After creating my menu from the ingredients I have on hand, I am ready to go shopping. Yes, I shop after I know what I plan to make for the week. I know that this sounds backwards, but this system really saves me money, energy, and time.
With my freezer, pantry, and refrigerator housing all the ingredients for my weekly menu plan, I am free to shop the sales at the stores. I am looking for items that are on sale at their rock bottom price, and then using any available coupons to maximize those savings.
This week, I purchased a few sale items. Here are my shopping results:
Photograph Credit: Publix
Publix
2 packages Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (on sale buy one get one free) – $1.40 each
1 Suave shampoo (22 oz.) – $2.19
1 Suave conditioner (22 oz.) – $2.19
2 Dean’s Dips (12 oz.) – $1.95 each
2 Elmer’s Glue (4 oz.) – $.33 each
Krazy Glue – $1.40
Subtotal: $13.14
Minus the following coupons:
2 – $.55 Publix coupons for a Suave product
2 – Manufacturer coupons for a free Suave product up to $2.99 (took off $2.19 each)
2 – $1 Publix coupons for Dean’s Dip
1 – Manufacturer coupon for $1 off 2 containers of Dean’s Dip
New subtotal: $4.66
Tax: $0.39
Total: $5.05 – With the sale prices and coupons, I purchased $20.40 worth of product for $5.05 which is a savings of 75%.
By stacking coupons, which means using a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item, I was able to maximize my savings to more than the purchase price of the Suave products. Since I had 2 coupons for a free Suave item from the manufacturer, the 2 bottles of Suave where free. But, I also used the Publix store coupons (from the green advantage flyer), so the extra $1.10 of savings was taken off the end total since I had other items that were not free. I did not “make money” in cash, but I gained “overage” to save on other items purchased.
Photography Credit: Bi-Lo
Bi-Lo
2 packages Hillshire Farm sausage links (14 oz.) – $2.50 each (used buy one get one free rain check from previous week)
1 Southern Home Peanuts Fruit Snacks (6 ct.) – $1.79
2 Southern Home Cheese Sticks (11.5 oz.) – free (used rain check from a previous meal deal where these were free, but the store was out. On this visit, the cashier took the rain check, but did not ring up the two items – per his manager.)
Subtotal: 11.77 (plus the price of the cheese sticks)
Minus the following coupons:
1 – Publix coupon $1 off 2 packages of Hillshire Farm links
My Bi-Lo accepts competitor store coupons. Publix is a qualified competitor. Therefore, I used a Publix coupon and stacked it with a manufacturer coupon to maximize my savings.
2 – Manufacturer $.60 coupons for Hillshire Farm links which doubled to $1.20 off for each
My Publix doubles manufacturer coupons up to $.50, but my Bi-Lo doubles manufacturer coupons up to $.60. Since I had a rain check (savings) + store coupon (Publix) + manufacturer coupons + double the manufacturer saving, I had a great result from stacking the savings.
1 – Bi-Lo coupon for free Peanuts fruit snacks from previous customer survey (took off $1.79)
Total: $.68 (tax was $0) – I purchased a minimum of $11.77 worth of product for $.68 which is a savings of 94%.
These savings are due to a slow week of sales and cashing in rain checks and free product coupons. Now, I cannot make one meal out of this shopping trip, but I did not need to. I have plenty of food in my stockpile. By shopping the sales, I am able to stay stocked and maximize my savings.
This is not “extreme couponing” where I am purchasing tons of products I do not need and spending days working my deals. I do spend about 1-2 hours preparing for my shopping trips, but for me, the savings are worth using time wisely.
Question: Do you shop before or after making your menu plan?