Can someone help a newbie?

[southernbelle5672]

Hi, I have never done couponing seriously but me and DH have got to start living by a strict budget. We spend $75-$100 a week for groceries alone!! I don't even know what we are buying.

Can someone help me with what I should first do? I know to start looking for coupons in the newspaper and online.

I make 2 trips to the grocery store each week -- one to Wal-Mart to buy all of my basic things and 1 to Publix to get fresh produce and fresh fish. I don't want to sacrifice healthy foods for cheap foods. But even if I could save on household products alone I would save so much.

I feel like it is going to cost so much to do the initial stockpile that it might not even be worthwhile for us. We really cannot go over $100/week for groceries.

I am more than willing to change what stores I go to (for example go to CVS instead of Wal-Mart, etc) but I really don't want to be going to the store more than 2-3 times a week. Is this really doable?

[rbunnymom]

Hi and welcome to HCW. You can definately learn to cut down your grocery bill. Check out the TNT (Trader In Training) program. The link is in my signature below. See you around.

Terry

[CouponSAHM]

One suggestion I give is to have only a part of your budget dedicated to stockpiling. Say $20 of your $100 you normally spend. That way you will not notice a huge cut out of your normal buying habits but you don't go way over your budget trying to build a stockpile either. It will take a little time this way to build a good one, but when money is super tight it may be the right way to go. After all it would be great to have a two year supply of toothbrushes and razors but if there is nothing to eat in the house it's not very helpful! LOL Start small :)

[hellokittygirl]

It is definitely doable. Publix has some great deals, actually. Check out the Publix forum! It takes a bit of time to collect the coupons and build up your coupon "stash" but it gets easier and easier. There is no need to make multiple trips to the store, either. I go once a week to CVS, and if something is out of stock that I wanted to buy on sale, I get a raincheck and wait until next week.

[kval07]

Yes, this is definitely doable! I buy for DF and I on about $40/week!! Do as hellokittygirl said and visit the Publix forum. (http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/publix/)

[isis]

Welcome! First off, as previous poster said, start small. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your stockpile! You can get probably 99% of your HBA (health/beauty items) cheaper or free at the drug stores than WM. Sometimes you'll even get good deals on food & household items. Since you mentioned CVS, start by taking a look at the weekly sneak peak ads and the chit-chat thread. Now, if you're just starting out, you will pay a little OOP (out of pocket), so I suggest reading Seedladys WagonTrain. She will get you started with I believe a $10 investment and you'll be rolling ECBs in no time.

Second, check the Publix forums. There you will find hot deals posted, and any coupons to be on the look out for.

I only shop WM for the really cheap items, and those are posted in the WM forum under the monthly free/cheap thread. My budget is $40 for the month.

I read somewhere that you should break your grocery budget down like this --
$10-$15 on produce. Always buy whats on sale. Look for markdowns.
$15-$20 on meat. Again, buy whats on sale. Look for manager specials and markdowns.
$15-$20 on frozen & pantry items. If there is something on sale, and you have multiple coupons, tack on another $10 for stockpiling.
$15 on basics - bread, milk, eggs, cheese
This is about $80.00 before sales & coupons.

Another thing is to come up with a menu based on whats on sale. If ground beef is a good price, buy a few packs and divide it up for several meals. Make hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaf, even cook 1 lb and freeze later for tacos or a quick spaghetti toss.

Don't feel like you need to buy something just because its on sale. Since my dh has become diabetic, I've had to cut out alot of pre-packaged foods b/c high carb content.
Since I save so much on HBA at CVS, I can a buy a variety of fruit/veggies at the grocery, along with some specific items that cost a little bit more, like Morningstar Farms and Glucerna (of course I keep my eyes peeled for sales & coupons!)

Another tip is to learn the sales cycles. Right now, most stores are in Back to School mode, so school supplies are cheap, as are breakfast foods and snack items for the kids.
Here's the forum that breaks down each month --very helpful!
Useful Information - Hot Coupon World (http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/useful-information/)

If you have any more questions, ask away!

[southernbelle5672]

Welcome! First off, as previous poster said, start small. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your stockpile! You can get probably 99% of your HBA (health/beauty items) cheaper or free at the drug stores than WM. Sometimes you'll even get good deals on food & household items. Since you mentioned CVS, start by taking a look at the weekly sneak peak ads and the chit-chat thread. Now, if you're just starting out, you will pay a little OOP (out of pocket), so I suggest reading Seedladys WagonTrain. She will get you started with I believe a $10 investment and you'll be rolling ECBs in no time.

