And now for a post about saving money. Because the loot we save on food = more money to spend on paint & projects. I figured since I recently divulged my 2011 goal to figure out coupons and save more money this year, I should share a little coupon-related update for anyone else who’s as desperate to turn paper clippings into dolla dolla bills as I am. So here it is:
I saved $53 at the grocery store!!! Coupons really do work!!!!
Pardon all the shouting. I’m just really excited. I am definitely far from an “expert” on the subject (I just started trying to navigate the crazy coupon world a few weeks back) but here’s what I learned in the simplest of terms. Because I was a coupon dummy. Still kind of am. So I need things to be explained to me slowly. Preferably with lots of pictures and in a soothing and nurturing tone. Yup, I’m high maintenance like that.
Tip Numero Uno: You save the most money when your store (we shop at Kroger) matches coupons (ours does up to 50 cents) and when you can use a manufacturer’s coupon (like the ones you find in the paper or online) combined with store coupons or sales. For example, if Kroger has organic milk marked down by $1 and I have a manufacturers coupon for 50 cents off and Kroger matches that, a gallon of organic milk that’s normally $3 will only be $1 (because I’d score $2.00 off thanks to the store’s $1 off sale and the matched fifty cent coupon).
Not bad right? That stuff really adds up when you’re shopping for a fair amount of things (which has always been the way John & I do it, we usually do one major shopping trip every 2-3 weeks). It keeps us from spending a lot of money on impulse buys (which would occur more frequently and cost us more money if we hit the store more often for smaller trips). But I’m rambling. Back to more of my novice coupon tips.
Tip Numero Dos: If you use coupons for things you don’t eat (or just get stuff because it’s on sale) you’re still losing money, wasting time, and giving up valuable space in your house that could better be used to store other things. So even if that bag of chips is 40 cents, if you don’t normally buy chips but get all crazy at the idea of big savings you’re on a slippery coupon slope. My big rule is that I only clip (or print) coupons for things that our family already eats or would like to try. We prefer organic produce and organic dairy along with basics like pasta, bread, cereal, granola, etc. It’s not always as easy to find coupons for those things, but they do exist! And thanks to Kroger (where we have a Kroger savings card, which also offers occasional discounts on those items when you scan the card at the register) we’ve been able to save a substantial amount of money. Our last trip was our best savings ever (did I mentioned we saved $53?!!!!! oh I did. sorry, I’m just excited).
Along with picking up the Sunday paper for the bevy of coupons hiding inside (along with a Kroger weekly sale flier), here are some of the online stops that I make to find coupons that I can print or even load directly onto my Kroger card (how Minority Report is that?!).
- This is my favorite coupon site. I click the Kroger tab and the Target tab to see what’s going on (they have other stores in case you’re not a Kroger person)
- This is where I go within that site to load things onto my Kroger card
- I also check out this site for printable coupons
- And this one
- And this one
- This site is nice because it has links to a few of my favorites (some of them already listed above) in one spot
- I also drop by this site just to see what’s going on there
- And this one
- And this one
- And this one
Resist the urge to get overwhelmed though! I probably get 90% of my coupons from the top four bullets above, so there’s no need to go crazy and bookmark a million sites like I did. I just had to experiment with a bunch of them to find my favorites (aka: those top four).
Other than those two tips above, there really isn’t one big trick that helped me save tons of money. I just clipped coupons on and off for two weeks (just for things we actually need/use/eat), wrote our shopping list carefully (being sure to note how many of each item we needed for the maximum savings) and even loaded some coupons onto my Kroger card online before going into the store (thanks to this site). We spent around $160 for 2-3 weeks worth of groceries for John, Clara, and I (we walked out with over nine giant reusable bags full of stuff, and according to the receipt we purchased 77 items). And we saved $53! And that was on things like two four-packs of organic baby yogurt for Clara, two half-gallons of organic milk, organic eggs, organic produce like bananas & avocados & and peppers, and basics like whole wheat bread, wheat pasta, granola bars, cereal (and goodies like dark chocolate and ice cream). It felt so good! Here are a few more specific examples of exactly how our coupons combined with an in-store sale to save us the most money:
- We got two YoBaby Organic Yogurt 4-Packs, which were originally selling for $2.69 (which calculates to a total of $5.38). But Kroger had them marked down for 60 cents off each one (bringing each one down to $2.09) and then we had a “buy one 4-pack, get the second one free” coupon from the manufacturer, which made our total for both 4-packs just $2.09 (for a savings of $3.29).
