Anybody have a good suggestion for saving money on groceries??

Erin - posted on 03/04/2013

Cut out the pop if you drink it, (pop is very expensive) make kids and hubby drink water if they are thirsty when it's not meal time. Pop and drinks cost a LOT of money. Buy cheaper cuts of meat in bulk they aren't as good as the good stuff but they aren't too bad, just don't buy the crappiest meat either you might as well eat dried leather. Buy less lean beef it's cheaper and buy it in bulk and freeze. Limit the family to how much they can and can't drink and eat a day, this is sometimes hard for parents to do but you gotta do it. If they run out before grocery day of say a special snack or drink then they don't get anymore until grocery time again. Be brave. I just had to put my foot down with my kids and fiance because they were drinking and eating like we were kings and I was going to the store every day almost to buy milk and pop. I said enough! No more. I also suggest purchasing the toiletries separate. I know it's more convenient to do it at once but perhaps if you could see how much of the bill wasn't food it could help you decide what you do and don't need better.

Sally - posted on 02/22/2013

Wow. My family of four doesn't even spend half that and I have a kid on a special diet.
The easiest way to shop cheaply (and eat more healthfully) is to take the time and effort to make a plan and stick to it. Every week get the sale flyer from your local grocery store. Make a menu based on what's on sale and stick to it. If you have the spare cash and the storage space, stock up on non perishables when they are on sale and use them up before you buy more. Save up for a freezer and stock up perishables when they are on sale too.
Number two is to stop buying convenience and junk foods and actually cook. Make large batches of what's on sale and freeze the leftovers to warm up on busy days.
In some items there is an obvious quality difference between name brands and generics, but most things are exactly the same and in some cases the generic is actually better. Coupons can help too.
Look at the 'price per unit' on labels (or bring a calculator). Sometimes the name brand is cheaper than the generic by weight or volume. Sometimes the sale or coupon brand actually costs more than another brand. Because we look for sales and clip coupons, it can be very easy to miss that when it happens.
Good luck

Jodie - posted on 02/13/2013

Have you looked into the App called Ibotta? You get money back from select products that you purchase. I use it every time I go to the store! If you need more info on it, I will be more than happy to tell you more about it!

Heather - posted on 07/13/2012

I didn't read through all the posts, so I may touch on things others have said. We meal plan. By planning out our meals for the week, we don't buy as many "extras". And we always have a list (organized by store). We also go to the local famers markets in our area for all of our fresh produce. We buy our meat at the local butcher shop. As for our weekly bill? I don't really know an exact amount since it varies depending on household needs (and we don't really budget--we really just make our list and go). I would probably save more if I went solo! Every other week, we go for household items like tp, paper towels, etc and beauty supplies...shampoo, body wash, etc. Those weeks, our bill is around 300 but that also includes our meals (breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners). The weeks we go for only grocery (food) items our bill is around 150. That does not include our meats and produce though. And we don't always need household items either. So some months it is less, some months more. I would say we spend about 800 a month on average. We are a family of 5: 2 adults, 11 and 6 year old girls (who are involved in activities-so we are busy) and a 14 month old boy. Planning to conceive baby 4 very soon. So meal planning for us is a money and time saver! We also can a lot of goods. Love canning! We have a garden so in the summer, we spend a lot less on certain produce items. As for coupons, we don't hit it big with coupons. We only have walmart and a grocery store nearby. Sams, Target, etc...are about 25 minutes away...so with time and gas, we don't hit those places for regular shopping. I am going to check out some of the sites mentioned though!

Tamyra - posted on 07/12/2012

My area doesn't have very good coupons either. I use the good ones I find, especially on health and beauty products. We have a bent and dent store I check out, but I won't buy expired items. I then look at the sale ads. I usually have to go to more than one store. I do a meal plan based on sale items or cheaper items I get at Aldi (another great store). I also make my own cleaners and detergent which saves me alot of money. I will buy some items in bulk if they are on sale. There are alot of good frugal sites online with great ideas. Good luck to you.

Tamyra - posted on 07/12/2012

My area doesn't have very good coupons either. I use the good ones I find, especially on health and beauty products. We have a bent and dent store I check out, but I won't buy expired items. I then look at the sale ads. I usually have to go to more than one store. I do a meal plan based on sale items or cheaper items I get at Aldi (another great store). I also make my own cleaners and detergent which saves me alot of money. I will buy some items in bulk if they are on sale. There are alot of good frugal sites online with great ideas. Good luck to you.

