I have a bunch of free upcoming coupons classes that you can register for. You don’t want to wait too long as they will sell out.

Tiffany will be giving away a Kroger Gift Card for every 10 attendees who say they heard about the coupon class from MyLitter when they register. Must be present to win

These classes cater more to the beginner couponer, but it is always fun to meet other couponers. The class is a little over an hour long, and I cover everything from how to get started, where to find coupons, what method I personally use, how to do a clip-less method of couponing, and then how to get the best deal on coupons since you need them to coupon.

Handouts are provided, just bring a pen. Nursing babies are welcome, but with any event should they need a break just feel free to walk them around. Kids are usually bored out of their minds, so if you can leave them home or trade babysitting I would do that.

Click the city and date to register! 

Holiday Inn (January 20th)
10135 Texas 151
San Antonio, TX 78251

Houston Chronicle Building Galleria Area (January 21st)
4747 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77027

Hilton Airport (January 21st)
611 NW Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78216

Bay Oaks Country Club (January 23rd)
14545 Bay Oaks Rd
Houston, TX 77059

Hilton Garden Inn (January 24th)
7979 Willow Chase Blvd
Houston, TX 77070

OK so we have made it 10 days! Today we are going to be talking about meal planning and menu planning! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT… don’t tune me out yet!!! I know it sounds a little boring…. but I promise if you read through today’s info, you will be so happy that you did!!

You can check out my menu plans HERE.

If you have missed any of the days, you can check them out below:

Day 1 – Getting Started

Day 2 – All about coupons

Day 3 – Organizing Coupons

Day 4 – Creating a stockpile

Day 5 – About Grocery Stores

Day 6 – CVS & Walgreens

Day 7 – Walmart

Day 8 – Target

Day 9 – Resources

Yesterday in the mail, you should have gotten your grocery ads. If you don’t in the mail, you can pick them up at the store, or look at them online.

This is a good time to look at making a menu plan for the week. Take notice what is on the front page. These are the things the store wants you to see to get you in the store, they are called “loss leaders” and stores are willing to take a loss on them for you to shop there.

PLAN your meals starting with the protein on sale on the front pages of these ads. Since the biggest part of my budget is spent on meat (protein) fruits and veggies. I try to make sure that I am getting my meat/protein as cheap as I possibly can. If I didn’t get it from Zaycon, I got it from the front page.

* More on Zaycon in a minute…

Because the biggest part of my budget is on meat/produce/fruit I want to get the best deal possible on those items. That is why I typically shop off the front page of my ads.

One of the questions I get asked the most is how do you save on meat and produce. Go to http://bit.ly/zayconvideo to see a  video of how to store my chicken from Zaycon.

Meat – I use Zaycon. Zaycon is a company that delivers super high quality AWESOME fresh meat to your area cutting out the middleman and saving you a TON of money. To order, you must be registered (link is in my bio)  and already be logged in to your account. On the main “My Account” page, scroll down the list of upcoming events, find your preferred event and click on the “Click here to place an order” link. Buying in bulk is one of the ways that I save a lot of money on food. You do not have to have a large chest freezer to store this much chicken. Also, consider splitting an order with a friend or neighbor.

The chicken is 100% natural chicken with no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients, and will be priced around $1.84 a pound!!!

Produce – One of my favorite ways to save on produce is from Bountiful Baskets. They are a volunteer run food co-op where you are able to pick up weekly baskets of fresh produce. If there is not one in your area, you can actually get one started with their help!

I wanted to write up a post on how to save money on produce for a long time. We just go through SO much produce all year round, that much of my food budget goes to fruits and vegetables!

Plus, what kind of Mother would ration produce from her children? This one has!

There are also not very many coupons for fruits and vegetables! How do I save money on produce? A few different ways. By finding some coupons. Target occasionally has Target store coupons for produce, WATCH for them! You can also type “produce” into the coupon database and see what is available.

Find a discount grocer: Thankfully, we just had an Aldi’s open near us and I have been able to get some awesome deals there. they are a little farther away, but worth the drive a few times a week.

