I just found your blog and I love it. But I don't know if I am a little too gung-ho about
this. I am not feeling overwhelmed. I have all these folders organized
in my favorites folder and blogs marked in my Google Reader. I have
forums to help me and sites to visit.It just seems like there
are so many places to find deals and some sites have things that others
don't. Some post more frequently than others. I guess I am looking for a way to simplify this so it is not so overwhelming. You said you take about 45 minutes a week and at the rate I am going, it will be hours a week checking blogs and forums. -Jessica
When
you are first learning to shop frugally, it can be a bit overwhelming,
especially if this is a completely new way of thinking. Here are a few of my
recommendations:
1) Start slowly. Don't try to cut your grocery bill in half tomorrow. Instead, set a very reachable goal for your grocery budget for this month.
Once you've achieved that goal, then gradually try to shave off a
little bit more and then a little bit more. Challenge yourself to
improve at a pace that isn't too slow so you see no progress happening,
but also isn't too fast so that it frustrates or burdens you.
When
you are just beginning, pick one or two areas to work on at a time.
Perhaps you have a CVS store nearby, make it a goal that you will spend
the next 2 months learning how to shop there and get all of your
deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap/bodywash there
for free (there are a lot more things you can get free there, but we're
going slow, remember?). Start here to learn how to do that.
Once
you've cut out that part of your budget and feel comfortable with
CVS-ing, then move on to something else, say learning Walgreens or
Target, using more coupons at your grocery store, or making two items
from scratch which you would normally buy pre-packaged.
Whatever you pick to work on, enjoy it and don't stress over it. Stretching your budget should be an exciting challenge, not a huge drudgery.
2) Keep it simple.
There is a tendency to want to read every forum and blog out there for
fear we might miss some great deal. The truth is, most of us do not
have that kind of time on our hands. Plus, time is money;
if we waste a lot of time scouring deal websites only to come up with
minimal savings to show for our hours of internet browsing, we really
aren't saving money.
I encourage you to pick a few forums or
blogs that you generally find the best deals for the stores you shop at
and use those as your resource. Set a time once or twice a week in your
schedule to peruse through these and choose which deals you want to do
and add these to your grocery list. (I've found it helpful to copy and paste
deals I find straight into a WORD document and then use that to compile
our grocery list and menu.)
3) Set parameters.
Not only do I recommend that you have a set grocery budget and only
bring cash (and a calculator!) with you to the store to make sure you
follow your budget, I also would highly encourage you to budget your
grocery-list-making time and your bargain-shopping time.
When
you are first starting out, you might allot 1-2 hours per week to
searching for bargains, scouring the ads, clipping and organizing
coupons, and making your list. As you become more adept, I'd shoot for
45 minutes to an hour maximum for grocery shopping strategizing. Have a
set day and a set block of time, if possible. Or split it up into 10-15
minute increments over a few days.
I also recommend that you
limit yourself to one to two bargain-shopping trips per week. Bargain
shopping can be a great way to be a better steward of your family's
income, but it should never consume your life. If you are running
around all over town multiple times per week to get great deals, you
need to step back and examine your priorities.
Like I've said before,
if your home and family is suffering for the sake of a good deal, it's
not a good deal. Set parameters and stick with them! (See this post here for more helpful ideas.)
I'd
love to hear from others on this subject: How do you wisely steward
your time when it comes to frugality? Do you have a method which works
for you to effectively and efficiently save money and take advantage of
great deals without it becoming too time-consuming? Tell us about it!
Shoppingresa says
What an awesome thing LUVS is doing! I would love to win, I have 2 in diapers, this would be HUGE, even if it only covers 1 of those kids for a year!
Jodie says
This is an awesome opportunity considering we have two in diapers!
Kris says
I just wrote about this recently. I wholeheartedly endorse using a feedreader and starting small. It’s easy to spend too much time and money in the name of saving a buck.
http://frugalmomskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-i-find-deals.html
anna mcdowell says
I love cheap diapers
Lisa Underwood says
Free diapers would be great for our twin babies!! Every little bit helps.