Second, check the Publix forums. There you will find hot deals posted, and any coupons to be on the look out for.

I only shop WM for the really cheap items, and those are posted in the WM forum under the monthly free/cheap thread. My budget is $40 for the month.

I read somewhere that you should break your grocery budget down like this --
$10-$15 on produce. Always buy whats on sale. Look for markdowns.
$15-$20 on meat. Again, buy whats on sale. Look for manager specials and markdowns.
$15-$20 on frozen & pantry items. If there is something on sale, and you have multiple coupons, tack on another $10 for stockpiling.
$15 on basics - bread, milk, eggs, cheese
This is about $80.00 before sales & coupons.

Another thing is to come up with a menu based on whats on sale. If ground beef is a good price, buy a few packs and divide it up for several meals. Make hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaf, even cook 1 lb and freeze later for tacos or a quick spaghetti toss.

Don't feel like you need to buy something just because its on sale. Since my dh has become diabetic, I've had to cut out alot of pre-packaged foods b/c high carb content.
Since I save so much on HBA at CVS, I can a buy a variety of fruit/veggies at the grocery, along with some specific items that cost a little bit more, like Morningstar Farms and Glucerna (of course I keep my eyes peeled for sales & coupons!)

Another tip is to learn the sales cycles. Right now, most stores are in Back to School mode, so school supplies are cheap, as are breakfast foods and snack items for the kids.
Here's the forum that breaks down each month --very helpful!
Useful Information - Hot Coupon World (http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/useful-information/)

If you have any more questions, ask away!


Thank you very much for all this information. It makes it seem less daunting. How do you know how much of something to buy? I mean obviously I need to watch how much we use but how will I know when it should go on sale again?

[cpaige]

If you miss a sale, just know that it will come back around!! I always make sure to have a list, and all of my coupons that I KNOW I will be using are out and ready to go. I started my stockpile with items that were FREE or no more than $.50 and it worked out really well for me. We all have different needs/wants, so just b/c one person says he/she got 15 jars of peanut butter for free, doesn't mean that you have to. Take your time learning this site! And ask, ask, ask!! Everyone here is WONDERFUL!!! We all help each other, and jump in on the RAOK's (random act of kindness) posts. This is will help you to build up your coupons as well as the TNT group!! Good luck and remember, it's not a race. We are all at different levels here and everyone helps out!! :smile:

[isis]

Thank you very much for all this information. It makes it seem less daunting. How do you know how much of something to buy? I mean obviously I need to watch how much we use but how will I know when it should go on sale again?

Sales cycles tend to be about every 6 weeks. So if you miss X, don't fret, the sale will come around again. Some items, like cereal are usually rotated weekly between the different brands, Kelloggs/ Post/ GM.

As far as how much to buy....that really depends on you. If its something you eat or use all the time, I would buy as much as you have storage space.

A couple examples. Last year, Green Giant had a new line of frozen steamer veggies. Lots of stores put them on sale 10/$10, combined with a $1/1 cpn made them free (paying only tax), I bought over 30 bags.

For HBA items...bodywash. DH & I go through a bottle a month, so thats 12 bottles for the year. Then the kids. I'm down to my last bottle of baby wash, so I have to make sure I have enough for them now too. DH doesn't really care what he uses, even if I buy girly scents (like dove or nivea) he'll still use it! I do buy him man-scented wash, which my 7yr old has taken a liking to, so I stocked up on Gillette. Target had a bottle thats a bit smaller than the full size bottle, $2.00. combined with a $2 cpn, made them free and I bought 15.

Another thing, is if you want to get multiple coupons, join the TNT group. Coupons vary from region to region and sometimes your area may not get a hot coupon. Trading is a major plus, esp when it nets you a free or close to free item to stockpile!

[southernbelle5672]

Thank you very much. You all seem very kind. At first it seemed overwhelming to do this, but I have decided that I can start out very, very small. Maybe just incorporate it into the shopping I already do.

What is the TNT group and how do I join?

[seedlady]

Thank you very much. You all seem very kind. At first it seemed overwhelming to do this, but I have decided that I can start out very, very small. Maybe just incorporate it into the shopping I already do.

What is the TNT group and how do I join?



T rader iN T raining



the easiest way would be to click on the link in post 2.

otherwise, it is a link at the bottom of the page.


p.s. if you decide to try cvs, may i invite you to the modestly named "seedlady's wagon train" in the need a hand section of the cvs threads?
:giggle2:

[leqet]

The pp's gave you good advice, start small. A stockpile is built one item at a time. When I was first starting out I had no extra money for stockpiling so I only looked for deals that were free and got as many of those coupons as I could. It was usually only one or two deals per week.