Start a fruit and Veggie Co-Op: This might be scary, and you might not think about doing it yourself, but if I can do it you can easily! Find the closest grocery district and check the prices and quality of the different grocers, get a group together and develop a schedule. Click HERE for how we did ours.

Looking for Organics?: Many grocery stores carry a big variety now, so you can start there. Also check out Local Harvest to see what is in your area as far as farmers markets go. I LOVE farmers markets! The veggies and fruits always seem to taste better and look better! Let your kids pick out things they have never had before to try.

Farmers Market or Grocers Market: We have a number of farmers markets in our area. But if I want to do some driving I can head into downtown to the actual grocers markets where the restaurants and stores buy their produce. It is a really cool experience, and you can save a lot of money, but I just don’t have the time to do it! Take notes!! We can’t possibly do everything alone. There are people out there that do a great job of what they do and for meal planning that is @5dollardinners if you are not following Erin Chase you are missing out!! She is the master at meal planning and she helps you do it too! Oh, and she will be on The Today Show THURSDAY morning talking about meal plans!

I have done many free menu plans as well that you can check out HERE.

$5Dollardinners helps you do just what the site is called, she can help you make your meal plans with your meals costing just as little as $5! Below is a list of all of the pre-made, menu plans that Erin has listed currently. Erin offers the complete grocery shopping list, as well as complete recipes with ingredients broken down to make it easy for you.

Erin’s Menu Plans:

• Costco Meal Plan #1 – $1.49
• Costco Meal Plan #2 – $1.49
• Costco Slow Cooker Freezer Pack Plan – Recipes & Shopping List Only – $1.49
• Costco Slow Cooker Freezer Pack Plan – Recipes, Shopping List, & Assembly Instructions – $5.00
• Gluten Free Costco Meal Plan – $1.49
• 31 Days of Gluten Free Meals eCookbook – $1.99
• Holiday Entertaining Guide – $1.99
• Sam’s Club Meal Plan #1 – $1.99
• Sam’s Club Meal Plan #2 – $1.99

Sorry for the postpone yesterday of our coupon class. The Kroger mega event threw us all off! There was so much to post on all the good deals and trying to help everyone figure out how to shop the sale took up the day!Day 7 of our coupon class is going to be all Walmart. We will have a few “experts” giving us some awesome tips on how to make the most of your shopping experience there!Are you ready?!

If you have missed any of the days, you can check them out below:

Day 1 – Getting Started

Day 2 – All about coupons

Day 3 – Organizing Coupons

Day 4 – Creating a stockpile

Day 5 – About Grocery Stores

Day 6 – CVS & Walgreens

Day 7 – Walmart

Day 8 – Target

Day 9 – Resources

We will start with Walmart today. Walmart is the #1 retailer in the country. As much as I love Target, I am in Walmart a lot more. And for MANY people they ONLY have a Walmart.Today we are going to be covering the Coupon Policy, the Ad Match policy and Shopping Strategies at your Walmart store.

The Walmart coupon policy had a major overhaul in 2011. It became very coupon friendly and added the element of overage which is really cool. It is always very important to print a copy of the policy and have it with you when you are shopping there. The biggest obstacle I have had at Walmart is a cashier that doesn’t know their own policy.

We gladly accept the following types of coupons*

• Print-at-home internet coupons
  • Must be legible
  • Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
  • Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
  • Must have a valid expiration date
  • Must have a scannable bar code
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons with a specified price
  • Are acceptable in black and white or color
  • May not be duplicated
• Manufacturers’ coupons
  • For dollar/cents off
  • For free items (except those printed off the Internet)
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons
  • Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
  • Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
  • Must have a valid expiration date
  • Must have a scannable bar code
  • May not be duplicated
• Competitors’ coupons
  • A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99
  • Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price
  • Have a valid expiration date
  • Are acceptable in black and white
• Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)
  • Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item
  • Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” with specific item requirements printed on them
  • Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
  • Must have a valid expiration date
  • Must have a scannable bar code
  • Are acceptable in black and white
  • May not be duplicated

These are some of the most common questions @iheartthemart and I get asked about Walmart.

