THE "SECRET"

So just how did I buy $150 worth of groceries for $60 last week? Here's the secret...

First of all, you must know that the coupon by itself is not what cuts your bill in half… What gets you the best savings is:

1) Doing some preparatory research
2) Obtaining the coupons
3) Using the coupons at the right TIME
4) Using the coupons at the right PLACE
5) Creating a BUDGET for your weekly shopping trips

RESEARCH
First, you need to know what’s on sale at your neighborhood stores.

The main website you should know about and register with is http://www.couponmom.com/. Stephanie Nelson – the coupon mom – has made available free-of-charge her e-book: “Advanced Grocery Saving Strategies: Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half” which I strongly suggest you read if you want this to work for you. Her website cross references the weekly specials at major supermarkets (as well as WalMart, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid) against a database of available coupons from the Sunday paper.

Another powerful website to use in conjunction with this is http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/. This website compares all weekly ads (you pick the stores) with each other so you can see who has the lowest price for any particular item.

COUPONS
You will find the majority of all available coupons in the Sunday paper. That being said, you should either subscribe or commit to purchasing one (or more) when they are available. SAVE THE COUPON INSERTS!!! Do not throw them away!! The coupon mom will tell you which coupon circular to use and when.

Other sources of coupons are the Internet (http://www.coupons.com/, http://www.smartsource.com/, manufacturer websites), in-store displays, snail mail, and in-package coupons. Know your coupons so that when you research the weekly ads, you’ll recognize items for which you have a coupon. (Coupon Mom references the coupons from the newspaper only.)

If you notice that there is a particular coupon that is of interest to you in the newspaper, BUY MORE NEWSPAPERS! More newspapers = more coupons!

RIGHT TIME
Stock up on stuff only when it is on sale AND you have coupons. Don’t use your coupons just because you have them. Be patient and wait for that sale!

RIGHT PLACE
Double-check http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/ to make sure you’re shopping at the store with the lowest priced items. Or you can split up the shopping list and visit different stores if the price difference is big enough. Also, know your store's double-coupon policy, price matching policy, and competitor's coupons policies.

BUDGET
My Mantra: “Just because it’s on sale, doesn’t mean you have to buy it!” (Easier said than done – I’m still working on this one. )





You will notice an immediate difference in your wallet!!






Post your comments and let me know how much you’re saving. Take a look at the bottom of my last Publix receipt. I spent $16, but I SAVED $34!! That means I purchased $50 worth of stuff for $16!