So there has been quite a bit of buzz on coupon-ing recently and I am late to join the coupon train. But - I am on the wagon now and loving the savings.
I have considered couponing for a while, but could never justify it for several reasons. For example, often you have to buy multiples for coupons and I don't have extra space for stuff as my house is very small (same issue for people who also live in apartments).
I am also fine with generic brands in most cases - and you rarely find coupons for generic brands. I could not justify the time of seeking out coupons when it would not result in a lower price of the generic brand I could get a Wal-Mart or Kroger. Granted, when it comes to my Honey Nut Cheerios - I am going to need name brand - so there was some opportunity here - but it was not enough to really motivate me.
What was the tipping point for me? The Newspaper. I wanted to keep up with more local events in Atlanta, so I decided to subscribe to the AJC. They running a deal where the Thursday/Sunday print paper plus a full digital subscription was the same price as the digital subscription. What is special about that? The Sunday paper includes sales adds and LOTS of coupons.
So I decided that if I could coupon enough actual savings to pay for my AJC, I would do it. Yesterday - I celebrated - I saved enough to pay for 2 months worth! I saved over $20 at Target with coupons - a third of my total bill! So how am I actually saving as I don't consider it saving to buy the more expensive item at the same cost as the generic.
I have 3 ways that I am really saving now.
Aldi. I have one just as close to my house as the Kroger I normally shop at. But I spend about a 1/3 to get random brands at the same quality. I have actually started to prefer some of there stuff. I got 3 bell peppers for the price of 1 at Kroger. And 2 avocados for the price of 1 at Kroger. No coupons - just go in and save.
Drawbacks: you need to bring your own bags, you can only use cash or credit. Limited selection.
Lessons Learned: Some stuff is great, but some not. The milk I just bought from there - fail. Overall, I like it and strive to do base shopping there every week and fill in the holes with other places.
Know your Sale/Store. I know that Wal-Mart and Target carry the Welch's Lite juice I like for a dollar cheaper than Kroger - without sales or coupons. I have started looking at the prices of what I buy at Target, Wal-Mart, and Kroger. This way, I know what the average price is for each of the regular items I buy so I recognize sales and deals. Based on this weeks sales ad, I knew that Petco had my cat's dry food for $3 less than the normal price at Target - so I walked next door and saved $3 yesterday.
Finally, Coupon! I had to learn not to "clip" a coupon because something looked cool or I may need it. I look for what I really buy and cut out those coupons. Then, I separate into store groups - if I know that something is consistently cheaper at a store or currently on sale at a store - I plan to buy it there to maximize savings. I also try to use all of my coupons that are less than 50 cents at Kroger - as they will double the coupon.
I recently had a friend over that saw my envelopes and baggies of coupons and asked me if this was as good as couponing got - and actually, no it is not. Kroger now has electronic coupons that you can "load" onto your plus card. No need to cut out any paper. I just load them to my Kroger Plus Card, make my list, and shop. The coupons are automatically used when I checkout. These coupons don't double and you can't use other coupons - but there are usually more and a greater variety than what I find the the Sunday paper.
Like you may guess - it does take time and planning. But with the cost of food going up and my salary not - you look for ways to maximize your budget. I get excited to save and find that I am getting better at it over time. I don't see myself ever being an extreme couponer - but I do see myself saving!
I am Suzy Homemaker - watch me save!
I have considered couponing for a while, but could never justify it for several reasons. For example, often you have to buy multiples for coupons and I don't have extra space for stuff as my house is very small (same issue for people who also live in apartments).
I am also fine with generic brands in most cases - and you rarely find coupons for generic brands. I could not justify the time of seeking out coupons when it would not result in a lower price of the generic brand I could get a Wal-Mart or Kroger. Granted, when it comes to my Honey Nut Cheerios - I am going to need name brand - so there was some opportunity here - but it was not enough to really motivate me.
What was the tipping point for me? The Newspaper. I wanted to keep up with more local events in Atlanta, so I decided to subscribe to the AJC. They running a deal where the Thursday/Sunday print paper plus a full digital subscription was the same price as the digital subscription. What is special about that? The Sunday paper includes sales adds and LOTS of coupons.
So I decided that if I could coupon enough actual savings to pay for my AJC, I would do it. Yesterday - I celebrated - I saved enough to pay for 2 months worth! I saved over $20 at Target with coupons - a third of my total bill! So how am I actually saving as I don't consider it saving to buy the more expensive item at the same cost as the generic.
I have 3 ways that I am really saving now.
Aldi. I have one just as close to my house as the Kroger I normally shop at. But I spend about a 1/3 to get random brands at the same quality. I have actually started to prefer some of there stuff. I got 3 bell peppers for the price of 1 at Kroger. And 2 avocados for the price of 1 at Kroger. No coupons - just go in and save.
Drawbacks: you need to bring your own bags, you can only use cash or credit. Limited selection.
Lessons Learned: Some stuff is great, but some not. The milk I just bought from there - fail. Overall, I like it and strive to do base shopping there every week and fill in the holes with other places.
Know your Sale/Store. I know that Wal-Mart and Target carry the Welch's Lite juice I like for a dollar cheaper than Kroger - without sales or coupons. I have started looking at the prices of what I buy at Target, Wal-Mart, and Kroger. This way, I know what the average price is for each of the regular items I buy so I recognize sales and deals. Based on this weeks sales ad, I knew that Petco had my cat's dry food for $3 less than the normal price at Target - so I walked next door and saved $3 yesterday.
Finally, Coupon! I had to learn not to "clip" a coupon because something looked cool or I may need it. I look for what I really buy and cut out those coupons. Then, I separate into store groups - if I know that something is consistently cheaper at a store or currently on sale at a store - I plan to buy it there to maximize savings. I also try to use all of my coupons that are less than 50 cents at Kroger - as they will double the coupon.
I recently had a friend over that saw my envelopes and baggies of coupons and asked me if this was as good as couponing got - and actually, no it is not. Kroger now has electronic coupons that you can "load" onto your plus card. No need to cut out any paper. I just load them to my Kroger Plus Card, make my list, and shop. The coupons are automatically used when I checkout. These coupons don't double and you can't use other coupons - but there are usually more and a greater variety than what I find the the Sunday paper.
Like you may guess - it does take time and planning. But with the cost of food going up and my salary not - you look for ways to maximize your budget. I get excited to save and find that I am getting better at it over time. I don't see myself ever being an extreme couponer - but I do see myself saving!
I am Suzy Homemaker - watch me save!