1. YES! You can use a coupon and price match! Walmart wants you to get the same deal at Walmart that you can get at another store. If you couldn’t use a coupon on the item, then why price match it?! You could get a better deal at the other store! Sometimes when I have explained o that way to a cashier they realize how silly it is to not let you use the coupon.

2. Walmart will ad match any local competitor. It is up to the manger to decide who they consider a competitor. One store by me will match the Dollar Stores and another wont. It is best to simply ask your manager if they price match a store in your area that you are interested in. They do NOT match an online ad for any store. (Most locations have begun to discontinue their Ad Matching policy so be sure to ask before checking out)

3. There is not a limit on coupons you can use at Walmart. After 40 coupons the register will beep and a CSM will just need to turn the key, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use more then 40 coupons!

4. In the Walmart coupon policy it is clear that they allow overage in the form of cash back. That is why you carry the coupon policy with you. Walmart  is reimbursed 100% for the coupon. If you have problems you need to call 1-800-Walmart and ask them to help you fix it.

I was not planning on doing this post… But I hear this all day long every day. I am a firm believer in following the coupon policy and letting mangers make decisions for their own stores.

HOWEVER, Walmart seems to have some issues with managers and cashiers claiming that there is a “new” coupon policy. This is often said when they are unsure of the current policy or want an excuse to not accept a coupon, issue that you might have. BUT when pressed, they can’t produce a new coupon policy or even the current one at all.

In EVERY situation that I have asked to see the “new” policy there has not been one produced EVER. That gives me the chance to pull the current one out of my binder to show them what it says. I also usually say “I love to follow the rules, and I will be happy to follow any new policy you have, but until you can show it to me, let’s go by the one that is currently on the Walmart.com site.”

The Walmart policy does NOT state that you can not use a coupon on a price match item. If you explain to the cashier or manager what I explained in the LAST POST, they usually see the light and let you do both. If they don’t I would call 1-800-Walmart often until they fix that. Also, I would suggest calling 1-800-Walmart to ask them if they allow coupon + price match. I have called a LOT and each time they have told me that they do.

Should they ever come out with a statement, or policy that says they will not do both. Price Matching is dead. There is no point.

***Many Walmart are no longer doing Price Matching so ask BEFORE checking out***

I love ad/price matching! What an awesome way to save some time and money! The idea is that you can use the sales ads from the other stores to get the same price on the SAME item at Walmart.

The ad match guarantee says you do not have to have your ad with you. I bring mine anyway to avoid any hassle.

Paul @iheartthemart has some tips to price match (he also has some good videos on You Tube, you can find him there under “i heart the mart” Paul also does about 20 different stores a week weekly price match lists you can print and take with you to the store.

1.Check the other grocery stores sales ad’s for great deals. Make a list of the items and prices. Check to see what coupons you have or can print to match up with these sales. Check electronics, I have saved HUGE this way at Walmart!

2.Take a look at the price matching policy. They will not do B1G1 free sales unless there is a listed price, but they will do 2 for $4 or 2/$4. They will also NOT do % off, like 25% off all soda. Florida’s policy is different on BOGO’s so make sure you look first.

3. Go shopping! Bring your other store ad’s with you. Most will require that you have them. Don’t cut them up, they will need to verify the dates on them. You can only use a current ad.

4. I always place items that I am NOT price matching on the belt first. Then I place my items that I am price matching and lay the ad on top of them so I don’t forget… or get distracted by children! I inform the cashier that I am price matching BEFORE they ring up my items, and show them the ad if needed. I saw a woman once that had placed sticky notes on her items, the cashier LOVED her! I don’t have that kind of time, but it was a good idea! Do the “Happy Dance” that you saved a bunch of money!

