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I really like the site AFullCup Afullcup.com. I have been a member of this site for a few months now. It is a great place to talk with other deal seekers. There are many forums and topics being discussed. One that I check out weekly in the Old Navy Weekly post.
Afullcup.com also is a great source for coupons. My favorite is their Target Coupon Generator. Target changes their coupons on their site weekly, however the old ones have not expired yet. So Afullcup.com has a list of coupons that are still valid that you can print right from their site.
Ultimately is is a good idea to have a group to share deals with. You can share your finds and also take advantage of deals others have found. Working as a group helps everyone save more.
If you have not signed up to receive this coupon book from kraft yet, Hurry and do so. In addition to the $15 in coupons there are two $20 rebates that can be used over the next year. Just go HERE to register.
I was not planning on doing any grocery shopping this week. However I could not pass up all the Catalina promotions going on at Jewel-Osco. Catalina promotions are a great way to save a lot of money. There were several going on this week with some items working for different promotions at the same time.To learn more about Catalina Coupons read my post “Where To Find Coupons”.
I had to split this up into 5 transactions, but here is a list of all that I got.
8 jars of Ragu
9 Betty Crocker cake mix
8 jars of Betty Crocker frosting
10 boxes of PopTarts
5 1.5qt of Breyers ice cream
5 boxes of Klondike bars
4 packs of Bic pens
12 packages of Q-tips (375 counts)
2 Vaseline Intensive Care lotions Total Out of Pocket Cost: $39.30 $15 in Catalina Coupons remaining
Total Savings(sales and coupon): $145.85
Manufactures coupons used: $24
Catalina Coupons used: $65
Jewel Value Card savings: $56.85
I also plan on using the 10 boxes of PopTarts towards the Kellogg’s Fuel For School Rebate (found in this weeks coupon inserts). I will be receiving $10 back plus a $70 coupon for Dell. If I am able to take advantage of the Dell coupon towards my new laptop that I plan to purchase in the next few months then I will have actually made money on these deals.
There were more items I wanted to stock up on but the shelves were empty. Looks like they have extended the promotion another week so hopefully they will be able to restock the items.
If anyone in the area is interested in getting the break down of any of these deals please let me know and I will send you the details.
Update:Just got back from JewelOsco to see if they got in Skippy Peanut butter. They did! Here is what I got: 12 Jars of Natural Skippy peanut butter $24.42
-2.00 Manufactures Coupons -15.00 Catalina Coupons $7.42 Out of Pocket Price
Plus received another $21 in Catalina Coupon.
I did my grocery shopping yesterday and wanted to share my savings. I spent about 4 hours making my list, getting coupons together and shopping, all with a two year old. I went to Jewel-Osco and Dominicks and did 5 transactions all together.
I know this sounds like a lot of work. However I was able to save a total of $228 for 4 hours of work. Since I no longer work outside the home I have now taken on the title of “Exectutive Cost Cutter”. If you look at my work yesterday I made $57 an hour. That is a lot more money then I made at my previous job.
I am not going to list everything I purchased, but it was enough to cover us for at least two weeks on dinners. Many people think that in order to save money with coupons you have to sacrifice on health. However I have a freezer full of chicken, london broil and strip steak. All great for grilling. I also stocked up on items we use daily, like juice and pop. Another thing to point out is that I also purchase organic and all natural products as much as possible. So you can eat healthy and still save money. If you shop at Jewel or Dominicks and would like to know the deals just let me know and I will pass them along.
Here is the break down:
Out of poscket cost: $122
Savings by using store card: $101.32
Instant savings for purchasing certain items (Spend $10 get $3 instantly): $18
Catalina coupons: $30
Manufactures Coupons: $63.34
Store coupons(in ad): $11
E-coupons(loaded on store card): $2.30
U-promise savings(e-coupons loaded on store card): $2.25 Total Savings (Sales plus coupons): $228.21
Staying home with my daughter is a very high priority to me. It is very hard these days to be able to be a one income family. By spending some time seeking out deals and finding ways to save money I am able to make up for some of the loss in money that I used to make. I am also fortunate to be able to make enough money from home to then make up the difference.
*Go shopping with a list and planned meals. This will not only help you shop the best deals and avoid impulse buys but will help avoid having to call for last minute takeout because you did not have anything planned to cook.
*Shop for items that are on the top or bottom shelves. Merchants will often pay to have their product at eye level. The cost will then get rolled over to your cost for the item.
*Know prices. Buy items when they are at the lowest price and then add coupons. You are also allowed to use a manufactures coupon along with a store coupon. This can really save you a lot of money and also can get you some free stuff. This is a good time to stock up on items. When possible buy 3-6 month supply at that time. Then by the time you need to buy that item again you should be able to find another great deal.
*Have a separate budget for stockpiling. When an item is at its lowest price you can stock up without having to worry about taking money out of your weekly grocery budget. You will then never have to miss out on a great deal.
*Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Also check out local farmers and farmers markets. Even better yet, start your own vegetable garden.
*Shop at discount stores. One of my favorites is Aldi’s. They do not take coupons but you can find some great discounts. I have found some great savings on meat that are close to their sell by date. They will usually knock off an additional dollar or two on top of their low price. They also have low prices on fruits and vegetables. This is a great place to shop for those items that you don’t have coupons for.
*Be flexible on brand names. Sometimes the price for brand name items can be cheaper then store brand items when a good deal is going on. I usually shop store brands unless I can get the brand name on sale and with a coupon to make them cheaper.
*Never pay full price for health & beauty products, cleaning supplies, paper products, canned goods or pastas. They are always on sale so wait till then and stock up.
*Take advantage of store discount or reward cards. Make sure to use them when ever you shop. This will save you a lot of money.
*Use coupons on trial size products or clearance items. Often times you can get those items for free. Just check your coupon to see what the smallest size is allowed. Most times you will get a bigger savings on a smaller size product.
*Avoid convenience items, such as pre-cut vegetables or individually sized snacks. Although they may save time, you are definitely paying for it. So make sure the time saved is worth the price.
*Only buy what you are going to use. When you get home, make sure to store items properly to get the longest life out of them. No matter how good the deal is, if you end up throwing it out, you are losing money.
*Check your receipts. Make sure before you leave the store that everything rang up at the correct price and all discounts were applied. I have caught quite a few mistakes while shopping that has saved me a lot of money.
I LOVE saving money with coupons! I always have. My husband always laughs at me when we are shopping or at a restaurant and I tell him that I have a coupon. But I know that he really appreciates the money I save him. Especially now that he is the sole “worker” in our family. Every time I am able to save money I feel that I am also contributing financially to the family.
One thing that I hear often from people is that they just do not find it worth the time to use coupons. I have to disagree with this. Just check out the picture below of all the items that I have gotten for FREE so far this month by using coupons. This doesn’t even include the money I have gotten back from Catalina coupons (Register Rewards) or mail-in rebates.
So for you skeptics out there, does this change your mind? Well if so, please read on…
The first key to using coupons is to be organized. I can not tell you how many times I used to save coupons and then forget to use them. I was throwing away hundreds of dollars a month! You need to start thinking of those coupons as actual money. They are legal tender so let’s start treating them that way.
The best way to stay organized is to have a very simple system in place to get the most out of your coupons. You can realistically do this in about 30 minutes a week. There is no need to clip a coupon until you are going to use it. When the paper comes all you do is write the date on the top of the insert and file it. I use a three ring binder.
You will be saving all coupons because you never know when you can find a deal to get that item extremely cheep or even free. So even if it is not something you would normally use, you might want to get it if it was free. Then you can try it or give it to charity.
Another option is to clip all coupons and place them into a binder. This way you will have all your coupons with you when you go shopping. You can make your own binder using a 3 ring binder and baseball card sleeves. I also have a binder for clipped coupons. Instead of using it for all my coupons, I will clip coupons for products that I know I buy regularly. That way I will have them when shopping. I also use it to file any loose coupons from mailers or that I have printed.
Before you go shopping you should start by going through the weekly ads and making a shopping list according to sale items. The more flexible you can be on your list for the week and the brands you buy, the more you can save. Also, check all stores. It may be worth your while to make multiple trips if the current deals are good enough.
After you have your list simply go to CouponTom and check the database for coupons. Type in each item and you will get a list of coupons available. Under location it will either have the link to print it or the date the coupon came out and where to find it. For example 03-01 PG means the coupon is in the Proctor & Gamble insert from March 1st.
Here is a list of abbreviations you will need to know:
S- Smart Source Insert
R- Red Plum Insert
PG- Proctor & Gamble Insert
GM- General Mills
AY- All You Magazine
Here are a few online sites for printable coupons:
After you have your list, print it out and start clipping the coupons you need. I will then place the coupons in envelopes according to store. I will also place my list in the envelop as well as discount/rewards card. Then when I am at the store everything will be in one place and make my checkout process simple.
The best advice I have when it comes to shopping at grocery stores is to stick to the perimeter of the store. Only go down the aisles for things on your list and are on sale. As for non- food items, like toilet paper or toothpaste, stick to the drug stores. Walgreens and CVS have amazing sales that can really save you tons of money.
If you stock-up when the price is at its lowest then you will never have to pay full price. I currently have about 8 boxes of Colgate Toothpaste that I have gotten for free or under .25 cents. I also have about a 6 month supply of deodorant. I pick it up when ever it is under $.50. So I know that I will never run out and have to pay full price for these items.
You will be amazed on how much you can save on your out of pocket expense by using these simple tips.
I did my grocery shopping yesterday and wanted to share my savings. I spent about 4 hours making my list, getting coupons together and shopping, all with a two year old. I went to Jewel-Osco and Dominicks and did 5 transactions all together.
