This morning I went to Publix. My shopping list was simple: Shrimp Skewers (it IS Father’s Day), Shells & Cheese, Cranberry Juice, Chicken Patties, and Eggo Waffles. I had a $5/$30 home mailer Publix coupon to use. Unfortunately there are no coupons out right now for the cranberry juice (non-blueberry), chicken patties, or waffles. But these are things we eat/drink and a Buy One Get One Free sale is much better than paying full price for these items (even at Walmart). For those of you not familiar with Publix it is a higher end grocery store (Safeway in the Northwest).
I entered the store at the same time as a mom and her adorable two-year-old’ish daughter. We passed each other in the aisles a few time and I couldn’t help but notice the items that she was buying. As I couponer I know I am guilty of checking out what other people are buying and trying to calculate how much they could save with coupons. When I went to check out I was behind the same lady who loaded the conveyor belt up with her purchases. I was reading one the the gossip magazines as the cashier scanned the order in front of me. Then I heard “Oh, can you wait a minute? I didn’t realize my order was so high. I am going to have to put some of this back.” Attention Grabbed! I watched as she sorted through what was left on the conveyor belt and put back 3 items of fruit, 2 veggies, Gerber Graduates, and a handful of other items. Then she handed over 2 coupons. I smiled that she knew coupons were available and was using them. But then I felt sad that there were many, many items that she had purchased that had coupons available that she did not utilize.
Coupons ARE great. Every coupon you use is money saved. If you are starting to use coupons, it feels great to save as much as $9. Ten dollars a week saved is $40 per month or $520 per year! When you look at the long term savings of coupons they really add up and make cents. That $520 can be put towards a debt snowball or if you are debtless (congratulations) then it could go towards a new TV or a vacation. Every dollar saved counts!
The best way to use coupons is when items are on sale. You will get the biggest savings then. Building a stockpile is essential for keeping your savings in check. Sales cycles tend to run every three months. If there is a sale on an item that you use constantly BUY MORE THAN ONE!!! My husband eats two Eggo Nutri Grain waffles every day for breakfast, five days per week. I absolutely know that we need to stock up on these when they are on sale. It just makes sense.
By using coupons and waiting for sales you too will find that you do not need to put back the fruits and veggies when your shopping trip subtotal climbs higher and higher.
Leandrea is a married mom of two girls, ages 13 and 12, living in Atlanta, GA. She is passionate about helping people save money one coupon at a time. Read more