Price matching at Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid can be confusing at first, but it is easy to get the hang of it. When price matching a store with a customer rewards program you price match the sale price BEFORE the reward. That is because Walmart doesnt have the same program or the ability to print you a RR or a ECB.

For example in the razor deal above you would price match the “with card” price of $8.99. In the toothpaste deal on the right you would price match the $3.49 price.

The best question to ask yourself is “what would the OOP price be” that you are paying at the store you are price matching. That is what you are allowed to do at Walmart.

The OOP on the toothpaste is $3.49 (minus any coupons you would have) so that is the price you price match. Now, doing that deal at Walgreens you would get back a RR which Walmart can’t print. So some deals are better done at the store that has it in the ad.

:: Walmart Savings Catcher! :: 

There is a new app at Walmart that will help you save some money. It was supposed to start August 4th but the Savings Catcher was busting at the seems and actually rolled out August 1st in many areas. What this app does is allow you to scan your receipt and Walmart checks to see if you could have saved any money at your area stores. If you could have it will give you the difference back. I really love this program and what it means for the casual shopper, for coupon and price matching pros like us I think it is a scorecard and a safety net. It is so simple to use and reaches so many stores.

When I submitted my receipt from my regular Walmart Savings Catcher said it was comparing prices from 99, yes 99 different stores!! I submitted a receipt from a Walmart a little further south and it had a whopping 103 stores it was checking, WOW that is a lot of stores!

I have submitted two receipts and I got a total of $2.23. I was actually really excited about this because I am a price matching fool baby!!! It means I am doing it RIGHT!!!

I have put most of the details about Savings Catcher below, I am going to go through a few of my own thoughts and answer a few common questions I am getting.

Yes, you can still Ad Match. I wish they would have stated this on Walmart.com You can submit as many as 7 receipts a week 15 a month and get as much as $599 back a year.

If you have missed any of the days, you can check them out:

Day 1 – Getting Started

Day 2 – All about coupons

Day 3 – Organizing Coupons

Day 4 – Creating a stockpile

Day 5 – About Grocery Stores

Day 6 is here and we will be talking about couponing at the drug stores. The 3 main drug stores with customer rewards programs are CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. Although I post the match ups for ALL 3 stores stores on Saturdays, we will be talking about CVS and Walgreens because I am not familiar with Rite Aid as I don’t have one and have actually never been in one 🙁

CVS for me was the VERY first place I ever got anything for free, they were those nasty Soy Joy bars! I have such a love for CVS and think it is the easiest drug store to get started couponing at. It is pretty easy to understand and the cashiers are mostly helpful.

The very first thing you need to do is have a CVS card. You can get one online or right in the store and use it that day.

CVS has a customer rewards program called the Extra Care Bucks or ECB program. They reward you buy giving you ECB’s back on specially marked purchases that you make. ECB’s print out on the bottom of your receipt, they are like cash or a gift card so don’t loose them.

ECB’s can not be used on alcohol, tobacco, or on prescriptions. They can be used on everything else in the store. You also earn back 2% quarterly of everything that you spend pre-coupons in the store.

The first thing to do when you walk into the store is scan your CVS card at the red box that looks like a price scanner, well, it is also a price scanner. CVS has it’s own store coupons and they will print from there. You want these because they can be combined with manufacturer coupons for an even better deal.

Now you start shopping, take a look at the add and find the items that give you ECB’s back. Then find coupons that can be used along with these sales. OR, check my blog on Saturday mornings and I do the match-ups for you! There are limits on the deals so pay attention to that, or  you won’t get the ECB’s back if you buy too many. You also can not use another persons ECB’s on your purchases, they are tied to your card only. The bottom of your receipt will keep track of your purchases and your limits for you.

To make the most of your trip you will want to make a few transactions. Yes, you will actually place sometimes on the counter, pay for them and then right then do another transaction. I will either tell them I am making multiple transactions, or if it is busy I will go tot the back of the line and wait my turn again. The reason that I am doing this is because I am “rolling” my ECB’s onto the next purchase to help pay for part of it.

