I usually use coupons at the grocery stores and also buy their saving specials. When I get home I put the money I saved in my savings account and by the end of the month I ususally have around $80.00 in savings! Double the fun and double the pleasure!
I use to use coupons a lot but have found the stores here don't seem to double coupons like where I use to live. I now depend more on sales and "loss leaders" as Rhonda mentioned and I try more store brands. I was amazed at how good some of Walmarts store brand items are and so much cheaper! Dry goods, canned goods, cleaning products, coffee, tea etc I find I can get cheaper at Walmart(it amazes me that I can buy for example a box of crackers at Walmart and the exact same package/brand at my grocer is sometimes as much as $1.50 more!)'
I can't get meat, deli or produce at my Walmart(it is not a super store) but when the area stores have boneless chicken breast on sale I buy as much as my budget will allow that week. Divide it up and freeze. Same with roasts, hamburg any meat on sale. lunch meat goes on sale I buy a couple of pounds and divide it when I get home into packages with enough for one or two sandwiches in each so I just have to pull out one packet.
Unfortunately I can't afford to put my "savings" into an account I depend on the sales so I can stretch my money if I have extra I will tend to spend it on a sale item to stock up. More than once I have walked away saving more money than I have spent! It does take time and you have to check ads carefully but it is well worth it in the end.
I rarely use coupons unless they are for items I use frequently, buying something just because you have a coupon will not be a savings in anyway. Shop your stores Loss Leader Items and save a bundle. This week chicken breast was on sale for 99 cents/lb and General Mills cereal was 5/$10.00 with a free gallon of milk with your next store order. When all was said and done I had saved greater than 50% . You have to be disiplined to shop this way , but it all pays off in the end.
Here's another of those 'coupon' tips which are quite unknown to Australians. Here coupons are illegal (have been for years) - if you mean coupons which you save to turn into goods. There are often tips about saving with coupons and they are absolutely useless to us here down under.
Editor's Note: Coupons in the U.S. and Canada are printed "tickets" for money off on certain products or brands, like 30 cents off if you a certain size of a certain product. At some stores in some states they have days at the store where they will double the amount off on any coupon you use which is called "doubling". So for example if you bring your coupons in on Tuesday, they will give you double the amount off on any coupons you use. This can really save you a lot of money.
When I go to the grocery store any money that I save with coupons I put is my savings account. I plan my grocery budget according to things on sale and do not count the coupons that I have. So I end up saving money that I was planning to spend.
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