- We got an 8 oz bag of Gorton’s grilled shrimp that was originally $5.99. But Kroger was having a special $3 off promotion so it was only $2.99. And we had a manufacturers coupon for $1 off which means that our bag of shrimp cost just $1.99 (for a savings of $4).
- We got a box of FiberOne Granola Bars that were originally $2.49. But Kroger had them on sale for $1.50 off (which made the box just 99 cents) and we had loaded a FiberOne e-coupon onto our Kroger card (thanks to this site) for 50 cents off, so we paid just 49 cents for the box of FiberOne granola bars.
Of course these are our best buys that we’re highlighting, so not everything that we purchased was that discounted. Not even close. So don’t get down on yourself if you save 20 cents here and 50 cents there. It all adds up! Just be sure you’re buying things that you actually like and eat, not just things that are on sale.
Oh and a few more couponing 101 tips that I picked up are:
- Just because something is 10/$10 doesn’t mean you have to buy ten items (it’s usually just labeled that way to get you to buy more).
- Resist the urge to buy the largest size of things that are on sale- often you save the highest percentage when you use a $1.00 off coupon on the $2.00 cereal box, not the supersized $4 one (this was the hardest principle for me to grasp at first since my instinct was that buying something huge saved me more money). Of course if the larger one is substantially less money per ounce and you have a use for a large amount of something, it could be worth the upgrade- but I was surprised how often I noticed them listed as the same price per ounce.
- Coupons are allegedly cyclical, meaning that most coupon pros claim that every six weeks the same items go on sale again. This theoretically means that if you have space to stock up on your favorite cereal when it’s on sale, you only have to buy enough to last you six weeks, and then the sale should pop up again (of course this isn’t to suggest that you should have a six week stockpile of every item, but it does reinforce the idea that you never have to buy 100 of something that’s “an amazing deal” because it’ll most likely be a great deal again in a little over a month).
Oh and here’s how I keep things organized. I have a clear plastic sleeve where I toss all of my coupons as I clip them throughout the 2-3 week span between major shopping trips, then before we go to Kroger I take out all the ones I won’t be using so it’s only full of coupons I’ll be “spending” and I slip my detailed shopping list in there with them (that way I know how many of something or what sized box I need to get to use my coupon without thumbing through all of them). When I get to the register I hand over my Kroger card for them to scan (for all uploaded discounts) and then I hand over my paper coupons as well. So far it seems to work.
So that’s my coupon update for ya. Happy snipping to one and all. And all you varsity coupon peeps better share your tips! I know I still have lots to learn!
Psst- All kids toys are not created equal. Check out what Clara got that looks so good we never want to tuck it out of sight (unlike 99% of her other toys).
Deborah says
I’m about to quit my job and become a stay at home mom with my baby boy, so this post was great! My question is, do coupons expire? It seems like it would take forever to clip a million coupons if you could only use them for a short period of time. Thanks, as always, for a great post!
YoungHouseLove says
They usually expire within about 4-6 weeks, sometimes much longer. What I do is I just clip what I know our family will eat/need and then before we go shopping I flip through my stack and put things that we don’t need to the side (ex: we might not need paper towels or salad dressing every time) and pull out what we need and bring those to the store. Next time I might need some of those coupons I put to the side, and if not (and they expire) I just toss them. So far it hasn’t been a big deal.
xo,
s
Miss says
I’m not a crazy coupon lady, but have been couponing for a while. But I’ve been dissapointed lately as a few stores I like/frequent are not accepting computer-printed coupons, unless they come directly from their website. But, goodness, I wish we had those grocery prices here! YoBaby for two something? That same one goes for twice that at my local grocers. I also keep my coupons in a clear, plastic sleeve, although the one I have has tabs, so I can keep everything divided per category. It’s a thrill when you see those numbers in the receipt, huh?
courtney says
OMG I had no idea Kroger does that. How cool! Thanks for sharing all of the tips. This makes a lot more sense now!
