The Cheapskate Mom

As I'm getting a reputation for being a relatively crazy coupon lady, I've been starting to learn about the other side of the fence- NOT being so crazy about coupons. To me, this idea is ridiculous, but after spending some good quality time with my mom friends I learned a lot of reasons why some people just AREN'T so crazy about coupons. There really IS a way to take advantage of grocery savings without spending as much time on it or being too aggressive. But WHY are some people not such a big fan of coupons?

• They are brand faithful to certain products.
• They don't have time for all that clipping.
• They can't find coupons for products they want.
• They buy all generics.
• They buy the myth that you can't save much with coupons.
• They believe using coupons means you don't have money.
• The area they live has limited competition and therefore a limited amount of coupons available.

These are some of the most common reasons people don't use coupons. It may seem easier to just admit defeat and toss the idea of coupons out the window, but I have come up with a system that can take a lot of the stress and legwork out of coupons and help you to save $.

What if you don't "need" to use coupons? The reason I started couponing was because the money didn't exist to pay full price. If it does exist, ask yourself this: What if I saved $20 each week using coupons?

$20 x 52 weeks= $1,040

What could you use that money for?

• Annually paid expenses such as insurance
• Vacation
• College fund for kids
• Investments
• Extra mortgage payments
• Debt Payoff
• Savings
• Car Down Payment
• Christmas

Imagine eliminating some of these items from your budget altogether just by clipping a few coupons! And it's a fair trade for about 30 minutes of your time each week.

So how do you coupon without being CRAZY?

1) Shop from the sales ad. Circle any items you are going to purchase this week, and any brands you are willing to try. You can view store deals at MoneySavingMom.com for most regions and the best deals are going to be listed, along with where to find coupons for those items. Most store websites have a shopping list tool that you can print, which lists each item by the aisle, and will automatically print any printable coupons available for the items you add to your list.

If you're willing to pay a monthly fee, though, you can try sites like TheGroceryGame.com. They do offer a free 4-week trial. It basically does everything for you, but it does cost you about $5 each month. I have heard good and bad reviews on this. I can say that I feel more accomplished doing the work myself, however, if you just want to save without having to do the work, this may be a good option for you.

2) Search coupon sites like CouponDeDe.com and TheCouponClippers.com for coupons you know you can use. You do have to pay a handling fee, but it is usually only pennies per coupon, such as $.07 for a $.75 coupon that will double and yield you a $1.50 savings.

3) Stock up on regularly used items at the lowest price you can find. There are some items that don't have a shelf life and can't be frozen, but those that can, such as soups, sauces, seasonings, pasta, meats, cereal, snacks, and so on, are worth buying in bulk. If you find block cheese at a low price (usually cheaper than sliced or shredded) you can shred it and put it in freezer bags. But don't try to freeze block cheese, because it crumbles when it thaws.

4) Take advantage of OYNO (On Your Next Order) Catalina deals and try to match it with coupons. For example, my store was offering a deal where if you bought 3 Pillsbury products in one order, you would receive $1 off your next shopping order. I used 2 $.30/2 coupon to buy the smallest cans(5) Grands! Junior bisuits ($.86 each) totalling $2.24, less the $1 OYNO (you can consider this cash back) and I paid $.31 per can. But don't buy something you won't use just to get the $$ back, because that's not a savings. Just pay close attention for deals you can take advantage of.

5) Make a Menu Plan. If you base it around what's on sale and what you have on hand, you only need to buy additional items to fill in the blanks. After your list is made, search the coupon database @ Money Saving mom for any coupons for those items. It takes a little bit of practice, but I was $3 under weekly budget the first time I did this and only use 4 coupons!

Couponing does train you to think outside the box, and you can easily save time and money by just using these tips. You don't have to be obsessive, or aggressive, have a huge coupon box or binder, or buy all kinds of things you don't want. But with a small amount of effort, and setting goals for yourself, you will have that extra $1,040 in no time!

This week was a low couponing week. Last week, after returning from vacation, I did a big shopping week at WalMart getting baby food, formula, and a ton of things we were out of, and while it was nice to get it all done in one shot, the trip didn't yield any huge savings. I was feeling pretty ashamed of myself for being out of the couponing loop for nearly a month.

