I was raised using coupons, though not to the extent that I use them now. (As a note, grocery stores around my area do not double coupons, and I am by no means an "extreme" couponer.) My mom was always very careful with our money so I grew up doing the same. Shortly before I got married, I had the chance to attend a coupon class put on by 2 women who started Saving Addiction. Using the techniques I learned from them is the reason I am able to stay with-in our grocery budget and keep it so low (I aim for under $50 a week).
If you haven't done couponing before, I challenge you to give it a try. Yes, it does take some work and organization, but it really is worth it! Don't give up after your first week or two, it will get easier and you'll soon reap the benefits! I figure that if I spend 1 hour a week cutting and organizing coupons, and making a grocery list and say I save $20 that week from coupons I cut, then I'm basically getting paid $20 an hour to save our family money. Sounds pretty nice doesn't it?
This was my purchase at Meijer on Thursday. I bought slightly fewer items this week because last week had better deals and so I stocked up (more on that in a later post). The detergent was the most expensive thing I bought, and I know I could probably have gotten another brand cheaper, but there was a deal going if you purchased 2 GAIN products. The picture above is $63.30 (retail price) worth of products, but I only spent $29.62. That's 53.2% savings (which is actually a little lower than my average).
This is a purchase from Walgreens in December. The percentage of savings I hit on this trip was more in line with my average savings. The items above would have cost $34.37 but I only paid $10.95. This time my savings was 68.14%!
I got these on Friday for a great price! Normally each box costs $3.49 so normal retail would be $10.47. However I had 2 coupons from coupons.com to use ($7 off 2 and $3 off 1), so I got all 3 boxes for just 49 cents! I saved 95%!!!
If you already are a couponer, I'd love to know any tips and tricks you might have. If not, are you ready to start clipping coupons and seeing how much you can save your family? If so, let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you. You might also want to check out the following websites and blogs that I use to find great deals:
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WoW! Kudos to you! I think it to be commendable when one is money cautious/conscious. I have never been a coupon clipper for I only buy for one. My money savings comes from being a off-brand buyer. If ever my household of one becomes more...coupons would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteI bout many of those same items at Meijer last week. I love deals!
ReplyDeleteI remember when you went to that coupon saving class. I wondered how you could save all that money.
ReplyDeleteHere in my area, the grocery stores give us cards. When we use the cards, we get things a lot cheaper. I have a Weis card, a Giant's card, and CVS card. On the cash receipt, it tells us how much money we saved. Do your stores do that in your area?
Also, I have noticed that the coupons I get are of name brand items. I have found that if I buy a Weis or Giant brand, it is still cheaper than using a coupon and getting a name brand.
Anyhoo, I am going to check further into this. You have really got me going now. ahahaha!
PS. I loved the Meijer store when we lived in the midwest. We don't have them out here in the East. Groceries are terribly high.