How Deals Will Look On Blogs for CVS

Buy 1 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste, Rinse, or Oral B Floss at $2.99, Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1)
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 6/7 P&G insert
Total: $0.49 after coupon and ECBs

In the instance above, you’ll spend $2.49 plus tax out of pocket, if you have the coupon. After you checkout, an ECB for $2 will be on the bottom of your receipt that you can use on your next order. Now, since this is only a limit of 1, you cannot buy this deal again and have the ECBs print out.

Buy 1 Schick Quattro Titanium Razor or Trimmer at $7.99, Get $3 ECBs (Limit 3)
Use $4/1 coupon from the 4/19 RedPlum insert
Total: $0.99 after coupon and ECBs

In the instance above, you’ll spend $3.99 out of pocket, if you have the coupon. After you checkout, an ECB for $4 will be on the bottom of your receipt. Since this deal is a limit of 3, you could do this deal two more times and ECBs will print out. If you did the Crest deal before this one, you could have used the $2 ECB on this order, making your total out of pocket only $1.99 plus tax. This is called “Rolling ECBs.”

CVS is really fun to shop at when you get the hang of it! Don’t give up and start small. The very first time you go just purchase 1 thing that gives you ECB’s back. Then try a little more the next week.

One of my best tips is to follow someone who shops the store well! One of my favorite CVS shoppers is @moneymaking_monster she posts awesome scenarios and knows what she is talking about! Make sure you are following her! There are a few more things you need to know when shopping at CVS:

• You need to get to 98% of the value of the item to get the ECB, for example if you are at $19.95 and you had to get to $20 to get a $5 ECB you would get the ECB because you were at more then 98%. If you were at $19, you would NOT get the $5 ECB without spending a little more money.
• 2 coupons can be used on a BOGO sale.
• Sign up for the CVS newsletter and get a $4/20 coupon.
• Always check the “red magic coupon machine” to see what coupons you will get that day
• Hand over coupons in the following order: $/$$ first ( money off) store coupons, manufacturer coupons, then ECB
• Sign up for the CVS Beauty Program you will get: 10% off beauty pass, $5 ECB for every $50 you spend BEFORE coupons, $3 ECB on your birthday, Free to join, get exclusive coupons first!
• ALWAYS ask for rain checks if the item you want is sold out!

At Walgreens I have scored some AMAZING deals. But to be honest it can be a little more than frustrating and CVS is much easier. If you are new I always suggest starting at CVS and once you have the hang of that, then try Walgreens. BUT, I have a ton of friends and readers who score AWESOME hauls at Walgreens!

Walgreens has a customer care program that they call Register Rewards, they also have the Balance Rewards Points program that started last fall.  You will need to get a points card, and you can register for that online at Walgreens.com. Register Rewards (RR) print out like catalina coupons when you get your receipt. Here are some things you need to know:

• You need to spend more than the value of the RR. For example, if you have a $10RR, you’d need to spend at least $10.01 when you checkout.
• Some exclusions do apply, such as they can’t be used on gift cards, stamps, alcohol, etc.
• Some RRs will roll, some will not. By rolling, this means you can repeat the same transaction over and over and another RR will print. Usually, you can only use one from the same manufacturer. In those cases, if you were to do the same transaction again, an RR wouldn’t print.
• An RR is considered a coupon. When you check-out, you must have as many items as you do coupons. So if you are “stacking” coupons and have two for any particular item, you must make sure that you have another item that doesn’t have a coupon in order to use it. Also, since they are considered to be coupons, when Walgreens puts out one of their $$ off coupons, such as their “$5 off $25 purchase coupons,” the amount of the RR must be discounted before the $25 total.

You will need to sign up and create an account to get your card. This will be needed to track your points and to redeem them.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• Customers can join in one easy step in stores at checkout or any photo kiosk, online at walgreens.com/balance or with their mobile devices and begin earning points immediately for their purchases.
• Members receive exclusive savings every week on popular products.
• Savings and points can be easily earned when members show their Balance Rewards card, provide their telephone number or scan their mobile phone.
• Members can easily access their point totals and see how many points they need until their next reward at checkout, online or through their mobile device.

