What's the easiest way for a newbie to get started?

[JANE4girls]

former wall hitter here!

when you are new, you are so thrilled at the idea of savings which you know is now possible by the small stock pile that you have accumulated, that you try and go after all of the deals at once. DON'T

Take a few items at a time and build a stock pile of them, then move onto the next few items.

Since you shop at common stores there are always weekly items that you can find for free, if you watch the threads and have the coupons.

The great thing about this board is that everyone is so helpful. When you see the ad for the upcoming week, get in and order those coupons you need for the sale to get those items free.

[Jiji]

Taking it slow is the best advice. I bought groceries for our family of 5 for just $60 last week where I'm budgeted $80 and used to spend $150. The deals will hit when they hit and you have to work around them.

One of the biggest helpers for me is to plan my menus around whatever is on sale. It sounds simple, but it works. I ONLY buy meat that is on sale and sometimes we go meatless if I have a filling option.

[politjunkie]

Thanks Jane and Jiji

I just went through the ad for this week and then researched the coupons out there to match for stuff i can get close to free then posted in the trades, so thanks for that advice.

So Jiji what is a good stockup price for meets say for

Chicken Breast
Hamburger
Pork Chops

[JANE4girls]

check our Fry's which I think is the same as Kroger here. Ask them when the meat markdown days are. They are usually Thursday and Monday here. Then go in early and stock up.

I got 75% lean (not that great I know) beef for less than $1 a lb. At that price I will stock up and just drain off the extra fat.

[debtfreemom]

Sale + coupon (especially if the store doubles) = big savings or free

If I "need" something, I buy it. But for staples, I try to buy it on sale with coupon.

[Jiji]

Originally Posted by politjunkie Thanks Jane and Jiji I just went through the ad for this week and then researched the coupons out there to match for stuff i can get close to free then posted in the trades, so thanks for that advice. So Jiji what is a good stockup price for meets say for Chicken Breast Hamburger Pork Chops

This is tricky since you are on the other side of the country from me AND I rarely stock up on meats as I don't have the room, but for me, here goes:

Chicken breast - bone-in breasts for less than 99¢#
bl/sl breasts - less than $1.88 AND use a Tyson $1 off Q
whole fryers - less than 59¢#

Hamburger - 99¢# and this is usually the 75% Jane mentioned. Once in a blue moon I can find ground chuck for 99¢#. I don't buy leaner than ground chuck and I'll duck while everyone throws daggers at me.

Pork Chops are on sale during the warmer months for 99¢ quite often, so I do try to stock up on these once in a while. Throw them in Ziplocs and I'm done.

I have a rule of thumb where I WILL NOT buy meat for a regular night's dinner that is more than $2# or $5 total. It works for me and keeps my budget in line.

If I ever get room for a freezer, watch out. Btw, I don't buy a whole lot of markdown meats - they really have to look good and be marked down a lot. Kroger only marks down 30% here and the markdown price is more than some stores regular prices!!

You'll get the hang of it - keep trying.

[TammyK]

HOW are you saving so much money. I am looking through these boards and getting lost as to where to start. Any advice?

[bargain_blogger]

Originally Posted by TammyK HOW are you saving so much money. I am looking through these boards and getting lost as to where to start. Any advice?

I noticed that some of these posts in the Getting Started section are old threads from last summer. For now, my own strategy is to just keep reading and following along.

[YouPdWhat]

Originally Posted by TammyK HOW are you saving so much money. I am looking through these boards and getting lost as to where to start. Any advice?

I suggest you start reading all the Getting Started Forums as that is where you will learn the how to's.

Originally Posted by bargain_blogger I noticed that some of these posts in the Getting Started section are old threads from last summer. For now, my own strategy is to just keep reading and following along.

The age of the post makes no difference unless it is referring to a particular deal at the time of the post. The basic concept of how to use coupons to shop & save is still the same. Individuals will however need to check the store forums to see what their specific store policies are as some may have changed.