Frugal Fridays: Supermarket Savings 101
How do I use the families.com forum link you posted? I wasn't sure if I have to create a log on identity or if I could just read the threads posted. How do YOU use this website? Are the deals listed specific to a state? Do you personally pay to subscribe to the Grocery game website? If so, do you feel it's worth it (in savings)? Where do I start? I kept hearing so much about the Walgreens/CVS rebates that I got started on that last month - although I am only getting $15 (+10%) for a rebate. I guess it's a start. :) So, when you clip coupons, do you clip EVERYTHING and then if you find a deal, you buy it? Do you not care about brands - do you just buy the good deals and not care which toothpaste, shampoo, feminine products you buy? I'd love some info! :) - AnonymousThis question was posted on this couponing post a few weeks back and I'm finally getting around to answering it. There are so many questions asked, I doubt that one simple post can even scratch the surface, but I'll try to at least share how I plan my grocery shopping...
I mainly use Families.com for their CVS information, though they mention a lot of other deals from various places, too. They have a write-up each week of the CVS deals and then discussion regarding these deals. When I sit down to plan out our menu and grocery list each week, I consult a few websites first: Families.com to check out CVS deals, PinchingYourPennies.com to check out Kansas deals and especially the current Kroger deals, CouponLadies.com (a private forum for discussing deals made up of a small group of Christian women who mostly live close by) to check out any other area deals I may have missed, and then I will often check out the store flier online for our local Kroger and CVS.
Since I've been doing this for awhile, I usually can browse through those websites and find all the deals I am interested in in a matter of 10 minutes, 15 minutes maximum if there are a lot of good deals. As I'm browsing, I copy and paste all good deals I find into a WORD document divvied up by each store I usually shop at.
Once I'm finished finding deals, I match these against my coupons and figure out which deals are worth doing. If I decide against doing a deal, I delete it off my deal sheet. If I have a coupon for a deal, I pull it and put it in the envelope for that store. This normally takes me another 5-10 minutes or less.
The final process is for me to look at my deal sheet and determine which stores I'm going to hit this week based upon which store has the best deals. If there are only a few lousy deals at one store, I usually just skip it for the week unless there is some reason I need to go there. If all three stores are having great deals and I have the time, I'll try to make it to all of them. This process maybe takes me a maximum of a quick glance.
Once I determine for sure which stores I'm going to go to and which deals I'm going to hit, I'll make up my grocery list and menu for each store based upon what I already have in my cupboards and what is on sale at the store. And this usually takes me another 5 minutes.
I spend the last 10 minutes of my grocery planning time clipping and organizing coupons. I try to have my coupon box as in order as possible before going to the store so that if I run into some unadvertised or clearance specials when I'm at the store, I can find any coupons I might need for those at a moment's notice. And having my coupon box all in order also means I'm ready for next week's grocery planning, too. In answer to your question regarding coupons, yes, I pretty much clip and file everything - except for dog food, Depends, and a few other items I know I either will not use, am not interested in, or can never get a good deal on. Those items are very far and few between, though, since most things do go on sale at some store every few months and combined with a coupon can often be a very sweet deal. Even if we can't use the item ourselves, we can pass it on to someone who can.
You might think this seems like an huge amount of time to spend planning for grocery shopping. Yes, maybe it is a little more than the typical person, but these 30-45 minutes of planning each week save us hundreds of dollars on groceries every month.
For those would like to save money on groceries but who think they don't have 30-45 minutes to set aside figuring out deals, organizing coupons, and planning a menu and grocery list, let me encourage you that it doesn't all have to be done at once. I often break up the planning into five or ten minute snippets over the course of a few days before I am going to go shopping.
As far as where to start with couponing, I suggest you just start. Don't try to figure it all out ahead of time. It will invariably be too overwhelming. Instead, just jump in and learn as you go. However, please do not bite off more than you can chew. I suggest people start with planning a menu and shopping the sales first. Then working on sticking to a budget along with that. Last of all, add in coupons, bargain-hunting, CVS, Walgreens, Rite-aid, and so forth. Trying to do all of that at once when you've never done any of it before will be mind-boggling. Take it slow, keep it simple, and have fun!
If you have not read my ebook, Secrets to Supermarket Savings, I highly recommend it. If you'd like more in-depth help and coaching, I'm excited to announce...
Hot Off the Press - Supermarket Savings 101: A Two-Week Online Class Beginning August 13!I've been working behind the scenes for the past few weeks putting together a Supermarket Savings 101 two-week online class! I will be teaching the pilot class beginning August 13th. Because it is a pilot class and I'm sure there will be various kinks to work out in the process and we'll all be learning together, I am offering it for only $17.97 this first time around. Spaces are limited and I'm guessing this will fill up quickly, so I encourage you to register soon. You can read more details and sign up here.
------------------------
Have a frugal tip to share? Leave your link below. Remember to keep it family-friendly. Thanks!
posted by Crystal Paine at 4:00 PM
14 Comments:
Hey Crystal you posted a Frugal Friday on a Thursday
:)Yes, sometimes I post these on Thursday afternoons while I have a chance since I usually am not able to blog in the mornings most days. If I wait until Friday it's late in the morning when I usually get a chance and I don't like to make everyone wait to post their links if I can help it.
I hope no one minds. :)
Crystal,
No minding here - I always thought you did it because you were just organized. :)
I figured you might do it that way too because Fridays and the weekends get so busy.
I'm just grateful you do it, thanks a bunch!
Lyn
Thanks Crystal. I can't wait to read your Frugal Friday Tip today!
Thank you, Crystal.
Sorry about the double post! I forgot to add my Parenthetical Explanation! *Too* excited about this Sunday's CVS deals...!
Crystal, where do you get your energy? Teaching another e-course with a new baby--you amaze me, o industrious mother.
Your course looks great, but I don't know how you do it.
There's nothing like a good deal! Especially if the store pays YOU to buy the item. LOL!
I love finding deals, and families.com has excellent forums. Thanks!
I appreciate your focus on frugality on your blog, Crystal. We don't have many coupon deals here in Australia, but it is interesting to read of how you can save in the USA if you are organised. I posted a link to some chairs I redecorated at a reasonable price. However, some of my readers seem to think they looked better before :)!
I posted in your Mr. Linky thing some links to frugal posts over on my blog. Enjoy!
Laura
http://www.laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com
You take your whole coupon box to the store with you? How do you organize it? By expiration date? By product? If it's not by product, how do you find coupons for unexpected sales so quickly?
At home, I put all my coupons in Excel and when I see a deal in a flier, I hit ctrl-f, type in the name of the product, and it'll find any coupons I have for that item. But I can't bring my computer to the store with me!
Thanks!
Thanks,Thats what i call a happening getaway.well......... keep goin I will follow suit...
Post a Comment
<< Home