February 02, 2009 3 Comments

I have said in the past that I am not a big coupon shopper but I understand it is a very valid way to stretch your shopping dollar. Supermom commented on Monday’s post that there were coupons available for soup on the internet. That got me thinking again about coupons and some ways to get our three month supply with limited funds. Here are a few thoughts:

Know store policies:
(1) Do they take coupons? Do they double coupons every day, some days or never?  Do they honor Internet coupons?

(2) Know which stores give rain checks. Always ask for a rain check and be sure to ask if the item on sale is regularly stocked or if it was just brought in for that sale. At Christmas I asked for a rain check at Longs and they told me the marshmallow cream I wanted was a seasonal item, and sure enough they never had it again. Darn! Wanted that for smores in an emergency.

(3) Will the store match a competitors price? If they will you are really in luck, no driving around town to take advantage of sales. When I find an item in a sale flier that I want to purchase I throw the flier in the car so as I run errands I am sure to have it with me.

(4) Know when sales begin. Around here grocery stores begin their sale week on Wednesday. The discount pharmacy stores on Sunday. As we move forward with our General Store this becomes very important. For example, this week we are working on soup. No one around here had soup on sale Monday but Wednesday the sales change so we have two chances to get that soup on sale. Maybe today someone will have soup on sale. Advice for future weeks, when we discuss an item to be purchased that week, if it is on sale get it before Wednesday. If it is not on sale wait until Wed.( or whichever day of the week new sales begin) and see if it goes on sale then. It’s awful when you run out Monday to purchase something and then on Wednesday it goes on sale. Do keep up however and don’t wait until next week or you will fall behind in obtaining your three month supply.

(5) Know your prices. You may want to start a list in your binder with a column for the items and columns for the stores you frequent. Copy prices from your sales receipts onto the list and before long you will have a record of where an items can be purchased the least expensively. If you want to accomplish this more quickly take your older children with you and give each one a list of items to price. Go to several stores, and compile a complete list when you get home. This will also teach children to become wise shoppers, as they see the price differences can be considerable. Now when a store has a sale you will know if it is a real bargain or just so, so.

(6) Remember the seasonal sales. Many grocery store items are on sale every six weeks. Others have a 12 week cycle and some are seasonal. I will try to have you add seasonal items to your General Store when it is appropriate but you should also have your own list of those times for when you are restocking as you rotate. The list is in Mother Hubbard or if you followed our seven steps you should already have it in your Seven Steps binder.

Coupons:

(1) Collect coupons for items you normally purchase. If they have a one week expiration and the item is not on sale right now, don’t bother. Clipping coupons for items you don’t use is a budget killer. You just end up tempted by the savings and using your money on items other than those you really need. Remember your goal to become self reliant. You want all your efforts focused on the essentials for a three month supply and after that is accomplished you can be more adventurous with your grocery budget.

(2) Combine coupons with store sales. Purchase the limit allowed. Even if you only need three cans of spaghetti sauce to complete your three month supply purchase the fourth. Don’t get carried away but when it is just a can or two buy it.

(3) Get organized. You have a binder that you are using for your General Store so add some page protectors to that and use them to organize coupons. Be sure to have one for each category. A recipe box is also a good way to organize by category. Also create a system for organizing your coupons while you are shopping. More than once I have checked out only to discover I never gave the clerk my coupon for an item. Am I the only one who has done this?

(4) Coupons can be found in many places. Newspapers; the Sunday paper, local coupons appear in weekday ads, paper carriers often have extra papers, some schools supply newspapers to classrooms (get to know a teacher). Share with friends. Ask friends for their newspapers or begin a swap group at work, church or with other soccer moms. Magazines have coupons. If you find one while waiting in the dentist’s office or at the hairdresser ask if you can clip it.

What are your ideas?

Since this is soup week for our General Store, here are two coupons I found along with a coupon site I like:

http://progressotastechallenge.com/Progresso_Soup_Coupons.aspx

http://walgreens.shoplocal.com/walgreens/Default.aspx?action=browsepagedetail&storeid=2425446&rapid=650726&listingid=-2090333232&pretailerid=-99389&afsrc=1

coupon website

http://www.ppgazette.com/coupons.php?actn=cinc

grocery circulars

http://www.ppgazette.com/circulars.php

What have been your adventure in “couponing”?

Food storage, Money Savers, Our General Store, where to begin food storage

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