Tips n’ Tricks: Seek out Manager’s Specials

I totally utilized this tip this past week to pick up some greatly reduced meat and bread.  So I wanted to pass along this saving-money-trick…

Seek out your store’s manager’s specials. When meat is close to expiration, bread a day old, or produce on its way out, many stores will rewrap or remark these items with lower prices for a quick sale.  Because product shipments come in on a regular schedule, products that don’t sell are marked down on a regular schedule.  You’re job is to figure out when the manager does this!

Just ask! If you ask the meat manager or at customer service, they’ll tell you when products come in and when they are usually marked down.  Remember, it may be on different days for different products.

For example, the Harris Teeter on Harding Road marks many items on manger’s special on Tuesday afternoons.  There are tons of meat markdowns, several bread specials, bags of produce marked for $1.00 each, and even discounted cupcakes and sweets.

One word of caution. Look very, very carefully at actual expiration dates on each marked-down item.  You definitely don’t want to buy past-expired meat, produce, or bread.  And for any marked-down purchase, use that day or freeze immediately.

My Favorite Real Simple Article!

I absolutely love this Real Simple article.  I read it in a recent Real Simple issue (my favorite magazine, by the way) – but now they’ve posted it online.

The Best of Real Simple’s Time-Saving Tips goes through 30 tips that will definitely save you time… everyday.  Some of these ideas are just so brilliantly simple and logical.  Isn’t it funny how we don’t realize these things on our own?

Here are my favorites, but you have to check out the whole thing!

• Use a lemon zester to mince garlic.
• Put a marshmallow in your brown sugar to keep it soft.
• Park in the last parking spot to squeeze in some exercise.
• Use a dryer sheet on your clothes to rub out static.
• Use conditioner as shave gel.
• Hang your Christmas lights vertically (umm… why hadn’t I thought of this!?)
• Cover your snow shovel with non-stick cooking spray.
• Store your set of linens in a single pillowcase.
• Safety pin your socks together before you wash them.

This article is full of “duh” moments!

Tuesday Tip: Deciphering your Store Policy

Kroger and Publix double coupons $0.50 and under. Harris Teeter doubles $0.75 and under. Publix accepts competitor coupons – but not always. Harris Teeter doesn’t allow 2 coupons for a B1G1 item.

Wow! These policies can be so confusing. They are neither consistent across stores nor consistent within a chain of stores. So what to do? Ask!

Always ask the store manager, and more than likely they can clear things up for you. If some new issue comes up, ask on your way into the store to avoid squabbles at the register while others are waiting. Write down their answers and stick a “cheat sheet” with your coupons. That way, you’re never confused!

I’ve compiled a list of questions that you can ask to help you decipher the coupon policy:

1. What days does your sales ad run?
2. Do you double coupons? Up to what value?
3. Is there a coupon or doubling limit per transaction?
4. Can you use a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon for the same item? (See “stacking” tips.)
5. Can you use Internet coupons?
6. Do you accept competitor coupons?
7. Which stores do you consider competitors?
8. Can you use two coupons for B1G1 sales?
9. Can you use coupons on rebate items?
10. Can you use coupons on clearance items?
11. What should I do if an item is scanned incorrectly?
12. What should I do if the cashier does not scan a coupon?

Ask away my friends!

Tuesday Tip: Using Coupon Databases

Every week, I post the weekly sale-coupon matchups up for Kroger, Publix, Harris Teeter, and CVS. These lists show all the items that are on sale, along with the coupons that are currently available. That’s all good and great… and we know that the best deals are on sale items for which we have a coupon.

But what about the items you need that just aren’t on sale? Often, to fulfill my meal plan, I just need an item or two that just isn’t on sale. Today’s Tuesday Tip helps you solve this problem by using a coupon database.

