Re: How many Qs do you usually average at the checkout? I really couldn't say! If I'm guestimating I use a coupon on about 90-95% of the items I'm buying, and many time it's a full 100%. I average between 75-90% off my groceries the majority of the time, rarely less than that.
The items I usually don't have coupons for and need to get creative with are fresh fruit + veggies, bread + bakery, fresh meat, milk and eggs. I usually stock up heavily on these when there is a good overage or catalina deal somewhere, so I may only buy fresh meat once every couple of weeks but then get a lot while the getting is good [f.e. when the Glade catalina deals were hot, I turned around and bought app. 20 entire chickens, another 15-20 trays of chicken breast [@ .88/lbs I couldn't pass that up], 15+ packages of beef and pork cuts] - so I'm not buying meat again any time soon, unless I get a few turkeys and more pork/beef when there is a good buy, regardless if I have coupons or not.
If I can't get a good deal on milk + eggs due to overage or coupons, I go get it at CVS and use ECBs. We are planning on having a garden again this coming year [didn't have the time last spring/summer], so that will take care of the veggie issues for 2009 - I'll only have to buy fruit then and I plan to go heavy on melons etc in our garden as well, so if it's not in my budget to buy a lot of apples, plums, peaches + berries - at least I can make melon slushies to take a bit of the fruity need edge off. I also plan to grow a bumper crop of carrots, tomatoes, celerie etc for juicing - I feel physically and emotionally way better when I get a cup of fresh squeezed juice every day...
__________________ I am back to trading, shopping and stocking up... New WL coming soon... |