If your routine involves shopping once a week or every couple of days for some random items you’re supposed to make into meals, this couponing thing is never going to work for you. That’s especially true if you find yourself going to the store even more often to fill in the holes for the meals you didn’t plan in advance. What’s the problem exactly? Those last-minute purchases, and very possibly your entire grocery list, aren’t on sale and you probably don’t have a coupon for those particular items. Sure you can buy store brand and it might be cheaper, but is it cheapest? Chances are the answer to that question is no.
The thing about making couponing work for you, and the key to mastering frugality, is buying what’s on sale with the best coupon possible. That means shopping for what’s on sale each week, and not for what you want that week. There will be a few exceptions, mostly fresh produce, but I bet you can learn to save money even in that department with a quick perusal of the weekly ads and some forethought.
When you buy on sale, you might buy 8 cans of olives at one time. Yes, in a way, that is excessive, but it’s how you’re going to turn pennies into dollars in the long run. When you buy what’s on sale, you’ll start to realize that sales happen on cycles and that they are also particularly good at certain times of the year. By stocking up when it’s a good sale, or better yet, a GREAT sale, you’re going to save the most money possible. When you combine the coupons I know you’ve been learning to save with the sales you’re learning to look for, you can decide which sales to buy on, how much to buy, and which coupons to use. Once you have mastered the flow of sales and coupons, and then matching the two together, it’s time to start stocking up. Read the rest of this entry »
It Makes Cents to Me! 