This is going to be a big blog simply because there are so
many options out there to use to save money while grocery shopping. You do not have to use every single one that
I use; however, just try one and you will be amazed how much it can save you.
When I begin to use my ads and coupons, this is the process
I follow to ensure I get the biggest bang for my buck. It may take some time at first to get the
hang of this; however, I can fly through this now and it takes me hardly
anytime at all.
1. Look at sales in Ads and circle them with a marker
Ads I use: County Market, Dollar General, Kmart, Menards,
Walgreens.
I receive a free Weekly Advertiser every Wednesday that
includes County Market and Dollar General.
I also buy the Saturday paper that includes ads for Kmart, Menards,
& Walgreens. I normally do not use
any of the other ads simply because they do not usually include any great
sales. Once I receive them, I usually
check how long the items are on sale for and begin circling them with my
marker. This makes it easier when I go
to the store to show to cashier when they admatch.
Check prices of what you admatch to ensure that it actually
is a sale. County Market will place an
item on sale (EX: Pasta Sides for $1) when I can simply go to Walmart and
purchase it for $1 without a sale.
2. Look at coupons to see if they match any of the sales
Weekly I pull coupons from the Weekly Advertiser and from
the Saturday paper. Both of these can
offer some great coupons so don’t look them over! Once/Twice a month I check the website www.coupon.com and print off anything that I
may use and do The Swap with. I simply
put these in my wallet and save for when I go to create my meal plan.
There is an app called Favado. This app will let you enter your zip code and give you the local ads for the area, as well as, tell you if there is a local coupon available for it.
Another app is hip2save and I also can check
the website. This lets me know of any
good deals or great coupons that are going on.
The Ibotta app is something I have not utilized just yet but
they offer some great discounts, such as, 50 cents off any gallon of milk. The money you save is put onto a paypal
account that will pay you or you can redeem them for an itunes card, etc.
Once I have all these coupons ready, I look at the sales I
found in the ads to see if they will match.
I great example is Anglesoft toilet paper. I can find it on sales for $5 in the Kmart ad
and I usually have a $1 off coupon which makes the final price $4 for 12 double
rolls. This price is even cheaper than
the toilet paper I can buy at ALDIs.
3. Create Meal Plan from what is on sale through admatching/coupons
This step is key when creating a meal plan if you are
planning on saving as much money as you can.
Work off of what is on sale to create your meal plan. I look at my County Market ad usually to see
what they have on sale. Their 10 for $10
sale is my favorite because they will occasionally include chicken breasts
where I can get 10 lbs for 10 bucks! I
also like this for Hamburger Helper and many other things. Once I see those sales, I know I will be adding
BBQ Chicken and Hamburger Helper to the Meal Plan. I also look at my coupons and see if they go
with any of the sales to make a great deal.
If there is a week where there is nothing on sale in the ads
then I look back to my coupons. If I do
not have any great coupons, I create a meal plan from what I already have in my
pantry.
4. Add
all essential items to grocery list FIRST
This is where I am going to give the lecture that just
because you have a coupon for something does not mean you need to buy it. Add first what you NEED on your list and
don’t break your budget to use a coupon.
A prime example is my shampoo. I
keep an extra bottle at all times. If I
have a coupon for my shampoo but I already have spent my budget’s worth, I let
the coupon expire. It is more important
to stay on budget then to get a great sale.
5. See
if I can do The Swap on any essentials
If you want to do The Swap, you need to have an open mind
and be open to trying different things.
Basically the swap is when you are willing to swap out something you
normally buy for something that you can get cheaper through admatching, a
coupon, or simply changing up what you buy to save money.
Example 1: I buy Herbal
Essence shampoo for $5. Garnier Fructis
shampoo is also $5 for the same size.
Coupons.com will normally have a $1 off coupon for Garnier Fructis
shampoo so I swap out buying Herbal Essence for Garnier Fructis since I can
save a dollar and get my shampoo cheaper.
Example 2: I buy Herbal Essence hair mouse. Once again, Garnier Fructis hair mousse is
the same price for same amount. I can
get a $1 off coupon for Garnier Fructis styling products so I will swap out and
buy the Garnier Fructis styling products instead of the Herbal Essence so I can
save $1 on my hair mousse.
Example 3: I buy Cascade for my dishwasher; however, I can find
coupons in my Weekly Advertiser for $2.15 off any pack of Finish
detergent. A 20 count pack of Finish
detergent is normally $4 so with the coupon that makes the box $1.85! This is a great deal and they do this often!
6. Add
any items that have a coupon that I may want
Last but not least, if I have any extra amount in my budget,
this is where I get to really dive into my coupons and stock up on stuff I
use! I always have plenty of extra
coupons so if they have a really good ad sale on something and I have lots of
coupons for it then I stock up on it!
After reading this, if you are looking for a basic checklist
to follow to really maximize the amount you save then follow the below list:
- Look at the sales in the Ads and circle them with a marker.
- Look at coupons to see if they match any of the sales
- Create meal plan from what is on sale through admatching/coupons
- After meal plan items, add all essential items to the grocery list FIRST
- See if I can do The Swap on any essentials
- Add any items that have a coupon that I may want
As Always,
The Stingy Sister