Just be sure to redeem Balance Rewards points on a transaction where you are not expecting to earn more BR points. 

When you buy an item at Walgreens where you earn points, those points show up immediately on the bottom of the receipt from that transaction. Look for “earned this visit”.

Instant Points

• Members can instantly earn and redeem points for thousands of items in store and online.1
• Members will earn points for activities that help them stay well, like Walk with Walgreens, immunizations and — where states allow — for RX.2
• Members receive exclusive access to the Walgreens online Pharmacy Chat service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Endless Rewards

• Members can redeem points immediately in-store or online for a little something special or hold off until they have earned more points for an even greater reward.
• Points will not expire as long as members remain active by shopping at Walgreens at least once every six months and redeem their points within three years.
• Points go further as you earn more.

If you were expecting points but didn’t earn them, ask the cashier immediately. If you bought the wrong size, color, flavor, or fragrance of the item and therefore didn’t earn the points you can return the item and purchase the correct one.

For me there is a LOT to learn at Walgreens. Make sure to use Google, You Tube and follow awesome Walgreens people like @couponcaroline (on Instagram) for help! < ——- Follow her! Couponing with a buddy is the easiest way to get good and understand the rules. Ask questions, but the more work you do yourself the better you will understand it and the faster you will get the best deals!

Because we have an AWESOME Kroger Mega Event coming up tomorrow, I think we need to make sure that everyone knows how to shop a mega event sale!

FIRST – I have a 30 minute You Tube Video that you can watch which will teach you everything you need to know. Just go to You Tube and search for “MyLitter Kroger Mega Event” and you will find it.

When you are having a mega event you will want to check out the ad for your region on Kroger.com and wwww.mylitter.com so you can see the deals for YOUR region. This is the front page of an ad for a mega event above. It will explain what items are on sale ( although there are a TON more in the store unadvertised) and tell you what your final price will be AFTER the mega event $$ came off at the end. It will also tell you how many items you need to buy to get a discount. 

A mega event sale is unusual because it runs for 2 weeks instead of 1.

Like I said, MOST of the mega event items are unadvertised and not in the ad. So when you are in the store you will want to look for all the mega event items that are tagged like the image above.

On www.mylitter.com I also keep a HUGE list of the unadvertised items and match them up with coupons. Just look in the “nav” bar for your region under “All Things Kroger” to find your list.

The first price is the price you will pay if you don’t buy 5 mega event items. The lower price is the price you will pay (before coupons) IF you buy 5 mega event items. During this sale you MUST buy the number stated. For example, in the sale above it is a Buy 10 Save $5. If I buy 19 mega event items I will only get $5 off, but if I had bought 20 I would have gotten $10 off. 

I separate the items in my cart by non- mega event items and mega event items so that I can keep track of how many I have. This trip I had 30. I also double count them when I am checking out. The $5 for each 10 items you buy will automatically come off your total when you scan your Kroger card and check out at the register. You can also check your receipt and make sure that you get all the money off that you are supposed to by looking for a <* by each item.

Sometimes if I notice I am short an item or 2, I will ask the cashier to scan a cheaper item 2 times and I will run back and get that item after checkout. This is so that I can get all the money off I am supposed to.

There is nothing you have to do to make the money come off from a mega event other then scan you Kroger card or put in your phone number. You can also use coupons on the items you are buying in the mega event. There is usually no limit on how many mega event items you can get in a transaction.

Coupons for the troops! Our Men and Women overseas in the military are able to sue coupons 6 months past the expiration dates. So, if you have ever wondered what to do with those expired coupons, you can send them over! This is one small way that we can help our military families.

• Send coupons that are just a month or two past their expiration date, since it takes time to ship, sort and distribute to personnel.
• If possible, try to sort coupons into smaller envelopes in the same categories you would use. At the very least, sort them into FOOD and NON FOOD if possible.

