So when I first walk in I go right to the register and buy something small, like a pack of gum, and get all my coupons. Then I go do my regular shop (toilet paper, batteries, dental floss, etc) and I can use my coupons right then and there. That way I don’t have to keep track of when they expire, or make a special trip to the store.

Thanks for sharing this resource. I think it's great that sites such as The Grocery Game exist in order to save consumers both time and money. That's interesting that your grocery stores quit doubling coupons, both of the major ones I shop at continue this practice. I know that can really make a difference so that's disappointing to hear.

Take care!

-FruGal

I like that you bring up the point of not wasting money on the paper if there's nothing you want. A few times when I first got started I got the paper only to find out there weren't any coupons at all! From what I've read online, it seems as if on most holiday weekends, coupons aren't included. Good to know!

-FruGal

Just wondering if you have a local Farmer's Market in your area. If so, do you shop there and how do you like it?

There is a great one close to where I live with high quality fruits, vegetables, etc. at very affordable prices. The only difficulty is that they don't carry a lot of items I usually tend to get at a traditional grocery store, so I usually only go every couple of weeks to the Farmer's Market.

-FruGal

Thanks for your comment! I'm part of CVS' ExtraCare Rewards Program but I don't frequent the store much, I'll have to check out their deals.

-FruGal

I used to cut almost all the coupons just in case…but now I only cut for the stuff that I know I use. Then I combine my coupons with CVS extra bucks by taking about 10 minutes a week to go through the CVS ad and put all the coupons for that week in a CVS tab in the album. When I make my shopping list during the week I put coupons in a Walmart tab. That way when I head to those places the coupons are already organized and I can just pull out the correct ones for that store.

I save more than $3 every week in coupons so it is worth the cost of buying the newspaper. Plus now that I can check which coupons are in the paper I can avoid wasting money on the paper if there is nothing I want.

We do stock up via sales, use coupons when we can, etc. but mainly we purchase whole foods which are more expensive. I know the prices for say a 5 lb. bag of apples, so I know a deal when I see one. If you don't have a memory for it, use a grocery price book, it's a real time and money saver.

Great point about not being able to earn your wage during downtime. Though for me my downtime is the only time that I earn money.

As an aside, Northern 3-ply toilet paper – the only TP worth mentioning in polite company! Usually very expensive, but get that on sale at CVS for $6.99 for a double roll (gimmick) 12-pack and use a coupon. That is something to stock up on ;)

I've definitely gotten much more out of it the more I've done. While it's easy enough for anyone to do, there is definitely an “art” to couponing that takes some time to master. I've used coupons for as long as I can remember, and got heavily into it within the past year – and I'm still learning new tips and tricks to save money every day.

-FruGal

One helpful strategy I use when buying in bulk is to make sure I look at the “price per unit” of items I'm buying, which is found at the bottom of the tag on the shelf. Lots of times buying in bulk saves money, but there are definitely occasions when I've learned that that's not the case, and sticking with the regular size actually is a better deal.

-FruGal

-FruGal

That's a great idea about tracking your coupon/supermarket savings over the course of a year. It's impressive that over 12 years ago you saved that much! Imagine what that $2200 would translate to today! I'd love to try doing this some day!

I also like to think about not only the savings I'm getting by using coupons on groceries, but how much I'm not spending by eating out regularly and most often opting for the cheaper (and often healthier) version at home.

If you decide to track your savings for 2010, will you post it online, or is this just something for your personal knowledge?

-FruGal

-FruGal

It really varies week to week but I'd say I save at least $25 – $30 (usually more) at the grocery store, after spending 1 – 2 hours on couponing. I definitely stick to generic if it's a better deal and save the coupons for another time.

However, I'd say this has paid off much more in other ways, such as beyond the grocery store. I've come across (and used) countless coupons for every aspect of life, including free oil changes, meals out (often buy one get one free where I can split the bill with a friend), department store coupons, etc. I'd have to say I save well over $100 a week with the use of various coupons.

I think JoeTaxpayer (below) has a great idea to track his savings over the course of a year. I'd love to see what my overall savings add up to!

-FruGal

Also, when I can beat the price of generics with my brand name coupons – I buy as many as I have coupons for, can afford and have space to store. Ideally, I would buy enough of that item to last me until the next rock bottom price sale comes around.

I saved about $30 on the above, which it would take nearly $60 to clear. I'm considering tracking and posting my coupon/supermarket deal savings for 2010. Last I did this was over 12 yrs ago and that year's savings were over $2200.

I think that's a great strategy. Why spend lots of time searching for deals when people are already doing it and making the information readily available to you. :-)

-FruGal

I do need to find the time to find some bargains of my own.