Saving Money on Groceries

Coupons are all the rage right now.  And, rightfully so!  It's amazing how much free and very cheap items there are out there that you can score with coupons.  I'm having a blast using coupons to stock up on toiletries our family uses (toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, floss, dish soap, etc.) AND toiletries I can give away.  I don't have enough storage space to accumulate a huge amount of surplus.  If you live in a very old house, too, you know why.  We have limited storage for even the important things like clothes!  This prompts me to put a bag together for a friend or to donate when my shelf gets too full- and what a good thing to be prompted to do!

Many people take their coupons to the grocery store and get great deals and freebies there, too.  But, I'd like to caution folks to stop and think about this.  What kinds of food is it that you can buy with coupons?  95% of the food coupons *I* see (and I actually look at coupons a lot) are for processed food.  Remember, it's better for your family's health if you can limit the amount of processed foods they eat so sometimes, you need to resist clipping that coupon because, as many of you know, once you have a coupon in hand, that coupon wants to be used!

Here's our solution to a high grocery bill- we grow our own groceries!  Now, if you're visiting my blog today, there's a good chance you already garden.  But, for those of you who don't, please understand, I am not suggesting you try to grow all your food this year. 

What I would like to challenge you to do is, if you have space (and space includes flower beds in full sun!) choose a vegetable your family eats a lot of and try to grow a lot of it this year to freeze.  If you're feeling brave, grow two or three vegetables!  Lettuces, swiss chard, tomato plants, snow peas, and others all look lovely in flower beds!  Remember to plant a lot, so you'll have a surplus to freeze and store.  Imagine not having to buy as much produce next winter- wouldn't that save you some money?!  Even if you don't preserve any of it and just eat it, you've saved money!!

 Spinach

We all know that the food at the grocery store that's good for us- lean meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grain products- are usually the most expensive.  So, that's why we need to work on accessing them more cheaply.  If you don't have garden space yourself and have friends and neighbors who do, ask if you could use part of their garden space in exchange for helping to weed or water this summer.  Pick your own at local farms and preserve extras.  You'll avoid those nasty pesticides and everything will taste so much better.

If you can't grow some of your food, use coupons to get most (if not all) your toiletries and household items super cheap or free and then transfer those savings to your grocery budget so you can buy local and/or organic produce at a farm stand or at your grocery store.  Coupons can be an excellent round-a-bout means to buying healthy food!

Be creative and remember that just because it's cheap or free doesn't mean you should bring it into your house.  That's what the manufacturers want to have happen.  They want to get you hooked or their imitation food.  Instead, get hooked on real food that will build your health instead of tear it down.

So, if you can, go on and get planting!

Thank you for listening to today's public service announcement. Pin It

How I Coupon & An Uncoventional Giveaway

Like with everything else (it seems), it takes me awhile to catch on to good stuff.  Swagbucks is an example.  Another example is couponing.  I couldn't quite imagine that it would be worth it because we don't buy much stuff that you can use coupons for.  I've never seen a coupon for a 25 pound bag of rolled oats or bulk spices - have you?

So, back when I hosted a coupon purse giveaway for Mavis, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.  We don't get the newspaper, so I asked my dear neighbor, Marie (Hello, Marie!), if she wouldn't mind passing the coupon inserts from her paper on to me when she was done with them.  She was happy to- she's sweet like that.

The first thing I thought as I flipped through the inserts was that I don't buy any of this stuff.  Then, I started reading some of those coupon websites (my top three: Hip2Save, Blessed By Bargains & Totally Target) and got caught up in the thought of saving money and began clipping like an animal.  I've mellowed out since then (thankfully) and have come to a pretty happy medium.

If you're not sure about coupons, let me offer up what I do.  It may be more do-able than you think.

1) I stick to the stores I shop at anyway and go to each one once a week.  For me, the two stores are a non-chain grocery store and Target.

2) I signed up to get their sale circulars on line and watch for items I buy.  I may not need the item this week, but if I know I will buy it at some point, I take note of the sale.

3) Next, I got my hands on some coupon inserts that come in the paper.  The two most popular ones are Red Plum and Smart Source.  Ask a friend or neighbor if you don't get the paper- many people just pitch these inserts.  I clip the coupons for the stuff I buy even if it isn't on sale that particular week.  Then, I save the inserts for possible future use.

4) Next, I match coupons with sales and watch the coupon websites I mentioned (they point out sale and coupon combinations)  AND search this coupon database for what's on sale that I usually buy.  The data base is amazing.  Instead of having to hunt through my old inserts or do searches online, the data base tells me which coupon insert a coupon is in (that's why you save them after you clip your top coupons- a sale next week might match a coupon in your old inserts) or provides you with a link to follow to print out an online coupon.

Now, you're ready.

The best tip (that I've found) is that if you can, use both a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon (you're allowed) on a SALE item that you would normally buy anyway.  THIS will usually make your purchase cheaper than buying generic.

