How to use coupons 101

Before I forget, my cousin Molly started this great blog called cheepcheepdates. It highlights all the great deals on all sorts of things from movies to ice cream, plus they come up with weekly date ideas. You should all go check it out, it is full of great ideas and great deals.


Well I've had a few people ask about my fantastic grocery savings, so I thought I'd have some fun and post about the awesomeness of the coupon game.

So here is how I do it. I plan our meals out one week at a time and only make a list of the things I need for that week. I do include an extra meal or two, in case my ingredients get eaten before hand, or I don't feel like the scheduled meal on that day. Then when I go grocery shopping I only buy the things on my list. That is pretty obvious, but honestly sticking to that has saved me hundreds of dollars a month. I remember when we were first married and I would just wander the isles at the store looking for anything that might taste good and never thinking of planning a meal more than an hour before it was time to eat. cringe. We had huge grocery bills and never anything in the house to eat it seemed.

Now here is how I save the big bucks.

Every Sunday in the paper there is a "smart source' ad. It has all these coupons for random things, from BBQ sauce to juice to laundry detergent. The great thing about these coupons is they are good for like 3 months and most of them are for anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50 off. I always clip as many as possible, even if I don't think I will ever have the need for that item, and then put them in an envelope. They key with these is to never use them unless the item is already on sale, that way you double or triple your savings.

Here in billings at Albertsons (where I shop) their sales add for the week comes out on Wednesday, so Wednesday is when I do the shopping. When I look through the ads I check to see if any of my smart source coupon items are already on sale at the store. For example. Tomorrow I am going to go and get a bottle of BBQ sauce for 25 cents (75 cent off coupon, plus it is on sale for $1.00 this week), A free bottle of salad dressing (on sale 2 for $3 and I have a $1.50 off coupon), and 2 packages of cheese hot dogs for $1.00 each, (regularly $4.00, on sale buy one get one free which makes it $2.00 plus a coupon for $1.00 off, plus a double that coupon).

I rarely buy things that are not on sale, and when things like cereal (which lasts forever) or frozen items i regularly use, go on sale, and I have manufacturers coupons for those things, I stock up for the month. Also, I only go to the store that one day of the week, unless........

At Albertsons every Sunday they print 3 of a 3 day only coupon that doubles the value of any manufacturer coupon (MC). Since they expire on Tuesday, and only if I have something great in my M C's that is when I will go to the store twice in a week to make a killing.

What also helps is Internet coupons that you can find almost anywhere, and at Albertsons after you buy your groceries they will print off coupons for you that are related to what you just bought. These are great because they are .... "get $3.00 off any post cereal when you buy 3". I save these and use them along side manufacturers coupons when there is already a sale. In the last 2 months have never spent more than $1.50 (usually only $1 on a box of cereal (which is crazy since they are usually 4-5 dollars).

So, yay for coupons.