Jean says
Wahoo! You go, girl! I love, love, love coupons. I couldn’t tell from your post — are you also uploading coupons to your Kroger card from the Kroger website? I’ve scored some great deals that way, but I want to offer a word of warning: during my most recent Kroger trip I noticed that one of my Kroger e-coupons had not worked (it was nowhere to be found on my receipt and since it was for $2.50 off, I definitely wanted it to work!). I took my receipt to customer service. Fortunately, before I left home I had also printed a list of the e-coupons loaded onto my Kroger card through their website (I find it’s useful to take the list, otherwise I don’t remember what’s on there). The customer service rep easily looked at my list, see the e-coupon that hadn’t rung up, and just gave me $2.50 in cash. He said that I should always bring the printed list and check my receipt because it’s not uncommon at all for the e-coupons to fail to ring up.
One final tip: I regularly check out http://www.organicdeals.com for links to great coupons and sales for organic items.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh good tip Jean. Thanks!
xo,
s
Liz says
Ok, I just got so excited by reading this post, and vowed to start couponing…then took one look at Southern Savers and got completely overwhelmed. Sherry, how did you keep your fear of couponing from paralyzing you?
Also, I’m loving all the other questions about your grocery shopping/meal planning. In November Scott and I tried to combine your “no spending money during the week” with grocery shopping only once a month…and failed miserably. Can you pretty pretty pretty please post an example of your 2 week meal menu, and what you buy to make them? And how you handle produce shopping? In between admiring Karl and painting the beams charcoal, of course :)
Love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Just start slow. Get a Sunday paper and just see what you find. Or load some coupons on your card just to see how that works! Good luck! As for what we eat, we’re definitely not chefs and this isn’t really a food blog by any means but we enjoy veggie chili, spaghetti dinners, veggie dumplings with brown rice, homemade pizza, chicken parm, hearty soups, shrimp & pasta, and even whole wheat nachos with cheese and veggies over them. We don’t have a regimented schedule at all, so I just write down what we feel like eating for the next few weeks (3 pizzas, 3 packages of veggie dumplings, 3 boxes of pasta, etc) and we make entrees until we run out. Good luck!
xoxo,
s
Nesting Newbies says
Great tips!!! I have the Kroger app on my iPhone where you can also load coupons onto your Kroger plus card!!! Very helpful! Thanks guys!
Christina says
Hi Sherry,
I have been couponing for a year now. But, there is one website I think you missed. totallytarget.com It is the best website. I always check it before heading out to Target. I have saved tons!
Chris
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Chris! Love it!
xo,
s
Melissa says
That is my 2011 goal too. Eat out less, grocery shop more and coupon the heck out of it.
Grocery shopping is working, but I’m a terrible couponer. I can only seem to find coupons for things we don’t eat like packaged or frozen foods. I tried to google “coupons for broccoli” to no avail.
kathleen says
THANKS so much for the great links! I live 1 1/2 hrs. from a big grocery store and shop once a month. Coupons are most helpful and I love seeing the percent I saved on my receipt, too!
r8chel says
I’m reading this at an indoor playground / cafe, and there’s a group of at least five moms at the next table who are busy clipping, organizing, and swapping coupons while their kids play. I’ve been eavesdropping, but they aren’t sharing any couponing tips…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, if they do you’ll have to share ’em!
xo,
s
lindsey rockers says
check out this video for coupon mom… they do all the leg work in combining the sales items from the store and the coupons from the sunday paper so you get the best deals without all the leg work. video tells you how!
Page says
I totally missed that! I thought the first two links were specific to Kroger and didn’t click since we don’t have that in these parts. Sorry for pointing out the obvious! :)
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! We love Southern Savers the most!
xo,
s
Megan V. says
Wow! That is so awesome. My husband and I were on a stand off about the grocery buying, so our pantry is close to bare. I have a feeling that I will be the first one to break and maybe when I do I’ll completely revamp my grocery buying style and use coupons.
And then i’ll use the savings for a pedicure or a light fixture for my entry way. :)
Lauren @ chezerbey says
My neighborhood grocery store doesn’t have a coupon program but I’m wondering if anyone has price compared shopping with coupons vs. getting produce from a CSA, meat from a co-op and buying dry goods (like pasta, beans, granola, etc.) from the bulk section in the grocery store? I’ve always been curious how that method would compare…
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone done this? We’d love to hear how the math works out!
xo,
s
Tania says
I’m curious about this too. We get most of our produce from the farmer’s market. Here in SF, there are several throughout the week and we found that the prices and selection vary considerably by neighborhood.