If there is an item I need (sans most produce and meat) that isn’t on sale, I still don’t want to pay full price if I don’t have to. I would love a coupon, but I don’t know if I have one in my massive pile of inserts, mailers, and blinkie coupons. Instead of spending the time flipping through my pile just to find one coupon, I go straight to the coupon database. Search for the item and see if there is a coupon available.

Here’s an example. I really need some bagels to make some pizza bagels. They are not on sale this week and my stock has ran out. I need it, but I might-as-well get it for cheaper. I go to the coupon database, type in bagels and find several coupons available:

-$1.00/1 Thomas Bagels in Maxwell House Breakfast booklet
-$0.75/1 Nature’s Own Thin Sliced Bagels printable
-$0.55/1 Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bread, Buns, or Mini Bagels printable
-$0.55/1 Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bread, Buns, or Mini Bagels RP 2/21
-$0.55/1 Little Lender’s or Lender’s 100 Calorie Bagels printable
-$0.55/1 Little Lender’s or Lender’s 100 Calorie Bagels March All You Mag
-$1.00/2 Lender’s Bagels blinkie
-$0.35/1 Healthy Life Bread, Buns, Bagels or English Muffins SS 2?7
-$1.00/1 Thomas’ Honey Wheat English Muffins or Bagels March All You Mag

Not bad! I could save up $1.00 off my bagel purchase. And I have multiple options depending on what coupons I have in my stash. I would probably bring as many options as I have to the store and see what the best deal is. Got my bagels, got them for cheaper. I like it!

Some coupon databases I use most often are:

• Hot Coupon World
• Deal Seeking Mom
• A Full Cup
• Coupon Mom

If you’re not sure what some of the abbreviations you find mean, check out the Coupon Lingo page!

Tuesday Tip: Skeleton Meal Planning

I’ve talked a lot about meal planning here, but I think it’s one of the best ways to save money!  And it just makes life so much easier.

You’ve learned how to plan your meals using the sale ad, but here’s a way that takes the guess work out of it.  I find that “skeleton planning” helps structure my thinking about meals and encourages me to incorporate a variety of cooking styles and foods into my week.

Typically, my weeks look like this:

Monday – Sandwiches, Salads, or Soups
Tuesday – Crockpot
Wednesday – Dinner Out
Thursday – Chicken or Pork
Friday – Ethnic delight
Saturday – Fish
Sunday – Mexican

This is why:

I have class late on Mondays, so it’s just easier to throw together something that doesn’t require cooking time.  Wednesdays are babysitting days and I’m never at my apartment.  Thus, it’s Panera night!  I love cooking ethnic food, especially Indian or Thai, but it often takes some extra time.  Friday’s are perfect and Mr. Q’s favorite.  Mr. Q’s family does Mexican on Sundays and we’ve started the same tradition around here.

How you can do the same:

Think about your week.  What are your busy nights?  What nights do you have more time to cook?  Do you have any traditions of your own or are you trying to work a certain food group into your menu more often (i.e. fish)?  Use this to come up with a “skeleton plan” for your meal plans.  When you sit down each week to think through the meals, you’ll find they come a lot easier.  Use what you have in your pantry and the sale ad to come up with a more detailed plan for the week.

Tuesday Tip: Use a Calculator!

Another easy tip this week, but a great one for those just beginning to “coupon.”

ALWAYS USE A CALCULATOR

When you go into the store, get yourself all set up.  Pick up the weekly ad. Lay out your shopping list and the ad in the seat of the cart.  Have your coupons and a pen ready to go.  AND… pull out your calculator (or cell phone).

Every time you put an item in your cart, move your coupon to the “to-hand-over” pile, and put the final price of the item in your calculator.  Keep adding until you get to your budgeted amount.  (Don’t forget some tax leeway.)

For example, my weekly budget is $30. (I’m shopping for me and the Future-Mr. Q these days.) Once I get to about $25, I make sure I’m going to make it to $30 but not over with what I’ve got left to purchase.  If I can, I keep going until I hit about $28 – gives me some room for tax.  If I don’t think I can, this is the time to put back any “wants” and stick with the “needs.”

