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Frugality, the Grocery Bill, and the Large Family, Part Two
By Kendra | June 4, 2009
First, I use several couponing sites to help me make my weekly shopping lists. If a particular store doesn’t have anything of great interest, I skip it. I frequent CVS, Walgreens, Target, and Rite Aid for coupon deals, and I make my lists based on the following sites:
I grocery shop at what would be considered a higher-end store in my area, but because I coupon and shop their sales, I spend no more and usually less than the discount stores like Winco. According to Jim Bob Howard, grocery stores put 1/12 of their store on loss-leader sale prices each month. I look for those sales, match coupons with them, and stock up. Doesn’t everyone need ten boxes of Wheat Thins when they only cost .44 a box? That’s a lot of peanut butter and cracker lunches (or crackers and chicken salad, made from the leftover whole chickens we grilled for the Memorial Day feast).
Because I use the sites that these very capable and gracious people have set up, using shopping lists already formulated with coupon match-ups, all I have to do is cut coupons, file them (my 11-year-old is the king of coupon filing), then match them up. Here’s what my stash looks like:
I also keep an organizer with sections for individual stores so I can pull the coupons I need for the week, stick them in that little organizer, and take it with me. The box above can fit in the child seat of a grocery cart but it’s a little embarassing 
♥
Does couponing really save me that much money? Well, here’s an example from a shopping trip to Target we made on Tuesday. I don’t coupon unless I am having to be out and about anyway, so it wasn’t an extra trip. Here’s the run-down:
3 Dry Idea Deodorant — Sale Price 2.49, Used three “$2 off one” coupons — 3 for 1.47
1 Degree Deodorant — Sale Price 1.97, Used one “$1.50 off one” coupon — 1 for .47
1 Edge shaving cream — Sale Price 1.24, Used one “.75 off one” coupon — 1 for .49
2 Kraft Mayonnaise — Sale Price 1.99, Used one “$1 off two” coupons and two “.60 off one” coupons — 2 for 1.78
1 impulse buy bucket for the beach from the Dollar Spot — 2.50
Used $5 Target gift card earned from a previous transaction
Paid out-of-pocket 1.69
Essentially, we got everything for free and the 2.50 bucket for 1.69
♥
I will write a little more about couponing in my next post, and yes, I’ll give you the list of categories in that coupon box. Grab an old plastic shoebox (mine’s a leftover from the school room), a bunch of envelopes (acquired for free from Walgreens),index cards (super cheap during back-to-school sales), and a pen!
Topics: Home Organization, Resources | 16 Comments »
June 4th, 2009 at 1:26 am
I am always envious when I read about you in the U.S. and your coupon opportunities. I’ve searched but haven’t been able to find many useful coupons in Canada. If there are any Canadian readers who know something I don’t, please fill me in!
June 4th, 2009 at 2:44 am
This information is so helpful. I had always thought of using coupons as a big waste of time on products that most of the time I did not need or use anyway. But, you have convinced me that it is worth the time and the effort! That is amazing that on your recent trip to the store you virtually got everything for free and the bucket for $1.69. I am sold! I will sit and learn from an experienced mom who knows how to save money. Keep on teaching us. I want and need to learn how to coupon while raising a busy household. Your posts are always so timely.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:36 am
I love this series! As a stay at home mom, living on one income, I absolutely love hearing these tips! Many blessings!
June 4th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Kendra,
I have been trying to use coupons more thanks to MSM too. I did great my last shopping trip, but I was so tired and stressed out by the end of the day (we go to Costco/Safeway/Target in one trip because of where we live I don’t want to be going into “town” all of the time). And this pay day it has taken me so much time to organize it all. I am wondering if I will get quicker/better or if it is all worth it? How many kiddo’s do you take on your “runs”? I only have three!! Why can’t I seem to get organized?!
Tai
June 4th, 2009 at 7:22 am
Our family is not “large” really but we do indeed coupon. Things are expensive so why not save if you can?
