Money Saving Secrets to Save on Groceries Now!

If you’re ready to save real money on your grocery bill and put that money to better use; If you want a surplus of groceries and produce for your family to enjoy that stays within your budget, then this will point you in the right direction. Saving on groceries has become a passion that has not only been helpful in our personal family finances, but a lot of fun too! I don’t know about you, but I love it when I get a lot more for a lot less.

You can use these money saving tips to start saving today!

Stay-at-home mom = Work!

As a stay-at-home mom, one thing I know is that anyone who says, “Oh, so you don’t work…” has no idea! Staying home with your kids can be a great blessing, but it definitely works.

I started buying coupons several years ago so I could do more to help our finances without sacrificing the decisions we make to homeschool our children and provide for our family as a priority.

I found a way to help with our finances and still stay home for my family.

Now I could say, everyone knows about coupons. I use coupons. They have been around for years. I know… because I’ve heard it and even said it myself! I’d hear about people saving all this money with coupons, so I’d search and find a few that I could use, but they never seemed to be too much or really make much of a difference. I would even tell people, “I just go to WalMart or any discount store and buy the generic store brand. It’s always less than it would be if I used the coupon for the higher priced brand.” So I finally gave up on coupons for the most part. My routine would be to plan out a week of meals, make a shopping list for only the items I needed, and not let myself get sidetracked from my list because I knew from experience that all it did was skyrocket my shopping account!

I worked very hard on meal planning and having well-balanced, inexpensive meals, but the cabinets and refrigerator seemed not very exciting to look at. Then there were always those dreaded non-food items. I always thought, “Yeah, that toilet paper may be soft and real soft, but it’s $1.97 more than this!” Needless to say, shopping was not on my list of top 10 fun things to do.

coupon 101

Then something happened that piqued my curiosity. My son would come home from his friend’s house talking about the smorgasbord of deliciousness he devoured from the overflowing fridge and pantry. He was telling me how his friend’s mom shops with coupons and barely spends any money. He told me that he had to talk to his friend’s mom! Well, I did just that and my eyes were opened to a whole new way to shop for groceries. No longer would I keep short supplies just to cover meals for that week, but now I would keep a surplus of items in stock that makes me smile every time I open my pantry. I’ve found that it’s not just about the coupons, but combining them with a great sale in the store that week. When you buy the deals WITH the coupons, then you have the surplus. And that is just the beginning.

Wow! Free groceries!

I was really amazed at my immediate savings. Not only that, but instead of only occasionally frequenting those really nice, clean, expensive stores with the fresh, green, beautiful produce so pristinely displayed, those stores are now my regular destination. The best part…at the checkout when the cashier hands me my receipt and says, “Wow! You have a savings of $48.63!” And I only spent about $40.00. It’s still a regular occurrence on the way home from shopping to call a friend and tell them about the 10 bags of free cat food and 4 boxes of cereal I got for $2. We have been so blessed and thrilled with the overabundance that it is common for us to help families in need with enough dry goods, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. to last at least 4 months! And most of it was free or cost us very little.

How to have a happy pocket

This whole adventure did more for my family than save money. I was finally able to relax and not worry so much about how much I was spending. I can buy enough food for my hungry teenagers and their hungry friends and not be terrified of the grocery bill. There are even weeks where I don’t even need to buy groceries. If I know there are things I can get for free or ridiculously cheap, I’ll go, but I know if I miss that week’s deals, I still have my coupons for the next week. It’s been so nice to go ahead and buy those delicious steaks to grill and know that with my savings in other areas, it won’t hit my checkbook.

There is a pattern to grocery store sales and coupons that manufacturers issue. There are stores that will double and triple your coupons and matching sales to available coupons is a gold mine! Discount stores generally offer lower prices on most items, but the sales at the other stores along with their coupons mean the item you buy is minimal and often free! Stores are not surprised by the coupons that come out. Many times when there is a really good deal, certain items will be gone before you have a chance to shop. But even if you get to the store and they don’t have the item that was on sale, you can get a “rain check” and pay the sale price when you return next week or the following week when the shelves restock. I literally haven’t had to buy dish soap for 9 months, and when i bought it, it was free! And I’m not talking about the cheap stuff you get at the dollar store, either. It’s the nice Powerball tabs and pre-measured packets that you just take out of the box and place in the dishwasher door. Pay a dollar for Softsoap? Not when I can get it for free!!”

Coupon shopping has truly been a fun adventure. I can’t imagine doing it any other way now that I know what I know. I wonder how I managed before! Manufacturers want you to use their products. Stores want you to buy from them. Shopping for coupons will please both of you, make it worthwhile and a lot of fun. You can turn shopping into an exciting feat that leaves your kids screaming, “Mom! Can I help you shop?”