OKAY, I get it. EXTREME couponing is not for everyone - few of us have the time or energy to plan one of those TV trips where you get $1000 of food for $8.23 - but you CAN cut your grocery bill significantly by paying attention to these savvy tips:
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Just because something is on sale at a specific store does NOT mean it's the best price.
2 CHECK YOUR STORE'S BULK BINS. I have purchased Parmesan cheese, hard candies, spices, cereal, flour, gravy mixes, beans, dried fruits, and many other things I would not have expected. I paid 18 cents last week for a baggie full of basil. (Note : keep and refill your empty spice bottles.) Browse - it's fun!
3. If your store does not have a bulk foods section, check the ethnic food aisle. At my local TOP Food and Drug, there is a rack of spices like cumin, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and others (all commonly used in Mexican recipes) that are packaged in baggies, priced way way less than those sold around the corner in the little jars.
4. PAIR A COUPON WITH A GOOD SALE. My Albertson's had single rolls of 'Bounty' Paper towels on sale for $1.99 yesterday. I had a $1 off coupon ( which I doubled,) making each roll FREE. (Free = Good)
5. PAIR A MANUFACTURER COUPON WITH A STORE COUPON FOR DOUBLE SAVINGS. Target is putting out some pretty decent coupons right now to promote their new grocery sections. "Stack" a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon for awesome savings.
6. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SUNDAY PAPER. Most coupons are found in the inserts (SmartSource, RedPlum, Proctor & Gamble, General Mills...etc.) Peruse the store sale ad for sales and store coupons.
Many publishers have subscription specials, so call to find out the best deal for you. If you choose to purchase your papers on the newsstands keep in mind that they have often been relieved of their inserts by unscrupulous couponers. When you have home delivery, your inserts are guaranteed to be there.
7. KNOW YOUR STORE'S COUPON POLICY These policies are posted to the store's website, and I have provided links to some of them below. Many stores double or triple coupons, but place restrictions on the number you can use per transaction; others require that you cannot use more coupons than the actual number of items in your cart. Forearmed is forewarned!
8. LOYALTY ISN'T ALWAYS REWARDED. One store may have the best prices on meat, but you will pay more for milk. Another will have great prices on vitamins, but you will pay through the nose for eggs. Shop the circulars (you can find them online at the store's website), and plan your shopping trip accordingly. Make a big loop and hit your stores in order for maximum savings. See #9 below to save some gas.
9. ADMATCH. WalMart will match a competitor sale price, which is outstanding because you don't have to drive from store to store and waste gas getting the sale prices. There are Wal Marts everywhere (three within 10 miles of my house!) Just take the competitor's ad to the store with you and show it ot the cashier when you check out. Read Walmart's policies carefully, because the sale price has to be specifically stated in the ad
(no BOGO Buy-one-get-one-free, etc.....)
10. MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR CASHIERS. ALWAYS BE POLITE, say please and mostly say THANK YOU. Be courteous to those behind you. If the line starts backing up, end the current transaction, then go to the end of the line.
11. DON'T CLEAR SHELVES. Others want to save too, and really....how many toothbrushes do you need? Some frugal folks justify clearing shelves by giving the items to charity, but I personally disagree with that stand. Most of us don't need charity, we just need a good deal. Please leave some for us.
12. USE THE INTERNET. Follow blogs like this one for daily deal postings. Subscribe to emails from sites
that search for free samples. Join facebook and follow several local bloggers.
13. STOCKPILE. I don't mean HOARD, simply buy a few extra items each time you find an awesome price. You maximize your savings this way. IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED SOMETHING YOU WILL ALMOST ALWAYS PAY MORE FOR IT.
Most of all, HAVE FUN!! Saving money is a necessity, but it also provides for a real challenge. Keep your
mind active putting deals together. Get out of the house to go shopping. Most of us who are retired need to
get out more, and shopping can be decent exercise.
Here are links to some common store's coupon policies. Google your store if it's not listed here.
Rite Aid Coupon Policy
Albertson's coupon policy
CVS Pharmacy policy
Safeway Coupon Policy
Walgreen's Coupon Policy
Wal Mart Coupon Policy
WalMart AdMatch policy
No comments:
Post a Comment