Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Free Printable Grocery Coupons

Do you want to know why printable grocery store coupons are my favorite way to save money at the grocery store? They work and save a lot of money without much effort at all!

Did you ever consider how the most frugal among us can buy their food for just a few dollars, rather than hundreds? I am about to tell you how they do it: they use coupons on everything in their shopping carts and stock up when the prices are very low.

Let me explain. In order to get the huge discounts the super shoppers do week in and week out, you need to have a ton of coupons at your disposal. Most preferably free coupons, free printable grocery coupons or clipped coupons, but sometimes grocery coupons purchased through a coupon clipping service for just pennies.

Having a lot of multiple coupons will allow you to buy many of the same items when you can find an exceptional deal. In order to do this efficiently, multiple like coupons are the way to go. When you find a freebie it is time to stock up. Don't mess around with the savings on one or two items, go for a dozen or more at a time.

How do printable grocery store coupons save you money? Printable grocery store coupons do not cost anything. Free is always a good price when trying to save. Printable grocery store coupons can usually be printed several at a time everyday, this helps you get those coveted multiple coupons for only your time. Some sites have limits on some offers, but you can always print more than one at a time. You will save a lot of time by only printing what you will need; but if you think you will use the coupon print away. Free is good, easy is better, but HUGE savings is the best!

Printable grocery store discount coupons are simple to use, worth more than traditional coupons, and offer around a dollar per item savings on average. When you are looking for savings, printable grocery coupons are a versitile tool in your money saving tool box.

Why are printable grocery store coupons so great? They save tons of money for cash strapped consumers.

where to get free printable grocery coupons

How to get free food using free printable grocery coupons
If the item is nonperishable, don't be shy, "buy" as much as you can.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Free Food Ideas for Grocery Savings

Why should everyone take a minute to learn about free food ideas for grocery savings? Free food ideas are always good information to have. Cheap meals might be good, but you just can not beat free. Besides the free is the best price wisdom, you just never know when you may need to eat either a really cheap or free meal.

I awoke to the latest headlines on the economy this morning in our local paper, "global recession could be responsible for another 10.1 million job losses, US jobless rate still at 6.1 million."

10 million more jobs could still possibly be lost? The way the article was written, it was a bit ambiguous as to if the 10.1 million job projection is for the world economy or the US alone, although the reality of the statement got me thinking WHAT IF. What if it happens to my family or somebody close to me.

With the sobering thought that the reality of pay cuts, hour reductions, or outright layoffs as a possibility for any of us I began to think about what could be done. The best solution is to eat free if possible, since your grocery bill is the largest of your variable expenses.

Drastic times call for drastic measures right?

6 Free Food Ideas for Reducing Grocery Expenses

1. Shop in your own cupboards and pantry. Your stockpiles are crucial when you find yourself short of cash. Buy it ahead, buy it with coupons and keep a good variety of staples on hand just in case. It it worth noting that stockpiling makes good sense for financial self defense in our economy in case of pay cuts or layoffs, while the strategy also protects you from price increases and inflation. Nobody is saying it, but I track food prices closely. Prices on food are still rising on the whole, while the price of loss leaders and sale items seems to be falling. Buy it on sale or do not buy it at all.

2. Use coupons combined with sale prices to get free items. There is rarely a better price than free. Buy a lot when you find a good deal and keep those cupboards full. Use online resources to find free coupons en masse, and buy multiples of sale items. Get the full strategy for using coupon clipping services for savings here. This strategy works, and works really, really well. I shop this way all the time and it nets me freebies consistently.

3. Use your leftovers. Leftovers are already paid for, so don't waste them and get a free meal. No kidding, use it all and watch the savings stack up.

4. Grow it yourself. If you have a green thumb, or even if you don't, add a container garden or edible landscaping to your home and save on the veggies and fruits you grow. You water your landscaping anyway, so you may as well get something for the money you are already spending.

