Know your BOGO !
I’m learning while watching the ads and the websites that its becoming very important to watch the BOGO (buy one get one) ads fine print closely – especially at Giant Eagle.
Giant Eagle has had a lot of items recently listed in their advertisement as BOGO – but the fine print here is very important. Fresh meat seems to truly be “Buy One Get One Free” meaning that you will be paying full price for one item and getting the lower priced item free – you must buy two items – discount comes off at the end of the receipt.
BUT I’ve noticed that on a lot of their BOGO ads, when I get to the store the item is actually two for the price of one – meaning that each item will ring up for half price – you can buy only one item and still get a good discount price. This is very important to know because with a true BOGO Free you can use only one coupon (for the item you are paying for). For BOGO-Half you can use two coupons and for two for the price of one you can also use two coupons.
I wish I would have had 2 kielbasa coupons when I went to GE thinking BOGO Free and only brought 1 coupon a few weeks back – when in fact it ended up being two for the price of one… live and learn.
Happy shopping!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Turned a Profit Shopping Today!
Keep this in mind for your Giant Eagle shopping today or tomorrow!
Pillsbury is offering register coupons good on your next order based on how many of their items you purchase through February 21, 2010:
Buy 4 items - $2.00 coupon
Buy 5 items - $3.00 coupon
Buy 6 items - $4.00 coupon
Here is how I made a profit:
Purchase of 6 packages of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (5 count) on sale for $1.00 each - cost of $6.00.
One .40 off on purchase of 2 items doubled - .80 cents off
One .40 off on purchase of 2 items doubled - .80 cents off
One 1.00 off on purchase of 2 items (not doubled)
Subtract $2.60 in coupon savings.
Paid $3.40 for my 6 packages.
Checkout prints coupon for $4.00 off on next shopping order (good until 2/9/10)
PROFIT of .60
(print your Pillsbury coupons at either coupons.com, redplum.com or smartsource.com)
Enjoy!
Pillsbury is offering register coupons good on your next order based on how many of their items you purchase through February 21, 2010:
Buy 4 items - $2.00 coupon
Buy 5 items - $3.00 coupon
Buy 6 items - $4.00 coupon
Here is how I made a profit:
Purchase of 6 packages of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (5 count) on sale for $1.00 each - cost of $6.00.
One .40 off on purchase of 2 items doubled - .80 cents off
One .40 off on purchase of 2 items doubled - .80 cents off
One 1.00 off on purchase of 2 items (not doubled)
Subtract $2.60 in coupon savings.
Paid $3.40 for my 6 packages.
Checkout prints coupon for $4.00 off on next shopping order (good until 2/9/10)
PROFIT of .60
(print your Pillsbury coupons at either coupons.com, redplum.com or smartsource.com)
Enjoy!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Check the local ads / don’t rely on the coupon match-up sites!
Check the local ads / don’t rely on the coupon match-up sites!
Remember to read the comments left by other folks – they are providing great info too!
Sorry I’ve been remiss in my regular updates. Its that full time job, wife, and mother of three that keeps getting in the way of my shopping deals. And since I did a little bit of stocking up recently I didn’t need to run to the store nearly every day (as I’ve been used to doing) – sure we’ve had to go for milk (which was NOT on sale this week) and a few things for recipes here and there but not too much over all which has been great.
But things I’ve learned since the last time.
Check the local ads / don’t rely on the coupon match-up sites. This is especially true of places like Wal Mart & Target. Sales are “national” but what is actually ON SALE boils down to “local”.
Lesson: I prepared for a relatively small shopping trip to Target based on what I had gathered from couponmom.com - I did not spend much time with my own Sunday paper so I did not verify what I had check marked at the website. I printed my list, printed my coupons, clipped my coupons (prepared to stack them Target and manufacturers – I was going to get Juicy Juice for nearly FREE – and the kids soooo like that apple juice from juicy juice, carnation instant breakfasts too!) and grabbed my Mom and my 10 year old and we were off to the store (we were also prepared for CVS and Giant Eagle as Mom needed to do some shopping and I prepped a coupon envelope and list for her as well).
We get to the store and I learn that even though my Mom has a list she is a serious impulse shopper – but more about that later.
I try to steer Mom and Becca to the part of the store where the items on our list are kept – coupons in hand, but when I get there, I find the instant breakfasts - but they are not on sale, I find the juicy juice (no apple flavor sadly) and it also is not on sale. The special K bars were on sale, the lean cuisines were on sale, the hand lotion was on sale but close to a third of the items on my list – printed from the sale/coupon match up site, were not on sale.
Sadness – I should have checked the local ad in the paper that morning. I guess I’m not as clever as I think I am. Later I realized that there may very well have been things on sale that I needed but didn’t know about because – alas – I didn’t read the local ad… Lesson Learned!