Sian - posted on 07/12/2012

The one easy way to regularly save money on groceries is to plan some of your meals using an online meal planner. I'm lucky I got a developer to create one for me as I couldn't find one that helped me reduce my food waste. I was wasting far too much food, buying food by guesswork is expensive. Now I can provide healthy meals for the family and still save money. I haven't got into using vouchers but if I did I would save even more money. The website is free its called siansplan.com. It's there if anyone wants to try meal planning effectively.

Sian - posted on 07/12/2012

Hi Amy - I find the best way to save on groceries and eat healthy is to plan my meals. I plan 4 meals and the 5th day is always a store cupboard day. I repeat the process or I would take a the next day to cook two meals so that one day is a non cooking day. With the money I save (because I don't waste any food I buy), now and then we go out to eat. I don't flick through recipe books anymore for inspiration because I created my online own meal planner. I'd be delighted if you tried it out, it's free. My family all help to plan our meals now that's its so easy.

Gabrielle - posted on 07/12/2012

clip coupons, or buy in bulk, or ask the manufacturers for coupons, go directly to the manufacturer page, and they usually have coupons, if not then write into them and tell them you like they're products, and they will likely send you coupons, sometimes for free stuff. Kmart doubles coupons now up to $1.00 for rewards members so, if you have a coupon for $1.00, and then another different coupon for $1.00 off the same product you will be saving $4.00 on one item! Always sign up for the rewards programs, i always do, i have 3 kids so i save wherever i can even if it means stupid emails and spam, it helps whenever theres coupons you can print out! hope this helps! good luck!

Lydia - posted on 07/12/2012

meal planning is key. i notice a huge difference in spending whenever i don't plan my meals and just buy the "regular stuff"... if you spend lots on junk snacks, try to include snacks in the meal planning as well and prepare more snacks at home. also try to stock up on staple foods when they are on sale.

Mia - posted on 07/11/2012

We are a family of 4 with one on the way soon and we live in expensive California and spend $600-650 on food every month and buy all whole foods and organic produce. We do not buy meat but we do buy wild alaskan salmon, sushi-making ingredients,
and good raw ingredients to make our own gluten free flours and such. Anyways - we don't use coupons BUT we do plan meals for 2 weeks at a time and shop accordingly. We rarely buy anything processed at all. It really helps us to stay in budget if we strategically meal plan and avoid overloading on snack foods.

Sal - posted on 07/10/2012

Wr are a family of 5, 2 little ones a BIG teen boy and 2 adults and my groceries seem to be never ending, I have found that when I was able to a really done a big stock up we on meat cleaning products and toiletries, so now I only buy them when they are on special and pop them in the store room or freezer so I never have to buy those expensive items at full price, like my hubbies and sons deo full price at the super market it is up to $7 a can but now I never spend more than 3.50.... Or shampoo the stuff we use is $10 for a large bottle but often find it for 4-6 toilet paper and washing powder are also worth stocking up on special.... When we were really struggling last year my grocery bill was way higher as I was buying only what we needed and as it was needed I had to buy regardless of the price so was often buying smaller quanties more often at higher Prices ... So if you can afford to get a bit of a store of basics you know you wil use it helps

Amy - posted on 07/10/2012

Wow. You are good! LOL



Sounds like a lot of work. You are smart to do things like can your own food, and get minimal fresh fruit and the rest canned. We waste so much food! That is frustrating. I try to buy a lot of frozen veggies. Supposedly it is just as healthy, and in some cases even more healthy than fresh. I think sometimes fresh fruit and veggies sit on the shelf so long they have no nutrients left in them. I know they package frozen foods as soon as they are ripe, and you don't waste them, because they keep forever.



Thanks for the advice. You gave me great ideas!



Amy

Brittany - posted on 07/10/2012

I spend about $100 every two weeks for my family. I try to budget around $50 per adult, my kids are 2.5 years and 6.5 months, so we are still able to get away with a small budget.

I find that shopping around at different stores gives you the illusion of saving but in the end you often spend more on gas than you save.

I get an email from the store I shop at with the weekly ads. I use that to help me make my shopping list. I make my list in excel and have a price limit on each item. If it is more that that amount I don't get it.

I just recently started using homemade cleaning products made of vinegar. You can get away with using only a TB of laundry detergent in most washing machines. I go through a 100 fl oz bottle of detergent in about 8-9 months, that is about 5 loads a week.

