How to Save on Groceries?

[Anonymous]

PP, thanks. I asked a Safeway cashier last week about doubling coupons and he said that they don't do it. Glad to know I should ask the manager next time.

[Anonymous]

Shopper's triples coupons every three weeks or so. They triple up to 99cents and double over $1. If you have a $1 off coupon for something that is normally $3 (like toothpaste) and the coupon is doubled to $2 you are getting a great deal. I find tons of coupons for cheese, cereal, frozen veggies, yogurt, bread, sauces (tabasco, ketchup), cleaning supplies. There are tons of coupons out there that are not useless.

[Anonymous]

To the VA folks in Alexandria and Arlington-instead of going to WF, check out My Organic Market in Delray. They carry the same products only less expensive. I go to MOMs first, and what I can't find there, I get at WF. I save a ton and am supporting a local business.

And they take take batteries to be recycled. How cool! We use up batteries like water because of all my son's toys and cars-we keep the used ones in a bag and every so often, I drop them off at MOMs. I've never liked the idea of throwing batteries in the trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i do a lot of shopping at costo, and cooking and freezing in bulk, meal size portions.

No cupons, they are a waste, we don't eat Kraft and Nabisco products.

If you are shopping at WFs, you don't need to be thrifty. Thrifty people do not do their shopping at WFs.

I do....

Whole Foods has a TON of affordable products. All the 365 brand stuff is priced competitively. They sell very inexpensive pasta, their brand of organic milk is not expensive. You need to know what to buy there and what it should cost.

I agree. It can be done at WF. I will not EVER let my kids eat trans fat, so I prefer WF since I don't have to read labels. We do not eat snack foods. I policy: if there is no nutrtioanl value, I don't buy it.

[Anonymous]

Where can I find the best coupons online? We don't buy print newpapers.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, should have been "My policy: if there is no nutritional value, I don't buy it."

[Anonymous]

Coupons - i tried them but i found myself obsessed with trying to use them versus saving money. took too much time and you could find cheaper similar products on sale.

I do a combination of shopping at WF (about once a month and freeze some staples i like there and find good deals, snider's (its in silver spring), and target. Target has a lot of cheaper food (dairy products especially!) but watch the quality. Snider's is a small family run grocery store and they have some interesting specials and speciality food, carry beer and wine, good deli, and their prices are quite good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where can I find the best coupons online? We don't buy print newpapers.

Go to some of the brand websites. You can typically print them off. If you have a color printer set it to print black & white. The coupons will print in color and waste your ink.

Try these - Horizon, Stoneybrook Farm, Bell & Evans, Morningstar, Cereal Brands, Perdue, Betty Crocker, Dannon, Silk Soy... These are just examples but basically all brands have a website offering coupons. In addition the Sunday paper is packed with them. I know you said you do not get the paper but purchasing the Sunday edition may be worth it to see the sales.

The Montgomery County Gazette also has coupons from time to time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's amusing that there are so many anti-couponers. Too low-class for you?

Not for me, I just don't find the strategy to be cost-saving for the way I shop.

In general, I shop at stores that have overall low prices as a general rule. (Aldi's, Shoppers) So I routinely can buy, say, Colgate brand toothpaste at a very low price. When I see a loss-leader sale on that item, I stock up and buy enough for 6 months. So cutting out your "good for one only" coupon for $1 isn't going to save me very much as a long term strategy.

And you seldom see coupons for basic ingredients like flour, rice, butter, oatmeal, popcorn. Usually the coupons are for processed foods. Oatmeal in little packets, even when bought with a coupon, is simply never going to be as cheap as plain oatmeal bought in bulk with some extra sugar or nuts on the side. Home-popped popcorn is always going to be cheaper per serving than a bag of SmartFood, even if purchased with a triple coupon.

[Anonymous]

We are poor Jews. We have to buy meat at the kosher supermarkets, since we keep kosher inside the home. For everything else, we shop at stores like Shoppers, Food Lion, etc,... and use as many coupons as we possibly can. I hate those anti-coupon snobs.

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm sorry to seem like a snob because I don't like coupons! They just don't work for me.

But if you do like coupons, here's an interesting website that a lot of my coupon loving friends enjoy using. (I do associate with couponers.) They really like this:

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/grocery-list

[Anonymous]

Other websites for frugal groceries and meals include:

www.hillbillyhousewife.com

If you can ignore the name, you can find some frugal ideas on the site. She has a $45 Emergency Menu Plan for 4 to 6 people for one week and a $70 menu plan as well. Might give you some ideas if nothing else.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I'm sorry to seem like a snob because I don't like coupons! They just don't work for me.

But if you do like coupons, here's an interesting website that a lot of my coupon loving friends enjoy using. (I do associate with couponers.) They really like this:

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/grocery-list

I do the grocery game, takes time but I save about 50$ a trip. I spend anywhere from 100-130 a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's amusing that there are so many anti-couponers. Too low-class for you?

It takes a total of maybe 10 minutes to sort through the coupons that come with the Sunday paper on Saturdays. I actually find it fun, and if you have any wits about you, it is not too difficult to clip only the coupons you will use for things you need and/or will definitely use.

For example, like one pp mentioned, there are always coupons floating around for toothpaste and batteries. Not 35 cent coupons, but $1 coupons. In my opinion, if you ever buy toothpaste or batteries without a coupon (unless you're going to Costco, maybe) you are wasting an easily saved dollar. There are many other items that this rule applies to.

Additionally, I think that everyone has a tendency to splurge every once in a while on things that are not needed. It's fun to splurge. So why not allow yourself to splurge when there is a coupon involved? At least that way you don't splurge the full amount. There are often restaurant coupons in the Sunday section or in the local Clipper magazines that will save you the price of a whole entree.

I don't use cupons b/c I cook mainly from scratch and buy most items I need at Costo (like the toothpaste and & battery example). I have never seen a cupon for a "from scratch" item, such as eggs, flour, fresh veggies, real butter, or milk. The only real processed food we eat is cereal, but we get that at Costco as well.

Everytime I've looked at the coupons I see a lot of Toll House stuff and other such junk food.


The way we save money is to shop at Costco and cook from scratch. I do mainly simple meals 5 days and do a fun meal one night (such as pizza or tacos) and then do an elaborate meal on one other evening.

[Anonymous]

You know Costco does coupons too right. Do you not use Costco coupons?

Coupons aren't always for junk food. And please give me a break about always doing things from scratch. Do you squeeze your own juices and never give your children snacks?

I think the problem is that the anti-coupon tone is coming off as very condescending toward coupon users.