Alexandra says
I may be the only one here, but I have to say that while coupon clipping to save money on groceries is totally cool (I do it all the time), there are other ways to save money on food that allow you to support small businesses in your community. In Chicago, I’ve signed up for a year round CSA through our independent grocer that supplies us with local, organic food in the summer, and organic and somewhat local food in the winter. For $15 we get enough produce to feed us for the week (with the exception of salad in the winter), and we support a small business in our neighborhood. Another alternative is to look for small independent grocers that serve other demographics in your area. Chicago has several Asian and Latino grocers that have the exact same canned and dry goods that major businesses have, but for fraction of the price. In addition, a lot of their produce is excellent (though not organic), and is generally cheaper than larger chain stores. while their produce may look less pristine (often times they can’t afford the perfect, GMO produce that larger companies can), they are still delicious and can always be cooked and baked into things.
I feel that given the current economic climate in the U.S., it’s more important than ever to support our local, small businesses. I’m on a small business kick this year, and I feel it’s important to encourage others to help our communities survive the downturn and build their business.
YoungHouseLove says
Amen Alexandra! We often blog about going to the farmer’s market and even growing our own edible garden by purchasing organic herbs from local vendors! We just wanted to add couponing to the mix for items like yogurt and cereal and all that stuff that we get at the grocery store.
xo,
s
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
I’m learning how to coupon too and tried it out for the first time last night! I saved $132.36 at Kroger thanks to their mega-sale where if you bought 10 qualifying items, you’d get an extra $5 off at the register! I bought 20 canned good items for 50 cents each (total of $10) and got an extra $10 off so I essentially got them for free :D I did this many other times and I think I saved an additional $50 thanks to them giving you $5 extra off!
My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy but I’m having fun and saving money so it’s a win-win for me :)
lindsey rockers says
oops forgot to post the link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-zCLckX8FU&feature=player_embedded
Emily says
Congrats! Great job! I wish we had stores here that would match our coupons. Blah. Anyway, great tip to use a manufacturer’s and store coupons (LOVE Target coupons!) and that you’re not actually saving when you buy something you wouldn’t ordinarily use. Another type of coupon to check for are “peelies”- the little coupons attached to the item. I got a dollar off on vanilla last night b/c it had a dollar off coupon on it.
Pamela S says
I’ve been doing the Grocery Game for several years now. For me, it is worth it to get it all on 1 site & I love their coupon tracker so you just type in an item and it shows you where to find a coupon for it. Also, I have an excel spreadsheet with headings of the aisles of our store & a menu for the week at the bottom so I can just add items I need throughout the week & then add the GG items the day before I shop. Since I have my menu at the bottom I give it a once over before checking out to make sure I didn’t forget any important ingredients. Having 2 very active elementary-aged girls, this list combined with the Grocery Game has become my saving grace.
Robin says
I’ve looked at many coupon sites before and hoping this one you like would have ‘Lowe’s Foods’. It doesn’t :(. I’m bummed that nobody seems to track coupons/deals for them when it’s our #1 grocery store here in Raleigh (where we live atleast). Harris teeter and of course tar-hay are around too!
way to go! you guys are an inspiration!
Csilla says
thanks for inspiring me to get back to couponing! We are saving for a wedding and every penny helps!
Sarah says
Just wait until you have your first grocery run where you walk out with several bags of stuff…and THEY pay you. It always confuses the cashiers to have to give you change when you didn’t pay anything.
Couponmom.com is my favorite site, because she matches the coupons to the sales ads for you, so you just have to scan her list.
Someone mentioned Trader Joe’s earlier, and they DO take manufacturer coupons, it’s just that they don’t carry a bunch of name brand items to use them on. I’ve used a Morningstar Farms coupon there before though.
If you guys have CVS, and start using their Extra Care Bucks, you’ll never pay for personal care items (toothbrushes, etc.) again. It’s awesome!
nell ann says
Be careful because every Kroger is different. One of our local K’s is different than the other! Just last week I found out you have to purchase the 10/$10 in multiples of ten or the discount only affects the ten in your bunch, not the 11th, 12th, or 13th, etc., but ours also triples coupons up to .50 cents (which is different than the K down the road.) You can ask your Guest Services to clarify their coupon policies.
