Keys to Saving Money on Groceries & Drug Store Items

Here are a few tips for my newer readers who may just be getting started:

• Purchase at least one Sunday Newspaper each week or have it delivered to your home, remove coupon inserts & mark with the date, keep these until all coupons expire
• Compare coupons with sale flyers from grocery stores, drug stores, discount stores where you like to shop.
• Check your favorite money saving website for lists of sale items with coupon match-ups to see what you could be getting for free or cheap.
• Shop at drug store chains like CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid and others that have FREE after rebate/Extra Care Bucks and other promotions.
• When you find a good deal purchase multiple coupons from ebay, http://www.thecouponclippers.com/, or other coupon websites. This will allow you to build a stockpile so that you will not have to purchase the item until another deal or coupon comes out.
• Check for printable coupons from sources like http://www.coupons.com/ or http://www.smartsource.com/ and find out what stores in your area accept them.
• Plan out your trip ahead of time. Clip your coupons and make a list of items you are going to buy. Take other coupons in case you find an item on sale.
• Have restraint and know what a good deal really is. Just because there is a coupon out for an item it does not mean it is a good deal.

Remember, this takes a little time and a bit of effort but the savings that you will realize will be substantial after you get into it and you build your stockpile. Just how much can you save? I think the savings are limitless. I just have fun doing it and like seeing what I have been able to save but have not been too serious about sticking to any sort of budget. I have compared my current monthly grocery bills to those 1.5 years ago before I got started. I used to spend $175/week at Walmart and now spend around $75/week. That's a a savings of $400 per month. How's that for incentive?