I buy frozen peas, green beans, corn, and broccoli. Out of fresh veggies, I only buy what will be used for a recipe. As for fruit, I only buy apples and melons fresh, the rest is canned or frozen.

I buy canned tomatoes, tomato puree (sauce), and chicken in bulk. I make my own tomato sauce and freeze it.

I don't buy soda, chips, or most snack items. What snack I items I do buy have to last a month, if they don't, tough.

I don't really use coupons. The main reason is that, most of the time the items I want aren't on the coupons.

I do shop sales though; the store I go to has a sale on pasta 10 for 10 about every other month. I use that to stock up if I need any.

I buy the use it or loose it breads, that way I'm not getting the really cheap stuff that for some reason never molds (which I find gross). If you freeze it, it will last you just as long. You just don't get to choose what type.

Melinda - posted on 07/10/2012

i price shop at different stores and alot of the time i buy the store brands of foods. as for laundry detergent i buy the cheaper kinds like arm and hammer and purex. another tip on food is buy things that last instead of quick bites buy things to cook

Tammy - posted on 07/10/2012

I did not read all of the posts, but wanted to give my suggestion. I shop the ads and I am an avid coupon user. I have saved literally hundreds of dollars, and have even received items for free. I search the ads, and I have subscribed to stores like Target. Target is great because they have many of the items I need, and they constantly have sales. I get an email every week showing the upcoming week's sale ads and they have a coupon link right on their Web site.

An example of a good sale deal for this week: Sale advertised Market Pantry dry pastas (i.e. spaghetti and lasagna noodles) for $1 each. They also have a coupon for buy 2 get 1 free, so this means that 3 boxes of pasta noodles would only cost $2. They also have a sale ad for Up and Up Mouthwash on sale plus a coupon for 75 cents off.

I am not sure where you are located, but another wonderful store is Winco. Winco has the lowest prices around on many food items, plus you can use coupons on top of that. I save so much money shopping at Winco, and using coupons. The key is to use coupons as often as you can, and shop the ads. Good luck!

Jo - posted on 07/10/2012

Try 2 shop the warehouse stores (Sam's and Costco) 4 your daily used household
goods like toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, soap for laundry and personal,
toothpaste, and watch for their dollar off coupons. If u have storage stock one extra
and replace when it has another "coupon". Make sure u get and
save weekly all your grocery supermarket adds. Make a list of each stores lost
leaders (items like soda on 4th of July sold at a loss) and sale items
and then make your meals based on what is on sale that week. If rump roast is
the sale item that week, Google "recipes using rump roast". Get
ur Sunday paper and save the coupon packets, do not clip because that's
a time waster and they expire 2 fast. When u are ready 2 head out the
door 2 shop with ur list of sale items, quickly flip thru your coupon packets and
see if there are any coupons on the items you plan 2 buy. Put them in a small envelope
tucked inside your purse with your grocery/sale list and off u go!

Kelli - posted on 07/09/2012

Coupons and deal sites are my favorite ways to save money. I love them so much I started a website! I provide the best freebies and deals and the latest coupons. Check it out http://www.freebiefindingmom.com/.

Rebecca - posted on 07/04/2012

I'm in the UK so I don't know if you guys can shop online for groceries? Over here I shop online at either ASDA or Tesco for groceries and spend about £100 a week tops (thats $156). We are 2 + baby and that includes baby items and household goods. I find by doing it online I can add items to my cart and then look at how much it adds up to, swap and change items, delete items if i'm over budget, add items if i'm under budget etc. And.. I never get tempted on impulse in the store!

I buy a lot of whatever meat and other groceries are on special each week (although I shop fortnightly or monthly usually, as they charge £5 delivery) and I cook casseroles/chilli/bolognaise/stews etc to freeze. Instead of looking for items individually I will first look at their "on offer" section and see whats on offer or on multibuy.

When I cook a chicken, rather than roast it I put it in a big pot with carrots and onions and herbs, boil/simmer for 2 hours. Then we have a dinner off the chicken and the next day I add to the pot of stock leftover chicken, potatoes, sometimes beans, and thicken it up for a casserole. I can freeze half of it as it makes loads.

I have 2 cats, I buy a bag of the cheaper biscuits which they don't like much, and a bag of the decent biscuits and mix the two. I also buy an incredible amount of prawns.... but that's their treat :o)

I also buy dishwasher tabs/toilet paper etc from cheapy shops sometimes too.