Melissa says
http://moneysavingmom.com/ is another good site.
erin says
If you guys are iPhone users, I recently discovered the Grocery IQ app. You can also use it w/o a phone at http://groceryiq.com.
It is powered by Coupons.com and you can add coupons directly onto your savings card (No Clipping!).
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks for the suggestion!
xo,
s
Laura says
It is fun to shop with coupons! Sort of like a challenge! I have learned to keep the whole flyer of coupons. I put the date on the front and keep in a cute basket. Then when I read about a deal, I can pull it out. I also donate the good deals that I find. There is a local shelter near me and I have a bin in the garage. When I find a good deal, once I have enough for my family, I put the rest in the bin and when it is full I take it in. Here are a few cool sites to check out.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?sduid=234060&f=38
http://moneysavingmom.com/
http://www.thisfrugallife.com/
Also you may want to check out the drug store sites as well. They have been having better deals than the grocery stores!
Happy Shopping!
mike @ the lil house that could says
So um, can you guys come and hold our hand through this process?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you can do it Mike!
xo,
s
Lori says
Thanks for the tips and website links, Sherry! Also, I LOVE Clara’s new toy in the article. Uhm, totally adorable!
Have you guys tried Trader Joe’s out in Short Pump? I switched from Kroger to there a few months ago and it is a lot cheaper. My bill is usually about $20-50 less in comparison and that’s without any coupons at all. You’ll have to hit it up if your snipping finger is tired one week. :) And TJ’s frozen Mandarin Chicken with vegetable fried rice? To die for!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we love Trader Joe’s a lot! It’s a ways away from where we live, but whenever we’re in the neighborhood we try to stop in!
xo,
s
anna says
Thanks for the tips. I usually struggle with coupons because 95% of what we buy is fruits and veggies. Wish they had coupons for that!
YoungHouseLove says
They definitely go on 10/$10 deals- and most of those don’t mean you have to buy ten of them! For example I got a few organic avocados cheaper than non organic ones thanks to a 10/$10 deal and I only bought three! Definitely check out if your store has any savings cards, since things like sweet potatoes and kale and apples go on sale with that card at checkout!
xo,
s
Wendy says
This is way off subject… but can you tell me which etsy store your “push present” is from Sherry? I’d really appreciate it! :)
YoungHouseLove says
It’s from Karina Grace Jewelry on Etsy. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jeannette says
Thanks for this post! I’m really impressed with your savings! I think the most I’ve saved so far is $30. That’s just with cutting coupons out of the paper! Now that I’ve been introduced to these websites, I think it will definitely help! Planning is really key with couponing, I’ve found.
Amy says
Thank you! I am a total coupon dummy. I just printed my first two coupons (Muir tomatoes and La Croix) and am going to give it a try! Awesome!
jbhat says
This post is soooo helpful to me right now. Thank you!
jbhat
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
I just recently started to clip coupons again. I did it years ago when I was single and living in an apartment, so all that I could save was great. But after being married 4 yrs and owning a house for 3 yrs, it’s that time again to clip coupons. Every little bit helps. Thanks for posting and thanks to all the other posts for their great tips as well. We should all be saving some large amounts of cash after this. :D
Erica @ Erica's Inspirations says
I am a recent couponer as well! I actually just posted about a coupon organizer that I designed and sewed if you want to check it out:
http://ericaharless.blogspot.com/2011/02/coupon-organizers-2-down3-to-go.html
I like to bring all of my coupons to the store in case there is something on sale that is not on my list and I can combine a coupon with it. Of course, I won’t buy something that I couldn’t use…but sometimes if something is a good enough deal it can be fun to try new things!
HeatherS says
I’ve gone off and on of coupon-ing. My biggest problem with it all is the time. Time spent looking for coupons, clipping coupons, extra time at the store making sure I get all the right quantities of everything. Have you found a good way to manage this?
I really like this post, and of course, I love your blog! Thanks for everything!
YoungHouseLove says
I guess so far it hasn’t taken much time! I clip coupons or upload coupons onto my card in front of the TV at night while relaxing once Clara’s in bed (about 15 mins a week or so’s worth of time) and then I spend about 25 mins looking at coupons and tossing together a shopping list for the things we need before heading off to the store (bringing only the coupons I’ll use to keep things simple). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
audrey says
I really love when you guys post things that aren’t strictly house-related. You are such a good example of how to be cheap – the RIGHT way, and your tips are always really practical. So thanks for being such money-saving rockstars!