I like seeing your box. I have a similar one. It doesn’t fit in the cart seat though as the baby takes up all the room and eats the coupons if she can get her hands on them. LOL I have yet to find the perfect system.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Hi Kendra, although I am well past the planning-meals-for-a-family stage, and actually rarely cook anymore for Rick and myself, I do have this to say about my own buying practice:
I have a near-phobia about buying *anything* that’s not “on sale”. I hope my kids don’t read my comments here, because I didn’t come close to your feats in the kitchen (!), but my meals were ALWAYS planned around sales. And, yes, stocking up on those loss-leaders. Truthfully, I sometimes felt guilty because I don’t think my grocer ever made any profit from my forages!
Enough said. May I just conclude with my heart felt admiration for you. You ROCK!
June 4th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I think this series is wonderful! and really helpful for those of us with not-yet-large families: I just have 3.
I’m guessing you’ll answer this in a later post, but how does your meal planning work? I have a 6 week plan divided into 2 3 week blocks, but clearly that means I’m not so “sale responsive” and I’d really like to be!!
And do you have any idea how long it all takes you in a week: couponing, going to the shops etc? Just to give me an idea. I realise you may well not be able to answer that if it’s part of the multitasking life of a mom
thank you so much, I agree with Debbie: keep teaching us!
L
June 4th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
We must be twins separated at birth! I use Money Saving Mom, don’t usually shop at Walmart (ours is yucky, too), and I even have a coupon box like yours! Oh, and I stocked up on less-than-50-cent wheat thins and triscuts, too!
Have you ever bought coupons from thecouponclippers.com? They are a group of homeschooling moms who do it. Coupons are about 5-15 cents each but totally worth it. I order once a month or two and stock up. I’ve figured out when things go on sale here so I buy when I see a great number of coupons that I’ll use. You should check them out!
Thanks so much for the encouraging blog!
Hugs,
Carmen
June 4th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Kendra-Thanks for these posts, it is always good to get more ideas on how to save more money. Although we don’t have coupons like you do, here in NZ we do get the odd one here and there. I just need to have a better handle on keeping them in a place where I don’t forget about them before they expire.
Seven- I just googled printable coupons and a few pages came up for Canada, I hope some of them can be of some help to you.
Angela
June 4th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I’m a really bad couponer. If ever I try to use one I often forget it’s in my wallet until I’m in the car. Or there was the one time I gave the gal at Safeway the coupon and then wondered aloud why she didn’t use it – she pointed out it was for Albertson’s. Yeah – I need the step by step action here – thanks!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I have been couponing since August 2008 and have been mightily blessed doing it. It’s great to be able to “stockpile” things, save money (I stay at home and homeschool so husband is the only income) and we are eating better than we ever have. We used to buy alot of generics but now rarely do, since I can buy namebrands on sale with Qs cheaper than store brands. It’s also great to have extras to give away, to charities or anyone else that needs help. I love to get extras for my mom who works and makes ends meet with not alot of money. If you can find local bloggers in your area to read after, who do the leg work for you (telling you where the sales are, which Qs to use, etc.) it’s even better since stores tend to be regional. I like moneysaving mom and there are a couple more I like to read after. I wish we had more stores to choose from….my cousin in FL has a Publix, those places are awesome!
June 4th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Nope, nothing like this in NZ either!! Your food is sooo much cheaper than here! We use a local outlet food store sometimes, and fill up the freezer when good deals are to be found.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:10 am
I don’t know if you will get this, but I’d love to see the menu you served for the Memorial Day party.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Lisa-
We bought a bunch of whole chickens when they were on sale for 29 cents/pound and threw them in the freezer. We took six of those and did a spice rub under the skin then smoked and grilled them over beer cans. Then I bake beans using pork and beans (on sale at 79 cents/can), top them with brown sugar, dry mustard, and ketchup and bake slowly. Garlic bread loaves- fresh garlic and butter on French bread (the pre-made loaves are pricey and not as yummy), chips and homemade salsa, a large platter of homemade cookies for dessert. Ice water, iced tea- we decided not to do soda this time and the kids didn’t miss it.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
This is awesome. While I regularly use coupons, I’m always in need of refining! I will definitely check out these websites. Do they have ideas of where to get coupons? I’ll get a couple in the mail here or there and then some in the Sunday paper, but are there many other places to find them? Also, is it “coo-pon” or “Q-pon”? I get made fun of for saying “Q-pon”! Thanks for the tips!
June 11th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Okay, I just saw in the above post where to get coupons!