I also learned that when I am shopping with my Mom I need to keep her on the task of sticking to her list by store / she was ready to buy everything on her list at one place but I had planned our trip to pass CVS on the way home so she could get her tooth past for .74 cents and I could get my hair color for $3.99 – coupons and ads – and other things at Giant Eagle by keeping track of the sales.
She also impulse shops – which I am guilty of too, but I’m trying to work on getting away from that. I had left my coupon file / of about 500 or so coupons / behind. As I watched her put item after item in the cart I kept thinking “I have a coupon for that” – so if I’m going to go with an impulse shopper or impulse shop myself I should try to have my full binder of coupons along with me “just in case”. I know it will look crazy when I’m shopping but if I have to buy something not on sale and not on my list – I may as well get a little bit off if I have the coupon.
I also learned that my Mom is a sucker for Becca and gives in and buys her stuff I probably wouldn’t – but that IS a grandma’s job after all.
Remember to read the comments left by other folks – they are providing great info too!
Sorry I’ve been remiss in my regular updates. Its that full time job, wife, and mother of three that keeps getting in the way of my shopping deals. And since I did a little bit of stocking up recently I didn’t need to run to the store nearly every day (as I’ve been used to doing) – sure we’ve had to go for milk (which was NOT on sale this week) and a few things for recipes here and there but not too much over all which has been great.
But things I’ve learned since the last time.
Check the local ads / don’t rely on the coupon match-up sites. This is especially true of places like Wal Mart & Target. Sales are “national” but what is actually ON SALE boils down to “local”.
Lesson: I prepared for a relatively small shopping trip to Target based on what I had gathered from couponmom.com - I did not spend much time with my own Sunday paper so I did not verify what I had check marked at the website. I printed my list, printed my coupons, clipped my coupons (prepared to stack them Target and manufacturers – I was going to get Juicy Juice for nearly FREE – and the kids soooo like that apple juice from juicy juice, carnation instant breakfasts too!) and grabbed my Mom and my 10 year old and we were off to the store (we were also prepared for CVS and Giant Eagle as Mom needed to do some shopping and I prepped a coupon envelope and list for her as well).
We get to the store and I learn that even though my Mom has a list she is a serious impulse shopper – but more about that later.
I try to steer Mom and Becca to the part of the store where the items on our list are kept – coupons in hand, but when I get there, I find the instant breakfasts - but they are not on sale, I find the juicy juice (no apple flavor sadly) and it also is not on sale. The special K bars were on sale, the lean cuisines were on sale, the hand lotion was on sale but close to a third of the items on my list – printed from the sale/coupon match up site, were not on sale.
Sadness – I should have checked the local ad in the paper that morning. I guess I’m not as clever as I think I am. Later I realized that there may very well have been things on sale that I needed but didn’t know about because – alas – I didn’t read the local ad… Lesson Learned!
I also learned that when I am shopping with my Mom I need to keep her on the task of sticking to her list by store / she was ready to buy everything on her list at one place but I had planned our trip to pass CVS on the way home so she could get her tooth past for .74 cents and I could get my hair color for $3.99 – coupons and ads – and other things at Giant Eagle by keeping track of the sales.
She also impulse shops – which I am guilty of too, but I’m trying to work on getting away from that. I had left my coupon file / of about 500 or so coupons / behind. As I watched her put item after item in the cart I kept thinking “I have a coupon for that” – so if I’m going to go with an impulse shopper or impulse shop myself I should try to have my full binder of coupons along with me “just in case”. I know it will look crazy when I’m shopping but if I have to buy something not on sale and not on my list – I may as well get a little bit off if I have the coupon.
I also learned that my Mom is a sucker for Becca and gives in and buys her stuff I probably wouldn’t – but that IS a grandma’s job after all.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Lean Cuisine for only $0.88 cents!
Target is your deal of the week for Lean Cuisine:
Sale price of 1 Lean Cuisine for $1.88 each (price of $1.88 each)
Better Deal: Available at Target website is a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off on a purchase of 3 Lean Cuisine (price of 1.54 each)
Better Deal: Print ad of January 3rd had a Target specific ad insert that had a coupon for $1.00 off on a Lean Cuisine meal good only at Target. (price of .88¢ each)
Better Deal: Available at Target website is a Target coupon for $1.00 off on a Lean Cuisine meal good only at Target (price of .88¢ each)
Sale price of 1 Lean Cuisine for $1.88 each (price of $1.88 each)
Better Deal: Available at Target website is a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off on a purchase of 3 Lean Cuisine (price of 1.54 each)
Better Deal: Print ad of January 3rd had a Target specific ad insert that had a coupon for $1.00 off on a Lean Cuisine meal good only at Target. (price of .88¢ each)
Better Deal: Available at Target website is a Target coupon for $1.00 off on a Lean Cuisine meal good only at Target (price of .88¢ each)
Friday, January 8, 2010
Snow time Shopping and Saving
I saved $80.59 at Giant Eagle yesterday!