Tanja @ Postmodern Hostess says
I LOVE this post! I recently decided to join the couponing ranks too, and did THIS POST about it. My best one this week: a $14.66 total, with a $50.05 savings. 77% off!!
It’s so addictive, don’t you think??
xoxo,
tanja
cassie says
YAY, coupons! I use coupons for almost everything I buy. I actually have a binder stuffed with coupons.. some may think I’m crazy but I do save my family thousands of dollars a year and am also able to donate to food banks and shelters. :)
Tanja @ Postmodern Hostess says
Oops…. also, Krazy Coupon Lady is my favorite resource. It’s the cute woman from Extreme Couponing.
Judi B says
I love that you guys have taken this BIG step. When I first got married I went coupon crazy and now I am more balanced (I think). I use a subscription grocery list service called thegrocerygame.com. The trial is $1 if you want to check it out, but I like it because I don’t even need to look at the ad really. I go pull up my store find the deals I’m interested in, the have the coupon matchups listed, I clip and shop. No sorting anymore. This is so convenient for me since I work full-time, but don’t want to spend all my hard earned dough either. If I were a stay/work from home person I might still do it for only $10 every 8 weeks.
Also as a local Richmonder keep a lookout for newspaper deals on the RTD. You can always cancel your home delivery for 30 days and sign up again when they give you a deal (like the guy in-store selling the paper or around the holidays). I am currently getting Sunday only delivered for $10 over 8 weeks (and to my delight they have offered me two renewals so far at this rate, however I’m sure my luck will run out eventually). Sometimes Walgreens will sell them in-store at a discount too, so if I ever want extra inserts or I don’t have home delivery I usually go there first.
Happy saving!
Kristen says
Awesome job! I love seeing posts of people saving money! I read through a bunch of comments seeing if anyone has mentioned iheartkroger.com We’re in Florida so we don’t have a Kroger but we have a publix (for anyone who wants a great publix site go to iheartpublix.com) anyways Michelle runs both of them and she’s great. I found her site through a friend and have been hooked on coupons ever since…if only we were more responsible with the rest of our budget along with groceries lol anyways we have spent around $55 for $160 worth of groceries and that included diapers and even stuff we usually cant afford to buy!!! She lists the whole ad and just lists the coupons that correspond with the deals. I don’t know if your Kroger takes competitors coupons but you may want to ask if they accept target coupons…target I’ve heard has great online coupons you can print from their site (florida is basically anti-coupon world…no double coupons, no penny items, higher prices, a lot of stores don’t accept target as a competitor in our area anyways…etc) so I don’t know how a lot of coupon stuff works because Florida just doesn’t allow as much like other states do…but we still manage to save a good amount and heart publix (and I heart kroger) are great websites that not just me but other couponers greatly rely on. And moneysavingmom and hip2save are awesome sites too!!! But you already know that!!! :) good luck in your adventures with saving money!!! It’s hard work but it is worth it!!!
Sarah says
It seems that even with coupons (which are typically for name brands), the generic version of whatever is still cheaper – has that been your experience as well?
YoungHouseLove says
Not when the store matches coupons. For example, the store brand might be 60 cents cheaper and I might only have a 50 cent off coupon, but Kroger matches that so I get a $1 off! Which makes it cheaper to get the name brand. Sometimes we buy store brand stuff too (it can be on sale through Kroger, which can be an amazing deal) so it really depends. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I love you guys, and this is why I feel like I should tell you this: you could save that much money on food every single time you shop if you just changed a few buying habits.
-Baby yogurt (which is priced much higher than regular yogurt) is just…yogurt. It’s packaged differently, and it comes in smaller containers (such a waste!), but it’s the same stuff that comes in the 32oz package of “adult” Stonyfield yogurt. And the 32oz container is cheaper, and uses less packaging! In fact, any food product that is marketed to a baby (crackers, yogurt, applesauce, etc.) is just a huge waste of money. A large jar of regular old sugar free applesauce costs half as much as the kind that is marketed towards babies.
-Organic bananas and avocados are equipped with heavy peels that are meant to be removed. Since pesticides don’t absorb into the flesh of those fruits, you are paying more money for no added health benefit (unless you are thinking of the overall benefit to the earth of FARMING organically, in which case, carry on).