I make bread in a bread maker (great investment) and I bake cakes rather than buy sweet things. A plain Victoria sponge with jam (you guys have jelly?) in the middle is cheap as chips to make.

I buy fruit and veg from a market not the supermarket.

And since our surprise baby have stopped buying wine....... grrrrrrrrrr. i didn't know I was preggers until she started moving at 23 weeks so she was probably pickled a number of times.

Sandy - posted on 07/02/2012

cupons u can get them online at cuponsuzzy.com i get them all the time i save lots

Shalla - posted on 07/02/2012

I'm the type that always forgets I have a coupon for something until I've gotten home with my groceries. Something that helps me, though, is that some stores have a "club card" of some sort. Usually it's free to sign up, and you can start saving right away. I just bought 2 weeks worth of groceries for about $174. Also, shop the ads; buy in bulk when you can.

Stifler's - posted on 07/01/2012

I spend about $180 a week on groceries including nappies for both kids, dishwasher tablets, cleaning stuff toilet paper etc. half the time we have take away or have food leftover from that weeks shopping.

Julie - posted on 06/30/2012

Unless you are coupon crazy or grow a garden, which we have. Your guess is as good as mine.

I even started baking my own bread, and cooking from scratch, but the reality is that time=money and I never left the kitchen!

To answer the question, How much I spend a week on groceries: 300.00 a week(between several stores: Nob Hill, Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Safeway), and a 500.00 monthly Costco bill.

We rarely eat out though, I pack lunches for all, even the husband. This does NOT include my husbands bottle of chardonnay every other night either.

Between gas and groceries, we are living beyond our means.

Gabrielle - posted on 06/27/2012

just like what carol thompson said. I can spend $100 at my local grocery store and hardly get anything but I can spend that at walmart and get 2-3x more stuff

Carol - posted on 06/27/2012

I didn't see that anyone mentioned price matching yet. Wal-Mart does it, although different clerks do it differently. We save between 25-40% each week on everything - produce to meat to junkfood. We do stock up on items, but they're all used eventually. We love the Buy-One-Get-One deals. Our local Wal-Mart seems to honor the Wal-Mart prices too - which means we save even more (that seems to be where different clerks do it differently). We also couple it with coupons.

One time saver is that we clip the items we intend to buy out of the fliers on Sunday, sort them according to aisles, and tape them to the items. That way there's no flipping through the fliers to find the items. Occasionally I'll have a problem of wanting something that's on both sides, but in the 6 months or so that we've done it, it's only happened a couple of times. The clerks seem to appreciate the taping too. We were a family of 4 and only spent $150 at the very most when my husband went with me. He always went a little nuts with the deals sometimes. That includes the automotive and clothes, etc.

Erin - posted on 06/27/2012

We are a family of 4 (children 2 1/2 & 6). I used to meal plan and fell out of it a year back. When I was meal planning before I could get away with spending $80-90 a week for groceries & personal care products! I just recently started again, and pretty much doing the same kind of shopping and I can't seem to ever get my grocery bill under $140. But I do still spend less then my parents do on two people then on the four of us lol.
Some things I do are
1) Meal Plan!!! Its not hard, only takes 15 minutes out of your week. I always go through the freezer and pantry first to see what meals I can make with what I have at home. Then to fill in the gaps I make meals to what is on sale at my bulk store (wholesale). I live in SW Saskatchewan so you may be able to get better deals where you are.
2) Make from scratch! I can make three loaves of bread for less then the cost of one! where I would spend close to $7 I only spend around $1.50. It costs me approx $52/year to make bread from scratch, where as if I could find bread for 2$/ loaf I would spend $208/ year! I'd say its worth the savings. Now using a bread maker doesn't save you as much, but still more than it would than buying it.
3) I never use coupons since I can never get ones in my area that arent for junk food.
4) I don't really buy junkfood and when I do it comes out of the entertainment budget for a movie night etc...
5) I never ever take anyone shopping with me. I go by myself. I did the math and for every extra person who joins me, the bill racks up an additional $25!
6) Always look at the unit price, they usually have it listed in wholesale stores. I once picked up a box of corn pops for the kids. They had three different sizes. Usually the largest one should be the cheapest. In this case, the smallest was, then the largest , then the medium was the most exspensive.
7) I try to only buy bulk on sale if the price is better than the unit price of the other regular priced products.
I never start shopping in the aisles. I always do the perimeter first and pick up the few things I need in the aisles. If no name is cheaper, I get it. Most of the brands are manufactured in the same plant anyways, so they arent any lesser of quality. It feels awesome when I can walk away from a grocery store with a healthy looking cart. I usually aim to have two bags of produce, a bag of grains, a bag of meat (if needed), a bag of Dairy and no more than one bag of pre packaged ailse items.

