[Cait&AngelAbove]

Does anybody do the coupon thing? I have recently started to save us some more money. Any tips??

[.:Shortcake:.]

I do use coupons to a certain extent but it is very frustrating to me. The only tip I have is go through your coupons before hand and only take the ones you plan on using that time.

[LindseyE117]

I use coupons all the time, although I am nothing like those women who can save hundreds of dollars on groceries. Lol.

I have an index card holder that I take with me to go shopping. I seperate my coupons with tabs by my preference (ex. frozen foods, meats, dairy, breakfast, dog food, etc.). Then when I am in a certain area, I can just look in my card holder to see what there is to offer. Just take out anything expired before you go shopping.

[KeepingFaith]

I just saw the previews for that show "extreme couponing" I wish I had the energy to do that. My DH casually said "why don't you do that" while watching it, as they are saying they spend 4-6 hours a day couponing, YIKES!

[Erin84]

We almost never use coupons, just if we randomly happen to get a couple here and there that we know we'll use... So no tips here Curious to see where this thread goes though!

[.:Shortcake:.]

Originally Posted by KeepingFaith

I just saw the previews for that show "extreme couponing" I wish I had the energy to do that. My DH casually said "why don't you do that" while watching it, as they are saying they spend 4-6 hours a day couponing, YIKES!

Yeah DH asked me why I didn't do that and I said to him that I'd be more than happy to watch him do it

[Nikki515]

We caught a few minutes of the show last night and DH and I both think those people are crazy - like they have a combination of a hoarding disorder and a compulsive shopping disorder Unless you're donating it, I cannot fathom why any family needs to buy 90 packages of lunch meat at a time.

But I do actually shop with coupons. I just check my sale adds against my coupons and take with me only what I need. I have some friends that do the Grocery Game, but we're too picky about brands for that to work for us.

[pepper73]

I would love to do the coupon thing. I even signed up for coupon alerts that email you printable coupons but I never print them. I mainly make use of my Rite Aid card and take advantage of the sales they offer. I think that if I had the time to really get into it, I would have a lot of success. But like others have said, it takes so much time.

[Cait&AngelAbove]

Originally Posted by Nikki515

But I do actually shop with coupons. I just check my sale adds against my coupons and take with me only what I need. I have some friends that do the Grocery Game, but we're too picky about brands for that to work for us.

What is the Grocery Game?


Thanks ladies. I plan on getting the newspaper on Sunday for the coupons. I forgot that the newspaper yesterday had coupons so I missed those. I made my grocery list for next week and have a whole bunch of coupons to print out. I am excited!

[EJsMommy]

Couponing is not for me. If there is a sale on the items I need I do not pass that up while in the store.

[Shadeauxe]

I only shop at Whole Foods which severely limits the coupons that would actually work. At Target, I buy generics, which are almost always cheaper than the brand name + coupon.

[LindseyE117]

Also, some stores price match too. So ask your preferred store if they do. If they do, then bring in the cheap mailers of what you want and then they change the price at the register. I shop at HEB and Kroger here, just because I HATE Wal-Mart, but Wal-Mart does price match any other competitors mailer. If apples are 15 cents a lb at Food Town but $1 per lb at Wal-Mart, they'll change the price no matter what.

I spend no more than $300 a month in groceries for a family of 4. I plan my meals and ALWAYS keep a stock of the basics--seasonings, canned tomatoes, canned veggies, flour, sugar, rice, pasta, etc.--regardless if they are in my meal plan for the week. I always make enough food to last us into leftovers the next day or at least to pack my hubby's lunch. It's amazing what you can do with rice and 1 lb of Hillshire Farm sausage, like a huge pot of sausage jambalaya. Lol. Lasts us 2 whole days including lunch.

Clip coupons, buy generic, always price compare, and buy in bulk and freeze meat. I also buy my meat in bulk and then seperate it into smaller portions before I freeze it. I keep my freezer in my garage fully stocked.

**EDIT**

That price also includes toiletries. Toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, etc. Lol. Thought I should add that in.

[StaceygirlPa]

I used to use coupons but then I got out of the habit. We usually go to Same every couple of months to really stock of on items then I just fill in during the week what we need.

I should really get back into using coupons. I had fun when I was using them. If I had the time I can see myself being like the ladies who spend hours doing it. I like seeing how much money I can save.