-Trader Joe’s carries frozen shrimp for $5.99 (or less) a pound, and stir frying that shrimp in a little garlic and olive oil takes no longer to prepare than heating up that bag of frozen Gorton’s shrimp that costs twice as much (and has an ingredient list that will make your head spin–why buy organic milk if you’re going to ingest the scary fillers in a bag of Gorton’s shrimp?). I know you ended up paying $2 for 8oz of shrimp and not $6, but, if you are buying that sort of product regularly without the aid of a coupon, Trader Joe’s offers a much better deal all the time, no coupon needed.
These are just a few examples of extra savings that I could immediately spot in your shopping list, but, if you study your grocery list really hard, I’ll bet you could drum up even more savings by just eliminating specially packaged and prepared foods, and buying foods that are offered at a low price every day at another store like Trader Joe’s (they have huge bottles of extra virgin olive oil for $4.99, and their regular price for pasta is 99 cents a pound!). A $53 savings on your grocery bill is totally huge, but it’s possible to save that much every time you shop, not by using coupons, but by simply being a more conscious buyer.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Elizabeth! Thanks to Kroger produce sales (usually going on in the organic section) organic avocados and bananas are typically cheaper than the non-organic stuff with the use of our Kroger card! And we usually buy large tubs of Stonyfield farms organic yogurt, but wanted to use that coupon for the smaller stuff on that occasion since it was such a great deal. Same with the shrimp (we usually buy Kroger brand frozen stuff but with such a good deal on Gortons- and because, like the yogurt, it’s a food that our family is in the routine of eating, we went for the deal). We definitely wouldn’t buy Gorton’s shrimp or small yogurt cups at full price, they were just versions of something that we routinely buy that happened to be on sale. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
megan e says
Snip, Snip. LOL!! So glad this is an article on clipping coupons and NOT about John getting a vasectomy!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah!
xo,
s
Alicia says
Also forgot to mention that stonyfieldfarm has printable coupons on thier website for yogurt and milk, the refresh them every few weeks so once your print them you can print more again later. ALSO they have codes on the lids of most of thier products that you enter online, you can redeem those codes for free products like happy baby, seventh generation and other free stonyfield products along w/a few other organic clothing items.
erin m. says
This was so helpful. I have been wanting to use coupons more, so thanks for providing those websites!
jenn says
are there any canadians out there? i cannot find any printable coupons for canada. everything is mail in and im in need of a shopping trip on wednesday. :c
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have any info for Jenn?
xo,
s
Karen J says
For those in Canada you can try flyerland.ca; smartcanuks.ca; coupons.redfladeals.com and frugalshoppers.ca or Just google “coupons” click Canada only.
I’m always looking. Some of the Canadian blogs share coupon sites as well. Hope this helps.
John and Sherry: your money savings tips are “THE BOMB”!
ashlie says
I agree, I’ve been wanting to do more couponing, but I don’t think it works in Canada like it does in the States. I don’t know anywhere that matches coupons, and we just don’t have the deals that the States does. I always check out the coupon board at the Superstore though, they often have some good deals there.
Karen J says
Jenn just to follow up on what I said about coupon sites in Canada. I emailed http://www.MONEYSAVINGMOM.com and she sent me GREAT of information about USA coupons vs. Canadian coupons and also some TERRIFIC sites (better than what I shared) that have coupons.
And thanks again YHL for sharing.
Barbara says
We sadly don’t have coupons here in Italy, but we do have supermarket’s special offers every 2-3 weeks or so.
I usually write down a shopping list based on our needs AND on offers.
Just a side note: do you know (I think you do) that you can make your own yogurt at home?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we’ve heard from some other commenters who DIY yogurt! Here’s hoping we figure that out sometime. Sounds kinda fun!
xo,
s
Cheryl says
I don’t know if any one has mentioned this or not, but in the month of February both Jewel Osco and Pay Low run a deal where if you buy $150 of participating products (usually like Mac & Cheese, lunch meats, snack items, other meat products, etc.) you will get a voucher for a free chest freezer and a coupon book for a year’s worth of free frozen products (Lean Cuisine, Hot Pocket, Shrimp, Van de Kamp, Stouffer’s and Healthy Choice meals, and so much more). We were able to get a freezer for us and my grandma, and all the things we bought and got coupons for were stuff we already buy on a regular basis.