's this month) just because I don't have hardly any of that in my storage.
Surprisingly, I really DID have almost everything I needed for the month except some produce. And I learned a few things about what I don't have stored that I need to get...(like soy sauce).
Another GREAT thing about doing this is that it is going to free up my grocery money for the month for other things.  Considering we're almost ready for carpet, I think I know where that money will go...

Looking for Coupons?

Something about using a giant stack of coupons attracts a crowd.  During my last several shopping trips I have had several complete strangers ask me where I manage to find so many coupons...this coupled with inquiring friends and family members made me think maybe I should post a list.  Coupon shopping can be hard, especially if you are relying solely on the coupons that come out of the newspaper.  What many people don't realize is that there are tons of coupons out there in other places. If you're willing to do a little work, you can get great coupons for just about anything you need to buy.  Here's a list to help you get started:

1. Newspapers, of course.  I subscribe to four newspapers (weekends only) and if you watch you can get a great deal on your subscription.  Even though you may only want the Sunday paper, be careful because sometimes it is more expensive to get Sunday Only than it is to take either the weekend papers or the whole week.  Do an online search for a good deal, or watch for people offering free newspapers at the local stores--they often have the best deals if you agree to sign up right then.
2. Internet Printable Coupons.  Red Plum, Smart Source, and Coupons, Inc. all offer printable coupons.  You will need to install a coupon printer in order to print them, and you are only allowed 2 of each coupon (in most cases).  A lot of times, the internet coupons are more valuable than the ones that come in the newspaper. I generally don't print them until I see a sale that I can pair them with to get a good deal.  When I first started couponing, I was printing anything and everything and I burned through a LOT of ink.  For a good pairing of coupons with sales, I visit Pinching Your Pennies, go to the deals in my state, and view the lists for each store that have already been prepared with links to applicable coupons.
3. Go straight to the manufacturers' websites.  Many manufacturers have coupons posted right on their website.  Some, like Kelloggs or Betty Crocker will have coupons for multiple products right in one place, while others will post just one coupon at a time for one product.  When you don't have a coupon from any other source, it never hurts to do a google search for the product you're looking for.  Be aware that the coupons at sites like Betty Crocker are often linked to the Coupons, Inc. coupons and you will still only get 2 even if you go to both sites (although it never hurts to try)
4. Register for everything! My email gets bogged down with lots of advertisements from the sites I frequent looking for coupons, but the good news is, many of those emails have coupons in them!  If you don't want to overrun your personal email address with tons of junk mail, you may want to create a separate email address strictly for this purpose--just don't forget to check it for those coupons!
5. Free samples are your friend.  I love free samples....not necessarily because I want those silly little foil packets of one smear of shampoo but because usually free samples come with coupons...and they are usually the BEST coupons you can find with LONG expiration dates.  Pinching your pennies also has a link in their forum where you can look for free samples to sign up for, and Walmart.com has a free sample section where they change the samples they are offering quite often.
6. Rewards Cards.  A lot of people don't like to give their "real" information when signing up for a rewards card (ie. a Smith's Fresh Values card) but you really should.  Yes, the store may be tracking your purchases but so what?  Unless you're doing something illegal with your groceries, you should be glad they know what you buy--they will send out store coupons for those things you buy most often, and many times they will even send coupons for free items.
7. Magazines.  Not all magazines have coupons, but Kraft Food and Family does and All You (which is available exclusively at Walmart) if chock full of them--they even put out special issues a couple times a year with specific types of coupons.  
8. Watch for mail in offers.  Sometimes manufacturers will offer coupons in the mail if you buy their product and send in a form.  I have received coupon books from Procter & Gamble, ConAgra (that's Hunts, Marie Callenders, etc.) and Nestle.  Watch product packages, newspapers, and company websites for these offers.
9. Happenings/Entertainment Books.  Since starting couponing, we don't go out to eat at all without a coupon of some kind.  I used to never buy these books because I thought there just wasn't enough in them for it to be worth my money, but I was wrong.  I never use even half the book, but what I DID use has saved me a lot.  Last year's book had a $5 off your $60 purchase for Smith's for every month of the year and I used them all....that's $60 just from Smith's...Not to mention all the buy one get one free pizzas we have gotten, plus free ski rentals, and other fun things.  If you are patient, you can get the book at a discount which makes it an even better deal (Last year I ordered mine online through Cashbaq... it was marked down to $15 and Cashbaq gave me $5 for signing up and $10 cash back if I bought a Happenings Book... so YES, the book was FREE!)

Happy Hunting!

TIPS FOR USING COUPONS...