**PLEASE sort the coupons into categories before shipping them. If you do send her coupons, please consider including $1 to help defray the cost of postage.

Our military families stationed overseas CAN use the following types of coupons:

• Coupons that state that they are manufacturer’s coupons.
• Catalina coupons for $$$ a specific product that is also a manufacturer’s coupon (for example $1.00 off 1 package of Kraft cheese or 35¢ off Dannon yogurt)
• Coupons from all sources provided they are manufacturer’s coupons (Insert coupons, tearpads, printable coupons, booklet coupons, peelies, winetags, etc)

Our military families stationed overseas CANNOT use the following types of coupons:

• Store specific coupons (for example: Walgreens, Target, Publix, etc)
• Restaurant coupons (for example: Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Red Lobster, etc)
• Local coupons (for example: coupons good at a dry cleaner in your town)

Today is the first day of our online coupon class on Instagram with all the handouts being posted here on MyLitter. I am so excited to get started today! You can check back for all posts under the hashtag #mylittercouponclass. Grocery prices have been on the rise for more than 12 months straight now and many American families are starting to feel the strain on their budgets. Sick of getting up to the register only to be surprised with a $200 or $300 total? I’ve been there! I want to offer hope for all budgets, large or small.  I will be teaching you how to cut your grocery budget by 50% of more. For most families, these will mean a savings or $100 per week, or more! I began couponing about 4 years ago with the help of a friend who was a “coupon queen”. Before that I would cut coupons every now and then, but I never saw much as far as savings from them. Plus, it seemed like I was buying junk food and things we wouldn’t use. I gave up all the time and thought it wasn’t worth my time. After my friend took my hand and taught me that there was actually a method and way to coupon it changed everything. I was able to see success in cutting those coupons out! We cut our food budget from $1,300 a month for food and toiletries to $425 a month and are always looking for ways to make it even less. Throughout today, I will be posting tip and videos helping you understand couponing a little at a time. The things we are going to talk about today are… 1. Learning the 3 key principles 2. Creating a budget 3. Rethinking your current strategy 4. Coupon Lingo The 3 Key Principles we will be talking about today are:

• 1. Use a coupon with a store sale
• 2. Stock Up for these items on a 3 month schedule or create a stockpile
• 3. Be consistent!

Use a coupon with a store sale – This is key to getting the lowest possibly price on items. A $.50 coupon is an ok coupon, but when an item is $2.99 regular price and you use that $.50 coupon, you are paying $2.49. Now, if you wait, and combine that coupon with a store sale, say for example that same item is on sale for $1.49, then you use the coupon it is now $.99!! Which is probably a stock up price. If you are not using coupons with store sales, most likely you are not seeing the value of coupons and will give up. All of a sudden coupons will be become VALUEable! One of the biggest mistakes I see newbies making is getting so excited to coupon they cut out all their coupons, and go use them all at once at the store…. spending MORE money “couponing” then if had not used a coupon at all! WAIT. Hold on to your coupon. ONLY use it if you can combine it with a store sale or promotion.

Stock up when the item is at the “Stock Up” price. – Seems obvious… but in order to save the most money and lower your grocery bill, you have to only buy items when they are at the lowest possible price combined with a coupon. To do this you will need an idea of what your “stock up” price is. I do a LOT of this work for you by writing the match ups for the stores and using a yellow STAR to tell you if it is a stock up price. Like you can see in the example above. If the item has a star by it, then it is a stock up price. This is why I buy multiple papers, so I have multiple’s of the same coupon. I want to buy as many as I can when the item is at it’s lowest possible price. So that I don’t have to buy that item again, until I can get the same great deal.

Be Consistent – If you get papers this week, then skip next week, then get papers the following week, you will not see the BIG savings. You have to be CONSISTENT! This is not a sprint. This is a marathon. You are not chasing a few deals here and there, you are changing the way you think and the way you shop FOREVER. This is a life long habit that you are getting into. People who chase the single deals to buy 100 of them, just to have, don’t hang in there long. They get overwhelmed and give up. That is because they are not really saving much or see a big dent in their overall budget. This is about a new lifestyle, one in which you are going to be saving HUNDREDS each month. You just need to be consistent.

