Coupon users.... can you share some tips?

[kbetty]

I am working on my yearly budget and really want to up our savings. I think our grocery and walmart type purchases could really be streamlined, and add up to some $$$.

I know some women at work who have cut their bills in half. Our YRD (youth relations deputy)'s wife hasn't paid for toilet paper, deoderant, etc in 3 years. She use to teach a class on it, but doesn't any more. I am begging this man to convince his wife to do one more class for all us teachers.

Anyway....

I would be happy to hear about any tips you may have.

I signed up at some coupon site, and made an email address just for couponing. I printed some and need to organize them.

I really feel the need to mostly stay away from prepackaged and GMO (which is anything with soy or corn or canola) foods. But, we do use some on rare occasions.
I would really love to just not pay or learn to pay very little for toiletries. We don't use conventional toothpaste or deoderant (staying away from floride and aluminum) but we do use tiolet paper, razors, batteries, paper towels etc.

Any advise????

How do you organize it? how do you keep track? do you have a program or spread sheet????


Thanks,

And, if you have any other grocery savings ideas. I am sure we spend 800 to 1200 a month on these items. If I could save 300 more a month, I would feel like I was making a dent on our 3-6 month dave ramsey emergency fund.

Kat

[Doe]

I have found coupon sites that take my local stores and tell me what is on sale and which coupons will make it uber-cheap or free.

Some of the ones I like are
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/

http://couponconnie.blogspot.com/

http://www.momsbyheart.net/

http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/

Hope those help a bit!

[sbdeveney]

can I just ask what you use for deodorant and toothpaste of not conventional?

[jeninnc]

First of all the people that have huge savings like have been doing it for a while and have a huge stockpile of coupons/extra care bucks etc. Also, a lot of coupons are for prepackaged crap, so if you are trying to avoid those things like I do, it's harder. So you may start out more slowly. That being said, I usually save $30 - $40 on a $100 grocery bill each week.

What I do:

On Wed we get the grocery circulars. I sit down and see what is on sale with the rewards card. Then I see what I have in coupons. I make my lists and menus based off of that. Usually the fruit and veggies that are in season are on sale, so that's what we have. I don't buy anything that isn't on sale, unless it is crucial to my menu.

I stockpile meat and other frozen stuff in a freezer. I did my shopping on Friday and bought 8 packs of hot italian sausage for $1.50 each (saved $3 on each). I wont have to buy sausage at full price for a long time now. I have a freezer full of chicken breasts, pork loin, steaks etc. I have a price point for each of them, and I wont buy it unless it is under that price.

My grocery store doubles coupons up to $1 so make sure you are shopping somewhere that does that, you get the most bang for your buck. If there is an item that I need on a regular basis (like cat food) and there is a coupon, I will buy more of those coupons on ebay, so I have multiples. Ocasionally if it is a good coupon week, I will get a few extra papers.

CVS is where most people spend less buying drug store items. Their extra care bucks are pretty easy to earn. There are a ton of websites devoted to CVSing so you can see how to work the system.

Couponmom.com has printable coupons, Target has printable coupons on their website, and if I have a specific item on my list and no coupon, I will google the item and often times manufactures will have coupons on their websites.

My friends laugh at me - numbers are my thing and so is saving money so it's easy for me.

[June2]

This is what I do. I plan my meals around sale items and then try to find coupons to make the sale items even cheaper. We don't have any grocery stores that double coupons and haven't for years, so that doesn't work for me. I also buy mostly food at the grocery store because non-food items, unless there's a special offer tend to be more expensive there.

[kbetty]

Thanks for the links. I just added them to my favorites. Our local grocery does bogo, so if I can up it with a few coupons, and a few new tricks I bet I can squeeze out some extra cash.

[kbetty]

Here is a link to the thai crystal that I (and dh) use for deoderant.
http://www.deodorantstones.com/

It is very different from the antipersperant that I use to wear. You just wet the crystal and roll it on. Then it dries. I do perspire a little (but heck I live in sw florida, so I would perspire with antiperperant too) but it doesn't smell.
I like that it isn't all cakey under my arms when I go to wash, and it never EVER leaves a mark on my clothes.


We use Spry toothpaste with out floride. We love it!!! Even at 5$ a tube it is the best I have ever used. We love the spry gum too. It doesn't have aspertame like practically every other gum on the market.

http://www.amazon.com/Spry-Toothpast.../dp/B0006ZSBVY

are you sorry you asked? it turned into my own personal commercial.

[kbetty]

I love numbers too. I don't seem to remember prices of things at the store, but I bet if I were more concious of it I would. ( I need to learn the price point that you were talking about. That way I KNOW if it is a good deal or not.)
I only plan on buying what I already use.... however, I did find a coupon for the bogo frozen pizza of the week. I have it on my list and *might* get it. Sometimes we use frozen pizza as a substitute for a trip to fast food.

I would just like to save where I can, and then feel good about it!!!

Thanks for all the great advise. We do have CVS here and that is what the YRD's wife would center her class around. She would even take people there and teach them.

Kat

[kbetty]

I think this is EXACTLY how I will start. I can't just run out and go crazy or I will go crazy. lol

[goodleg]

I am just starting to save coupons from Sunday papers and am using CouponMom.com.

[AlenMorgan]

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