My best “score” was the Dannon yogurt at.20 cents each final price.
Now for the journey to savings and what I learned on that trip.
I had checked out the Giant Eagle ad when it arrived in the mail on Tuesday and saw that there were a number of Buy One Get One (BOGO) Free items as well as other items that I’d like to have on hand going on sale – usually there are things going on sale that I’d like to have but I usually only buy what I need. But I want to start to stock up on things so I wanted to strategically shop for what I want at low prices. This week there are a lot of meat items BOGO – so I knew I’d still be spending a decent amount of money – because 6 pork chops still costs about $7 and a shoulder roast is going to cost me $14 or thereabouts even if I am getting the second ones free.
I went to couponmom.com and check marked the items that were on sale and that I thought were at a low enough price to consider buying – especially if I knew I had a coupon for the item. A flaw I see at couponmom is that I knew I had coupons for some items that were not showing as having a current unexpired coupon associated with them. The ones I had were either from the online sites or from the manufacturer (example – Dole Fruit Jars – sale of $2.00 / no coupon available but I had a .75 cent coupon from a 4 pack of fruit bowls – and since GE doubles coupons under $1.00 I was going to pay only .50 for that jar of peaches the kids love so much. So even though coupon mom has a lot of good information on the sales and coupons it is still very important to rely on your own knowledge of what coupons you have available to you – and still check the online coupon sites for more.
So I made my list and printed it out – I then hit my coupon stash, I marked the list with the number of each item I wanted to buy based on the coupons I had and marked the list with the coupons that I had available on the items - I also added items to the list that were not on sale but that we needed – especially if I had a coupon. The coupon stash will need to become better organized but as its still pretty small it was reasonably easy to go through and cut out the ones that I needed. I used a cheap envelope (left over from a bill that I pay online) and put all of my coupons into it and got ready to go – in the snow!
Another lesson learned shortly after walking into the store. I need to re-write my list and organize my coupons based on the layout of the store that I am going to. The list printed from couponmom is sorted by coupon date not by any other sort of easy to follow system. I spent more time reminding myself what I had and where the items were than I would have liked to. Next time I will re-write the list according to my knowledge of where items are in the store – and I will sort the coupons in that order too.
The shopping itself went well – there were some items I decided not to buy at the store but I really don’t think I had any “impulse purchases” as I was on a mission to get my list shopped for and save the money.
I bought lots of stuff – as a matter of a fact I bought 84 items according to my receipt. I had a full cart which I almost never do because I’m “usually watching how much I spend”. As I was setting out to buy a number of meat items as well as “stock up” items I “allotted” myself about $120 to spend at the store (after coupons). Like I said earlier – BOGO meat still means buying one of each at full price.
Before store sales, BOGO items, coupons, discounts and doubled coupons (when available) my grocery bill was $193.12 (still lower than the woman in front of me – who bought a bunch of BOGO stuff but had no coupons) – after all of those discounts my out of pocket cost was $112.53 – saving $80.59 (42%). I was hoping to save 50% but I did not – but I’m still very happy with my shopping experience and savings. I think I told everyone at work that I managed to save $80 at the grocery store last night.
So what all did I buy? Pork Chops, Beef, Bacon, hot dogs, apples, frozen vegetables, frozen side dishes, betty crocker items, milk, engligh muffins, sea food, pop tarts, cereal, grilled meats, yogurt, and lots lots more J
AND I could have done better if I had had more coupons – if my stash went back further and if I had more copies of various ads.
So for next time:
Organize better before going to the store – could have saved at least half an hour in the store if I had been more organized
There is no such thing as too many copies of a coupon insert. Take ‘em from the trash at the coffee shop on Sundays if you need to.
Stay tuned and see how I do at Target and Wal Mart next...
My best “score” was the Dannon yogurt at.20 cents each final price.
Now for the journey to savings and what I learned on that trip.
I had checked out the Giant Eagle ad when it arrived in the mail on Tuesday and saw that there were a number of Buy One Get One (BOGO) Free items as well as other items that I’d like to have on hand going on sale – usually there are things going on sale that I’d like to have but I usually only buy what I need. But I want to start to stock up on things so I wanted to strategically shop for what I want at low prices. This week there are a lot of meat items BOGO – so I knew I’d still be spending a decent amount of money – because 6 pork chops still costs about $7 and a shoulder roast is going to cost me $14 or thereabouts even if I am getting the second ones free.