Hope this helps!

Janice - posted on 06/15/2012

Oh yeah, we are also trying to save this summer by growing our own veggies & fruits. We planted a lot so hopefully we save a lot.

Michelle - where online do you buy cleaning supplies?

Michelle - posted on 06/15/2012

I find buying in bulk saves in the long run. I may go and spend $100 at the butcher but that meat can then be stretched out for almost 3 weeks. I have 5 in the house and I cook from scratch every night.
We also have a lot of farmers markets around where I live so can pick up fresh fruit and veg cheaper than the grocery stores. There is also a local guy that does fruit and veg boxes for different valus. For example a $20 box will have a handfull of apples, oranges or any other fruit in season as well as a cauli, broccoli, lettuce, onions, potato's, pumpkin etc. It will do us for a week and he delivers to the door.

After all of that all I have to buy at the grocery store is my perishables like milk, yoghurt and snacks for the kids. All my cleaning products I buy online once a month.

Janice - posted on 06/15/2012

My family is 2 adults a toddler & a 6 month old. Our grocery/cleaning supply bill varies every week because I dont need laundry detergent every week. I think we spend between 120-150 a week but we get WIC which saves us about 10-15$ each week depending on what checks we are using.



I hate my area. I can never find good coupons. 30 cents off 10 50 cent yogurts or 1$ off 2 boxes of 3-4$ cereal is hardly helpful. And there is no doubling coupons allowed either :( Saving money is tough!



I do buy all my non-food products at Walmart or Target and some of the food I buy comes from there too. V8 is like 90cents cheaper. I buy store brands on some items. We try to do a few cheap dinners every week like eggs and toast or left overs.

Amy - posted on 06/14/2012

I'm curious what other Moms spend per week on groceries?

Brooklyn - posted on 06/14/2012

I use to cook what was on sale. I would look at different sales papers, compare prices and go to different stores with coupons. We bought things in bulk too like toilet paper, paper towel, oatmeal, coffee, coffee filters, dish soap. I made our small child's food and froze it. Made our applesauce, chicken stock, etc. For winter I made a bulk of chilli, soup & casseroles that I could freeze parts of and store for later. Used old bread and made bread crumbs & toast. Just have to get creative. Somedays it takes a little more time, but if your home it can save some real money.

Melissa - posted on 06/14/2012

I am here looking for the very same help! We are a family of 5 (7 counting the dog and cat) and I have $800 a month to buy my gas, household goods, groceries and anything else that the kids or family needs. I try to do the coupon thing but usually I don't have money during the good sales and what not =/

Erin - posted on 06/12/2012

First if Wal-Mart isn't taking coupons go to a different grocer, $200 a week is really high even for four people. I have a family of 5 and it takes less but I see if you count non-ffod items why it may seem higher. Buy large meats and game, for instance buy a whole chicken, ham etc. You can make a nice dinner and use left overs to make stuff like sandwhiches and chicken a la king. I would cut out all sodas since they cost a great deal of money plus deposit, and you may have to cut down on how much you guys eat a day. I don't mean to offend but just to try to hit every possiblility I find often that many families over eat, not only at ,eal time but all through the day. I have cut out most all snacks, I feel the kids really don't need them and when it's not meal time I only allow water to drink. It really cuts down on costs.

Stacey - posted on 06/11/2012

get really friendly with the idea of cooking from scratch. Not only will it save you money, it will be healthier too. we are a family of 4(one of which is only 13 months) and spend about that much on food, but good clean, organic, healthy, local food is important to me and we have food allergies, and are paleo- high meat, veg, nuts and fat. If I didn't cook so much from scratch it would be much more expensive. In my mind, paying more for food means paying less at the docs office :)

Holly - posted on 06/11/2012

make a menu. I know it sounds impossible but it is really easy once you start. I used to,and am getting back into it again after moving, sit down Sunday night and make a my menu. Then I make a list of my groceries for those meals. Next I add any snacks for the kids (we have 4): anything from fruit occasional bag of potato chips.