Jessica says
I have two favorite sites and a couple of favorite blogs, including this one, that I go to on my down time. Often this is while I have coffee and breakfast. As for the making of the list and sorting of coupons, I often do this at the table with my daughter while she eats or colors along side of me, so I’m not missing out on being with her. Making the list doesn’t take much time. I like hotcouponworld.com and afullcup.com beccause they separate by store and then for each region. So if you live in OH and shop at Kroger you can go right to that section and skip everything else!
Mer says
$5 off your grocery trip for completing 15 min survey for Grocery Outlet
http://www7.intellisurvey.com/run/eri0982265v2
Lisa says
I certainly spent a lot more time at this in the beginning. I don’t regret it. I learned which stores I like the best for the most savings and got my coupon “groove.” It was worth it. Now I have struck a balance. I don’t stress about not having 100% of the coupons in my purse. I know I am saving a lot for the amount of time put into it, without over kill.
sarah compton says
I set aside one evening per week to clip coupons (with my 2 daughters’ help) and write down my deals. Then I do my shopping in one morning with coupons in separate envelopes (by store) and my list on the envelope. It has gotten easier to be efficient as I practice my system.
Erika says
I would suggest, if you have the extra money, to work some of the bargain shopping out of your system the first like three months on items you can get for free or near free. After you have a stockpile of stuff, just step back and concentrate on a few key stores.
For instance, I went NUTS the first three months I did coupons and stockpiled all kinds of toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, deodorant, etc for pennies on the dollar and still managed to stay inside my budget. Now that I HAVE all of those things it makes it easier to say “no” when another deal pops up.
We just got a Walgreens in Alaska a couple of months ago and the RR looked great on paper. But, for me, the logical application of having to SPEND 3.99 out of pocket to get a 3.99 Register Reward just doesn’t work for me on my budget, so I don’t really do Walgreens anymore. I do hit them occasionally to try and see what they have on clearance, but other than that it’s too much money to spend right NOW to get RR to use later.
I focus most of my time on Target, for pet food, cleaning products, any food items they carry (with the exception of some frozen food items) and baby items. The rest of my time (and the majority lately it seems) I focus on my local store Fred Meyer because they plain carry the things I need for day to day cooking…eggs, produce, meat, etc (we don’t have a Super Target), so that makes my choice of where to shop easier.
One other thing you might consider is to just hit one blog that you REALLY like for free sample alerts, hot coupon alerts and stuff like that and one the weekly coupon match-ups for your local stores…try doing them yourself on the items you want. It might just be more cost effective time-wise for you to do that instead of hitting 10 blogs multiple times a week to find good deals.
Just a thought. Hope it helps!
Melissa says
It is amazing how much easier it gets (and how much you save with less effort!) once you get a little stockpile going. I feel far less pressure to get all the deals every week now, because I have a stash of a couple of months of a lot of our essentials. Plus, once you have one area taken care of (like, I have personal care and cleaning products pretty much knocked out for the foreseeable future), you can focus more of your budget on the areas you still need to build.
dawn says
I’m all about a good deal, but the 2 biggest things are to not go to crazy (ie: drive 10 miles to save $1 or hit 3 different grocery stores to save $5) and to not buy something just because it is a good deal. You have not really saved any money if you have driven all over God’s green earth to get it, if it sits untouched in a closet for the next decade, or if you simply do not need it. I have to constantly remind myself of the latter rule and am not always successful, even though I do know better.
Patti says
I have found that jotting in a notebook(recylced from school) as I read the ads automatically writes my grocery list. I list items under each store name, the “deal” – for example, B1G1Free and the price. Then I look through my coupons for those items and put the coupons in an envelope to take to the store. I put the notebook, all of my coupons,my grocery money in cash, and the envelope in a tote bag and when I am out, I stop by the stores with my list. Many times I decide that the trip isn’t worth it or that a lot of the items are not “needed” at this point and I cross them off the list before I even go. I also keep a running Aldi grocery list for everything else. This has helped me when I shop because I can compare prices between the stores and see if I need to use the gas to go for the deal. It is also a handy place to record all the deals I read in the blogs. Good luck!