I went to couponmom.com and check marked the items that were on sale and that I thought were at a low enough price to consider buying – especially if I knew I had a coupon for the item. A flaw I see at couponmom is that I knew I had coupons for some items that were not showing as having a current unexpired coupon associated with them. The ones I had were either from the online sites or from the manufacturer (example – Dole Fruit Jars – sale of $2.00 / no coupon available but I had a .75 cent coupon from a 4 pack of fruit bowls – and since GE doubles coupons under $1.00 I was going to pay only .50 for that jar of peaches the kids love so much. So even though coupon mom has a lot of good information on the sales and coupons it is still very important to rely on your own knowledge of what coupons you have available to you – and still check the online coupon sites for more.
So I made my list and printed it out – I then hit my coupon stash, I marked the list with the number of each item I wanted to buy based on the coupons I had and marked the list with the coupons that I had available on the items - I also added items to the list that were not on sale but that we needed – especially if I had a coupon. The coupon stash will need to become better organized but as its still pretty small it was reasonably easy to go through and cut out the ones that I needed. I used a cheap envelope (left over from a bill that I pay online) and put all of my coupons into it and got ready to go – in the snow!
Another lesson learned shortly after walking into the store. I need to re-write my list and organize my coupons based on the layout of the store that I am going to. The list printed from couponmom is sorted by coupon date not by any other sort of easy to follow system. I spent more time reminding myself what I had and where the items were than I would have liked to. Next time I will re-write the list according to my knowledge of where items are in the store – and I will sort the coupons in that order too.
The shopping itself went well – there were some items I decided not to buy at the store but I really don’t think I had any “impulse purchases” as I was on a mission to get my list shopped for and save the money.
I bought lots of stuff – as a matter of a fact I bought 84 items according to my receipt. I had a full cart which I almost never do because I’m “usually watching how much I spend”. As I was setting out to buy a number of meat items as well as “stock up” items I “allotted” myself about $120 to spend at the store (after coupons). Like I said earlier – BOGO meat still means buying one of each at full price.
Before store sales, BOGO items, coupons, discounts and doubled coupons (when available) my grocery bill was $193.12 (still lower than the woman in front of me – who bought a bunch of BOGO stuff but had no coupons) – after all of those discounts my out of pocket cost was $112.53 – saving $80.59 (42%). I was hoping to save 50% but I did not – but I’m still very happy with my shopping experience and savings. I think I told everyone at work that I managed to save $80 at the grocery store last night.
So what all did I buy? Pork Chops, Beef, Bacon, hot dogs, apples, frozen vegetables, frozen side dishes, betty crocker items, milk, engligh muffins, sea food, pop tarts, cereal, grilled meats, yogurt, and lots lots more J
AND I could have done better if I had had more coupons – if my stash went back further and if I had more copies of various ads.
So for next time:
Organize better before going to the store – could have saved at least half an hour in the store if I had been more organized
There is no such thing as too many copies of a coupon insert. Take ‘em from the trash at the coffee shop on Sundays if you need to.
Stay tuned and see how I do at Target and Wal Mart next...
Shopping in the snow part I - more to come!
Deal of the day: Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt
GE Sale Price: 20 for $10.00 (works out to be $ 0.50 each – that's a good deal but wait…)
If you buy all 20 (which usually I don’t but knew ahead of time to do so…) you get an additional $3.00 off immediately at the check out – so that’s 20 for $7.00 ($ 0.35 each).
But
I also had 3 / $1.00 off when you buy 6 coupons (that I printed free online at one of the free coupon printing sites) – so that’s 20 for $4.00 ($ 0.20 each)!!
More to come on how I saved yesterday
GE Sale Price: 20 for $10.00 (works out to be $ 0.50 each – that's a good deal but wait…)
If you buy all 20 (which usually I don’t but knew ahead of time to do so…) you get an additional $3.00 off immediately at the check out – so that’s 20 for $7.00 ($ 0.35 each).
But
I also had 3 / $1.00 off when you buy 6 coupons (that I printed free online at one of the free coupon printing sites) – so that’s 20 for $4.00 ($ 0.20 each)!!
More to come on how I saved yesterday
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Coupons and Policies - Important Stuff
When we lived in Hawaii I thought I was completely cut off from “deals”. Sure the Safeway had some good sales and I sought them out and the Wal Mart and Longs (which is now CVS – which is awesome for coupons and deals) had sales too, but I was still paying $10 for 2 gallons of milk and over a buck for a small container of yogurt – and those were sale prices so I never really felt like I was saving anything.
I am learning (and hopefully sharing) things that “if I had known when I lived in Hawaii…” I would have been a much better shopper – and I hope my friends still living in Hawaii (and paying the “paradise tax”) and elsewhere can learn and save too.
The Plain Dealer is usually flush with coupons and ads – there were three in this past Sunday’s paper. The direct mail Red Plum ads during the week here have multiple deals in them. The Sunday Advertiser rarely had coupons at all and our weekly mailings had very limited coupons – sometimes only for a couple of items. I used to have my Mom send me inserts from the papers in Cleveland because, generally speaking, a manufacturer coupon is good nationwide – unless it specifically excludes your state.
