Hello!!
Ok, so I'm starting a blog. The thought just came to me this morning. I constantly find myself giving other moms advice on how or when to save money on the things that I purchase for my family. So I thought there has to be a lot of moms out there who have great tips to share, and a lot of moms out there that would love to be on the receiving end of this kind of advice.
I don't know exactly the forum that this blog will take, but it's open to anyone that wants to save money. Please ask questions, read other peoples advice, post advice, or give feedback on advice you take.
So today is Wednesday, the day of the week that grocery stores start their new sales. Their sale weeks usually run from Wednesday - Tuesday, with special sales that could run on other days. I spent some time this afternoon going through the store papers, making my grocery list, and clipping coupons. I think it might have taken me about 25 minutes. In that 25 minutes, I divided up what items to buy from which store. I usually use a legal pad to do this. That way I can see everything all together and I'm not flipping constantly back and forth.
If I find that some of my staple items are not on sale, that's when I make the dreaded trip to one of those big supercenters for the cheapest price. That's when knowing the prices of the items you regularly buy at the discount stores comes into play. If I only need to go for 1 or 2 items, I'll weigh the difference in price and the time it will take me to go the extra step and decide if its worth it.
A lot of your local supermarkets will double your coupons up to a certain amount. Check with your local stores about this amount. Personally, my local Bi-Lo doubles coupons up to $0.60, and Publix up to $0.50. I try to combine these coupons with the weekly sales that the stores offer.
I also like to take advantage of Bi-Lo's meal deals. I think they offer these every two weeks. They will put together a bundle of items for a reduced price. For instance, a few weeks ago it was 2 frozen pizzas, Mayfield Ice Cream, a 6pack of Coke, breadsticks, and a container of whipped topping for about $10. This weeks special is from the deli with your choice of a rotisserie chicken or 8 piece fried chicken, 2 1lb. side dishes, and a 4 pack of Hawaiian rolls for $9.99.
Now, I'm not good enough at this to only pay $1 for $200 worth of groceries like I hear some people doing. But, I do usually save between 33% and 60% on my total food bill.
Well, I hope this will help some of you out there. Don't forget to comment any thoughts or ideas you may have. I will try to update often with more tips on saving money on everything I buy for my family.
awesome Wendy:) I have a question though...what if you are not able to make it to multiple stores like me w/ my 3 I have to ask someone to watch them real quick when I run into wal-mart. How do these coupons work w/ wal-mart, aren't they suppose to honor the price? and if they do, is it it really annoying trying to do it at the counter for every item? I have not used coupons for fear of waiting in line longer than I already do, and sometimes I have the kids w. me crying and screaming in the cart! ahhhh!!!! Hope I didn't overwhelm you on your first post!
ReplyDeleteHey Rachael, thanks for the questions.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't make it to multiple stores...pick the one you frequent most. Just about every store out there matches competitors published prices.
As far as Wal-Mart goes, they of course accept manufacturers coupons, but they also accept their competitors coupons as well. I try to go to a cashier that I recognize (I know that sounds funny). But if I recognize a cashier that means they have worked there more than 3 hours and should know how to do it. In reality, if you're using coupons it takes only a matter of seconds to scan them. That's when being prepared counts.
I sit down when the sale papers come out (Wednesdays) and go through them. From there I make my list and pick out my coupons. This way when I'm in the store I'm not fumbling through a big stack of coupons to see if I have one. I just take them from my "to buy" pile to "already got" pile. Then when I get to the register I hand the cashier my savings card and pile of coupons all at once.
To be sure you're not stressing out if you have all the kiddos in tow, go at the stores down time if possible. And make sure the kids have eaten, gone to the potty, and not in need of a nap. That will surely make it an unpleasant experience. I know in Bi-Lo they keep a tub of cookies at the bakery for kids. It usually sits near or behind their book of cakes. My kids used to know if we went in the store they would get a cookie right away, and if they didn't behave I wouldn't take them the next time. That usually did the trick.
Different areas have different times of busyness, but in Gwd I would say weekday mornings worked for me. I would drop the girls off at school or mothers day out and head straight to the grocery store. You just have to kind of look at your schedule and decide the best time that you can make it there.
Hope I answered your ?'s. If not shoot me another message. Ttyl.
Thanks Wendy great tips & advice! Thanks for helping me:) I really need to start planning things better @ the grocery store
ReplyDelete