Angela Brown says
Crystal, When are you going to post your monthly financial check up? I’m eagerly waiting for your update.
Beatle says
Maybe this is why it takes me so long, I get so distracted! I meant to comment about what how I shop. While it takes me forever to compile my list, shopping is usually a breeze. I hit up one or two local supermarkets, Target, Walgreen’s (new to this area!) and Wal-mart. While that is a lot of stores, they are all pretty close together and I absolutely stick to my list. I only get something different if it’s actually a better deal. I do a quick scan of the clearance racks on my way past and don’t bat an eye towards anything else that I wasn’t planning to buy.
Beatle says
It’s possible to only spend 45 minutes a week to make your grocery list?! Maybe I’ll get there some day. Sadly, it takes me hours. And truthfully I have no idea why it takes me that long! I’m a stay at home mom with one sweet baby boy so I definitely have the time, and it saves us TONS of money so I guess it’s worth it.
Shannon says
The CVS link isn’t working for me–wonder if it’s a problem on my end?
Delilah Stephens says
I shop CVS, Walgreens and Target once a week. Twice if I miss the item and have to wait until the next truck comes in on Saturday. The entire family shops on Saturday at Kroger. My husbands handles the calculator and I handle the coupons. We make a list and stick to it 99%. Sometimes you find those amazing in-store deals that can’t be passed up. We go once a week and only use cash. Sometimes I run into to Albertsons for their deals why the family waits in the car.
I cut and sort coupons on Sunday nights when everyone is in bed. I also list what I am getting at each place and take the coupons for those items and place them in th store envelopes. This takes maybe 45 mins. sometimes a little longer if I get distracted by the tv.
Doing these things have saved me a ton of money, this weeks total out of pocket was $40.00 and I saved somewhere around $120.00.
I have two children, about to have my third and have a part time teaching job. It can be done so don’t give up hope at first.
frank remund says
free diapers would be great! especially coming from a DAD! 🙂
Liz says
Don’t try to do every deal every week. Pick the store (or 2) that have the best.
Don’t clip every coupon, just tsave the entire insert and cut what you need.
Find a site that gives a comprehensive list of deals for the stores you shop; then just go off of their lists – find the coupons you need and go!
It’s okay to skip a week – or two- or more! I am a Publix junkie and even though there was a ton of stuff I wanted to get last week, I didn’t go. I had what I needed in the house and decided I just didn’t want to spend money stockpiling that week!
Jody says
This is a GREAT website! it has good information for coupon clipping and money budgeting in this somewhat horrible ecomony! Keep up the great work!!! =)
Davonne says
I shop at Aldi’s – I don’t even have to think about it and I save a TON of money! I do want to start couponing, and re-start CVSing, but for now (I just had a baby) Aldi’s does the trick 🙂
kathy says
crystal, didn’t know what your email is, but there is a sweepstakes for lots of prizes at litehouseMvA.com. it is a contest they are advertising on the Litehouse caramel dip.
Tina says
Agree with the last poster. I focus on things my family will use and let the other deals pass. I also try to stick with stores that are not too out of the way for me. Target is not near me so I don’t pay attention to those deals.
Larua Jane says
My advice is to make sure you are spending your time on getting only the things you actually want/need. When I first started, I was so excited reading about all the great deals, and I wanted to take advantage of them, so I ended up with a lot of stuff that I didn’t even need and still haven’t used. Also, I have enough toothpaste, for instance, to last me for a year, so I just stopped buying it or getting it even if it’s free. My house is small, and I really don’t have much room to store a lot of extras.