I wish I had been a lot more savvy in the Internet Coupon world back then…but knowing when, where, and how to use internet coupons seems to be very important.
Knowing the stores coupon policy is becoming key in my efforts to save money. I am currently amassing the written coupon policies of the stores where I currently shop and intend to coupon. Many seem to be available online and I’m finding a lot of stores have their policy posted at their customer service desk.
Some of what I am learning: NO ONE seems to take internet coupons that say FREE – most out there are apparently not legit so they are not taking them. Some stores will only take coupons up to a certain value of the item such as K-Mart who will not take coupons that exceed 75% of the item cost, or Giant Eagle who will not take internet coupons over $3 in value. On the positive side some stores have paperless electronic coupons that you just "load" the value of onto your store rewards coupon and the register will automatically take the coupon value off your purchase (gotta love that). These are all good things to know ahead of time.
Here’s some help:
CVS does not have their coupons policy printed on their website but they will provide one to you on request. Longs is now CVS – this is good new s on the coupon front! Lots of good store coupons at their site though - and you can stack store coupons and manufacturer coupons at CVS!
Walgreens does not have a particular coupon policy that I can find other than to accept manufacturers coupons as stated on the coupon / and they will take “stacked” coupons.
Rite Aid’s policy is not on their website either but again you can get a copy at the store or write to their corporate offices for one.
K Mart seems to not have a well defined coupon policy and what I’ve learned from thekrazycouponlady.com on the subject tells me I’m better off at Wal Mart of Target unless I really need to go to K-Mart (which of course is the only store in walking distance of my house).
Kroger does not have their coupon policy at their website but they do offer ‘digital coupons’ there that you can ‘load’ onto your Kroger card that will be automatically deducted when you buy that item at the store. Nifty! http://www.softcoin.com/Sites/Kroger_ECoupons/Page/HomePage/Retailer/Kroger
Giant Eagle: http://www.gianteagle.com/saving/coupon-redemption-policy
Target: http://www.target.com/b/ref=br_bx_4/180-0311849-4571964?ie=UTF8&node=2223357011
WalMart: http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx
Marc’s: http://www.marcs.com/coupon.cfm
Safeway: http://www.safeway.com/IFL/Grocery/Coupons-Policy
Acme Fresh Market: http://www.acmestores.com/internet-coupon-policy.html
More on “stacking” coupons to come – I’m going to do that today or tomorrow on a shopping trip!
If the snow lets up…
I am learning (and hopefully sharing) things that “if I had known when I lived in Hawaii…” I would have been a much better shopper – and I hope my friends still living in Hawaii (and paying the “paradise tax”) and elsewhere can learn and save too.
The Plain Dealer is usually flush with coupons and ads – there were three in this past Sunday’s paper. The direct mail Red Plum ads during the week here have multiple deals in them. The Sunday Advertiser rarely had coupons at all and our weekly mailings had very limited coupons – sometimes only for a couple of items. I used to have my Mom send me inserts from the papers in Cleveland because, generally speaking, a manufacturer coupon is good nationwide – unless it specifically excludes your state.
I wish I had been a lot more savvy in the Internet Coupon world back then…but knowing when, where, and how to use internet coupons seems to be very important.
Knowing the stores coupon policy is becoming key in my efforts to save money. I am currently amassing the written coupon policies of the stores where I currently shop and intend to coupon. Many seem to be available online and I’m finding a lot of stores have their policy posted at their customer service desk.
Some of what I am learning: NO ONE seems to take internet coupons that say FREE – most out there are apparently not legit so they are not taking them. Some stores will only take coupons up to a certain value of the item such as K-Mart who will not take coupons that exceed 75% of the item cost, or Giant Eagle who will not take internet coupons over $3 in value. On the positive side some stores have paperless electronic coupons that you just "load" the value of onto your store rewards coupon and the register will automatically take the coupon value off your purchase (gotta love that). These are all good things to know ahead of time.
Here’s some help:
CVS does not have their coupons policy printed on their website but they will provide one to you on request. Longs is now CVS – this is good new s on the coupon front! Lots of good store coupons at their site though - and you can stack store coupons and manufacturer coupons at CVS!
Walgreens does not have a particular coupon policy that I can find other than to accept manufacturers coupons as stated on the coupon / and they will take “stacked” coupons.
Rite Aid’s policy is not on their website either but again you can get a copy at the store or write to their corporate offices for one.
K Mart seems to not have a well defined coupon policy and what I’ve learned from thekrazycouponlady.com on the subject tells me I’m better off at Wal Mart of Target unless I really need to go to K-Mart (which of course is the only store in walking distance of my house).
