4 Principles to Smart Grocery Shopping and More

Anybody who would love to save a lot more money on groceries, toiletries, or other household items can make extremely good use of coupons. They sound like a fantastic money savings tool but sometimes it can become a headache, as one thinks about the huge array of coupons available and the mental calculation in terms of how much one can *potentially* save. All of a sudden you will find yourself being tempted to buy that goat cheese sauce from X-brand which you have never (ever) used, just because you found a coupon that can save you 50 cents on a $5 bottle. Better yet, after a full work day, you are too exhausted to even think about the act of clipping coupons when there is a full booklet of it sitting on the countertop.

So you may think that you don’t have time to research on what coupons are available, nor the chance to use all the coupons before you; however, a few tips can help your coupon-searching process become short and painless. The real focus is determining what you need and not to use coupons for the sake of using them, leading you to possibly overspend.

1) Set aside a shopping budget – As an absolute first step, force yourself to calculate and determine how much you are planning to spend on a particular shopping trip.

* If you don’t have the patience to calculate to an exact dollar amount, an estimate that is wisely conjured up is fine as well. Surprisingly, a huge number of people walk into supermarkets or drugstores without any budget in mind. This can dangerously lead to overspending and regrets later on. Using coupons with this mentality will make things worse as you will mostly likely give in to the temptation of buying something you will never use, just to convince yourself that you have actually saved money. Instead, this is no different than throwing money away. Never do this to yourself.

2) What happens when you get the overwhelming feeling of “Oh my god, there are too many coupons and I cannot possibly use them all?”

*Face the harsh reality: There is no way you can use them all. If you have a shopping list or any idea on what you plan to purchase on a particular trip, look ONLY for the coupons or discount vouchers that relate directly to items on your list. This can potentially narrow down the wide selection of grocery coupons available to those that are truly meaningful to you, thereby reducing the amount of time you spend in clipping coupons blindly.

3) Find out if your supermarket or store has special sales.

* If it does, then try your best to match your coupons with items that are already on sale. Often supermarkets have special sale prices on items for which you also have a manufacturer’s coupon. These offers can be combined in many cases, which can save you up to 50 or 60% on the item’s unit price.

4) Having a one-stop shopping trip in which you are able to purchase everything on your list is nice. But being able to use coupons on different sale items offered by different stores will be even nicer.

*If you have 2 or more grocery stores (of comparable size) within close vicinity, take a few minutes to walk around in those settings, and you may find you have a coupon for ABC brand of dishwashing liquid, but it may not be in Store 1; however, the same item in Store 2 a few blocks down is selling it at a 3-for-1 sale price. It would definitely be worth the trip to use your coupon at Store 2 alongside the sale price for that item.

Once you have perfected the 4 steps above, you will pretty much have a good idea on the kinds of items you need to purchase on a regularly basis, and you are now ready to clip coupons in advance. If you believe the act of sitting down and clipping coupons is a mundane task, try to do it while you are watching television, or listening to the radio, or simply doing it while having a conversation with someone. It doesn’t require much brainwork to perform the act of clipping coupons, and if you can add some color into that task, you will start to feel that clipping coupons is actually not that time-consuming after all.

Actively be on the lookout for deals by reading the weekly circulars and subscribing to coupon sites, like www.coolsavings.com, or www.wireddeals.com (if you are a fan of online shopping) – the former of which can allow you to join the membership for free and browse an endless selection of coupons, only to print the ones you really need. At the same time, don’t forget to keep your coupon package clutter free by reviewing them on a regular basis and throwing out the ones that have already expired. This will ensure that your supply of coupons is updated, useful, and meaningful. You can now be on your way to enjoy the same quality of life on a huge discount.

Labels: Money