Life from the Roof says
This may be considered “heresy” in the world of couponing, but I actually have pulled back from clipping coupons, only printing out the occasional Internet Printables for use at stores in my area that I know will accept them. It’s still hard to miss out on certain deals, but over time I’ve realized that I don’t usually need most of those products (except for maybe toothpaste, but we only use one tube every few months, so paying maybe $1 more per tube v. $2/weekend for the Sunday paper is worth it to me). Occasionally I’ll take advantage of Walgreens or CVS register rewards/ECB deals, but lately have not because I don’t always have the time or opportunity to continue to roll them over.
My main way to save money and time is to limit my shopping to four main stores: Costco, Safeway, Farmer Joe’s and Trader Joe’s. I have a mental price list in my head after almost a year of learning the ropes on food prices so that I know where to get the ingredients I use most often for the cheapest prices, and when to stock up when those items go on sale (usually at Safeway). I feel like we eat better this way, and our menus are a bit more predictable. I liked someone’s advice as well to wait for the seasonal stock-up sales, particularly around the holidays (Labor Day and Memorial Day – stock up on meat, buns, etc.; Thanksgiving and Christmas – turkey and ham, baking ingredients). We also try to make meals out of ingredients that typically are less expensive, like beans and rice, certain cuts of meat, pasta, etc. But I also have a significant portion of our budget devoted each week to produce, and try to get the “Loss leaders” each week.
We probably pay more for toilet paper than couponers would, but I don’t have to sit around waiting for something to go on sale to get it – I usually get it from Costco. It’s just worth the sanity and time to me right now w/ a 2-year-old and a newborn.
Charlotte says
I usually only have about 1.5 hours to do my shopping, and I have to take my toddler and baby along. Sunday night I clip and print coupons, browse ads, etc. Monday morning during baby’s nap I make my meal plan and shopping list. Then we shop before lunch.
Our Target and Winco share a parking lot, so that’s my default place unless there’s a super-screamin’ deal at Fred Meyer or Albertson’s. I usually pick ONE good coupon deal per week- stock up on cereal, or Ragu, or whatever it is- and then I just use as many coupons as possible on whatever I was going to buy anyway. I’ve shaved about $10-15 off my weekly shopping trips in about 3 months. I think that’s significant…
This is my #1 blog to look for deals, by the way. I seem to get more out it than others.
brittaney james says
Luvs diapers… awesome!! I’m due tomorrow with my first… I’m so excited. Are luvs a good brand? I’ve not had any experience, obviously.
Kaley at Cha-Ching on a Shoestring says
Thank you for a great post, Crystal! I love your idea of copying and pasting deals straight into Word. I am working on improving that–it’s too easy to spend time hunting down deals that I thought I remember seeing somewhere if I don’t take note of them right away!
This is so important to me, I actually dedicated an entire post to saving time while saving money just last week with all sorts of other ideas. You can see it here: http://www.chachingonashoestring.com/2009/09/10/time-is-money-seriously/
Thanks again!
Erin Niehenke says
I used to go crazy with couponing, but am realizing that it’s no good if you end up buying things you wouldn’t have before, and end up spending more money! It’s only a deal if you actually need it, and save money on it 🙂 It’s good to take a step back once in a while and look at what you’re doing!
julie says
I echo the advice to start slowly.
As far as all the blogs. . . while each has its special features, you’ll find that almost all of them cover the drug stores and other national chains. Find the one or two that you really like and stick with them. Then find one that covers the grocery store or stores where you’ll most likely shop. On a day you have more time, you can explore some new ones, but stick with just a handful — and a reader is really helpful.
Michele says
Hi,
I’m new to couponing. I’m trying to stick to CVS right now. Sometimes though I go in spending more than I thought I would b/c I misunderstood the advertisement. Still trying though. Thanks to everyone who posts! You’re such motivators to me and not giving up!!