Kroger does not have their coupon policy at their website but they do offer ‘digital coupons’ there that you can ‘load’ onto your Kroger card that will be automatically deducted when you buy that item at the store. Nifty! http://www.softcoin.com/Sites/Kroger_ECoupons/Page/HomePage/Retailer/Kroger
Giant Eagle: http://www.gianteagle.com/saving/coupon-redemption-policy
Target: http://www.target.com/b/ref=br_bx_4/180-0311849-4571964?ie=UTF8&node=2223357011
WalMart: http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx
Marc’s: http://www.marcs.com/coupon.cfm
Safeway: http://www.safeway.com/IFL/Grocery/Coupons-Policy
Acme Fresh Market: http://www.acmestores.com/internet-coupon-policy.html
More on “stacking” coupons to come – I’m going to do that today or tomorrow on a shopping trip!
If the snow lets up…
Day Three - Sabotaged!
Day three – all savings sabotaged by sending Jason into the Giant Eagle for a “couple of things”… he comes out with Organic beets, turnips, salmon (full price – for the kids), salmon with feta and spinach (for us – also full price), milk, ham hocks, dried beans, firewood… (he was supposed to get some firewood, milk and maybe some meat for dinner…) $42.58 later / ZERO savings.
Dinner was yummy though.
I think I need to work on teaching him how to just shop for sales, as I know he usually forgets to use coupons even when I put them in his wallet for him… Moving forward!
Dinner was yummy though.
I think I need to work on teaching him how to just shop for sales, as I know he usually forgets to use coupons even when I put them in his wallet for him… Moving forward!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
First targeted shopping trips - goals / results
Well - off and running on the shopping trips yesterday and today. I managed to plan these trips because there some things I needed in addition to some things that I wanted. Learning to plan my shopping trips according to the sales and coupons is going to part of the challenge.
Sure I "plan" my trips out - usually based on exactly what I need for the next day or two (maybe a week) - I've even occasionally planned meals for a week - and I've done that shopping but this is more targeted - part of the initial stocking up plan. I'll let you know my results in the end
We are not very good at stocking up on things and know that this is part of the reason we spend so much on stuff when we need it. It's also the balance between hoarding (which we've both seen family members do - it is not pretty) and having a well stocked pantry and supplies which is the goal.
The websites I've visited while learning how to coupon recommend making a list of things that you want to have on hand - your stockpile. But knowing what you want to have on hand is only part of the journey - knowing when and how to get those items at the best price is the ultimate goal. For the past 2 or 3 days we've kept a running list of things we'd like to have on hand - its a huge list probably well over 100 items already. Everything from coffee, salad dressing, and ground beef to dishwasher soap, paper towels, and shampoo and tons of stuff in between. Ultimately it would be great to be able to buy everything when its on sale and with a coupon - it would be even better if it was a "rock-bottom price" sale, but in the beginning here, I'm going to be happy with finding sales and hopefully having a coupon and taking it from there.
Our next step is figuring out what we actually already have here. We've done a lot of warehouse shopping at Sam's and have 47 million packets of oatmeal and are nearly out of cooking spray. We have got to find the balance between what we have and need and how much "back up" we want to have on hand. Right now we are in this step and seeing what we actually already have here buried in the pantry. All part of the organizing steps.
As it will take a while to inventory and I want to start saving now it was time to go ahead and jump in feet first with items that I know we need or want and don't have on hand so my first step was checking the ads.
With the warning of possible TMI - I knew I would be needing to buy feminine products very soon and checked out the national chain ads at www.couponmom.com (you have to register at the site but it is well worth it) and I knew I saw some coupons in last weeks Red Plum (RP) ads. CVS had the sale I wanted on the items I wanted and the coupon that was referenced was a buy one get one free - hey I have what I need and a back up too - and I got a great price! Start of the stockpile :-) First targeted shopping savings of 50% whoo hooo!
Today I wanted to go get some grocery items as its back to school tomorrow and we need some stuff. I went to the couponmom.com site and went to the drop down menu for Giant Eagle and made my list based on the sale and what I needed. I especially like that couponmom lets you sort the sale by percentage saved off of retail price. Then I went to my coupon stash - which is pretty small since I just started this endeavor - to cut out what I needed in order to buy with super savings. Unfortunately, I only had coupons for 3 of the items I wanted. So then I went to www.coupons.com, www.smartsource.com and www.redplum.com to print manufacturer coupons for what I needed to buy and targeted to what is on sale at the store I want to go to.
On my little trip to Giant Eagle today - I bought 17 items (including a whole chicken) - there were four items that I purchased that were not on sale, of those I had coupons for 3 of them. Of the items on sale there was only one on my list that I did not have a coupon for in addition to the sale (the whole chicken). So I bought only 1 item that was in no way discounted (Schwebel's Wheat bread - lunches tomorrow - its what the kids like).
Total retail price of my shopping trip: $38.24
What I paid after sales and coupons: $22.41
Savings of: $15.83 (41%)
(and I stuck to my list and did not give into the temptation to buy other stuff while in the store)
Not bad - I hope you are picking up tips and are using them too.