[j&jmom]

I've done a little before, but I never saw a big enough difference for all the work involved. My sitter does it and she will save alot but she's one of those extreme people.

[.:Shortcake:.]

My aunt spends maybe $30 a week to feed 7 people. She is not extreme like the people on the show she just knows how to get what she needs cheap at this point.

[Brooke16]

We only shop at Meijer and they don't double so I never see much of a difference. My step mom coupons and she is good at it. I wish I was.

[missy123]

Originally Posted by LindseyE117

I spend no more than $300 a month in groceries for a family of 4. I plan my meals and ALWAYS keep a stock of the basics--seasonings, canned tomatoes, canned veggies, flour, sugar, rice, pasta, etc.--regardless if they are in my meal plan for the week. I always make enough food to last us into leftovers the next day or at least to pack my hubby's lunch. It's amazing what you can do with rice and 1 lb of Hillshire Farm sausage, like a huge pot of sausage jambalaya. Lol. Lasts us 2 whole days including lunch.

Clip coupons, buy generic, always price compare, and buy in bulk and freeze meat. I also buy my meat in bulk and then separate it into smaller portions before I freeze it. I keep my freezer in my garage fully stocked.

Seriously, how do you do that? I have a family of 5 and that is what we spend in a week. I shop at Walmart and Aldis for the most part with an occasional Costco / BJ's trip thrown in. I spent $179 last night and there is no way it will make us through a whole week. And I buy generic whenever possible.

And YUM on the jambalaya. I am making some sausage/shrimp tomorrow!

are your children little ones? Maybe that is it. My dh is 6'5 and 2 of my sons are 6' and the baby (15 years old) eats more than all of us and is as skinny as a rail

[LindseyE117]

Originally Posted by missy123

Seriously, how do you do that? I have a family of 5 and that is what we spend in a week. I shop at Walmart and Aldis for the most part with an occasional Costco / BJ's trip thrown in. I spent $179 last night and there is no way it will make us through a whole week. And I buy generic whenever possible.

And YUM on the jambalaya. I am making some sausage/shrimp tomorrow!

are your children little ones? Maybe that is it. My dh is 6'5 and 2 of my sons are 6' and the baby (15 years old) eats more than all of us and is as skinny as a rail

Yeah my kiddies are 9 and 8 years old. My son though is starting to eat non stop. I am not looking forward to his teenage years. At 9, he is solid muscle, already over 5 feet, and weighs 80lbs. Scary! Lol.

I plan my meals. If you know exactly what you are going to make every night, it eliminates buying unneeded items or impulse buys. I also make their school lunches and send the hubby with leftovers for lunch. Snacks are for school use only, unless I buy something for the house. And I bake... A LOT.... Those usually are my snacks for the house. I buy even my bread in bulk (whatevers cheapest) and freeze them. You defost them in the fridge and they are soft as if they are fresh. Keep them in the fridge too. Lasts a lot longer. At Sams I buy frozen boneless chicken ($18 for 10 lbs), and I cut them up into chunks so it lasts longer. I also was given the idea of making wheat berries and freezing them. Add them to any dish with ground beef and watch one lb turn into 2 lbs. You'll be surprised how far you can make food stretch too. Also, do not buy boxed stuff, too expensive and does not last. I can make my own hamburger helper for the same price the box costs and it will feed more.

Experiment, learn cheap new dishes, cook large, and bake large. You'd be surprised how much you can save. Plus seriously, have them price match at Wal-Mart.

Oh and as for coupons, I never have been able to save over $20. Everywhere I go won't double!

[Nikki515]

[QUOTE=Cait&AngelAbove;23575628]What is the Grocery Game?QUOTE]

Here's the link to the website.

Coupons, Grocery Coupons - The Grocery Game - A Weekly List of the lowest-priced groceries at your local stores

It is a paid service, but it's basically a list for stores in your areas matched with the coupons to get you the best deals. They track how low certain stores go on their prices, so they have you save the coupons until you're going to get the best deal. A lot of times you can get stuff for free.

A couple of my friends do it and it saves them a ton of money. I'm pretty sure the website will let you try it for free for a few weeks. Good luck!

[missy123]

Ok, I read it all very carefully.... and I am going to start planning our meals out. I will make a chart and try to stick to it.

There are never any left-overs in my house. The boys are like central vacuum in the house. They just breathe and food disappears!

What do you make the kids for lunch? The boys make their own lunches as well.

I need to cut back on food expenses!