This is the perfect way to make sure there are no surprises when the cashier tells you how much you owe.  It also assures that you’ll come in at or under budget each week.

http://missq.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/tuesday-tip-pick-up-the-ad/

Tuesday Tip: Pick up the ad!

It’s just a quick tip this week, but well worth it!  ALWAYS pick up the weekly ad when you walk in the store. I cannot tell you how many times I have sent the future-Mr.Q back to the front of the store to pick up the ad.

Because I’ve made up my shopping plan before I get in the store, I know exactly how much each item should cost.  Often, however, the shelves are marked incorrectly or I don’t know which sizes/flavors are applicable for the sale.  Whip out my handy-dandy ad – and there you have it!  I can check it, make sure I pick up the correct product (even if it’s not marked on the shelf), and check out.

When the cashier is ringing up my items, I’m always sure to check that these items ring up as the correct price.  If they don’t, out comes the handy-dandy ad.  The cashier is almost always able to change it without chasing down the store manager.

The moral of the story is this:

ALWAYS pick up the weekly ad when you walk into any store!

It’ll save you time and money.

Tuesday Tips: Creating your Stockpile

When most people hear stockpile, they think of a 1940′s basement filled to the brim with canned goods… total preparation for another depression era or nuclear threat. Let’s clear the air on this one – that’s not what stockpiling (in 2010) is all about. Stockpiling is filling your pantry, fridge, and freezer with items you’ll use in order to reduce weekly spending.

Things to Consider when you Stockpile

1. Usefulness: Don’t stockpile items you don’t use. These items will take up storage space and will eventually expire.
   
2. Eating patterns: The wisest stockpile choices are things you eat often. Buying these items at their lowest prices means big savings in the long run.
   
3. Sales cycles: Buy as much as you’ll eat before the item goes on sale again. Sale cycles typically last between 6-12 weeks. You’ll get a good sense of this timing, particularly for your favorite items.
   
4. Expiration dates: Think about how much of the item you will consume/use before it expires. Don’t buy 20 boxes of your favorite cereal if you won’t eat that much before the expiration date!
   
5. Storage space: Consider how much “pantry space” you have available. Don’t overgrow your stockpile. After all, no one likes Fruit Loops on the fireplace mantel. That said, get creative! Tupperware buckets under the bed or an extra cupboard in the dining room is a great place for canned/boxed goods.
   
6. Variety: Keep a wide variety of items on hand at all times. Doing so makes it hard to justify an impulse shopping trip.
   

How to Start your Stockpile

1. Start with a budget: You always need to start with a budget. I had a tendency to go “stockpile crazy” when I first started out, and I ended up spending way more than I needed to. Start with your current budget and slowly decrease it. ALWAYS shoot for this number. Initially, try not to go over and try not to go under.
   
2. Needs first, stockpile next: After you create your meal plan, list your needs for the week. Then, with whatever money you have left over for the week, stock up on the best deals. As your stockpile grows, your needs will decrease. This leaves more room for stockpiling.
   
3. List your stockpile WANTS: List the items you use most frequently. These will be the items you’ll look for each week. When you see a great deal, scoop it up. But don’t just buy one; buy as many as you will use in the next 3-4 months (or before its expiration date) or that your budget will allow.  (Out of courtesy, please don’t clear the shelves.)
   
4. Lists your stockpile HAVES: Make a list of items you have in your stockpile. As they go in, note it. As they go out, cross them off. This will help you better organize your meal plans and shopping trips.
   
5. Use it up or give it away: Now it’s time to dig in! Use it up and don’t feel guilty about it. You got the item at its rock bottom price! If you realize you bought too much or the expiration date is fast approaching, give it away. There are plenty of people who need it!