Michele
Tonya says
Im confused In refrence to this quote from above
“When you are first starting out, you might allot 1-2 hours per week to searching for bargains, scouring the ads, clipping and organizing coupons, and making your list. As you become more adept, I’d shoot for 45 minutes to an hour maximum for grocery shopping strategizing. Have a set day and a set block of time, if possible. Or split it up into 10-15 minute increments over a few days.”
I do not see how anyone can clip the coupons, menu plan to match, organize all the coupons you just cliped, plus match up the deal and physicaly go to the stores and buy it in a grand total of 45 minutes one time a week.The clipping alone is 45 minutes for two papers. That seems hard to believe to me. Was this a typo or am I doing something really completely wrong? It takes me quite a few hours a week minimum. Please tell your secrets
Angela says
I think the biggest thing that helps is realizing deals come in cycles. Try not to stress about missing a deal, they usually come back. And if they don’t, so what. Life is too short to freak out about a few dollars. 🙂
Oh yeah, and only save coupons for things you really want to buy, That makes organizing so much simpler.
Denise C. says
Start slow. That really cannot be stressed enough. I’m STILL LEARNING. My husband and I set a goal to set aside $700 per month for groceries. This included trips to Super Target, Wal-Mart, Costco and our local grocery store. MONTHS later, I’m still trying to stop impulse buys, and come in under budget. MSM is a great website, and I am ALWAYS picking up new ideas to turn into habits! 🙂
Cynthia Varga says
This site has helped me greatly! I check it now religously. Thanks for all the great tips. I have found CVS and Target have wonderful deals & those were stores I didn’t shop at before!
Maria Miller says
Did you know that you are famous? Your blog was listed in the USA Weekend paper on Sunday in an article called, “Get the Most From Your Coupons.” Thanks for your website and all the work you do to keep us informed about good deals.
matty says
What great ideas! I have just started couponing again after many years of thinking I was too busy. I have managed to save more than $300 this month alone. Of course, I am stockpiling for winter because I don’t like dragging in groceries in the cold/ snow. I find that I, too, get lost in the search and gather mode. Thanks for so many wonderful tips. I think I will be happier and, most importantly, my husband won’t hear me weeping over a pile of uncut coupons on Sat. morning at 6 while he is trying to sleep! LOL
Celia says
I have a set budget, and after spending months learning where to buy the best things for us, I rarely go to the regular supermarket anymore. Trader Joes has almost everything I need, is organic, and has excellent prices. So I spend about 80% of my grocery budget there, and then fill in at traditional grocery stores. I actually rarely clip coupons anymore, since I can feed my husband and myself a healthy diet and stay in our budget. I check the fliers, and your postings, to see if there is anything they have I want. Other than that, I hardly think about it anymore.
Stephanie T says
As others have stated, you have to establish a routine and be organized. If you shop with a list and budget and stick to it, adding in the coupons and sale items, you will find over time that you feel more in control than overwhelmed. It is daunting at first, but gets better over time. I use Google Reader too to simplify the reading process. Stick to a few good blogs (like this one) that give you the type of information that you need and for the stores you use. I would also say to always remember who you are when the deals don’t work out. Be polite to the cashiers, read your receipts closely for mistakes, and ask customer service for assistance. Every deal is not going to work out as planned and there will be a new one next week. Best wishes to those newbies!!! It is an adventure and challenge every week.
sheena says
I started by making it worth it to buy the sunday paper every week. I also started with cvs too. I get my dish sope free, shapoo and other around the house things. I also check the adds in the paper and look for the best deals and compare my coupons and if you have a K-mart look for there doubble coupons days that saves a ton.
Aiming4Simple says
Tuesday nights are my weekly big shopping time. I can take my list and coupons and shop alone after my three kids go to bed. I’m hoping to be able to shop just once a week this way, but I’m not quite there yet. It’s hard for me to buy groceries that I know are cheaper elsewhere, but I’m learning that extra stops also cost me time that I don’t have. I appreciate hearing these balanced perspectives from other frugalistas.
