Guest Post: Five Ways to Save With a Detailed Shopping Plan

by

Stephanie Nelson

Shopping list (Photo credit: Ex-Smith)

Research shows that efficient shoppers with detailed shopping plans do a much better job of sticking to their shopping lists and budgets.

1. Check to see what you already have on hand at home to turn ingredients in your kitchen into meals. This also keeps you from accidentally duplicating items you've purchased previously.

2. Check your stores’ featured sale items on CouponMom.com and coupon bargains before leaving home, so you'll know exactly where to find the best deals.

3. Plan specific daily menus around your on-hand ingredients and store bargains. Create bargain minded menu plans. Online recipe sites can help you tailor meals around deals.

4. When you have a menu plan, combine your current food inventory plus needed items bought on sale and with your coupons to create your shopping list.

5. Stick to your plan when you get to the grocery store, no impulse buying.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. With more than 6 million members, Coupon Mom gives members access to thousands ofprintable coupons for groceries, restaurants and more. As the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country, Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 11 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

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• Reduce Your Grocery Bill with a Printable Grocery Shopping List (foodonthetable.com)
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• 5 Ways to Save Your Family Money at the Grocery Store (slideshare.net)

Guest Post: Five Ways to Save When You Buy Organic

by

Stephanie Nelson

1. Compare organics' prices at your local stores:  Check out the store brands in the organic department and compare prices between stores to find the best deals.  Most supermarkets have store brand organic items, Whole Foods has an extensive line of store brand items, and even wholesale clubs have organic produce and grocery items. Store brand organic items' prices may be no more expensive than name brand conventional items.

2. Learn the “Clean 15” and the “Dirty Dozen.” The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit public health advocacy group, provides a free Pesticides in Produce Shopping Guide (ewg.org). Download the list or the app to see which items contain the least and the most pesticide residue. I stretch my dollar by selectively purchasing organic versions of the “Clean 15” such as onions, avocados, sweet corn, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, watermelon and purchase conventional versions of the “Dirty Dozen.”

3. Shop the bulk Department. Stores provide containers and let you scoop out the perfect amount of an item that you desire to purchase. Look for organic beans, teas, grains, flour, oatmeal, or spices to buy this way and you are less likely to waste food. Don’t assume every item in bulk is cheaper, bring your calculator and compare prices by the ounce or pound to pre-packed items.

4. Use Coupons. Start with the “Grocery Coupon Database” at CouponMom.com as a guide by searching for the term “organic.” Pick up in-store coupon booklets, such as Whole Foods' booklet or print the coupons from the Whole Foods website. Check out manufacturers websites. We found printable coupons at more than 50 organic online sites. Earth Day is soon, so be on the lookout for “Go Organic for Earth Day” coupon booklets in stores.

5. Grow your own savings. Nothing beats the price – and the taste- of a tomato you harvest from your own backyard or even your deck. Short on space? Purchase cheap plant containers at garage sales or flea markets. You can also make your own container out of old buckets, jars, plastic trash containers, ceramic pots, or other cleaned containers you have around the home. Growing staples like lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and herbs can provide the most bang for your buck.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. Her web site,  www.CouponMom.com,  has 6 million members, and she is established as the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

Related articles

• 5 Tips for Using Coupons (faithfulprovisions.com)
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Guest Post: Five Ways to Save at the Big Box Stores (Wholesale Clubs)

Image via Wikipedia

by

Stephanie Nelson

1. Try before you buy. Most wholesale clubs will let you take a test drive before joining by shopping with a free one-day pass. When deciding which club to join, take a clipboard or notebook and compare prices. It will soon be evident which one is best for you. 

2. Membership fees. Wholesale Clubs can be great for shoppers whose local supermarkets do not double coupons, who prefer products that are not often discounted with coupons, who have large households, or who need to purchase in large quantity. Check the stores’ website and ask in person about special membership promotions and what services are offered to non-members. As required by law in most states, selected services such as Pharmacy are provided to non-members.

Image via Wikipedia

3. Bargains. Batteries are the best price at a wholesale club. Milk is generally cheaper. Club prices average 25% less on fresh and frozen meat, chicken, and fish and USDA grades of beef offered are higher at a lower price than supermarkets. Extra-large pies, muffins, pastries and bagels are less than you would pay at a supermarket bakery. Private label/store brand household and paper supplies are less than name brands.

4. Check unit cost. Comparing unit cost is the key to knowing whether the item you are buying is a tremendous deal. Put your calculator to work and run the numbers. Smaller sizes might work better for you if you have a tight budget. CouponMom.com lists deals for Costco and Sam's Club and shows the unit cost as well as the price to make it easy for you to compare prices from your computer.