I have learned some new and  important things about coupons within the past year that I didn't know.  I won't post them all now, but here's just a few..with more to come later!
Before I started using coupons, I had a system for handling groceries.  I would create a menu for the month, make a list of what I needed, and then shop for everything at once, except for the perishables that I would have to go back for weekly.  By shopping this way, I was spending about $800+ on groceries and household supplies in any given month; and the worst part is, by the time the month was over, the cupboard was BARE...I was having a hard time scraping meals together because it seemed like everyone was eating more than I planned.  I realized that as my kids continued to get older the grocery bill was only going to keep going up and decided I needed to do something about it.  That's when I started really learning how to make coupons work.
First of all, if you just get one little pack of coupons in your Sunday newspaper and clip them and use them when doing your regular grocery shopping, chances are you aren't going to save much.  In truth, you may even end up spending more because you may end up buying things you didn't intend to buy simply because you have a coupon.  This is why most people think it doesn't pay to use coupons.  A few simple changes in the way you do things make all the difference.
Rule #1 in coupons is that you need to combine coupons with the sales going on in the store.  This may lead you to shop at several different stores in any given week, but if it can save you more than half of what you are currently spending, isn't a little extra time worth it?  Since things cycle through the sales, you need to be familiar with the things you buy the most, how much you use in any given week or month, and plan to buy enough to last until that item goes on sale again.  Some things will go on sale about every 6 weeks, while others will never really hit a rock bottom price for an entire year.  It takes some trial and error to start to understand the trends, but once you do you will never pay full price for things again!
Stockpiling of groceries can be tricky.  Thought needs to be given to how much of something you will need so that you don't over buy and end up throwing things out.  I like to create menus around the things in my stock that I know need to be rotated.  I have a stockpile good enough now that I can literally make a menu, make a list and "shop" right out of my stock...then hit the grocery store for perishables to finish off those meals (and I look at the ads, see what perishables are on sale, and then plan to incorporate them while making the menu).
Obviously, if you are looking to buy as much as you are going to need for a month or so, one coupon is not going to be enough.  Multiple coupons are key.  For me, this means buying four Sunday papers, and I also collect coupons from neighbors and family members that aren't going to use them.  I keep almost every coupon (those I won't be using I will give to friends who will--like diapers and dog food) because I never know what kind of deals will pop up--things I might not think I would ever buy may end up being free or nearly free, and then I will try them.  I have found some great stuff that we didn't realize we would like until I got them free with coupons! I have also almost completely abandoned brand loyalty (I say "almost" because I have learned that some brands I cannot substitute--like Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup--I hate all other brands!) and have even discovered that sometimes I like a different brand more than the one I used to buy exclusively....so whatever I can get the cheapest is what I will buy!
Speaking of coupons, it's time to go clear out my expired stuff and get ready for a whole new batch tomorrow!

COUPON MYTHS

A lot of people shy away from using coupons because they just don't see the big picture of how big of a difference they can make.  Here are some common misconceptions about coupons:

1. Coupons are mainly for poor people.  Actually, middle-income people with a college education are more likely to use coupons than low-income people.
2. Coupons are only for unhealthy processed food.  While there are a LOT of coupons for junk food, there are equal amounts available for healthy foods.  Who doesn't buy things like salad dressing, condiments, seasonings, bread, and paper products...just to name a few?  There are even coupons for fresh and frozen produce and fresh meat.
   
3. Store brands are always cheaper.  Not true.  While this might sometimes be true, people need to watch those prices closely because by assuming that it's true, you may be paying more than you would for name brands.  In addition, have you ever used generic plastic wrap?  Ugh...
4. You should only use coupons for things you would normally buy.  By using coupons for things you normally WOULDN'T buy, you might find out that there are other things out there that you really like but have never bought because you felt they were out of your price range.  Also, by trying a different brand of something, you might find out you like it BETTER than what you're used to buying.
5. It isn't worth the effort/time/price of gas to shop at several different stores.  If you can drive 20 minutes out of your way and buy $100 worth of groceries for $25, isn't that worth it?
6. Using coupons will cause me to buy things I normally wouldn't buy.  While coupons may influence your decisions, coupons can't force you to do anything.  If the coupons make something a good deal, you might want it. Buying things you wouldn't normally buy is not necessarily a bad thing.  If it's still expensive, exert some self control and don't put it in your cart.
7. People who shop with coupons spend more money than people that don't. This may be true if you are going to the store and just buying whatever you have coupons for, even if the items are not on sale.  If you use coupons the right way and combine them with the store's sales, you will definitely be spending less. 
8. Don't clip coupons for stuff you won't use.  There are many reasons to keep ALL your coupons.  If you can use your coupons to get things for free, you can get them and give them to a local food drive (I did this recently with some coupons that I had).  You can also trade them--if you need dog food and your friend needs diapers, swap coupons.
9. Shopping discount stores and dollar stores will save more money than using coupons. The disadvantage to dollar stores is that they don't offer sales or deals like other stores do.  Most of the items I buy on sale and using coupons I pay less than a dollar for anyway, so these stores are definitely not a bargain.
10. Corner drugstores are expensive and should be avoided.  Many of the best deals I have found have been at Walgreens and RiteAid.  Not only do they accept coupons, they also offer their own in-store coupons that can be stacked, and they offer a lot of rebates and other store deals that can't be found at other stores.