Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Be on the lookout for coupons

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.


Not only is the grocery store a great place to use coupons, it's a great place to find coupons too! Be on the lookout for coupons throughout your grocery store on your next visit. Here are some different kinds of coupons that can be found in various stores:

Blinkies: These are little black mounts near different products in the store. They're called "blinkies" because they usually have a little red light that blinks and when you pull out a coupon, another one pops up.
Tearpads: There are exactly like they sound. Found in front of whatever product the coupon is for. Just tear one off!
Peelies: These are coupons found on the actual package. I never take/use these unless I actually purchase the object.
Display stands: Don't breeze past display stands, sometimes they have sheets of coupons for products in or near the stand.


Be sure to look inside boxes and packages before recycling them or throwing them away. Occasionally manufacturer's put coupons on the inside of packaging.

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Don't use EVERY coupon!

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.

Just because you now have lots of coupons certainly doesn't mean you have to use them all! Don’t feel the need to use a coupon if you’re not going to use the product! (unless it’s free and you're planning on donating it). I only use probably 1/4 of the coupons that I clip, but it's well worth it to clip all of them. You never know when a product is going to go on sale and with a coupon you can get it for a rock bottom price!

Menu Plan Monday

Last week was kind of a blur. I spent the evenings searching the internet like a crazy woman looking for a place to live when we move to Chicago. So there were a couple of nights where we may have just eaten random snacks for dinner because I didn't feel like cooking anything...even though it was all planned out! Here is our plan for this week!

Sunday: King Ranch Chicken casserole
Monday: Broccoli quiche
Tuesday: Morningstar chicken veggie burgers, potatoes, salad
Wednesday: Garlic cheddar chicken, pasta side, salad
Thursday: Broccoli Casserole (from the freezer)
Friday: Spicy black bean veggie burgers, rice, salad
Saturday: Burgers, bratwurst, and other foods from the grill!

Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday over at Org Junkie's site. Over 300 bloggers link up which means lots of new recipes and ideas!

Publix Trip...I can't stay away.

Yes, we are moving in five weeks. And yes, I bought a lot of food. And yes, I said I wasn't going to. But I can't help it!! In my defense, Tom will have the fish sticks and pretzels gone in a week!

Spent: $19.42

Saved: $49.79

Bought:
1 box Fiber One cereal
4 Progresso soups
2 bottles Wishbone salad dressing
1 bottle Log Cabin Syrup
3 boxes of tissues
2 bags Gorton's fish sticks
1 bag salad
7 four packs of Fiber One Yogurt
3 boxes of soft pretzels

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Organize Your Coupons

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.

Cutting coupons is a great way to save money. But if you don't take the time to organize them, what's the point? You'll never be able to find what you're looking for! There are many, many different ways to organize coupons. My advice is to do whatever works best for you. Everyone thinks a little bit differently and what works well for some people may not work well for others.

Here and here are some great resources with some different ideas to organize coupons. I personally use a coupon organizer like this one and divide coupons between 3 categories (Food, Health & Beauty, and Household Supplies), and then I organize them alphabetically. It works really well for me!

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Know your coupon policies

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.

Different stores have different coupon policies. The next time you set foot in your favorite grocery store, be sure to swing by the Customer Service desk to find out the exact policy. Here are a few good questions to get you started:

1. Do you double coupons? If so, up to what value?
Some grocery stores double manufacturer coupons up to $0.50

2. Do you offer any store coupons?
Some grocery stores put out their own coupons each month.

3. Can I use a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon for the same item?
Some grocery stores allow you to "double up" and use a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon for the same item.

4. Is there a limit on the number of coupons I can use?
Some stores require that you have at least as many items as you do coupons. Usually this can be "overridden" by a manager but most cashiers do not know how to do this.

5. Do you accept printable coupons?
Most stores do, but there are some that don't. Also, some stores only accept printable coupons below a certain $ amount (i.e. some won't accept printable coupons over $5).

6. Do you price match?

Some stores (like Walmart and Target) will price match competitor's items if you bring in the flyer and buy the exact same thing. There are limitations on this as well (i.e. Walmart will not price match items that are "Buy one, Get one free.")

7. Do you accept competitor coupons?
Some grocery stores accept competitor coupons in addition to their own. This can be great because there are a lot of stores (drugstores included) that offer coupons that are $5 off $25 or something similar.

8. Do you offer any coupon promotions throughout the year?
Some stores offer double or triple coupon days.

Menu Plan Monday

We did it! Last week we actually stuck to our menu plan! Well, almost! We went out for drinks after work on Friday with Tom's lab and ended up getting a few things to eat out. So much for our under $20 week! Here's what's on tap for this week!