Then, after doing a Freezer inventory, I planned our meals for this week using a great menu planning form from Money Saving Mom. So after tons of distracted, broken up planning, I had planned my shopping trips to stay within our current $30 food budget. I was hitting my last stop in the store when something incredibly cool happened. A lady new to couponing approached me with questions!

At first, I was totally embarrassed at my lack of organization and the fact that I wasn't getting the usual 50-60% savings I usually do and mentioned that to her. Well, she was just thrilled with the few tips I had! I don't feel that I'm the biggest couponing pro around, but I guess I just take for granted what little information some people have. So I wanted to throw together a list of my best tips for this week.

1. Do a freezer/pantry inventory! I was so shocked at what I had that I was entirely oblivious to in my freezer, and what I had taking up space that had already gone bad. Yesterday, I just wrote it down on notebook paper, but my goal is to create a binder with a running inventory, along with weekly and even monthly meal plans--so keep checking back as I'll be blogging about this as I go!

2. It's not what you save, it's what you spend!! I won't say I don't get excited to see how much I've saved, but sticking to your budget is the most important thing. Today, I used only 3 coupons but I was also $3 under budget and have everything I need for this week and then some, WITHOUT making a huge dent in my pantry.

3. Combining coupons and sales does not ALWAYS save you the most money. It's one of the couponing myths that skeptics buy into. It's USUALLY not true, but sometimes, it is. Today, I had a coupon for Pillsbury Crescent rolls, and the store brand was still 20 cents cheaper. Instead, I bought a roll of 6 biscuits for 56 cents, which saved me even more, since I just needed rolls for one meal. This is why it is extremely important to compare prices and cost per unit when you're buying something specific for your menu.

4. Leave your coupons behind! If you're not likely to use it before the expiration date, someone else might be able to. I have found coupons left on shelves that I've been very grateful for. At WalMart, someone left a $5 off a Schick Hydro razor, and there was one package left with a coupon for a free Schick Hydro Shave Gel. So I got hubby both for $1.64, that's cheaper than the shave gel by itself! So be sure to leave your soon to expire coupons in plain sight in front of the product.

5. Use your store website's printable grocery lists. My two grocery stores, Weis and Martin's, have this feature on their websites. You can browse the sale ads, click on the items you want to purchase or add your own, and it will print out the list of items, their sale price, and organize the list by aisle. As a bonus, it is also linked to coupons.com and will print any coupons available for the items you've selected. I can't tell you how much easier this makes my grocery trips.

I've been meaning to post about this trip for a while, but lately, my time to work on my blog has been limited. I'm finally getting to it a week later but at least I'm doing it!

I've posted before that my weekly grocery budget is $30. One of the ways I make that possible is by shopping at Aldi, which is a store with all private label brands that are lower in price but not in quality compared to brand name stores. They do however have brand name items occasionally, but they don't accept coupons. Usually, these are the types of items I'll purchase there:

1. Items that never or rarely have coupons like meat, dairy, or breads
2. Items that even when coupons are available or generic is purchased are still too pricey
3. Items I need this week, but I have no coupons and the sale isn't very good

If I didn't recieve WIC, I would always and only buy dairy, bread, and cereal at Aldi for the low price. I don't have specifics on those prices, but here is what I did buy at my last trip:

1 12" Frozen Cheese pizza $2.29
2 1lb Frozen 85% Lean Ground Beef Rolls $2.29 ea.
2 1lb Frozen 85% Lean Ground Turkey $1.19 ea.
32oz Fat Free French Vanilla Coffee Creamer $1.99
1 Chewy Granola Bars 10ct $1.69
13 Gallon Kitchen Trash Bags 30ct $2.49
1 18 oz Peanut Butter $1.39
1 box Hawaiin Punch Fruit Snacks 24ct $3.49
1 Large Aldi Green Bag $1.99

Total + Tax: $22.77

Since my "price book" is in my head I can't give a great guess of the prices of these items in the grocery store, but I can tell you that I know I would've paid almost double. The lowest price I've ever found for fresh ground turkey is $2.50 and that's for 73% lean. That right there more than doubles the price. Not to mention that I find it to be the best quality I have ever tried. I am not real sure how good of a deal I got on the beef as it seems to average around $3/lb for the same thing at my regular grocery store, so the savings isn't as drastic, but I still find the quality to be much better.