Creating a budget is a BAD WORD, I know. Not fun and no one wants to do it… But having a budget doesnt have to be all spread sheets and fights with the husband. It can even be as simple as writing down what you have spent the past few weeks on groceries and start keeping track, that way you can see the difference couponing is making and adjust if you have to. Plus, it can be FUN to see how much you are saving!

These are helpful links for budgeting: 

Mint.com – I love this! Plus it is free. They help you get organized

Dave Ramsey – Get his budgeting forms here

Buy MUST HAVE items first. I always buy milk and eggs first. These are things we cant live without and I don’t want to end up at the end of the week wondering how I am going to pay for them. Then I plan my meals (we will get to that later) buying the protein and fruit/vegetables from my cash. AFTER that, I coupon HEAVILY for all the OTHER items. Things like cereal, breakfast items, lunch stuff, condiments, snacks, drinks, dessert and all other food items that are “extras”.

In the beginning I think it is easier to shop for toiletries and paper products FIRST. Food is a little harder and you don’t see as big of a bang for your buck. So if you are getting frustrated, back off the food and just work on the other stuff!

This is an old idea… but it WORKS! Try paying with cash along with your coupons, it keeps you from overspending.

When you are working towards becoming an “extreme couponer” or just a money saving MANIAC… you are going to have to re-think the way you have been shopping. No more running to the store everyday to get dinner and just what you need for that day or the next. You are going to actually HAVE A STRATEGY!!

• Make a PLAN
• Look at the store ad
• Find the match ups on MyLitter
• Create your shopping list
• Cut your coupons
• Stock up
• Go to the store and SAVE MONEY

You will be buying the items that ARE ON SALE and USE A COUPON on them! You will be stocking up on what is the cheapest and best deal each week. Restocking your shelves at home with items you have bought at their LOWEST possible price.

I will not be buying everything at one store or at one time. I will be shopping a few SELECT stores and getting the very best deals they have to offer. Then I won’t have to buy those items again until they are on sale and I have a coupon. BUT I will also NOT be running all over town to get 30 more bottles of body wash when I already have 20 at home. That makes me waste my gas and my time, which is valuable! You are working off a 3 month rotation, and in that 3 months you will probably use 1-2 bottles of body wash. SHOP SMARTER!

Coupon Lingo is super important to learn, it can be like a completely different language. It is really easy to learn though and once you get the hang of it you can decipher all the coupon match ups witch will make all the difference.

If you want a full page of coupon lingo abbreviations you can go HERE and check it out.

Did you think you were just going to get off that easy?? Nope! You have homework! These are all things you can do mentally while you are sitting here reading this or in carline at school picking up the kids 🙂

– Take Inventory – I want you to think about what coupons you currently have and where you are storing them. What do you have as far as a stockpile? What kind of room do you have to stockpile ( it doesn’t take a lot, don’t worry!)

– Choose 1 Grocery Store – You are going to think about the stores in your area. If you don’t know what stores you have, Google it, or ask a neighbor. PRINT OFF THAT STORES COUPON POLICY. Read it. You can also use google to find the policy.

– Choose 1 Drug Store – Again, think of what you have in your area. It is going to be CVS, Walgreens or Rite Aid. CVS is my personal favorite. But you pick the one you can get to the easiest. PRINT OFF THAT STORES COUPON POLICY. Read it. You can also use google to find the policy.

– Decide on a grocery budget – This isn’t going to be fun to see how much you are saving if you don’t know how much you are spending! Go back through the past few weeks and see what you have spent on groceries. Then mentally pick a number and set that as your goal. Let’s say in the past 3 weeks you have spent about $200 a week on groceries. Let’s pick a budget of $180 for the next week and see what we can do with that…. Baby steps….

Meet me back tomorrow for class, and we will go from here!