Lately, I have been on a constant quest to save money. In this day and age, who isn't? I watched the TLC show Extreme Couponing a few times and thought, "I could do that..." but after some research and finding that circulars in our area were really difficult to come by, I somewhat gave up on the idea. Then I decided to dig in and figure out a way. I started researching on the web and found some really great sites. I started printing coupons that were available for products that we have used in the past, products that we always use, or products we would be willing to use. I printed everything available for any of those. I signed up for all kinds of company emails (if you are thinking about this, I recommend you open a dedicated account for these emails so that they don't clutter up your personal email) and promotions. I cut out hundreds of coupons and organized them. Then I started combing the sale flyers. Every week I thoroughly look through the flyers, find items on sale, match them up with coupons, and make a plan. Then I go shopping. Last time I had a goal of spending $100 and saving at least that much. I ended up spending $95 and saving $130. I don't think I will ever be able to rack up a bill of almost $1000 and spend only $5...our stores around here don't generally have specials that great and the coupon policies are fairly strict especially now that none of them will double any coupon over $1. With that being said, I will still spend 3-4 hours a week clipping coupons and combing ads because saving half on a grocery bill (which I do with regularity right now) is pretty amazing. It frees up money for lots of other things. But if you don't have time for all of that, I have a few suggestions to save you money in the long run:
1. When your favorite items go on sale, STOCK UP! Most canned and boxed goods will last a really long time. Frozen goods will keep for forever if they haven't been opened. Some fresh goods can be frozen for a longer shelf life. If you normally pay $1.69 for a box of macaroni and your store has them on sale for $1 a box and you normally use 3 boxes a week-it will save you $8.28 in a month if you stock up while they are cheap. Stores cycle through sale items so pay attention to your store and buy stuff that will keep even if you don't need it immediately.
2. If you have a small family and a warehouse club membership, join up and split the cost of bulk goods with a couple other families. You can split the membership costs and the shopping responsibilities and break up the larger packages into more manageable sizes for your families. Some things are cheaper when bought in bulk.
3. Sign up for online deals! There are tons of websites out there just giving stuff away! Search your favorite products and see what you can find!
4. Enlist your family members! If you don't have time to cut coupons and really need or want to save money, enlist the help of a friend or family member with the promise that you will do the shopping and save them money as well!
5. The most important tip....be smart about what you buy! Ten jars of mustard for 35 cents each isn't really a deal if nobody in your family likes mustard. It's a waste of $3.50 and a waste of your most valuable asset...your time!
I hope these suggestions will help those of you who have been sending me messages out. I love saving money and I'm always happy to share anything I know with you! God bless!
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