If you want to take it a step (or 10) further and get multiple coupon inserts for multiple deals and buy stuff you wouldn't normally buy, that's fine, too.  You can donate your surplus to food banks and shelters.  Just be careful that you're not buying stuff just because you have one coupon (unless it's free, of course).  If you do this too much, you may end up spending more than you're saving.  Just saying.  The idea is to SAVE money:-).

On my last grocery store trip, I saved $5 off my $30 total.  On my last two Target trips- my first week's total was $30 and I paid $11 after coupons.  My second week total was $24 and I paid $5!  So, in the last two weeks,  I saved $43.  Not bad.

My coupon binder.

A great way to organize your coupons is to buy a three ring binder and some baseball card sleeves.  Add dividers and your coupons are organized.  I use a smaller coupon case for my actual trips to the store (because I know what I will buy/what coupons I will need).

Happy clipping!

Speaking of Mavis.  You all need to hop over to her blog this morning.  Not only does she talk about coupons, but every week she does a giveaway.  This week's giveaway is a tad unconventional-  in true Mavis-style.  Good luck to all! Pin It

Coupon Purse {by Mavis} Winner!

By your responses, I can tell there are A LOT of you out there who are excited about coupons.  I've been learning a thing or two this week from Mavis' great tutorials and I'm excited to put them into practice.  In case you've missed any, here is what she's been talking about...

How to Organize Your Coupons
How Do I Find Coupons?
How to Use a Coupon
How to Use a Coupon (Part 2)
Where Does Mavis Find Her Online Deals?
What the Heck are Daily Deal Sites?

Don't forget to watch for her frequent posts on how to get great deals and, next week, she's taking us double coupon shopping with her.  I bet she'll treat us to free samples at Costco if we get hungry.

Here we go!  The winner of her choice of coupon purse is...

Farah 

who said, "I like the Hippie Chic!"

Congratulations, Farah!!  Please email me (thyhand123@gmail.com) your name, address and choice of coupon purse (in case it's changed) and I will pass your information on to Mavis.


Now, if you didn't win, wipe that tear from your eye.  From now until Valentine's Day, if you order a coupon purse from Mavis' Etsy shop and enter "10mavisbucks" in the comments of your order, you'll receive 20% off your coupon purse!  Thank you, Mavis!!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and happy coupon-ing! Pin It

Coupon Purse {by Mavis} Giveaway!

 This giveaway is closed.  See who won here.

Saving money is on a lot of people's minds these days.  We save to set money aside to pay down debt, in case of a loss of a job, for an unexpected expense, for our children's educations, and hopefully, we save money in order to share with others.

I have this friend.  Her blog name is Mavis and boy, is she a dear.  Mavis and I got to know each other via our blogs, countless emails and just recently (whoohoo!) an actual phone conversation:-).  She's the one who introduced me to swagbucks and I can't thank her enough for that.  Let me tell you a little more about her.

Just three short years ago her family-of-four's monthly grocery bill was over $800 a month.  The following year, she reigned it in to around $600 and the next year to $400.  This year (2011), Mavis has set a challenge for her and her family.  Her goal (and what she blogs about) is to spend only $100 a month for all their groceries, toiletries, take out, restaurant expenses, etc.  Yes, I said $100.

How is she doing this?  First off, Mavis has a garden and some chickens, so she grows some food for her family and her chickens grow their eggs.  She has also recently discovered the art of clipping coupons.  If you didn't know clipping coupons is an art, you need to get to know Mavis.  Mavis is one of those people who goes shopping and, at the checkout, the store pays her for what's in her cart.  It's true.  The sheer quantity of the food, toiletries, etc. she brings home within her budget is amazing.   Her weekly shopping update on her blog shows her purchases in pictures.  Her family doesn't eat everything they bring home.   Instead she pays much of it forward, donating to various causes.

She will tell you that coupon-ing is a process and is best approached with baby steps.  If you would like to learn her art, please visit her blog, 100 Dollars A Month, today to find out what Mavis can teach you that will lead to money saved.  She is going through the coupon basics on her blog this week.  So, if you're ready to save money at the grocery store, be sure and check out her blog throughout the week.

And!  The very exciting news is that Mavis has started making coupon purses!  She's opened an Etsy shop, Mavisisarockstar, and, to celebrate, is giving away one of her lovely purses here!  Each coupon purse includes- 1 handmade fabric binder cover, 1 2-inch binder, 1 notebook, 10 baseball card sleeves, 10 page protectors, 5 plastic page dividers and a few weeks of the latest coupon inserts-basically everything you need to get started!

The Giveaway:  To enter to win a coupon purse {by Mavis} of your choice of pattern (with some goodies already stuffed inside for you), please go visit Mavis' Etsy shop here.  Then, come back and tell me in the comments section below which pattern you'd like to win.  I'll choose a winner randomly on Friday!

Please one entry per household.  If you comment anonymously, please leave your first name or initial so I can identify you if you win.  If you have trouble leaving a comment, please email your entry to thyhand123@gmail.com and I will post your entry for you.

Also!!  If you order one of her coupon purses from her Etsy shop and enter "10mavisbucks" in the comments section of the order before Valentine's Day, Mavis will give you 20% off your order!!

Thank you, Mavis!

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