What's the Best method to track Savings

[ChrisMiss]

I want to start tracking my savings by using coupons. I've seen different methods of tracking the savings. Some are for each shopping trip, total cost, then coupons used, etc.

I think I'd like to track just the savings I made by using coupons but not sure if that is actually going to be the best way to track the savings.

How do you track your savings? What seems to work best for you?

P.S. I saw the post on tracking but can't open the excel spreadsheet.

[isis]

I use an Excel SS that someone posted here a while back. It has all the formulas entered in, so all I have to do is add the numbers from my receipts. Each store has its own tab, and the first page of the SS is the totals for all stores.

So each tab looks like this:

Spent (I don't include tax in this #, I have it in a separate column)
Saved (all coupons and store savings)
Total Value (Spent + Saved)
% Saved (Savings/Value)
(rest of columns are for cumulative spending/savings/value)
Tax

This year, I added columns for
# of Coupons Used
Coupon Value (this includes RRs, UPs, & ECBs used)

And just for fun, I wanted to see how much Store $$ I was using, to what I was earning, so for each drug store has a column for their store rewards used and earned.

[ChrisMiss]

And just for fun, I wanted to see how much Store $$ I was using, to what I was earning, so for each drug store has a column for their store rewards used and earned.

Ooh, that's a good one. I'm going to add that too.


Interestingly I was just adding my receipts to a spreadsheet using column headings that you suggested and discovered that my actual savings from CVS were a lot less than what they said. My coupons total was 8.50 and they said I saved 28.10. Bummer, made my percentage go down but is more realistic.

I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to track the savings because I can shop at the military commissary. So it's cheaper to shop there unless I find the item at a greatly reduced price elsewhere. Example, here at the commissary Blue Diamond almonds are normally $2.65 a can which is a great price. Last week WAG had Blue Diamond BOGO at $3.59. I used two .50 off one can coupon per so my total was about $1.30 per can. Fantastic deal!

So to explain these bargains I added a comment section to each row so that I'd see why I bought what I bought. Like at CVS the toothpaste last week for $2.77 a tube and get $2.77 back in a coupon. I wrote that in the comments so I would later know more of what I bought and why I bought it.

This will be a work in progress till I figure out what works best for me. The cumulative part is great too; that helps to see the overall savings and cost.

Thanks so much.

[Tortorice]

Free Savings Tracker | Free Download

^ That's the savings tracker I've been using for a few months now. Hope you find it as useful as I have!

[Chevelle]

I haven't figured tax in to mine. Techinally something free isn't really *free*. I guess I need to figure that out. Do you figure out your stamps for MIR's or you the amount for the papers you buy or trade?

[ChrisMiss]

That's probably a good thing to add to the spreadsheet as well. Since I only buy a newspaper on Sunday and if the coupons are outstanding I buy more I think I'll add that to the spreadsheet. Tax is an odd thing. Here in FL some things are taxed and some things aren't.

It's going to be interesting to keep track of all these items.