I must first preface this by saying besides lots of trial and error, most of what I’ve learned about couponing has been from The Krazy Coupon Lady, (particularly the 10 days series, and their book Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey), and Money Saving Mom.

I also want to point out that I don’t clip coupons because I have to or because we are poor. We do live on one income so I can stay at home with our kids, so we do have less than some, but for me, couponing is a lifestyle choice which allows us to have extra money in our budget for other things. At the moment we are working on paying off our student loan debts. Saving 50-80% on our groceries allows us to drop that “extra” money into other things like extra loan payments, or on things we need (we just bought a new “big boy” bed for my son), and sometimes even on things we want (we are going on a family vacation this summer and are able to pay cash). 

Having said that, by popular request, here are some basic “hand holding” tips I’ve learned along the way.

1. Change where you shop

Logically the discount “lowest price” stores will be the best ones to shop at to reduce your grocery budget. I used to think that. I shopped at the warehouse-bag-it-yourself grocers (Winco, Food 4 Less) and supercenters (Walmart, Target) for just about everything. But since I started couponing I almost exclusivelyshop the high-end grocery stores (Kroger is my local chain) and drugstores (Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens). Hold on and I’ll tell you why.

The KCL’s say “Your new best friend is the local high-end grocery store.” While supercenters (Walmart, Target, K-Mart) typically have the best daily prices, the high-end stores are the ones that run the sales and promotions. You watch for these, swoop in with your matching coupons, and you’ll have just scored a great deal.

Here’s a real-life example.

Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits were on sale at Kroger for $0.99. Probably a comparable “every day” price at Walmart. I had a $0.35/2 coupon which my Kroger will double to $0.70/2so I opted to buy biscuits there instead. BUT here’s where my deal got even sweeter. Kroger was running a “catalina” deal where you get a $4 catalina (coupon good on your next order) when you buy six cans of biscuits. So here’s what I did:

• Purchased six cans of Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits at $0.99 each ($5.94 for 6)
• Used three $0.35/2 coupons (doubled)
• Received a $4 catalina off my next order
• I ended up paying $3.84, and got a coupon for $4 off my next order
• That’s like getting SIX cans of biscuits for FREE, plus $0.16 overage!

Or, you can buy a can or two at the supercenter. . . .Up to you. But I’m telling you, I’m a firm believer that the high-end grocers are your new best friend.

2. Generics are NOT always cheaper.

I used to think so. And I used to think clipping coupons was a waste of time because I’d see a coupon for a piddily amount (like the above $0.35/2 example above), then once I compared the prices at the grocery store, even with the coupon, the generic was always cheaper. So I’d throw the coupon away and buy the generic brand.

I’ve since learned. And not to sound snobbish, but I almost NEVER buy generic brands anymore! It just works out that way. I’m certainly not opposed to them.

Here is a real-life example from my friend Kelleigh (and just for the record, this EXACT scene has happened to me as well!).

“I heard about a great sale at Walmart on Campbells Cream of Mushroom and Chicken soups, PLUS there was a great coupon available online, which I was able to print. I headed on over to my local Walmart, and stood there in the isle right next to another woman who was looking at the cream soups, too. She reached for the generic brand, which was on the shelf right next to the Campbells brand . . . even though it was 20¢ more than the Campbells sale price! I ended up buying 8 cans of Campbells Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom soup for 25¢ a can. The other lady paid 70¢ for her single can of generic soup.”

3. Scan the ad and prepare coupons BEFORE getting to the store.

Before I go shopping each week I check out my local high-end grocer’s ad. I identify the items on sale, and then I go through my coupons to see which ones will match with the sale items. Timing–knowing when to use your coupons is KEY to being a successful coupon shopper. I’ve learned that brand name items go on sale in 6-8 week cycles and when they do there is OFTEN a coordinating coupon. Wait until these items are on sale and then STOCK UP on enough to last you until the next cycle. To save time and fluster in the grocery store I make a list of the sale items I’m going for and have my stack of coupons ready to go. It helps me stay focused in the store so I don’t fill my cart with ”this sounds good” items or spend time fumbling for coupons while my kids are causing a scene in the  aisle.

One of my real life examples:

After scanning my ad I noticed large bottles of French’s Mustard on sale for $1.19. There was a $0.50/1 coupon (which my store will double), so I ended up getting several bottles of my kids’ favorite condiment for $0.19 each.  If I would have purchased with my coupon when the mustard was its “normal price” the generic would have likely been a better price.

As you are scanning your ad or making a list of items you need, check out the coupon database to see where you can find matching coupons.

4. Shop the “Loss Leaders.”

This tip mostly applies to meat and produce. Jessica at Life as Mom taught me a “loss leader” is an item a store sells at a loss–and stores typically advertise a handful of these each week.

Why would they do this? To draw you in. Because once you are there for the $0.99/lb ground beef, you will most likely grab a few (probably overpriced) items as well. Loss leaders are a great marketing strategy for the store. But if you purchase them you can save a lot on your groceries.

When I scan the ad before doing my shopping I like to identify the produce and meat that is a great price that week, and then most of the time only buy what’s on sale. For produce it usually means purchasing what is in season. Zucchini is rather expensive in the winter, but oranges are a fabulous price that time of year.

Fresh produce is a must for our family so a good chunk of our monthly budget does go toward it. But that’s the beauty of couponing for me. When I’m spending pennies on cereal, condiments, canned goods, pasta, etc., I feel I can splurge a bit more on the fresh fruits and veggies.  

Meat takes another big chunk out of our budget although since starting the beans and rice challenge we’ve cut down a bit. When I buy meat I shop the “loss leaders.” But I don’t just buy enough for that week, I stock-up on enough to last a few weeks, sometimes longer.

For example, last week boneless skinless chicken breasts were $1.99/lb–a good price for where I live. This is a “stock-up” price for me, and I bought several packages–freezing most of them. Next time I’m wanting to make a meal with chicken I can just grab some out of the freezer rather than paying “regular price.”

My other favorite secret about buying meat is looking for markdowns. I realize this might sound gross, but hear me out. My high-end grocer regularly marks down ”manager’s specials.” These are often more expensive cuts of meat that are nearing the sell-by date and need to be cooked or frozen. At the moment my freezer has several packages of boneless lean beef roasts and steaks. I bought them marked down for $1.79/lb–the regular price on them is $4.99/lb. When I find good quality meat (I’m picky pretty picky about the meat I buy) for an awesome price, this is “stock-up” time for me. 

Another real life example: In January I was THRILLED to SCORE a bunch of marked down organic 92% lean ground beef for $1.20/lb. Seriously, I still get a bit giddy thinking about it! LOL. I wrote about that shopping trip here. As I’m writing this, it’s 3 months later and I STILL have about 15 pounds in the freezer. Purchasing the meat that day took a chunk of the monthly budget, but by far it was worth it. Meat markdowns are just another reason I love my high-end grocer–I don’t think you find these markdowns very often at the supercenter. It’s well worth it to talk to the butcher and ask what time of day they mark down, and then get there at that time! Most likely others will have discovered the secret as well! 

5. There are lots of places to find coupons.

I wrote more about places for find coupons here and here. You can also check out my coupon database where you can search for coupons that match the items on your list.