There are a lot of common misconceptions and myths around coupons floating around out there. I hear them all the time. Here we will dispel those myths and remove the mental barriers that keep people from using coupons to save money on their grocery costs.

Myth #1 – Only poor people use coupons.

Nothing could be further from the truth! People from all income levels use coupons. In fact 84% of people making $100,000 or more a year use coupons. Spending money smartly and saving money in all areas possible is the way wealthy people get wealthy and stay wealthy! And if you are struggling financially using coupons is one of the best ways to stretch your money and get the most out of whatever dollars you have. Couponing is a smart and sound money managing strategy!

Myth #2 – Most coupons are only for highly processed foods.

Another myth that is just not true, most coupons are in fact for non-food items like toothpaste, razors, toilet paper and haircare products. But if you are looking for food coupons you can find plenty of coupons for everything from your favorite brands of cereal, frozen or canned vegetables, staples like rice, sugar and flour to many popular organic and natural brands. Most major manufactures (and many small ones too) have coupons for their products at some point or another. You just need to keep your eyes open for them and know where to look, or ask for those coupons. While there are a lot of coupons out there for “junk foods” the fact is that there is also a lot of junk food in the grocery stores. The coupon to product ratio is about the same. And if you have a special diet like gluten-free, dairy free, etc. there are coupons out there for those products and brands too!

Myth #3 – I never see coupons in the Sunday paper for brands my family likes.

The fact is, you probably have not tracked the coupons that come out in the Sunday paper over a longer period of time, because just about every manufacture puts out coupons at some point in time or another you can find coupons for your favorite brands. Perhaps you are in love with a certain brand of laundry detergent, for example, you can be sure that your favorite brand probably has coupons for it. When your favorite brands are on sale and you have coupons for it, then you can go ahead and stock-up. But not everything you purchase will need to be brand specific. For example, one brand of razors works just as well as another brand, especially when you can get those razors cheap, or even free!

Myth # 4 – Clipping coupons is too time consuming.

At first clipping coupons and learning to use them to your best advantage can be time consuming, that is true. But just like anything, once you practice it and it becomes part of the way you live you will find the time spent to be less and less. On average coupon shoppers spend just 4 to 6 hours clipping, organizing and shopping with coupons. And clipping and organizing can easily be done while doing other things like watching TV, talking on the phone or other activities that do not take a lot of mental brain power. Coupons are like found money. Inside the average Sunday newspaper there could be $25, $30, $50 or more worth of coupons. Now ask yourself, if these coupons were dollar bills that you have to clip out to use, would you take the time to pull out the scissors and clip them? Of course you would!

Myth #5 – Generics are cheaper and I don’t have to bother with coupons.

The truth is that when you walk into a grocery store and do your regular grocery shopping and you compare prices on name brand versus generics, most of the time generics are indeed cheaper. But generics rarely go on deep discount and they rarely have coupons to further reduce the price. What you need to know is that 99% of all name brand products will go on sale at some time during the year (usually a few times a year) cheaper than the price of generics, and you can combine those sale prices with coupons to bring the cost down even further. So for example the store brand generic barbecue sauce is priced at $1.50 a bottle, everyday. But we know that in the summer months name brand barbecue sauce is on sale for $1.00 and you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be coupons for that name brand barbecue sauce for $0.25 off, $0.50 off, $0.75, or even $1.00 off making your barbecue sauce much cheaper than generic, possibly even free!

To find our more information on how to use coupons, check out our Coupon Basics forum!

Tags: Coupon, coupon basics, coupon myths, Coupons, grocery coupons, how to coupon, Shopping, Shopping Tips
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Dried Herbs and spices lose their potency quickly. Buy only a small amount at a time. When using fresh herbs an spices, use 3 times the amount of the dried.

Tags: Cooking & Kitchen Tips, Herbs, Quick Tip, Shopping Tips, Spices
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Frugal shoppers know that the best time to get a deal on holiday items is to purchase them after the holidays are over and save them for next year. You can pocket some major savings by thinking ahead and saving 50-70% or more on holiday items now rather than paying full price for them right before the holidays.

The biggest after holiday savings is seen after the Christmas holiday. Retailers usually put all holiday merchandise at 50% off the day after Christmas and you will usually see 75% a week or two later. Some retailers will do further markdowns just to move the merchandise off the shelves to make room for Valentine’s items.

