Help! I still feel like I'm leaving money at the store!

[AllisonL]

Another trick is getting rain checks. Lets say Cheerios are BOGO this week at $3.99. They are out and you get BOGO rainchecks. Then 3 weeks or 3 months from then, the same Cheerios go on sale 2/$4.00. This is when you'd cash in your rainchecks and get both boxes for $2.00 minus coupons of course!

Hallelujah for rainchecks! I purposely hit grocery stores on the last day of a sale, hoping they're out of stuff so I can get rainchecks. Sometimes, I'll go to 2 or 3 Publix stores at the end of their sales cycle and pick up multiple rainchecks for the same item. Rainchecks are gold!

[434Teresa]

I dont have many stores to choose from here so I shop at walmart..I can go in and get anything and everything we need in one stop(4 kids 2 of which are 2year old twins).. most of the time my total will be about $250 and I will pay around $60 I am happy with that..I feed 2 teen boys two year old twins,me and dad and get items we need for about $60 a week so I think I am doing great..right now I am stocking up on snuggle 70ct dryer sheets its free at family dollar with the $3 coupon, I will have enough to last a year when done this week..then next week I will stock up on surf washing powders with the $3 coupons that are out I will pay $1.50 for a box of 40 loads so I will stock up alot on those to...by stocking when things are free or this cheap it cuts alot of cost off of my weekly bill the surf I will get 3 boxes for what one box cost regular price. Some weeks I dont have to make a weekly trip because we have enough to last so I save that weeks money for things I might want to stock up on later, I have a jar for that....I have had as much as $180 in the jar at one time but i leave as long as I can for like the surf I plain to buy up about 30 boxes which will be about $60 but regular would be about $150..yes i have lots of clothes to wash but I will put some in my christmas gift baskets to.

[MoneySavinDiva]

The main thing I do is buy when things are at their lowest (or the lowest price I know them to be). Then I buy as many as I have Qs for (sometimes buying more Qs). I want to have so much of it (but not more than we can use before it exp) that I will only buy it for free or cheap in the few months after. Make since?

1 Example - Target had Motts Applejuice for $1.75 - get $5 GC wyb 5 a couple of weeks ago. Welll $.75 for 64oz juice is about the best price I get; and this time no coupons involved. I have paid $.25 and $.50 but on random occasions and not very many at a time. So, I bought 25 juices that week. (We use 4 a month just when sending in preschool snacks on each child's day plus what we drink at home (and they all have exp into next summer). So, now I won't buy juice unless I get it for 25-50 cents and I won't buy juice Qs over the next 6 months or so...I'll just use what I have.

2 example- We eat Eggo waffles 3-4 mornings a week...so we consume a lot of them. I bought 20 - $1.00 off eggo waffle coupons. They are regularly price at WM for $1.50. I bought 10 on each receipt for $5.00...then submitted my receipts to the Kellogg calendar rebate forms....Made $5.00 on each set of 10 after rebate. I won't buy eggos again unless they are 16-20 cents which is the lowest I have seen them.

3 example - I am waiting on this to materialize. I have 20 coupons for $1.00 off any cheese and I just bought (waiting on them to be mailed ) 20 coupons for $1.50 off any bread wyb Kraft cheese. Hopefully Kraft slices will be on sale 2/$3 or 3/$5 before the coupons expire....if so, I will buy 20 kraft slices and 20 loaves of bread for $10 - $14 for all. Both items freeze well. If I get really lucky, HT will run Superdoubles before 11/7 and I can get all 40 items for free....but I am not counting on this one.


I think for everyone it is just piecing together the items that you use and buying a bunch when they are at their bottom price.


Another trick is getting rain checks. Lets say Cheerios are BOGO this week at $3.99. They are out and you get BOGO rainchecks. Then 3 weeks or 3 months from then, the same Cheerios go on sale 2/$4.00. This is when you'd cash in your rainchecks and get both boxes for $2.00 minus coupons of course!

HTHs and good luck!

I agree with everything said here! It's all about keeping up the stockpile, knowing your goal prices and trading for coupons/asking for rainchecks to get the most bang for your buck! I also live in the LOND, and I agree it does seem like we're getting the shaft when it comes to how much we pay for groceries etc. vs. those who do get doubles. But just by doing some of the things mentioned by pp's I've been able to maintain a 50%+ savings at every one of my shopping trips. Good luck, you'll catch on with time!

[mommas2moody]

This is a GREAT thread!
I have read through it all and it seems like I am on the right track. I have pretty much been stockpiling and so far it's working. I haven't gotten my savings down as far as others but I know I will get there. Compared to my past weekly grocery bills, I have lowered my spending by 25% which includes my stockpile items.