How Do I Coupon ?Save Money While Buying Healthy for You, Your Family, and the Planet!

So this blog is new and I have not had a chance to explain coupons as well as I need to for the average person and newbie to drastically slashing your grocery budget. So, today I will post deals for one grocery store here in Arizona and explain as I go!

You will want to save your coupons from the Sunday paper. The best system is to NOT clip every coupon. Rather, as you get the inserts take a look on the side of the insert. It will give you the coupon source and the date. For example, Red Plum 11/01/09. Write this on the front of the insert. It will be easier for you to find what you need this way as opposed to constantly clipping coupons (which is time consuming and annoying!). Below in my list you will see the coupon you need for the item that is on sale. Along with the type of coupon you need will be an abbreviation and a date. This abbreviation will tell you which insert and which date to pull. For example, RP 11/15 (this means Red Plum 11/15). Make sense?

Get used to using printable coupons. Some stores do not accept these so make sure to check the stores’ policies and abide by them. The online printable coupons will save you so much money! Keep in mind that most online legitimate coupons will only let you print twice before they reset again. Do not be a tool and photocopy the coupon to get more. That is cheating and stealing. Just sayin’.

Today I went to Bashas’ and spent $11.32 for $48.82 worth of groceries! The key is to buy items that you need, that are on sale, and that you have a coupon for. That trifecta will earn you saved money and great deals on groceries. Stock up on items when they are cheap or free so even if you do not need them now you will have them later. There have been many times where I have bought an item and paid full price on impulse or at the last moment because I did not have a food supply in place.

Below is the list of free or super cheap at Bashas’ this week with sale items and coupons. These are the deals of the week for Bashas’:

Skippy Peanut Butter 15 – 16.3 oz.  $1.58 – Use Skippy Peanut Butter Products, any 15 oz. or larger .50/1 (exp. 1-10-10) RP 11/15. Final Price: .58 cents each!

Challenge Butter 16 oz. $1.99, Limit 4 – Challenge Dairy Product, any, .55/1 (exp. 09-30-2010) from HERE . Make sure to print it twice! Final Price: .99 cents each!

Milk Bashas’ 1 Gallon $1.58

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta 12-14.5 oz., .88- Use Ronzoni Smart Taste, any two (2) boxes, $1/2 (12-31-2009) GroupA . Make sure to print it twice! Also go HERE, register and get 2 more printable coupons! Final Price: .38 cents each!!

Crystal Farms Cheese Chunks or Shreds, 8 oz. – $1.99- Use Crystal Farms Cheese chunks or shreds 8 oz $1/1 (12-27-09) The coupon is in the monthly ad for Bashas’. You can find the ad when you walk in the store right next to or below the weekly ads. Since it is a 1 per coupon and 1 per visit limit, snag extra copies of the monthly ad so you can take advantage of this great offer more than once. Final Price : .99 cents each!

Shamrock Farms Milk or Shamrockers, 12 oz., $1.00 – Use Shamrock Farms Products any .50/2 @ Group C . Make sure to print it twice! Also use Shamrock Farms Products any .50/2 (1-13-10) RP-11/15. Final Price: .50 cents each!

Idahoan Potatoes 4 to 4.1 oz, $1.00 each- Use Idahoan product, any 4 oz or larger, .40/1 (12-8-2009) GroupB-11/8 Make sure to print it twice! Final Price: FREE!!!

So, today I bought 3 Skippy, 6 Ronzoni Pastas, 3 Challenge Butters, 4 containers of Shamrock chocolate milk, and cooking oil (not on sale ::sigh::) for $11.32! Easily a $37 dollar savings! Just by using coupons, catching sales, and only buying what I will use can save me a ton!

I will post more deals for other stores as I go.