Look for deals on items like wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, holiday lights, festive decorations, potted poinsettias and other potted holiday plants. Holiday gift sets and baskets can be a great bargain. This year, I picked up Yankee Candle gift baskets online at 50% off retail. They make great gifts later in the year for teachers, friends, and family members. Other holiday goodies worth watching for include holiday cards, napkins, paper plates, Ziploc baggies with holiday designs, candy, and candles.

Most people don’t know they can negotiate with the store manager for further markdowns. At one of my local grocery stores they put all of the holiday clearance in shopping carts and park them near the front store entrance. I’m not shy about asking the store manager what kind of deal he can make me if I purchase the entire basket full of merchandise.  I’ve walked out with hundreds of dollars worth of products for a mere $20 for the entire cart.

Christmas is not the only holiday that offers great post-holiday savings. Each major holiday is a great time to stock up on items to use the following year. Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving all provide a great opportunity to save money.

Storing your post holiday bargains is an important thing to remember because poor storage can result in melted candy or forgotten gift items. Here’s some helpful tips for storage:

* Freeze all candy that could possibly melt like chocolate. All other food candy such as jelly beans or valentine heart candies should be put into zipper bags with as much air removed as possible. Most candy has a very long shelf life and should be just fine the next year.

* Holiday wraps and decorations should be stored with your other holiday items in a cool dry place such as a garage or basement.

* How you store gift items will depend on when you plan on giving them. Gifts you plan on giving the following year should be stored with your holiday decorations so that you will remember them the following year. Label your storage containers with the holiday name and contents on the outside so you know what is inside.

* For gifts that you planning on giving year round (think gift baskets of coffee, tea and spa type items) set yourself up with a gift closet, cupboard or chest so that you have your gifts at hand for any occasion that arises.

Putting aside a small amount of money to stockpile holiday gifts and items after the holiday is a smart way to save lots of money and be prepared ahead of time saving you less stress next year.

Tags: 4th of July, Christmas, Easter, Frugal Living, Halloween, Holiday, Post Holiday, Shopping, Shopping Tips, St. Patrick's Day, Storage, Thanksgiving
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If your favorite way to enjoy summer is grilling on the BBQ, don’t fret! You’re not relegated to endless nights of hamburgers and hot dogs because meat prices have gone crazy. In fact, there are all kinds of great deals out there to keep your grocery budget in line while enjoying gourmet delights on the grill.

Shop Early: Most stores have a policy about moving meat products quickly. Many butchers will immediately mark down yesterday’s meat before they start packaging for the day. The savings can be as high as 50 percent off the last marked price. If the meat was already on sale, the daily markdown savings can be as high as 75 percent off full retail!

Shop Late: Those morning markdowns are great, but most butchers would love to sell everything before going home at night. If there’s lots of meat in the case, I will routinely ask for a discount for taking large quantities home where I’ll further cut and wrap it myself. This is particularly true for bulk ground beef, which I’ve picked up for under 99 cents per pound as a reward for wiping out the entire case.

Buy bulk: Most meat departments have a cut/wrap free policy. If you buy the whole pork shoulder or rib roast rack, the store will cut it into the size and cut type you’d like. The savings can be as high as 40 to 60 percent higher than buying the smaller pack of the same item. Pre-marinate and freeze in zip-seal bags for later use.

Use a coupon: If your area stores offer coupons for $5 or $10 off a specific purchase amount, use them for buying meat, spending only up to the value required on the coupon. This gives you an additional 10 to 20 percent off your purchase.

Keep freezer supplies and a good knife on hand: You’d be amazed what you can do with a London broil on sale for $1.99 per pound. A four-pound piece can be easily turned into stir fry or fajita strips and stretch across five meals. Pork rib chops for $1.49 per pound can be braised, stuffed or sauced for a quick dinner. And beef ribs for 79 cents per pound can be served up with coleslaw, corn and watermelon for the perfect summer meal outside. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional burger or dog!

Any way you grill it, summer is a great time to cook outside, but it doesn’t have to bust your grocery budget.

Tags: Barbeque, BBQ, Bulk Shopping, Grilling, Shopping Tips, Summer, Summer Grilling
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