#storecoupons

[chandachapin]

[onabudgetdiet]

grocery store surprises and no sale neccesities

As much preparing as it takes to save some decent dough, there are sometimes nice little surprises when you get to the grocery store that weren't exactly advertised.  Even if you weren't planning on buying those items you might want to and you'll get a little bit extra savings.

1. Discontinued items--> these aren't bad or problem food items; it is usually a flavor or style that is being discontinued.  For instance a certain flavor soup or salad dressing.  These go for like 30% off the retail price, so it will help your savings %.  If it is an item that you particularly like or think you'll use and is non perishable, go buy it before it's all gone!

2. in-store manufacturer's coupons--> These are different than the catalina's that i've talked about.  Catalina's are manufacturer's coupons that print out with your receipt to be used at that store again.  These coupons are by the item that is on the coupon. So I wasn't planning on buying sargento cheese last time I went grocery shopping, but there was a coupon buy the sargento cheese and there was a sale on the cheese, so I bought it because I needed cheese anyways.  The problem is that these coupons can't be doubled, but they usually don't expire for a couple months, so if it's an item that doesn't tend to have a coupon from inserts or the internet, then go ahead and snag a few of the coupons (I mean come on, they are free-bee coupons, I just can't resist) and pair them up with the sales.  

   <---this is what it looks like

Now for the no sale neccesities

As much as I want to use a coupon and/or at least store savings for everything I buy that isn't always the case.  I am still trying to eat healthy and have the diet food that I need.  Most of this involves perishable items (there is really no excuse for paying full price for most of the non-perishable items) like out of season produce or dairy (meat can last a long time by freezing).  

          Just a side note…every couponers' fear (or at least this one) is that you buy something at one price week 1 and it's on sale and you have a coupon by week 2, but you already overpaid!!!

The best way to minimize excess spending is to understand patterns and buy short term.  The later should seem like umm duh and it is, but it's thrown in there just as a reminder.  The former isn't as common sense-y.  As far as patterns, pay attention to how often an item goes on sale.  If it something that goes on sale often and you don't need it that week, then wait for it to go on sale again before buying that item.  OR if you need it that week buy only a minimal amount, just what you need for a short period of time and wait for it to go on sale to buy it in bulk.  

It becomes a harder game when you haven't quite picked up on patterns.  This has recently happened to me with milk.  I love almond milk (it's lower in calories than skim milk with just as much calcium, less protein though), and there was a period of time when it went on sale and I had coupons.  However, it is a perishable item and I didn't haven't coupons for the non-perishable version, so I couldn't "bulk up" on almond milk (get it…couldn't "bulk up" b/c there is less protein than skim milk, vs. "bulking up" as in buying a ton of it…haha, my attempt as a pun).  Anyways, I was making out like a bandit, pretty much saving quite a bit on almond milk b/c of the store sale and coupons.  Well it stopped going on sale and my milk was running low, so when I ran out, I just bought one carton to get me through the week.  I have so many almond milk coupons, so I used one of my coupons and saved some, but with the hope that the next week it would go on sale and I could buy a couple.  Well eventually it went on sale and I was able to buy a couple cartons of almond milk. 

                                                       Moral of the milk predicament: Don't stress to much if you need it, buy just for that week and wait for the sale or if your coupon is about to expire, use it, it isn't going to be the difference b/w the trip to hawaii vs. the trip to the beach.  

Recipe

Tomato and cheese toasted breakfast: Inspired by the surprise coupon for sargento cheese (200 cal)

-1 100 calorie sandwich thins (100 cal)

-2 slices sargento thin cheddar slices (45 cal each)

-2 quarter inch thick slices of a big juicy tomato (10 cal)

on the bottom in this order: bread, cheese, tomato for both slices of bread.  Then toast in a toaster oven and enjoy.

[margawyson-blog]

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