Saving money at the grocery store is not just a good idea anymore, it's becoming much more of a necessity. Prices continue to rise as our economy readjusts to accommodate rising fuel costs. As truckers experience higher expenses, they have to charge more to the companies that they service. Unfortunately, it's the consumer that ends up paying the price over and over at the pump and the checkout lines. Is there any relief in sight? The great news is...there absolutely is a better way!
Everyone has their own opinion and one of the great things about this country is that we all have the freedom to express that opinion. Just about everyday you read in the news more and more bad news about rising prices. There are lots of people out there with opinions regarding ways to save on groceries. I even read an article the other day stating that shopping with coupons is a waste of time and does very little to save you money. Now, one thing I know from personal experience is that the only reason they would say something like that is because they just don't know what they're talking about. I used to be one of those that never saw the benefit of coupon shopping. I tried it every now and then only to find that it was cheaper just to buy the store brand for that particular product.
The problem is not the coupons, it's the method of shopping used. I can tell you firsthand that I have literally saved hundreds of dollars at the grocery store by utilizing just a few basic strategies, and it does not have to take hours on end. First of all, instead of keeping your basic supplies on hand and using the grocer as your first resource, you have to think in reverse. Your pantry and freezer should be stockpiled with "more than enough." These are items you buy when they are on sale. When you match sale prices with manufacturers coupons, you maximize your savings. Many times you can even get some of those items for FREE! Using this approach, there are literally times that I do not need to buy groceries at all for that week.
Developing a workable system can take approximately four weeks. Then you will find you are not buying those "must have" items every week, or as often. As your stock begins to dwindle, you watch out for the next sale and coupon that goes with it. For example, about 8 months ago I purchased 8 boxes of Powerball dishwasher detergent for FREE! Now that I have less than two boxes left, I will start looking for new coupons to replenish my stock. Even if they're not free this time, I will definitely get a bargain.
Discount stores are great. In general, their prices are lowest. However, when the higher end stores put items on sale, they will generally be lower than the bargain stores. They want to draw people into their store to buy those sale items, knowing that people will more than likely buy much more than just that product. There are several stores that even double and triple coupons making your savings accumulate even quicker.
The good news is that you do not always have take the bad news that you hear and think that it has to apply in your life. Sometimes you simply need to adjust your way of doing things; there just may be a better way. Don't let the economy put you in a box. Take charge of how you spend your money and how you save. Believe me... it will be worth every penny!
Maximizing Your Grocery Coupons Results In These Big Savings
How I saved $92.89 last week. With the rising cost of gas and personal dwindling savings, I have found it even more imperative to find ways to cut cost and save. In reassessing my financial state, I noticed that one of my greatest expenses was in the area of grocery. A hundred dollars a week in groceries can easily add up to over $500 a month! Yes, this is one of those necessary expenses we have that tend to reach deep into our pockets and leave behind only a few pieces of chump change after all is said and done.
So what is the solution since everyone needs to eat and groceries need to be bought? I have found that what worked well in the past still works well today. You guessed it, GROCERY COUPONS! I used to clip coupons at one point but took a hiatus because I stopped receiving the Sunday newspaper which housed the coupons. Recently, I have started printing free coupons and clipping them again and am carefully watching my savings grow. Let me give you a concrete example of a grocery receipt that I had recently:
Total Cost $140.65
Balance $47.76
Total number is items sold = 29
VERIFIED TOTAL SAVINGS $92.89
My purchases at Ralphs Grocery store totaled $140.65. I used free printable coupons and regular coupons which saved me a total of $48. However, I ended up only paying $47.76 with a verified total savings of $92.89.
How did I do that?
I saved more than the coupon value because of double coupons. Double coupons are coupons that are scanned twice to save the customer double the amount. For example, if the grocery coupon was good for $1.00 off, you would end up saving $2.00 because of double coupons, imagine if you had printed a coupon that was $2.00 off! This is an automatic savings feature at the grocery store. But note that not all grocery stores are the same!
As of today, in my area, only Ralphs doubles all their coupons automatically. It used to be that both Ralphs and Vons doubled their coupons but Vons Grocery Store had discontinued their program. Couple the double coupon savings at Ralphs with their Ralphs Club program (a program with free membership that allows additional savings) and you can save up to triple the coupon amount.
Using this method, I ended up paying
* $1.00 for laundry detergents
* $4.50 for jumbo size Pull-up diapers
* $5.00 for jumbo size Huggies & Pamper diapers
* $1.00 for a large container of baby wipes
* $0.00 (free) for a 64 oz bottle of Juicy Juice and so forth.
What is the work involved in clipping coupons, free printable coupons and using them to their maximum capacity?
* First, print your free printable coupons.
* Second, check the grocery advertisements that are mailed out each week. Look for items on sale and use the coupon then.
* Third, make sure you use the coupons at Ralphs Grocery Store (or any other grocery stores with double coupon offer) if they are having sales on the item in which you have the coupon. Sometimes other grocery store (which does not have the double coupon program) may have an item on sale that Ralphs does not. In this case, using the grocery coupons at the other grocery stores may end up giving you a greater savings.
Furthermore, you can save even more when you purchase your groceries with a credit card that give 5% or 6% cash back (please refer to my credit card article). If you pay $100 in groceries with a cash back credit card, you can get $5 or $6 cash back.
Since doing all these steps, I have found that my grocery costs have dropped down to a third or half of what it used to cost. I am able to save money as well as buy more quantity and higher quality foods for my family because of this and I get to try new foods that I would not otherwise buy!
For those with children on a low income budget, consider government assisted programs such as WIC. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children. This program helps families with children to buy the necessary foods without cost. For more information, go to the WIC Program