5. Find a friend with garden surplus. Trade them help in the garden for a few hours for their excess of fresh fruit and vegetables. You will be surprised at how much you can save by not paying for produce. I know a few people personally that do this and never buy produce anymore.

6. Eat with family or friends. It is always nice to be able to bum a meal now and again. Again, I know someone who lost their job recently and has managed to have 2 full months of meals just by eating regularly with their very large network of friends and eating what they already had on hand.

Finding free food ideas for grocery savings is not difficult, it only requires a little creativity.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Free Online Grocery Coupons

Free online grocery coupons are money savers, yes big money savers!

One thing is for certain, the more free online grocery coupons you can find, the more money you will save at the grocery store.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Using grocery discount coupons to save money on your food bill is the fastest way to save a small fortune every month.

The strategy for saving hundreds of dollars a month on food is really, really simple, no rocket science here folks. Find and use as many coupons as you can every month and you will get a lot more for your money than you would without using cents off coupons.

Here are the rules in a nutshell for my newer readers:

1. Find and use a coupon for every item in your shopping cart.

2. Find multiple coupons for every sale item you plan to buy.

3. Plan to use your double coupons at double coupons stores or on triple coupons days.
Always buy multiple “like” items with your multiple coupons when the prices are either very low or free. Stock up!

4. Look for buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) offers. BOGOS will often yield free products when combined with coupons. Depending on the store, you can always use one coupon on the full priced item. Some stores will also let you use a coupon on the free item.

5. Plan your shopping trip, and stick to your list.

6. Shop when the store is less busy. Early mornings are best because the store is less crowded and more likely to be well stocked than later in the evening.

7. Stay organized. Pull the coupons you will definitely use ahead of your shopping trip and paperclip them to your shopping list.

8. Always buy only on sale and with a double or triple coupon.

9. If the price is not at least 50% or more off full shelf price, then pass.

Learn the basics and you will be saving 70% or more on your shopping bill in no time flat. There really is nothing difficult about learning to save this much money every week, you just need a lot of coupons to make it happen. Multiple, high face value grocery coupons are the secret to saving a lot of money.

Where to get your coupons:

The Sunday paper is a good place to start, the food inserts are full of coupons. Next, take your search online, there are literally thousands of free printable online grocery coupons floating around in cyberspace. Print several of each of the offers you want and add them to your coupon stash. Lastly, don’t forget the new ecoupon sites. These sites are really cool and allow you to load the savings directly to your store club card before you grocery shop. Once you get to the checkout and swipe your card, the amount of the coupon will automatically come off your grocery bill. Ecoupons are quick and hassle free savings.

If all of the coupons above are not enough, or if I want more multiples of high face value coupons for certain items, use a coupon clipping service to supplement your existing coupons. For pennies, I can save time and hassle while still getting a ton of savings on selected items. Really though, the printable coupons found online offer a huge variety of grocery coupons for free, so check there first, then go on to the clipping service offers.

Follow these few rules and you will save money, no doubt about it. Free online grocery coupons are a good way to do just that.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Buy Discount Coffee Online

Why should you buy discount coffee online? Because it's cheap, really, really cheap.

Buying discount coffee online does not mean just the run of the mill grocery store brands, although you can find savings on those as well. You may not know it, but you can almost always find gourmet and specialty blends online for less than half of the full price you would find in bricks and mortar retail stores.

How come?

Online retailers have the edge. They routinely sell either at, or slightly above wholesale and consistently beat out the store based local retailers due to lower overhead. With low overhead online retailers offer great savings, good service, free or low cost shipping, and make up the difference in volume undercutting the price of your local store.

What's the catch?

There isn't one really. You just need to buy in large enough volume to get the discount on the special offer, and free shipping on a minimum purchase to make the deal work. Don't let bulk purchases scare you. In this case bulk is not really that much. Coffee lasts a long time in the fridge, especially if you buy whole beans rather than ground, so you do not need to worry about using all the coffee.

