Can you really save 50-80% over retail prices on your groceries?
You absolutely can! I do every week! Here’s how:
7 Ways to Shop Smart:
- Be willing to try new brands. The brand you normally use may not always be the best deal and actually when you stack coupons with sales, it just may be, that you can get a better deal on the higher end products!
- Wait to use your coupons when the item goes on sale. Just because you have a coupon – doesn’t mean you should use it. Wait until the item goes on sale and then stack your coupon on top of the sale price.
- Set price points. A price point is a dollar amount that you are willing to pay for a specific item.
- Stock up on the very best deals. As you stock up on the great deal items, your price points will become lower and lower. You will start to have a good supply on hand and you will be able to wait and pick up more the next time the price drops down to the best deal (rather than having to pay full price because you ran out)!
- Organize your time and your coupons. Use a coupon organization system. Having your coupons effectively organized will save you both money and time. No one likes to be stuck behind someone who is shuffling through there coupons trying to find each one. Also, if you set a time each week to cut and put away your coupons, you will always have everything ready to go when you want to go to the store.
- Ask for rain checks. If a store is out of stock on an advertised sale item – ask them for a rain check. Then, the next week when the item is listed at regular price and the shelf has been restocked – you can still get that sale price. You can also stack a manufacturer’s coupon on top of that rain check – as long as it has not expired.
- Plan your meals around the very best deals and what you already have on hand. If you plan your meals and then go shopping – you end up paying full price on way too many items. Rather, plan your meals each week around the items on sell that match with your coupons and what you already have stocked up on in your pantry.
Stack Deals With Coupons:
Yes, it’s true. Most manufacturer’s coupons specify that only one manufacturer’s coupon can be accepted per item purchased. So, what do I mean by stacking?
1. Look for the sale priced and marked-down clearance items.
2. Stack a manufacturer’s coupon on top of the sale price to make the deal even better. As long as the manufacturer’s coupons are used and accepted correctly, the store will be reimbursed the full amount, plus an additional $0.08 to cover the postage of sending it in. Stores are not out any money by accepting a manufacturer’s coupon.
Sometimes the first two steps are all that you need to make an awesome deal. There are times however, when you can stack even more savings on top of the sale and manufacturer’s coupon.
3. Store coupons can be stacked on top of manufacturer’s coupons. The store coupon is a type of store sale that they use to entice you to buy their products. They just require that you use their store coupon to get the deal. As long as the store coupon is not a manufacturer’s coupon but an actual STORE coupon – then it can be stacked on top of a manufacturer’s coupon.
4. Be on the look our for mail-in rebates. Mail-in rebates can sometimes be found attached to the products you are purchasing or attached to the displays. They also can be found online and also sometimes are listed in the Sunday newspaper coupon inserts. In most cases, you can submit for the rebate even when you have used a manufacturer’s coupon on the item (see the rebate’s fine print to be sure).
5. Watch for catalina offers (coupons that print out with your receipt) and gift card offers. Sometimes stores and manufacturer’s offer rewards to consumers when they buy multiples of a certain item. These rewards are in the form of catalinas (coupons) or gift cards – that you can use to reduce the amount on your next transaction at that specific store.
Image Credit: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