_________________
There are LOTS of coupons in today's paper - get multiple copies!
Please drop me a line and let me know what you think!
Sure I "plan" my trips out - usually based on exactly what I need for the next day or two (maybe a week) - I've even occasionally planned meals for a week - and I've done that shopping but this is more targeted - part of the initial stocking up plan. I'll let you know my results in the end
We are not very good at stocking up on things and know that this is part of the reason we spend so much on stuff when we need it. It's also the balance between hoarding (which we've both seen family members do - it is not pretty) and having a well stocked pantry and supplies which is the goal.
The websites I've visited while learning how to coupon recommend making a list of things that you want to have on hand - your stockpile. But knowing what you want to have on hand is only part of the journey - knowing when and how to get those items at the best price is the ultimate goal. For the past 2 or 3 days we've kept a running list of things we'd like to have on hand - its a huge list probably well over 100 items already. Everything from coffee, salad dressing, and ground beef to dishwasher soap, paper towels, and shampoo and tons of stuff in between. Ultimately it would be great to be able to buy everything when its on sale and with a coupon - it would be even better if it was a "rock-bottom price" sale, but in the beginning here, I'm going to be happy with finding sales and hopefully having a coupon and taking it from there.
Our next step is figuring out what we actually already have here. We've done a lot of warehouse shopping at Sam's and have 47 million packets of oatmeal and are nearly out of cooking spray. We have got to find the balance between what we have and need and how much "back up" we want to have on hand. Right now we are in this step and seeing what we actually already have here buried in the pantry. All part of the organizing steps.
As it will take a while to inventory and I want to start saving now it was time to go ahead and jump in feet first with items that I know we need or want and don't have on hand so my first step was checking the ads.
With the warning of possible TMI - I knew I would be needing to buy feminine products very soon and checked out the national chain ads at www.couponmom.com (you have to register at the site but it is well worth it) and I knew I saw some coupons in last weeks Red Plum (RP) ads. CVS had the sale I wanted on the items I wanted and the coupon that was referenced was a buy one get one free - hey I have what I need and a back up too - and I got a great price! Start of the stockpile :-) First targeted shopping savings of 50% whoo hooo!
Today I wanted to go get some grocery items as its back to school tomorrow and we need some stuff. I went to the couponmom.com site and went to the drop down menu for Giant Eagle and made my list based on the sale and what I needed. I especially like that couponmom lets you sort the sale by percentage saved off of retail price. Then I went to my coupon stash - which is pretty small since I just started this endeavor - to cut out what I needed in order to buy with super savings. Unfortunately, I only had coupons for 3 of the items I wanted. So then I went to www.coupons.com, www.smartsource.com and www.redplum.com to print manufacturer coupons for what I needed to buy and targeted to what is on sale at the store I want to go to.
On my little trip to Giant Eagle today - I bought 17 items (including a whole chicken) - there were four items that I purchased that were not on sale, of those I had coupons for 3 of them. Of the items on sale there was only one on my list that I did not have a coupon for in addition to the sale (the whole chicken). So I bought only 1 item that was in no way discounted (Schwebel's Wheat bread - lunches tomorrow - its what the kids like).
Total retail price of my shopping trip: $38.24
What I paid after sales and coupons: $22.41
Savings of: $15.83 (41%)
(and I stuck to my list and did not give into the temptation to buy other stuff while in the store)
Not bad - I hope you are picking up tips and are using them too.
_________________
There are LOTS of coupons in today's paper - get multiple copies!
Please drop me a line and let me know what you think!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year - 2010 here I come
January 2, 2010
Okay - this is my new way of keeping track of my resolution to become a better shopper. By that I mean get more and spend less. Learning to use the sales and the coupons out there (and the internet) to save money for my family.
And I'm going to log how it is going and what I learn and hopefully you'll follow along and save some money too.
The amount of money our family spends on groceries, paper products, cleaning supplies, kids supplies, and just general "stuff" is amazing to me. Sure it's a lot less that we were paying in Hawaii (and coupons themselves were rare in Hawaii - never fear HI friends - I have hope for you as well) but it's still more than we have to spend - the deals are out there, I just have to find them.
We have all seen the "coupons queens" in line at the store. You know the ones, they have a whole cart worth of stuff and end up paying $22 for it when all is said and done. We hate them - and not because they're saving the money - but because we're jealous that they are so organized and they know how to keep all of those coupons in line and follow the sales and they save all of that money. We either don't have the time, the patience or discipline to do the same thing. Heck - they're so organized they get through the line with all of their stuff and coupons faster than some people can get their ID out when writing a check.
______________
Off and on for years I have used coupons and tried to buy things on sale. I've saved a few bucks here and there and feel good about doing so but I keep finding myself in a place where I end up running out of something and needed to go buy it and I end up paying full price. I want to learn to stock up on things I use regularly and not pay full price on them!