Things I like to Stockpile

Being a single gal in an apartment makes my stockpile look a bit different than a family of 5 in a permanent home (as it should!) To help get you started though, here are the TOP 10 food items I love to stockpile:

1. Cereal (you don’t even want to know!)
2. Canned tomatoes (ROTEL!)
3. Frozen veggies
4. Pasta and sauce
5. Rice and beans
6. Cookie and cake mixes
7. Baking products (flour, sugar, salt, etc.)
8. Bottled juice
9. Canned soup
10. Granola bars

Any questions or ideas? Leave them in the comments!

Tuesday Tip: Daily Couponing for Weekly Savings

Between finishing up my master’s, working multiple jobs, blogging, and all the other in between, adding more to my daily/weekly/monthly routine seems nearly impossible. (I’m sure you can relate.) However, after jumping into the couponing game (in a slower season of my life) and realizing the potential savings I could glean, the time becomes well worth it.

That being said, it’s not easy to squeeze it all in. Meal planning, cutting, planning, and shopping all take time. I’ve come up with my own way to get all of these accomplished in a week so that my day planner and bank account still love me. I share this with you to give you a starting point, to see how all of these tasks can fit into your weekly schedule. Keep in mind though, you have to do what works for you.

…

I’ve decided that 20 minutes a day is quite simple to fit in if I’m prudent with my time. Here’s how my Couponing Week looks:

Sunday
Get the Sunday paper (at least 2 copies)
Shop at Publix
Cut 1 insert (usually in front of the TV)

Monday
Cut 1 insert

Tuesday
Cut 1 insert (depending on paper)

Wednesday
File coupons into binder

Thursday
Plan my meals for the next week using sale ads
List “needs” – items I do not have and will need to get

Friday
List my “wants” – items that are great deals & I want to stockpile!
Gather coupons for my list from binder

Saturday
Gather coupons for my list from computer (printables)
Shop at Kroger

…

Of course, not every week looks like this – but having daily goals keeps me on target for major savings by the end of the week. My coupons are organized, my meals are planned, and my groceries shopped for. It works for me.

What works for you? Do you have a system or clip as you need?

Tuesday Tip: Buy Price Journal

Back on board with Tuesday Tips…

Keeping a “Buy Price Journal” is this week’s tip! A Buy Price Journal is a list of the best prices for your most commonly purchased items. There is a sales cycle for most items at the store, usually ranging from 6 to 12 weeks. These cycles differ according to product, store, and region. As you begin to pay closer attention to the prices of the items in your cart, you acquire a feel for this cycle and are able to stock up accordingly. Often, though, there are so many other things going on, it’s hard to remember what a great price is for a particular item. This is where your Buy Price Journal comes in. The journal makes these decisions (to buy/stock-up or not) easy.

How to start a Buy Price Journal:

1. List your ten most frequent purchases – your pantry staples (i.e. milk, eggs, pasta, evaporated milk, etc.) – in a journal. A small spiral-bound notebook is perfect!
2. During your weekly trip to the store, record the selling price of each item.
3. Identify trends in the prices and determine the lowest selling price.
4. Consider whether coupons are frequently available for the item. Factor these into your “buy price.”
5. As you get a feel for the first 10 items, add other items you buy often/are curious about.

How to use a Buy Price Journal:

Once you’ve got a price journal going, you’ll be able to use it in the following ways:

1. Identify if a “sale” is really a sale. Is it worth your money for the week?
2. Identify which items you’ll always buy with a coupon and which items you’ll rarely have coupons for.
3. Define sales patterns. You’ll know how much you need to buy before the item goes on sale again.
4. Challenge yourself. “I will not buy ______ unless it is $___ or less.”

When you follow these simple steps, there is no need to buy a Buy Price List (which surprisingly to me, are available). As prices vary by region, these aren’t even helpful in my opinion. If you are able to attend one of my Couponing Workshops, I have a Nashville/Mid-South Buy Price List available to you.

Do you have suggestions about how to maintain a Buy Price Journal? Leave your ideas in the comments!