Sunday: Gnocchi, frozen veggies
Monday: Broccoli quiche
Tuesday: Tuna Melts, salad
Wednesday: Chicken parm w/ pasta, fruit
Thursday: Spicy black bean veggie burgers, rice, salad
Friday: Homemade calzone
Saturday: King Ranch Chicken casserole

Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday over at Org Junkie's site. Over 300 bloggers link up which means lots of new recipes and ideas!

Publix Trip

So far I'm sticking to my word and still only buying things from Publix that are super cheap! I really couldn't pass up $0.20 soup, especially considering how quickly my husband goes through them! Also, I think this may have been my best ever Publix trip in regards to saving. I saved quadruple what I spent!

Spent: $8.72

Saved: $32.83

Bought:
8 cans Campbell's Select Harvest soup
2 boxes Ronzoni orzo
2 boxes finish dishwasher detergent
1 box of Wheat Thins
1 bag of Publix coffee (this was the penny item)

We also went to Sam's Club and bought 4 gallons of milk at $2.39 each for a total of $10.42.

So we spent $19.14 on groceries this week. Not too shabby :)

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Get coupons via the Sunday Paper

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.



The majority of coupons come from the Sunday paper. There are usually at least 2 inserts (smartsource & redplum) in every Sunday paper (except for major holidays). If you don't already receive the Sunday paper, you can buy it for only $1 at The Dollar Store. You could also call your local paper or visit their website. A lot of papers offer specials on Sunday or weekend delivery. For example, we currently get the Wednesday and Sunday papers for only $1/week. This site even tells you which inserts, and what coupons, will be in each Sunday's paper. Keep in mind that there are regional differences, but this site can give you an idea if you want to buy that Sunday's paper (or if you want to buy several)!

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Online coupons

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.



The easiest way to adjust to using coupons is to print online coupons for free. (But be sure to check with your grocery store to make sure they accept printable coupons, most do, but it doesn't hurt to double check). Most coupon sites have you download a "coupon printer" and require you to register with them. I recommend creating an email account solely for coupon sites so your regular email doesn't get bombarded with coupon emails! Here are a few good free coupon websites:

http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.redplum.com/
http://www.bettycrocker.com/
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/

A few important things to remember about printable coupons:

• Most websites reset on the 1st of every month
• You can print 2 coupons per computer (by hitting the "back" and then the "refresh" buttons)
• You CANNOT photocopy these coupons! That is illegal. Most of them have watermarks to prevent people from doing this.
• All coupons have an overall "print limit." This means if it is something popular, it may not be available all month. So if you see a printable coupon you know you will use, go ahead and print it!

Menu Plan Monday

Last week we ended up having leftovers several nights during the week. The Chicken Tortilla Casserole and Chili Noodle Casserole made A TON of food! Here's the plan for this week.

Sunday: Stuffed shells, salad, garlic bread
Monday: Lemon Garlic Tilapia, orzo, frozen veggies
Tuesday: Romano's Grill spicy sausage and pasta
Wednesday: Frozen veggie mix, baked pasta with cheese and chicken
Thursday: Slow cooker salsa chicken
Friday: Spicy black bean veggie burgers (Morningstar), rice, salad
Saturday: Sausage & Broccoli Noodle Casserole (from the Ultimate Casserole Book)

Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday over at Org Junkie's site. Over 300 bloggers link up which means lots of new recipes and ideas!

Publix Trip & Tailgating Disaster (for the budget)

We did AWESOME this week with our grocery spending. I was true to my word and only stocked up on a few things at Publix because they were super cheap. Our tailgating grocery store/walmart/sam's/package store trips were a whole different story! And then when it's 95 degrees outside, feels like 106, you still have 8 hours until game time, and you have (awesome) friends who are willing to stop and pick up a tent on the way to the tailgate, you drop $120 in a heartbeat and it's worth every penny! (Especially when it decides to pour down rain later in the afternoon!!!)
Here are the Publix stats. I'm not even going to share with you the tailgating stats ;)

Spent: $10.84
Saved: $22.93
Bought:
2 boxes Crystal Light drink mix
2 Bailey's coffee creamers
1 can of Pam
5 containers of cream cheese
1 bottle of canola oil
1 bagged salad

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Shop at Multiple Stores

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.