Fruit snacks are my son's favorite treat, and I used to be able to find them in an all natural version at Aldi. However, these have vitamin C which is more than I can say for the store brand which winds up costing around $1.50 for a 6 pouch package, and this box has 24. $1.50 x 4=$6.00. I saved $2.50 this way.

I purchased a green bag, and if you know me, you know how I really feel about "going green". However, each time I go, I wind up buying 3 paper bags at 6 cents apiece. I figured that after 12 trips the bag would pay for itself (3 x .16= .18 12 x .18= 1.98) short of a penny. But, it holds more and it's a lot easier to haul your items to the car.

Lastly (Had to save this for last!) the LOWEST price I have ever seen for a frozen pizza that will feed four is $3.75 with a sale + coupon. Sometimes, the size I purchased would go on sale 2/$6 in the store brand, but again, I rarely see this. $2.29 is just an unbeatable price to pay to have a quick meal in the freezer.

Make sure you go to Aldi's website and see where the nearest location is to you. The only downside is that I have trouble taking both my kids since you have to walk to the door to put a quarter in the cart for it to release. This is another way they cut down on costs and pass the savings to their customers, and you also have to remember a quarter!

Many people I've met have insisted that they buy the same thing every time, and since the coupons don't match up, they are pretty set in their ways. It may seem sometimes that you can't both save and eat what you want, but, to me it seems that you get to eat a variety of foods and it isn't always the same old same old. And, sometimes, it takes making big changes to realize what you don't want to waste your cash on anymore!

I've been thinking lately about things I don't buy that others do. Even if you refuse to coupon, you can save huge just by cutting out items that you just plain don't need! So here's my list of the top items to avoid at the grocery store.


The WORST of 'Em!

#1--Baked Goods. I'm sure I don't have to say it, but I'll say it anyway. Why pay $6 for a dozen cookies you can make yourself for less than half that amount? Why pay $10 for a cake you can bake for $2? It just doesn't make any sense. I fell victim to this this week, and this is the reason why they say to shop on a full stomach!

#2--Lunch Meats. Meats at the deli counter MAY be fresher, but if you MUST, the prepackaged version is much less expensive. We only buy lunch meat when it's on major sale or we have a craving, and it DOES NOT make the weekly grocery list. Instead, we eat PB&J, tuna sandwiches, or leftover meat sandwiches.

#3--Red Meat. It's not very good for you to start with, but if you're buying steaks every week, try making it a monthly purchase instead. Or, try cube steak which is extremely inexpensive. Our local stores don't do this, but most discount meats a day or two before their sell by date. Ask your butcher if they do. If they don't, try finding a local meat supplier. I've significantly reduced the red meat from our diets around here, however, I do know that you'll be paying much less and get much better cuts of meat this way. You can also try substituting Hamburger with ground turkey, which usually runs cheaper to start with.

The Ones that Suck a Little Less Cash

#1 Cookie Mixes, side dish packets and Premade Doughs. These can be cheap if you match coupons and sales, in which case they're great, but making them from scratch will always cost less.

#2 Sodas and other bottled drinks. Even though we've caved lately, we used to have a strict rule of brewed iced tea, milk, juice, and water ONLY in our house. This was good for both our health and our wallets. It really helps to scale back on these, and we really need to tighten up on that.

#3 Snacks, Cookies and Chips. Potato Chips are REALLY expensive and prepackaged cookies and granola bars even more so. Usually, I will buy pretzels and tortilla chips in the generic brand, which are the cheapest and healthiest snacks. Also, a tip a friend of mine told me is to make a triple batch of cookie dough and freeze it in balls. Then, whenever you're in the mood for cookies, all you have to do is drop a dozen on a cookie sheet and bake.

