Coupons

Save Money on Your Groceries

There are lots of ways to cut your grocery bill. We all have sometime and some money...if you are willing to spend a little time, you can save a bundle of money!

Here are a few ideas:

• Coupon Container - find something that works for you that you can put coupons in that is safe and secure. (I find mine upside down occasionally and I am very grateful it locks closed.) This is an inexpensive box from Walmart that I made my own cards for.

You can make the cards according to what you and your family need. I keep this box in my car at all times except for Sunday's when I am going through the paper.

• Use coupon. For the greatest savings, use multiple counpons and combine with grocery stores sales. Several Methods:

1. Order newspapers - I order three newspapers. It runs about $33/yer for the Sunday paper. I see that return in a month. Grocery stores will usually accept up to 3 coupons of the same type. This way you can also build up your food storage.
2. Remove coupon inserts, stack coupons, staple, and cut once. (if that doesn't make sense ask.)
3. File coupons in organizer
4. Check out the sale flyers and make your list. Our grocery store sends out a mailer on Thursdays in the mail and again in the paper on Sunday.
5. Rather than plan menus then making your list, buy what's on sale, stock up, and plan menus around what you have.
6. This will increase you food storage. Remember, you also want to have a supply of non-food items. ( if you have to live off your food storage, wouldn't you like to have toilet paper?) This will also eliminate buying things at full price because you ran out. Other than fresh produce and dairy, you can store just about everything(especially if you have a freezer).
7. Use websites. www.thegrocerygame.com (subscription website) www.couponmom.com (free but requires registration) There are many other ones. Let's share as we find them.
8. couponmom.com has a virtual coupon organizer, enabling you to chose, sort, and clip only the coupons you plan to use. It also has losof other free stuff, retarant coupons, and grocery deals by state. You can match up your coupons to what's on sale that week.
9. Find which grocery stores double coupon. A lot of your savings will come from double couponing.
10. Check all adds. Sometimes the drug stores have the best deals. Be willing to drive around to different stores. (also, Walmart might seem the cheapest, but price shop because it isn't. It is worth shopping around.
11. Don't be a brand shopper. Be willing to buy what is on sale at the best price.

Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to add to this. This is what I have found works best for us here. You might have some pointers I haven't thought of.