If you are lucky enough to have a few grocery stores near each other, near your house, or on your way home, you can take advantage of sale offers at all of them! Just scan the flyers to see if any items you commonly use are at rock-bottom prices and be sure to swing by and pick up a few. You don't have to shop at mutliple stores every week, but it doesn't hurt to look through the weekly ad just to see if any items you use are on sale!

Eat from the Pantry Challenge!

One good way to save money is not to spend it! (Umm, duh). We currently have so much food in our pantry and freezer that I'm going to try to have an Eat from the Pantry Challenge for the next 2 months! We will only buy perishable items, like fruits & veggies, milk, eggs, bread, etc. Of course it helps that we'll be moving in the next couple of months....extra incentive to eat up everything in the freezer!

I already have our meals planned for the next 4 weeks, and a few random meals after that. I may have to get creative near the end! That or we'll be eating a LOT of pasta. I'll keep you posted on how it's going!

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Start a Price Book

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.


What is a pricebook you ask? It's when you keep track of prices of commonly used items at various stores. It doesn't have to be a book. Just write down some items on a piece of paper that you commonly buy when grocery shopping. Write how much they cost at your regular grocery store. The next time you go to Walmart, Target, a warehouse club, or another grocery store, jot down the price of the items on your list at those stores. This helps you to not only find which store has the best deal but also to know what a "good" price is for that item (i.e. writing down the sale price or figuring out if it is actually cheaper per serving to buy the item in bulk).

After a while, you'll just know if an item is on sale at a good price or not. I don't have prices memorized, but I know a ballpark of what I am willing or not willing to pay for various items. Here is a good blog post about pricelists. There are some examples and even a blank one to get you started.

Menu Plan Monday

Have you known me to ever stick to a menu plan since I've been doing this blog? Last week was no different, so you're again going to see some repeats in the next couple of weeks! I did end up making Roasted Cajun Potatoes with Cilantro Avocado Lime dipping sauce and I made chicken tortilla casserole on Saturday instead of Sunday.

Sunday: Chilli Noodle Casserole
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Ravioli, garlic bread, salad
Wednesday: Lemon Garlic Tilapia, orzo, frozen veggies
Thursday: Sausage & Broccoli Noodle Casserole
Friday: Dinner with the fam (and a bus full of Penn State fans!)
Saturday: Tailgating!!! So some brats, burgers, & dogs hot off the grill!

Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday over at Org Junkie's site. Over 300 bloggers link up which means lots of new recipes and ideas!

Publix...the Addiction Continues

Publix did it to me once again! Every week I swear I am just going to stock up on any "staples" and only if they are rock bottom prices. I just can't stay away! The first pic was a quick trip I made right after we got back from the mountains on Monday. I picked up some BLUE plates and cups for the upcoming Penn State v. Alabama game in Tuscaloosa next weekend. And they were out of Fiber One yogurt when I went last week (the flavor I like at least).

Spent: $5.86

Saved: $16.44

Here is a pic of my trip from this week. The $5/5 Kraft product coupons are really what got me! Who can pass up free sour cream and $1 bags of shredded and sliced cheese?! Especially when the shredded cheese freezes so well!

Spent: $28.01

Saved: $64.78

Bought:
1 bottle Wisk Laundry Detergent
5 boxes Mueller's pasta
2 YoPlus yogurt 4 packs
5 bags shredded cheese
2 packages sliced cheese
2 containers of sour cream
1 bag of rice
2 Old El Paso Taco Seasoning packets
1 loaf of white bread
1 loaf of wheat bread
2 bottles ranch dressing
2 packages Dixie paper plates
2 Green Giant valley fresh steamers
2 Newman's Own pasta sauce
2 packages Ballpark hot dogs
1 Glade candle
1 Velveeta

Whip Your Grocery Budget Into Shape: Menu Plan Around the Flyers

Welcome to the second major series of posts on Frugal Made Fun! Each week, I'll post 1-2 tips on how to develop your own plan to save money on groceries. I'm going to start with some of the most basic, easiest things you can do to save money, and then progress from there. You can take as much or little advice as you like. As the series progresses, a little more work may be involved, but you will definitely save more money.



Plan your menu around the flyers. Some stores even publish a few recipes or meal ideas on their website or right in their flyer using items that are on sale that week. Also, if you do enough googling, there are various bloggers who publish meal plans/recipes based on what a particular grocery store has on sale that week.


Allrecipes.com is a lifesaver for me. If you have a flyer next to you, type some of the sale items into the "Ingredient search" or the main search box. Then sort by "rating" for numerous yummy recipes!

Just make your list and then off to the store you go!