Not Made Of Money

Collecting grocery store coupons is a regular occurrence in our household. Each Tuesday night, I sit down with the newspaper circulars, junk mail, and cash register receipts I’ve collected to examine the grocery store coupons we’ve managed to accumulate during the week. I clip the new coupons we’ve found and go through my old coupons to figure out which ones are close to expiring. All of this work makes it easier for me to plan our weekly meals once the weekly grocery store ads come out.

Using grocery store coupons alone, though, doesn’t save our household enough to compensate us for the work I put into coupon collecting. Instead, we use a few strategies to ensure that we’re getting the most out of our coupons. This is where the planning part comes into play.

Combine coupons savings with stores sales. I make it a point to try to use my grocery store coupons when the item featured on the coupon is already on sale. This method allows me to “double-dip” on my savings. In fact, the only time I use a coupon for an item that isn’t on sale is in a situation where the coupon is going to expire within the next week.

Be picky about the size of product you purchase. Most coupons have some pretty specific requirements regarding the size of the product you can purchase. For instance, I’m looking at a coupon for Frosted Flakes that requires me to purchase one of the two larger sizes of boxes. Once you get to the store, though, don’t assume that the largest box has the cheapest price per unit. Most grocery stores include a price per unit on their price tag. Find the item with the lowest price per unit (that is eligible for the coupon) and use your coupon on that item.

Use multiple coupons on one item. Sometimes you find coupons that are issued by your favorite store. Other times you find coupons that are issued by the manufacturer. In many cases, you can use both of coupons on the same item to get some pretty nice savings.

Take help from AFullCup.com. Don’t forget to check the forums for the store you shop at. You may be pleasantly surprised by some of the deals.

• Four Places to Find Fat in Your Budget
• Five Tips for Successful Yard Sales

• How to grocery shop wisely Learning to grocery shop wisely can save thousands of dollars...
• LA Fitness Shooting Today, George Sodini, 48, of Scott Township, walked into an...