I also read on here (I think?) that you could go by the price when figuring out how many to get without breaking your budget. Say, for example, you can get your favorite shampoo for .50 per bottle and it is regualarly $4 per bottle. You could buy 8 bottles and you would only be spending what you normally spend on one bottle of shampoo. When I was just starting out I had to stop myself at the price I would normally pay for one or two. That way I didn't go over budget--I also didn't spend any less at first-- but next month when I would normally need to buy another bottle of $4 shampoo I wouldn't need to and I could put that extra $4 towards stockpiling something else (or just lower my budget).

I think it took me 6 months before I saw significant savings, so don't despair if you only find one thing per week to stockpile. Six months to one year from now if you keep at it, you will be in a good place where you have most of your HBA and shelf-stable staple items stockpiled. Just keep reading all the great tips here at HCW and ask questions if you need help.

[southernbelle5672]

The pp's gave you good advice, start small. A stockpile is built one item at a time. When I was first starting out I had no extra money for stockpiling so I only looked for deals that were free and got as many of those coupons as I could. It was usually only one or two deals per week.

I also read on here (I think?) that you could go by the price when figuring out how many to get without breaking your budget. Say, for example, you can get your favorite shampoo for .50 per bottle and it is regualarly $4 per bottle. You could buy 8 bottles and you would only be spending what you normally spend on one bottle of shampoo. When I was just starting out I had to stop myself at the price I would normally pay for one or two. That way I didn't go over budget--I also didn't spend any less at first-- but next month when I would normally need to buy another bottle of $4 shampoo I wouldn't need to and I could put that extra $4 towards stockpiling something else (or just lower my budget).

I think it took me 6 months before I saw significant savings, so don't despair if you only find one thing per week to stockpile. Six months to one year from now if you keep at it, you will be in a good place where you have most of your HBA and shelf-stable staple items stockpiled. Just keep reading all the great tips here at HCW and ask questions if you need help.

Thank you!! I love to hear about how you started out and made it work within your budget. That is great advice and it makes me feel like this is really doable. :BigHand:

[southernbelle5672]

p.s. if you decide to try cvs, may i invite you to the modestly named "seedlady's wagon train" in the need a hand section of the cvs threads?
:giggle2:

Thank you for the invite!! I feel so welcome. :) How do I decide which stores would be best for me? Should I just look at all the ads and find the ones that have more of the stuff I need on a regular basis?

There is a Walgreens, Winn Dixie, CVS, Publix, and a Wal-Mart all within walking distance of my house!! (But I don't walk to them! :giggle2:)

[ecj98]

You definitely should shop Publix. They have some great deals! Just this week, for example, Fiber One yogurt is FREE with a printable coupon.

[isis]

Thank you for the invite!! I feel so welcome. :) How do I decide which stores would be best for me? Should I just look at all the ads and find the ones that have more of the stuff I need on a regular basis?

There is a Walgreens, Winn Dixie, CVS, Publix, and a Wal-Mart all within walking distance of my house!! (But I don't walk to them! :giggle2:)

I would stick to 1 grocery store and 1 drugstore (cough CVS cough) and use WM as a filler for now. I don't have Publix, but from some reading in the past, I think its a better choice than WD. Then as you get those down pat, add another drugstore and/or grocery store. If you try to do much, then you overwhelm yourself and wind up spending more money.

[angelphyre]

A couple examples. Last year, Green Giant had a new line of frozen steamer veggies. Lots of stores put them on sale 10/$10, combined with a $1/1 cpn made them free (paying only tax), I bought over 30 bags.



I just started to clip q's. I've done it occasionally, but when I get around to using them they're either expired or I just forget them. My question is, how do you go and buy over 30 bags? Do you buy more sunday papers to get $1/1 coupon? Did you go back to the store 30 times before the coupon expired? tfthIA

[nrtenagrl]

Welcome to HCW! What I do is I get three newspapers delivered to my house, and sometimes I get one free on Wednesdays. I do the binder method, clip what I think I will us and take my binder with me when I go to the stores. I've also bough some coupons online (ebay) when their is a good sale and need more. hope that helps. A simple run down if you need more details I'll be glad to help.

