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Even the most careful shopper can save even more money at the grocery store with coupons. If you shop once a week and use only $3.00 worth of coupons every week, that's $156.00 you will save in one year! But really smart shoppers will usually use more than $3.00 in coupons every week.
Don't overlook any source:
Coupons can be found in newspapers and in magazines, etc. There might be a coupon exchange at your local supermarket, or even in the public library in your town. If there is not, think about starting one. Talk to your neighbors and relatives about trading coupons. Even friends who live in another part of the country--they may have coupons they can't use, but that you could use and vice versa.
Most manufacturers have 800 numbers that you can call to request coupons.
Some things to remember when shopping with coupons:
1. Compare prices--even with a coupon a name-brand may not be the cheapest.
2. Try to use your coupons when the item is on sale and get the lowest price possible.
3. A good time to try a new product is when it's on sale and you have a coupon also.
4. If you buy a Sunday newspaper solely for the coupon inserts, remember that on the weekend before a holiday there usually aren't any coupons.
If you truly want to save money on your grocery bill by using coupons, it is vital to be organized. It takes only a few minutes a week to keep your coupons organized, but it will be well worth your time to keep your coupons efficiently sorted.
Keep them grouped in categories such as, paper goods, cereals, frozen foods, cleaning items, etc. And then organize them according to placement in the store.
One way to organize your coupons is to use baseball card pages in a 3-ring binder.
And be aware of expiration dates. You might want to highlight the date as you sort your coupons.
Using coupons takes a little more work and diligence, but it can pay off!
About The Author: Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another", bringing you practical, money-saving tips, recipes and ideas. Visit her online at http://www.cynroberts.com to subscribe and receive the Free e-course, "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".
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