I wish I knew exact calculations of how much money you can save by avoiding these items, and I actually might do some research and update this entry later. But my best advice is to look at how often you purchase these items and what changes you can make in these areas.

I have to admit, I'm not sticking to a strict grocery budget. Nope, I'm not practicing what I preach. The reason why has been because right now, the money is "there" because of our tax refund and that I've been finding killer deals I can't pass up. However, I'm going to start my new budget starting this week.

Yes, you read it right, I'm going to be spending a strict $30 each week. I do need to point out however that for the time being, we receive WIC, so I'm not needing to buy bread, eggs, milk, cheese, cereal, peanut butter, beans, or much produce. However, if I was, I'd be buying these items either with coupons or at Aldi and would only be adding about $10 to my weekly budget. This is for two adults and a toddler boy, but he often eats the same portion as we do. I'd assume to need at minimum $15 per week per adult and $10 per week per child totalling $40 for us for the time being. So if you're interested in attempting this same challenge, keep in mind that I'm playing a game to keep it around that amount and I'm convinced it can be done. This might be harder for some families and might not even be necessary, but for how long I've been couponing I don't think it'll be that hard. I've been keeping it well under $50/week lately, but that has included nonfood items as well.

When I post in my Recent Deals section I'll also be tracking my weekly progress. I'm hoping to never go over budget and keep it well under $30. I haven't decided yet what will happen to the leftover money at the end of each week. I am thinking I will use it to pay off credit card debt, as will any "extra" money from our other variable expenses each month. Wish me luck and I will keep you updated!

So you've found yourself in a financial pinch. You need to save money, and you've gotta start somewhere, and you can't make your house payment go away. One of the MOST variable expenses in anyone's budget is groceries. But you've got to start by first looking at the habits you're used to, and start changing them one at a time.

Before you can make a realistic budget of what you need to spend, you need to be able to figure out what you have been spending, and why. The simplest way to do this is to collect the last month's grocery receipts and analyze them. Then, make two lists: One list of NEED items and a list of WANT, or IMPULSE items (aka items you don't have to purchase) and list the brand and price you paid for that item. Add your totals. You need to see what your habits are.

Look at your wants list, and the total cost. You are already going to save that much money.

Now, look at your needs list, and go ahead and make some notes on the items you have no problem buying generic. You can save as much as $2 to switch to a generic in some cases. You now have your realistic grocery list.

Here are some tips to get started, for the rookies:

1. Shop Weekly. I can hear all the frugal moms saying "huh?" out there, but believe me, this is the BEST way to save. If you shop bi-weekly or monthly, you may save yourself some time and extra trips, but you will only be able to take advantage of one or two sales and may wind up having to buy certain things for a higher price. By shopping weekly, you're able to take advantage of the lowest prices on a larger variety of items.

2. Make a List and Stick To It. This has always been said, but it is always true. Plan your list around your sales ad, and vow to buy the lowest priced items possible.

3. Weigh Your Produce. If the item is priced individually, say, Oranges 2/$1, this doesn't matter. But if it is priced per pound, you need to weigh it, know what you're spending, and ONLY buy what you will use before it goes bad. Also, when buying bagged potatoes, they can vary by 1/4 pound. Weigh a few bags to get the most for your money. And when buying bagged apples, remember, you are getting the good and the bad. It's better to hand select and weigh slightly pricier apples to avoid having to toss half of them because they are damaged.

4. Leave Your Cards At Home. If your weekly budget is $80 and you have only brought $80, you can't spend more.

5. Look for discount meats. My store unfortunately doesn't do this, but several I have shopped at before do. The last day that meat can be sold, it's often put on a discount (usually about 50%). This is the time to buy up and freeze. If you aren't sure if your store discounts meats like this, ask the butcher.

6. Check the dollar section or clearance rack. My main grocery store has a killer clearance shelf--right in the middle of the frozen foods. I have found some of the greatest deals to be there, as you can of course use coupons with these items. My second store has a Dollar Section with a lot of household items, food items, dishes, school supplies, and pet food. It changes from time to time so I like to check every time I am there.

Now, by applying these tips, you should notice a significant savings on groceries, and once you'd mastered these concepts, you are ready to begin couponing.