[regbyandjulie]

I just started to clip q's. I've done it occasionally, but when I get around to using them they're either expired or I just forget them. My question is, how do you go and buy over 30 bags? Do you buy more sunday papers to get $1/1 coupon? Did you go back to the store 30 times before the coupon expired? tfthIA

She probably traded with people here to get 30 coupons and just bought all 30 bags at once, or during the same week, since sale prices usually only last a week.

Welcome Southern Belle! I recommend CVS, definitely. I was a newbie here just a little under a year ago and it was SO daunting at first! Now, I'm pretty confident and I have a modest stockpile, but like you, we have to stick to a strict budget. $75-$100/week is totally doable- I buy for DH, DD, and I for about $50-$60/week, and we eat pretty well, too.

[anastaciaknits]

We're apartment dwellers & I'm currently unemployed, so I'm with you on the no money for a stockpile! You could always do what I do: I only stockpile the free stuff, cause it's free :) & I stockpile a few other things that are important for my family when it's a great price - i.e. my husband can only use one type of deodarant because of allergies, so when I was able to get them for 50 cents each as compared to normally close to $5, you better believe I stockpiled as much as I could. The best price I've seen other than that one time was $1.50, so that was a great stockpile price for me. My family loves cheese so that is another item that I stockpile on, and just throw extras in the freezer for when we need it.

And yes, it definitely can be overwhelming at first, but take baby steps. Start with saving money on health & beauty stuff - I personally think that's the easier area & the cheapest area as well, I never pay for shampoo, conditioner, deodorant for me, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.

[camille147]

I started this about 6 months ago.. My advice is to read the forums of the stores that are close to you.. that is what I do. They will tell you what is on sale, coupons to go with it, how much it will cost, etc. When I first started, and read about stockpiling.. I thought-- that's not for me.. I don't need to stockpile.. but I was wrong!! I was counting my boxes of cereal this weekend and I have 12 boxes!! I paid less than 50 cents (2 were free) for these boxes.. I used to pay $3-$4 each before I started couponing.. so for me, the stockpile just happened on it's own.. I don't have 20 of each item, more like 3 or 4 (except for the cereal) but I'm learning. Also, I only concentrate on one store at a time.. I worked one grocery store on thursday-- went there twice.. and then today I"m working on Walgreens (looking at the sale, my coupons, and the forum here). It's a lot of fun for me and I really enjoy couponing a lot! Hopefully it will be fun for you too! Good luck!

[chileanmomma]

ladies,
I am so glad that i am not the only newbie that is slightly overwhelmed and i am soooo very glad that many of you have been kind enough to give great advice....
i am looking forward to seeing my savings add up in six months or so...

[MoneySavinDiva]

Hi, I have never done couponing seriously but me and DH have got to start living by a strict budget. We spend $75-$100 a week for groceries alone!! I don't even know what we are buying.

Can someone help me with what I should first do? I know to start looking for coupons in the newspaper and online.

I make 2 trips to the grocery store each week -- one to Wal-Mart to buy all of my basic things and 1 to Publix to get fresh produce and fresh fish. I don't want to sacrifice healthy foods for cheap foods. But even if I could save on household products alone I would save so much.

I feel like it is going to cost so much to do the initial stockpile that it might not even be worthwhile for us. We really cannot go over $100/week for groceries.

I am more than willing to change what stores I go to (for example go to CVS instead of Wal-Mart, etc) but I really don't want to be going to the store more than 2-3 times a week. Is this really doable?

It is TOTALLY do-able! I spend $40 a week, and that is for hubs and I, our kitty and we're stockpiling for baby set to arrive in May. One of the things that will really help lower your grocery costs, and hopefully free up more room for stockpiling, is to menu plan. By sitting down and planning out what you will eat all week, then you know EXACTLY what you need for the week's meals and you're not second guessing yourself at the store if you need to buy x ingredient or if you would rather have lasagna or tacos for supper...you'll have a list of exactly what you need. As for stockpiling, I would set a certain amount aside each week (or whatever you have leftover after buying what's on your list plus produce, meat, milk, eggs, etc.) and use that specifically for stockpiling good deals. Plus, always stockpile as much as you can of free or moneymaking items! And once you get started at CVS, you will never have to pay out of pocket there again because it is so easy to roll their ecb's each week onto new deals for new ecbs! Lastly, read, read, read!! Scour these forums for info, especially the store threads that you will be shopping at! You will learn so much and get a heads up on so many deals you wouldn't otherwise notice! And get involved with trading...my ability to stockpile has skyrocketed thanks to trades and having the ability to get more of certain coupons for upcoming sales! Good luck!

[joelster87]

Welcome!