Erin says
I love your tip about starting with one store. I felt very overwhelmed when I started this whole process of coupon clipping deal shopping. Then, I would get frustrated when I would run all over town and the stores wouldn’t have the things I had so carefully planned to buy. I was wasting a lot of time. Now, I will focus on one store and just do the best I can do.
Honey says
Great points! I agree about setting limits.I do not have a Target close by, so I have to skip a lot of those deals. If it is a spectacular week where there will be several free items at Target (and including free fruit), I might get there-otherwise I just consider it a limitation of mine. This also helps me keep in perspective that it is God who provides for us-not Target, not my bargain hunting skills, etc. And I don’t have a chick fillet nearby, nor do I want to gather costumes for 7 people, so we generally skip that, too. I try to be thankful for the stores I do have nearby and not run all across town. Especially with gas prices.
Norah Schowalter-Koskovich says
I think it’s important to remember to only buy what you will actually use. You can become over whelmed with stuff really easy and then you are no longer ahead!
Dana says
With a toddler and newborn, and a 30 minute drive to town to shop, I’ve found its best for me and my family if I only shop at two or three stores a week. I get the bargains I can at those stores, but then I let the rest of the deals slide.
Jennifer Leonard says
I also try to combine as many stops as I can into one “trip” at a time. If I need to go by CVS and Target, but still need something like some groceries at Food Lion then I’ll start the furthest away with a list written onto envelopes and coupons I know for sure I’ll use inside for each store. Then I’ll take my binder in, tuck it under my buggy(or in its bag on my arm) and grab any additional coupons I may need AS I FIND the items, this saves me time and lots of hassle when I get to the register.
Rita says
I drove myself nuts at first trying to make it to “all the deals”….but little by little I’m learning to do a couple of trips a week. I’m lucky and have lot’s of stores all near-by….however, I’m still noticing the gas gage going down quicker then usual…..so I still need to work on not “running out” to a different store each time a new deal pops up on a blog! I have spinal arthritis so I was also making myself quite sore when I was overdoing it…so that also has been a motivator for me to “slow down”.
angela says
This is a little off subjust, but does anyone know where I can buy double sided baseball card holders that hold 18 (front/back) instead of just 9 (front only)?
I’m overwhelmed right now, but think that getting organized with a coupon binder will help me so much!
Carrie Wojchik says
wOW! I would love to get three months diapers free! This website has really been awesome for cutting our budget!
Donna says
It’s important to know that there will always be another deal. Promotions and coupons are cyclical and seasonal and companies are always promoting new things, so if you miss out on that free toothpaste this week there is a 99.9 percent chance there will be another deal like it before you run out of toothpaste.
Also, like anything, there is a ramp-up period where you are putting in a lot of effort and time and energy, but once you get the hang of it and you get your stockpile going, you have your rhythm, you know your stores, and you know what your family does and doesn’t like/use/need. It gets easier.
JoVan says
I would also recommend getting a feed reader. Google reader is my favorite (and free). And they way you can subscribe to the blogs and everytime they are updated it will show up in your feed reader. This keeps everything in one place and makes it easier to find the stuff that is important to you. When I started thinking about couponing and CVSing, I was a senior in college and didn’t have access to the Sunday paper, so I mainly just tried to snag the good deals on CVS stuff because it was across the street. But now that I’m starting my first full time job and all the things that come with being an adult, it will look a little different. So someone told me when I first started thinking about all of this that it was going to look different at different stages of my life. So what one person may be able to do, might not be feasible for this stage of your life, and that’s okay.
Swap Savers says
I think you also have to remember if you miss out on a deal there will be another one.
Rachel G. says
definately start with stores you normally go to and then build on that. I never went to drug stores before so I started with Target and 1 grocery store.
Then find locations near you that have several stores having deals. For instance I have a Target within 5 min. from my house but that is the only store. If I drive 10 minutes away I have a Target, Walgreens and FoodsCo all right next to eachother wich keeps me from driving all over town. I’m also going to the store twice a week. I’m still spending too much time looking at blogs and clipping coupons so I’m working on that, but I’m very motivated when I see that receipt : ) I also subscribed the the rss feed on my yahoo page so I don’t even have to look at an email all of the post are nice and condensed and then if i want to look at the whole thing I just click on it. That has saved some time.
