I took to the newspapers, and cut me some brightly colored "paper money." I am not going to say that it was the most fun I have ever had, nor will I say I feel like this is my new hobby. However, the results were pretty dang good.
After sitting down with our local ads, making a list, matching-up my coupons to sale items...we were in the car. We went to Kings, Albertson's, and Safeway...which was A LOT. However, the pay-off was great. Our winnings:
Total for groceries: $147.56
I paid: $43.13 Savings: 69%
Best Deal: 6 boxes of name brand cereal for $5...total!
Here is what I learned:
- Couponing is great...but I wouldn't do it for every grocery run.
- It is time consuming and you feel a little crazy. I am planning on doing it once or twice a month for a big haul of things we always use.
- You can still eat fresh and organically
- We eat a lot of fresh fruits/veggies and do our best to eat as organically as possible. That said, Pop Tarts (although tasty) are not always high on my list. So I wondered, can you still coupon for organic products? Answer: Yes. Here is the best site I found with printable coupons for organics:
- Planning is key
- Take the time to really sit down and survey what you need, where to get it, and who has the best deals. I did find that all three of the above doubled coupons up to a $1 discount...so coupons less than a dollar were doubled up to a $1 off discount. Bonus.
- Only buy what you need.
- I do not have a cat....so why would ANYONE buy cat litter if they do not have a cat? Even if it is free. Seriously...who needs 450 tubes of toothpaste. Give it to a food bank, folks.
