How to Really Save on Groceries

I have always clipped coupons when I could find them. However I never really went out and got the Sunday paper just for coupons etc. And, when I did, I was always disappointed because it never contained any coupons I needed right then. Therein lies the problem.

Using coupons has to be a consistent thing. And, NO IT IS NOT a waste of your time. If your consider than in one month’s time I have saved $200 then each week I clipped coupons which was only 3 times I got paid $66 for 15 minutes worth of work!!

This is how I got started. I found a message board on frugality and learned about something called CVSing. CVS has a program where you buy products from them and earn ECB’s which you use toward your next purchase. The trick is to use coupons so you pay even less for certain items. It costs a little to get started but once you do you continue to roll your ECB’s (extra care bucks) over for even less out of pocket cost.

These are my numbers. My first trip cost me $14.33. Since then I have not paid more than $6 OOP (out of pocket) and that was because I really needed batteries and had no coupons. Usually I pay less than $2 OOP. You can find much better information on CVSing here. (as a side note, I was getting ready to cut soda out of our budget all together but since starting I have gotten 9 cases of Coke product for $3… along with other items at the same time, this WILL save you money)

So, CVSing got me to want coupons. I remembered a service I had subscribed to once called the Grocery Game. Each week they tell you which items are at stockpiling prices. I use this list to figure out what I am going to buy for the week. I now base my menus on what is on sale and believe it or not, it hasn’t affected what we eat very much at all.

While I get good tips from the Grocery Game you can find lots of free advice at the Grocery Gathering. Plus they provide info about a lot more stores. Both sites tell you which coupons to use and when.

Which takes me back to coupons. The reason I never found what I was looking for was because I only checked out the Sunday paper once in a blue moon. You must get the inserts each week for it to work.

So, yes, you can save a lot of money on groceries and household items. However you must do two things… clip coupons AND use the free advice readily available on the internet.

How to Really Save on Groceries

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