Shannon says
I am a Shannon – and I agree with Shanon 🙂 I have a bunch of sites in my feeder, and there can be alot of double posting, just go through and delete the doubled posts and then read what you think is pertinent. 🙂
Ann says
Definately start slow. I started with CVSing. Now, I am getting the hang of pairing coupons with deals at my 2 usual grocery stores.
I tried to add Walgreens to my mix, but it was too frustrating, so I doubt that I add it back in. I am happy with CVS and am stocked with toiletry items for a while so no need for another store to visit.
You can’t get every deal. I used to get frustrated and even kind of anxious if I missed a deal or didn’t have time to visit that last store to get a freebie. (Okay, this still happens sometimes). So now, I try not to even read about the Target and Walmart deals unless I have a trip to those stores planned.
Remember that chances are, the good deals will come back around and be available again.
As with all new habits, it takes time to become routine.
Lauren says
I like to make one early morning trip on Sundays at 6:30 AM. My husband and the kids are still asleep. So I run to CVS and Walgreens. And I’m back in time for breakfast! Also I go to Walmart or the grocery store on Wed. when the new sales start.
Katie Price says
One way I try to keep the time planning/home balance is by clipping, sorting, & filing the Sunday paper coupons while we have our family movie night Sunday after dinner. The family still has together time & I can get a task completed without trying to make “new” time for it somewhere else.
Michelle says
I have to admit, I started out way too gung-ho and it became overwhelming. When you can’t see your desk top under the pile of coupons needing clipping and organizing, it’s probably time to slow down! I’ve really had to step back and tell myself that if I miss a great deal, it’s not a big deal — there will be another one next week or next month or next year. After about six months, if I don’t get another tube of toothpaste for the next year I’ll still have plenty!
Kerry says
I also just pick a couple of stores to concentrate on. For me the time involved to pick-up freebies to items I don’t use like at CVS/Walgreens is not cost-effective for me. I do however, like to concentrate on grocery items.
Michelle says
I agree, it is more time consuming to start, then when you get the hang of it, it is easier. I have to admit I was obsessive at first, I started with CVS and now I have plenty of health and beauty items, and plenty more to share. I got into Walgreens too, then backed off when the monthly rebates went away. With my stockpile built, now I can cherry-pick drugstore deals. For regular grocery items, I look for Harris Teeter super doubles and triples. I have learned to slow down on that little obsession too though. I have enough of those Warm Delights to last me two years! Everything in moderation. I am generally not a big fan of processed foods, but there are still lots deals to be had, especially when combined with coupons. For me, its a matter of being a good steward of the money and time that I spend.
Have a wonderful day!
cathy thompson says
hi there. I’m new to this whole thing. I’ve just been sick of all the $ I spend on groceries! I am excited to learn all the ways to save money. Now I can’t wait to go to the grocery store:) Thanks for all the info and ideas.
Deb H. says
I agree that couponing/deal shopping CAN be overwhelming at first. I totally agree that you need to start slowly, but you also need to see results. My recommendation would be to start with the stores you have close at hand. We live in a small town. We have a Walgreens, grocery stores and a Wal-Mart. That greatly reduces the deals that I can “cash-in” on. I don’t bother reading about deals for other stores unless our family is planning a trip for another reason. I don’t set myself up for stress about deals that I can’t do! 🙂
Shannon says
I recommend subscribing to email feeds. This way you get the emails and you aren’t compelled to go to the sites 10 times a day. You can quick skim the feeds via email and if there is something that interests you, then visit the site. If not, hit the delete button. Definitely find 2-3 sites that fit your needs. I kinda look at blogs and forums like I do churches, there are a ton out there with alot of information, but only a small hand full that are right/best for you! Good Luck!