Shopping Tips
Here are some tips for shopping for less and places where you can get some great deals.
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Below you can find links to different websites that offer free online coupons and also some tips on how to save money at the grocery store each week.
| COUPONS.COM | This link leads to a massive amount of coupons that you can print out or email to yourself for more personalized savings. |
| WOW-COUPONS.COM | This link leads to a site that you can choose which type of coupon you would like, individual stores or more general retail coupons. |
| COUPONCABIN.COM | This link offers coupons for the online shopper. Just shop as you would normally and then enter the promotional code to get the discount. |
Plan out menus based on specials and in-season produce. Always make out a shopping list. Shop and stick to the list. Clip coupons from newspapers, magazines, or the Internet for products that you buy routinely. Take advantage of double coupons days or in-store specials. Consider stocking up on frequently used items while they're on sale. Go through cabinets routinely to use up canned and boxed staples. Buy in bulk when the savings prove good.
| Buying in Bulk |
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Big warehouse clubs, food co-ops, natural food stores, and even regular supermarkets sell bulk quantities of food. The key to figuring out whether or not the savings is significant depends on several factors. Here are four things to keep in mind: |
| 1. Frequency of use: Buy paper towels, paper plates, or toilet paper in bulk since these items last forever and will eventually be used. But buying a 10-pound bag of pears or a huge carton of salad greens takes a little more careful assessment. Will these delicate fresh foods be used up before they spoil? |
| 2. Cost per ounce: Shelf tags underneath a food item break down the cost per ounce for different-sized packages of an item so it's easy to compare cost. But keep a calculator handy to test numbers yourself. The biggest package is sometimes cheaper sometimes not. |
| 3. The "sale" factor Supermarkets and discount merchants run weekly specials on fruit, meat, or even laundry detergent. Many times these prices are below cost, or are "loss leaders" meant to draw shoppers to the store. In this case, buying on sale can be better than many warehouse deals. |
| 4. Membership dues Most warehouse clubs charge $40-$50 annual membership fees, these memberships are not helpful if you shop there infrequently. However, most find the savings good if they shop there frequently. Be wary because it can be tempting to overbuy in warehouse clubs, especially on nonfood items. |
| More tips for the bulk-minded: |
• Start your own bulk co-op with friends, family, or church groups. Buy 50 pound bags or rice, beans, flour, and oats and divide them up between the groups. |