Coupons Work!

Yeah! I'm so excited! I finally figured out the whole coupon thing for buying groceries. I just saved $19.73 and ended with just a $50 grocery bill for the week. (This coming from the girl that has rung up $150 bills quite frequently.)

I researched on www.moneysavingmom.com and www.frugaldad.com and some other sites I have already forgotten. Here is what I found & learned:

1. You can load digital coupons onto your grocery shopping card! 

(ie Kroger, Tom Thumb, etc) - I used Cellfire and Shortcuts. Cellfire even has an iphone app that makes it easy to load digital coupons while you're in the store. I love this because I can't lose them. Even better, these digital coupons currently work in conjunction with physical coupons. That means you can end up getting some items for free. 

2. Cut/Grab/Share/Print all the Coupons you can use- 

Once I started looking I noticed coupons everywhere. The gas station had a stack of old newspapers and they let me take the coupon inserts for free. I think I may be able to convince some friends to start a coupon swap with me. And of course there are tons online to print as well... I'm just a little wary of overusing ink/paper.

3. Use a binder to organize them- 

INSTRUCTIONS HERE

This method works really well. I made mine in under and hour. Use baseball card collector size inserts for the coupons and dividers for each category. This will allow you to quickly flip through and find the type of coupon you need. 

4. Strategize-

So I read that the trick to really saving alot is to time using the manufactured coupon while your store is having a sale. www.moneysavingmom.com is awesome for spelling out the best deals and how to get them. 

These are 2 of the deals I got that seemed good to me. 

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Kroger sale 3 for $5  makes them $1.67 each

Minus 50¢ coupon that got doubled 

= $1.33 each when they are normally $2.28

Birds Eye Steam Fresh frozen veggies

$1.89 - .39 Kroger Sale

- $1 Coupon

= 50¢ for the bag

5. Stock up when the price is right-

I've been using a grocery app on my iphone called Grocery Gadget. It has truly changed my life. I keep track of what items cost at each store so I know where to stock up on spaghetti sauce (Costco) where to buy the best and cheapest produce (Kroger) and which stores have the best Vegan products (Whole Foods). Matt and I can even shop at the same time at 2 different stores and just move an item to the other person's list if we see it is cheaper there. I love the digital life! I don't even have to ask what he needs from the store because he adds it to the list on his own. 

I am actually upset with Costco right now bc I could not find the Prego Spaghetti sauces. They usually have 2 very large Prego spaghetti sauce bottles for $4.64. We can get about 6 servings per bottle. I checked Kroger and a bottle half that size cost around $3.50. So I guess I'll have to wait till I have a coupon. (Prego is 1 of those accidentally vegan foods, thank God too!)

6. Don't stray from the plan-

I am so guilty of just throwing random things into my cart. If I don't make a meal plan then I end up with half the ingredients needed for about 12 different recipes. 

7. Contact favorite brands-

Being vegan it is difficult to find alot of discounts for vegan food items. So for these, I will need to really hunt them down. I'm going to go through the same channels first- websites, veggie blogs, veggie magazines... then when all else fails I am going to contact them to ask for coupons.

(Uncle Eddie's cookies, Galaxy Foods- soy cheeses, Earth Balance- butter, etc)

8. My thoughts on Bulk buying-

I've really had mixed feelings about bulk buying at Costco & other warehouse clubs. But now that I have been comparing items down to the per ounce cost, it really is cheaper. But I think these tips can help really get your money's worth. 

• Share the membership- My mom & grandma share a membership cutting the yearly cost in half. 

• For non-perishables- wait till you have a coupon

• Stick to a list (a small list) of items you are positive that you will actually use. 

• Avoid the gimmicks, junk food, frozen appetizers & special offers.

• Don't go down the middle aisles (clothing, etc) unless there is a specific item on your list.

• Make sure they have items you will use on a regular basis before you join.. I go every month to stock up, so I feel it is money well spent, or at least better spent than my gym membership.