I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be clipping coupons and scouring ads. But alas, it has come. I enjoy every second of it! I almost get a little too excited when I go to a store and save 65% or more. I brag about paying $1 for a 9-roll pack of toilet paper! I feel utterly giddy when I walk out of a store feeling like I practically stole the merchandise but knowing it was all perfectly legal. And the manufacturers are okay with this! In fact, I'm buying their product over another so they're happy, too! Do I dumpster dive to save a buck? No, I'm not THAT extreme. Do I spend hours and hours printing and clipping? No, I don't have time for that. Here is a little assistance and ideas from my house to yours on how to save a buck or 2 with little time and effort.
Sunday: Purchase 2 newspapers. The coupons alone will be worth the buy. If you have a mother-in-law or brother who get the paper and toss the coupons on Sunday, ask them to put them aside for you. That's what I do! I very rarely actually purchase a paper.
Monday: Go through the weekly ads for stores such as CVS, Target, Walgreens, Food Lion, Kroger, etc. Write down needs/wants and their ad prices. This should take no longer than an hour unless you have 3 babes running around. Then it could take 2!
Tuesday: I use 2 websites specifically for couponing and pricing comparisons. On Tuesday, I search these sites and write down anything I may have missed from the ads. These sites also allow you to create an account, log in and save a shopping list if you want to skip Monday altogether! These sites also allow you to print the printable coupons directly from their site. It's super-easy, convenient and time-saving. Here are the 2 sites I use: krazycouponlady.com and southernsavers.com. If you get on either of these and feel lost, you can either take a look at the tutorials on each site or feel free to shoot me any questions. This should also only take about an hour.
Wednesday: Plan your evening meal for each day of the following week. I love using Pinterest.com, Pillsbury.com, Tasteofhome.com, etc. for meal ideas! I am signed up for several sites like Kraftfoods.com for recipes sent to my email daily as well. I find them helpful and if I like their recipe idea, I "pin" them. There are a few recipes and dinners we like to have weekly or every other week like tacos, spaghetti night, etc. but I like to try at least 2 new recipes a week. This should take about a half hour.
Thursday: Today is when you go through the coupons you got on Sunday. You pull and clip all the coupons you will be using for your trip. I do not clip all the coupons on Sunday and organize them in any binder. This is way too time-consuming. I keep them all in one accordion case and when I see them expire, I toss them. I clip only the ones I am going to use that week.
Tip: Many "extreme couponers" will purchase things they don't need or even use because it's a great deal. I find that when I enter that dangerous territory, not only do I find myself with a garage/basement full of "stuff", I also spend more than I would have on things I just needed. Think about it- if you don't NEED razors, don't buy them for $1.25 when they're normally $5 just because they're on sale. You'll find that razors and deodorant and other items are ALWAYS on sale and you can always find a good deal on them. Don't waste money on items you don't need at that time. Makes sense, right?
Friday: I go through my list one more time before I go to the store Friday afternoon/evening. Is there anything on this list I don't really need? (I'd rather spend my money on clothes for the kids or toys for Easter or their savings accounts).
Tip: I only go to 2 stores on Friday and/or Saturday. Maybe 3. Haha. Walmart price-matches newspaper ads so if you can buy it and use the coupon at Walmart, do it! Save yourself the extra trip. Kroger gives you a reason to shop there. Not only do they double coupons under $.50, but they give you points towards gas when you shop there. (See store for details, but ours gives you $.10 savings/gallon for every $100 you spend in the store!) The other store you may have to enter into is CVS if you are buying something with expectation of their Extra Bucks in return for your transaction. Luckily, I have a CVS and Walgreens right next door to me so it's not costly to take the trip.
You get Saturday off! Haha. See? This wasn't so bad. I saved money, I have a yummy weekly meal-plan and I only spent about 4 hours max during the entire week in preparation! You can have a large family, save money and spend less on groceries in little time.
I want to hear how you save. Do you like what you see? Is there anything you would change? Do you have any questions? Hit me up! Have a blessed and frugal night, beloved!
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