Do you clip coupons, do refunding or do you shop store specials just for the specials in order to save money and keep your personal food spending down? What else do you do to save on the family food budget?
I use coupons especially BOGO if it something I would normally use and can use up within the freshness time frame...eg. bogo pound bananas...the 2nd pound would spoil before I would use them up...our local grocery store had tail on shrimp on special buy one (1 lb bag), get 2 free...I had room in my freeze and I love shrimp
I also buy Hamburger helper when it is on special...right now it is 10 for $10 and most of the time I throw in 1/2 bag frozen vegetables in lieu of the hamburger, or I use only 1/4 lb ground beef
I buy cheese on sale at my local dairy
steve (it may be a global economy, but it takes a local to know the territory)
Sure! I watch the weekly ads and go to Sam’s for bulk meats, and WallyWorld for cat supplies! I also use some internet coupons for stuff like paper/cleaning products! Why be lazy and throw away your money like that?
I certainly clip those coupons! We usually get plenty in our Sunday newspaper and I cut out only what I normally buy, or something new that I want to try, but I will usually save from $5.00 to $10.00 a week in coupons at WalMart. I tend to use more on Cat food items, Shampoos, Deoderants, Hair Color, Laundry products, but also find some on food items that we use. Sometimes when I treat myself to a new CD or DVD, I tell myself that I saved enough in coupons to pay for it.
Living in another country, coupons don't really count much....so what I do is stuff like this....
Monday.....grill some chicken and veggies. Tuesday....have leftovers Wednesday..pick the chicken to pieces and have chicken burritoes with a batch of beans and peppers and cheese Thursday...take the chicken bones, and make soup Friday.....fix anything EXCEPT chicken!
I can't believe how the prices at the grocery store have risen. So I've been going to The Super Walmart, which is about a twenty minute drive for me, but worth the time and gas for the savings. It's so huge in there, I find it a little intimidating. But what deals! coupons don't turn me on. Mostly they are for gimmicky stuff that I don't buy. You never see coupons for bread, or veggies and fruit. I do buy stuff at the local farmer's market too. Plentiful, fresh and usually a pretty good buy.
I don't clip coupons but I get them free with my check out reciept and then I keep the ones for things I use. Only problem is, I always forget to take them to the store with me. Sometimes I remember to take them but forget to give them to the cashier. :-(
I do shop sales. I have several stores in a circle radius around me so I'll go to each one just for their front page specials, the ones meant to lure you to the store. I get only those items.
Then do real shopping on another day. If I run out of anything my husband goes as he can be trusted to not throw tons of junk into the basket. I don't always trust myself on that score especially if I'm craving something...
We also shop Aldis for canned goods. A can of corn on sale at my usual store is 89cents but at Auldis it is 39 cents always. So we buy a case at a time as my husband has a corn thing. He has to have corn every day. All their canned veggies are 39 cents so I get my green beans, and other veggies there too.
I clip all coupons that I use. I always make a list of things I am out of & need. I look at all sale ads, buy in bulk if the price is right. I only buy meat at one place in town where my kids work, but, I do shop by sale ads, Aldi's or discount stores. I have my own cloth shopping bags that I use instead of theirs also.
I used to use an online method of saving money on groceries called grocerygame.com. I was very OCD about it for about six months. I really did save money, but the idea behind it is to stockpile things when they're on sale and there are coupons for them and I found myself buying things I normally wouldn't buy. I don't use canned goods very much except for beans maybe or tomato sauce or packaged items except for a box of cereal that will last me months. In defense of this system however, besides packaged and canned goods it did alert you to the sales on different cuts of meat, etc., at the stores where you shop, which really did save me money. But keeping up with the coupons was such a job for me... as much as I tried to keep up with them, I felt smothered in paper all the time, and trying to work my schedule so that I could make it to the grocery on Sunday or Monday, since that's when "the list" came out, was difficult for me. It worked, but it was a job. (It would be great if you were raising a family.) Finally, I quit and went back to my old ways...
I'm going to try a paperless online coupon method next. You check the coupons you wish to use online and it credits it to your grocery card and you never have to deal with paper coupons. This may be more my speed.
Me too Bel, my coupons seem to be where I'm not...on counter or in wrong car or E#XPIRED. I am not great as I love my Safeway...If there is a great sale at Shoppers I will go. I may try the new Walmart Superstore that just opened as I understand its supposd to be really great with prices...