I figured there was some sort of system for keeping an eye on the ads and keeping track of the coupons but the amount of work involved seemed daunting. I'd just clip about every coupon that I thought I might need and then when I was shopping and found something that I needed or was on my list (or something on sale that I would soon need) I'd flip through my coupons and if I had one I'd use it and save some money. It works but it's not all that efficient. Sometimes on one trip I'd be flipping through tons of coupons multiple times (pulling my cart off to the side etc.) NO MORE!
Thanks to Facebook and reconnecting with a friend from High School I've learned some tips to learn and to share. Every once in a while this friend would post about huge savings on grocery trips and I would think "I have got to ask her how she does that". I finally asked her this past week and the amount of knowledge I have gained is amazing! That's why I'm going to write is all down, track it, link to it and share it as best I can.
Even using just a few of the tips and websites out there the savings are easy! In the past few days I've already saved noticeable amounts on items I was going to buy this week regardless of their cost. But with a little bit of time online and with the coupons before I left the house I've saved money - over 50% off the regular price of what I was shopping for.
The first things I've learned and will share are:
1. Save all of the coupons ads - intact - and keep them in order (date the cover page) - only clip the coupons when you are getting ready to do the shopping.
2. Get multiple copies of the coupon ads since often you have to buy more than one item to get the sale price at a store - may as well have a coupon for each item.
3. Internet Coupons
www.redplum.com and more
4. Visit the websites and blogs:
www.couponmom.com
http://bargainbriana.com
http://thecouponhigh.blogspot.com/
5. Get organized! (more on that to come)
That seems to be enough for day one of this blog.
I hope you come back and check on my progress - I plan on updating my savings, information and what I learn on a regular basis.
Aloha - Ellie
Okay - this is my new way of keeping track of my resolution to become a better shopper. By that I mean get more and spend less. Learning to use the sales and the coupons out there (and the internet) to save money for my family.
And I'm going to log how it is going and what I learn and hopefully you'll follow along and save some money too.
The amount of money our family spends on groceries, paper products, cleaning supplies, kids supplies, and just general "stuff" is amazing to me. Sure it's a lot less that we were paying in Hawaii (and coupons themselves were rare in Hawaii - never fear HI friends - I have hope for you as well) but it's still more than we have to spend - the deals are out there, I just have to find them.
We have all seen the "coupons queens" in line at the store. You know the ones, they have a whole cart worth of stuff and end up paying $22 for it when all is said and done. We hate them - and not because they're saving the money - but because we're jealous that they are so organized and they know how to keep all of those coupons in line and follow the sales and they save all of that money. We either don't have the time, the patience or discipline to do the same thing. Heck - they're so organized they get through the line with all of their stuff and coupons faster than some people can get their ID out when writing a check.
______________
Off and on for years I have used coupons and tried to buy things on sale. I've saved a few bucks here and there and feel good about doing so but I keep finding myself in a place where I end up running out of something and needed to go buy it and I end up paying full price. I want to learn to stock up on things I use regularly and not pay full price on them!
I figured there was some sort of system for keeping an eye on the ads and keeping track of the coupons but the amount of work involved seemed daunting. I'd just clip about every coupon that I thought I might need and then when I was shopping and found something that I needed or was on my list (or something on sale that I would soon need) I'd flip through my coupons and if I had one I'd use it and save some money. It works but it's not all that efficient. Sometimes on one trip I'd be flipping through tons of coupons multiple times (pulling my cart off to the side etc.) NO MORE!
Thanks to Facebook and reconnecting with a friend from High School I've learned some tips to learn and to share. Every once in a while this friend would post about huge savings on grocery trips and I would think "I have got to ask her how she does that". I finally asked her this past week and the amount of knowledge I have gained is amazing! That's why I'm going to write is all down, track it, link to it and share it as best I can.
Even using just a few of the tips and websites out there the savings are easy! In the past few days I've already saved noticeable amounts on items I was going to buy this week regardless of their cost. But with a little bit of time online and with the coupons before I left the house I've saved money - over 50% off the regular price of what I was shopping for.
The first things I've learned and will share are:
1. Save all of the coupons ads - intact - and keep them in order (date the cover page) - only clip the coupons when you are getting ready to do the shopping.
2. Get multiple copies of the coupon ads since often you have to buy more than one item to get the sale price at a store - may as well have a coupon for each item.
3. Internet Coupons
www.redplum.com and more
4. Visit the websites and blogs:
www.couponmom.com
http://bargainbriana.com
http://thecouponhigh.blogspot.com/
5. Get organized! (more on that to come)
That seems to be enough for day one of this blog.
I hope you come back and check on my progress - I plan on updating my savings, information and what I learn on a regular basis.
Aloha - Ellie
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