Then I go shopping for the items on my list. My Kids know that I shop on mondays so whatever trreatss and such that I buy have to last all week or come Saturday they won't have any treats. It only takes one or two weeks for them to learn to monitor their treats. =)

TThe great thing about menus is that it not only saves money (cuts down on impulse buying) but hardly any food goes bad in my fridge because it is being used that week, I don't have to worry abbout "what to cook for supper" and I can always bake something if anyone has a hankering for sweets. Hope that helps. It really helped me lower my food bill and stay within my budget and evven have a little left over. Hope that helps.

Elizabeth - posted on 06/11/2012

I second the bulk everything idea. Make sure you're buying things like paper towels and toilet paper in bulk so you don't have to keep running back to the store. Also keep tabs on coupons. They really do make a difference!

Chris - posted on 06/11/2012

Cook. Buy ingredients instead of prepackaged items. Don't buy anything other than food items at a grocery store. Do you have 99cent stores in your area? Buy non-food items like toilet paper, laundry soap, sandwich bags, etc. from them. Shop seasonally. Use meat as a compliment to your meal and not the main entree. Eat soups, stews, and casseroles and go heavy on vegetables and grains. Eat vegetarian for several meals a week. Always use leftovers and have them for lunch the next day. When cooking a large piece of meat (roast, whole chicken), set aside some to use in another meal instead of serving the whole thing. Serving buffet style from the counter instead of putting all the food on the table can discourage overeating simply because the food is in front of you.

Amy - posted on 06/10/2012

Thank you all for your suggestions!
I definitely look for coupons and take them with me to the store, but then I usually discover that the off brands are cheaper. Walmart will not take most coupons. They say they have to have some special bar code on them or they won't accept them. It's wierd.

Anyway, thanks again!
Amy

Feona - posted on 06/09/2012

I agree with Jennifer!

Coupons!

I follow a website called TheCouponBoutique.com and she posts alot of deals for food for Walmart, Target and the national drug stores.

Hope that helps you!

Bethany - posted on 06/08/2012

hmm, is there a place in your house you can store bulk items, like a 12 pack of TP or a carton of cans you use alot, when they're on special? I kind of know what the most I will pay for an item is, and don't buy it over this price, like TP has to be less than 50c a roll, no more than $1 a litre for milk, etc.

Less meat and more veges in meals, like pasta dishes and asian dishes. I bought a fridge with my maternity leave payout, and purposely bought one with alot of freezer space, for cheap bread specials and bulk meal cook-ups, and bulk meat. I'd like a chest freezer, but don't have the room. We buy meat about once a month, and I'll only use about 200g in a whole meal, and the rest veges and rice/pasta/potato, etc.

I have never been able to stick to this, but I know that planning a vague menu and only shopping for that is good spending. I keep trying, but just can't keep it up, too fussy on the day I guess.

Pricey items for us are when we need toiletries like deoderant, or vitamins are pricey too. I use cheap meet like good quality mince, chicken pieces, sausages, cheaper meat, to cut up for stir frys and curries. Snacks are piece of fruit or bit of cheese and crackers or some Cheerios in a container, not pricey prepackaged snacks.

OUr supermarkets all have to display the Price Per... on their tags here which is very helpful for comparing things. LIke price per 100g for cheese, etc or price per sheet (for TP).

Taking a little calculator (or using your phone's) along and adding up as you go is good for seeing how quickly you're gettng to your budget, and heplful for deciding if you really need that ...whatever.

Sharon - posted on 06/07/2012

I'm sure you are, but I will say it anyway, clip coupons and watch for sales.

Jennifer - posted on 06/07/2012

Coupons! I am a major lover of coupons. They are the same as cash! A common misconception with coupons is that they are only good for junk food. Not so! I've had coupons for oranges, cheese, and fresh meat. You don't have to spend a fortune on papers every Sunday either to get a million coupons. I usually buy 3 papers a week which is $6, then I meet with a group in my area for a coupon exchange once a month. Just match up your coupons with the weekly deals at your local grocery store (places that double coupons really help). I just went to the store today and had half a cart full of fresh meat, fruits, veggies, oatmeal, granola bars, and some other items and spent $42 bucks. Because I used my coupons, I saved almost $50!

Stifler's - posted on 06/07/2012

Bulk everything like toilet paper, laundry detergent etc.

Make meals for 2 nights so you don't have to cook twice.