Here's another shopping tip:

In addition to discount coffee, you can buy many shelf stable products for deep discounts online. The savings can be spectacular on some sales and special offers. As always, do the math to be sure you are getting a good deal.

Two good resources for buying coffee online:

Save $20 on Starbucks Gourmet Coffee this works out to (3) double packs for $39 including free shipping, offer good through April 30, 2009.

If you are looking for other brands besides Starbucks, try the discount coffee page for all other brands at big savings of 50-70% off.

The long and the short of it...don't go to a cheaper brand you would enjoy less if you love good coffee. Shop smarter, and buy discount coffee online.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Half Price Sale Plus Grocery Coupons Means Free!

Here is a great deal alert for all of you starting first thing tomorrow morning when Easter candy is on half price sale or clearanced. Those of you lucky enough to be sitting on Easter candy coupons will be able to get lots of freebies due to the markdowns starting first thing in the morning. Just use your double coupons with the clearance price and take home a free, or several bags of candy.

Traditionally holiday items are put "on sale" the week just prior to the holidays, and discount grocery coupons are dropped about two weeks before the sales begin to stimulate sales for the holiay.

If you save your coupons for the day just after the holiday, then you can take your pick of what is left for free or very close to it.

You can use this same savings strategy at Easter, Halloween and around Christmas.

Need a freebie? Get some extra coupons around the holiday, and use them as soon as the store opens the day after the holiday. The selection may not always be the best, but the price is sure right when you combine half price clearance sales with double grocery coupons.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Deal Alert: April Coupons.com Printable Coupons Just Added!

Wow! Coupons.com has really outdone themselves this month with some fantastic high face value coupons for the month.

There are several $5 off coupons for Hasbro games (start thinking about Birthday and Christmas presents at this price!), Dove soap, Curves products, Progresso products and much more.

Great selection this month and all are high dollar amounts. To view the entire selection, hit the "view all coupons" at the top of the Coupons.com ad and take a look.

Happy Savings!

Friday, April 3, 2009

How to Shop a No Frills Grocery Store for Savings

If you want to cut your grocery expenses in a hurry, try a no frills grocery store for savings.

What is a no frills grocery store?

There is a discounted chain of supermarkets by the same name, but for the sake of this article, we are referring mainly to the to deep discount supermarket chains. Generally, deep discount supermarkets offer a warehouse type environment without the giant packages.

What is shopping in a no frills grocery store like?

You can expect huge, well organized stores with full service bakeries, meat departments, produce and dairy departments. Services are pretty much the same as any other grocery store.

What is the difference between a regular supermarket and no frills store then?

Basically, the savings of 30% or more from the full shelf prices in your regular supermarket comes from store policies designed to save labor. You can expect the shelves to be neatly stocked with cases that have been cut open and paced on the shelves rather than products on the shelf itself, and you will most likely be expected to bag your own groceries at the checkout. Other than that, it is pretty much business as usual. Not much of a concession for the savings, and great saving it is.

Do no frills supermarkets still take coupons?

Most do, although a few do not. Check the store policies before you go. I will give you the heads up that deep discount no frills grocers do not double and triple coupons.

Is it crowded, will I wait a long time at the checkout?

The prices are low and a good value, so yes the stores do tend to be crowded with the worst crowds on the weekends. Shop at off hours and your shopping experience will be less hectic.

How about quality, are the products as good for the money?

Amazingly, the several stores I shop the most often, yes. I have found that the store brands are an exceptional value, and the national brands are well priced.

How do I get my best deal?

I use the same strategies you would use in a regular supermarket. I take a ton of coupons and use them even at the face values. Store sales are a great deal at discount grocery chains…especially on produce, meat and dairy items. Additionally, buy in bulk when the price is right, buy produce in season, and do not be afraid to try the store brands.

No frills grocery stores are a great way to save over 50% off your grocery bills without a lot of effort. Shop the sales, use coupons for extra savings and get big discount just for bagging your own groceries.