5. Discipline. The building, containers, and savings can be big – so is the temptation to load up your cart. Beware of impulse purchases and use CouponMom.com’s Strategic Shopping. Stick to your list and the amount you intend to spend even when surrounded by acres of seemingly irresistible bargains.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. Her web site, www.CouponMom.com, has 6 million members, and she is established as the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country. Nelson has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

Related articles

• Real Simple Tips: 11 Ways to Save On Groceries (adoseofrnr.wordpress.com)
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Guest Post: Five Ways to Save... Using CouponMom.com

Cover via Amazon

by

Stephanie Nelson

1. CouponMom.com is the country's largest grocery deals website with 6 million members, providing online planning tools to save money on the food you feed your family. Membership is free.

2. CouponMom.com is easily searchable, updated all day/every day with the latest deals at 57 store chains including Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and more. Members create, select and print their own customized shopping list.

3. The site offers a Grocery Deals by State section, which matches regional grocery store sale prices with available coupons, making it easy for members to save. It provides detailed lists of individual retailers’ sale items matched with coupons available in each state’s newspapers.

4. CouponMom.com has a Coupon Database that organizes Sunday newspaper coupons into dates and circular codes making it easy for members to find the best deals.

5. Coupon Mom  also has Free Printable Coupons, with hundreds of grocery coupons representing major brands such as General Mills, Kellogg’s, Huggies, Pampers, Pillsbury and many more. Over 83 % of the members report printing coupons from the site regularly to maximize their savings.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. Her web site, www.CouponMom.com, has 6 million members, and she is established as the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country. Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 11 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

Related articles

• 5 Common Sense Couponing Rules for The Sane Shopper (boldstate.com)
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Guest Post: 5 Ways to Save... Using a Weekly Menu for Your Family

by 

Stephanie Nelson

Savvy coupon shoppers prefer to sketch out their weekly meal plans before they start creating their grocery lists. Here are some steps to go after bargains rather than waiting to stumble across them—and get ready to save over 50% or more on your groceries!

 

1. Scan the week’s calendar to figure out what the family’s plans are. Meals at the table aren’t the only time your family eats. Remember packed lunches, social outings, school events and guests, so that these meals don’t translate into extra trips to the store.

 

2. Keep an eye on your refrigerator’s perishable items. One study reported that a family of four ends up throwing away an average of $590 of perishable groceries per year such as meat, produce, dairy and grain products. Avoid overbuying perishable items.

 

3. Check the pantry and freezer for adequate staples on hand for easy convenient meals. Simple meals like pasta, soup, chili, or chicken pot pie, made with items you already have on hand, can save you the expense of that last-minute pizza delivery.

4. Don’t snack on dinner ingredients! Keep munchies around so your family doesn’t graze on the ingredients you plan to use for the main course. Stock up on popcorn, pretzels, fruit, popsicles or crackers.

5. Celebrate “Leftover Night “once a week. Keep any leftovers on one shelf of the refrigerator in clear containers, so you can see what you have to use up.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. Her web site, www.CouponMom.com, has over 5.6 million members, and she is established as the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country. Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 11 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

Guest Post: Using Strategic Shopping

by

Stephanie Nelson

CouponMom.com

Strategic Shopping is not about changing the way you eat, it’s about changing the way you buy the food you like. Create customized shopping approaches that save time, allow your family to have tasty and healthy meals—all while cutting your grocery bill in half.

1. Know your prices. Become familiar with the price range of the items you buy most regularly, and then you will know when an item is discounted. Over time you learn when you see a deal, and how to plan purchases for items on sale and using coupons!

2. Know your store savings programs. It’s up to you to educate yourself about stores' savings programs and policies. Go to CouponMom.com to find the weekly deals at a number of national and regional stores, and learn how you can use them to your best advantage.

3. Know your coupons. Coupons are really free money, use them wisely and they’re essentially legal currency. Coupon Mom combines coupons with special deals and offers in your store each week.

4. Stock up on Savings – An item you buy each week goes on sale. The store adds to the discounting possibilities by running a promotion, possibly greater savings if you buy three or more, and then adding coupons. To the Strategic Shopper, it’s time to celebrate! Celebrate by stocking up when off-price opportunities combine for ultimate savings. When prices return to normal, just “shop” from your freezer.

5. Plan to save – The most important element to cutting your grocery spending is planning ahead. An organized shopping list, combined with careful meal planning, and strategic shopping for deals and coupons can cut your grocery bill in half every week!

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. Her web site, www.CouponMom.com, has over 5.6 million members, and she is established as the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country. Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 11 years. Stephanie has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.