The Cardiologist's Wife
The Cardiologist's Wife is a blog dedicated to better health by sharing recipes, fitness tips and health information in an easy to understand format.
Coupon Finale
[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on August 21, 2012 ][ In Diet Tips and Better Eating Ideas, For new Mom's ]
Last August, I started a couponing effort to see how much money I could save on groceries, pet food, household items and toiletries by using coupons and watching for sales. These items account for a large chunk of everyone’s budget, right behind housing and utility costs. With the drought, food prices are expected to rise so everyone should be looking for ways to save. So how did I do? The truth is, not as good as I’d hoped. I saved more money at first, maybe because I was more motivated when the challenge was fresh. There were several weeks through the year when I was so busy that I did not plan well and sometimes coupons expired or were overlooked. I still think the whole project was worthwhile and I will continue to use the lessons I learned. But you be the judge. I saved a total of $1431.84 for the year; of that, $314.01 was due to coupons and $1117.83 was saved by buying things that were marked down. After the first three months, I was projecting a total savings of about $1800 to $1900 so I wasn’t off by that much. One thing I did not do was to drive from store to store just to get a bargain. First, I don’t have that much time and I believe that the cost of gas offsets any savings.
Here are some tips I learned and things anyone can do to save money. It is a bit time consuming, maybe an hour a week but that money can be better spent! Always join a store’s savings club if one is offered. Only Kroger Club members receive discounts on certain items for example. Club cards don’t cost you anything but that is where I saved most of the $1117. 83.
Sit down with the weekly sales circulars and plan your menu based on what is on sale. Match up any coupons at that time as well. If you are a Wal Mart shopper, take other stores’ sales circular with you because Wal Mart will match any lower advertised price. Coupons usually appear in the Sunday paper but can be found online as well as in magazines. I did not do as well with the online coupons as they favored processed foods.
Don’t be brand loyal all the time. Sure, I have a few favorites BUT if another brand is on sale, buy it or at least give it one shot. I have found many store brands are just as good as the nationally advertised brands and I switch between brands on items like clothes detergent if I have a good coupon or the sales price is better.
Don’t clip coupons for things you don’t need unless you are trading with a friend or be tempted to buy things just because you have a coupon. Decide if it is the best deal before using that coupon. However, having a coupon is a good time to try something new. Also, don’t justify buying something because you are “saving” money. If you already have 10 bottles of shampoo, do you really need 4 more? Also, watch for rebate offers. I did score some big savings that way.
On the other hand, stock up when you do see a good deal. Last fall, Kroger and Target marked canned vegetables down by about half. I bought several cans of corn and green beans. Just remember there is a point at which you are being ridiculous and not really saving money anymore. If you have a room in your home filled with bargains, you’ve crossed the line.
Many stores really mark down items when their expiration date is near. I get great deals on meat, salads, breads and other items this way so know where the unmarked specials are found wherever you shop. Be sure to freeze any meat you don’t use immediately, or use that salad that day. You can refer to the website, stilltasty.com if you are unsure whether a food is still safe to eat.
The point of talking about saving money on groceries is that we all need to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Food can be very expensive but it is cheaper than paying for medical treatment.
Upadated on August 21, 2012
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