Winter 2004-05
As we made our way toward the grocery store checkout, my 11-year-old son Jonathan said, "Can I go through the line with my stuff by myself?"
I looked at our freckle-faced boy, his eyes lit up with excitement. He was buying groceries as a gift for his sister and her new husband as the newlyweds set up the pantry in their first home. So I said, "Sure, I'll be here when you're done."
After a few minutes, I heard a commotion in Jonathan's lane - the store manager, cashier and bagger seemed excited. When Jonathan finished, he was holding three grocery bags and I asked him what happened.
He smiled broadly, "Well, my total before coupons was $28.60, but afterwards it was only $1.80! They had a hard time believing I could save that much!"
If an 11-year-old can learn to save money in the grocery store, then so can you! Our family saved more than $8,000 last year on food, toiletries and cleansers.
Here are seven basic "savings factors" that may be combined to save money on your groceries. The more of these factors you combine, the more likely you are to get items for pennies.
Store Cards. These are sometimes referred to as "clipless coupons." Sign up for the card at the customer service desk and, as it is scanned at the checkout, you will receive all the store's special values for the week.
Sale Ads. The store's weekly sale ads come in the mail or are a part of the mid-week newspaper inserts. Match up the sale ads with some of the other savings factors listed and you'll soon find yourself with products for pennies. For military commissary sales, go to Commissaries.com.
Manufacturer's Coupons. These are the traditional coupons issued by the manufacturer. They may be found in the Sunday paper as free-standing inserts, at blinking dispensers in the grocery store aisles (most blinker coupons cannot be doubled at a double coupon store), adhered to the actual product for you to tear off and use immediately (or you may have to purchase the item to find the coupons inside the box or cut out from the packaging), or electronically issued at the checkout after you've purchased your groceries. (These may result from your specific choices. For example, last week I bought Quaker Toaster Treats and received an electronic coupon for Pop Tarts.)
Double Coupons. Some stores offer double (or triple) coupons, where the coupon is worth twice the face value; i.e., a 50-cent coupon is now worth one dollar. The store issues limitations, such as "only double up to $1.00" or "double coupons limited to three like items," so check the customer service desk for details. Go to the links page at EllieKay.com to find a link listing all the stores that double coupons in your state. If you want to introduce double coupons to your area, then go to the chapter called "Coupon Cheerleaders" in my book, "How to Save Money Every Day," or e-mail wendywendler@elliekay.com for the attachment by the same name. On special days, military commissaries may offer two manufacturer's coupons to redeem on the same item as a one-day-only event at the site.
Store Coupons. A true store coupon is issued by the store and may be combined with a manufacturer's coupon on the same item. For example, my local Walgreen's offered a store coupon for "Secret deodorant for 99 cents" and I had another coupon for "$1.00 off any Secret." When I combined these two savings factors, the deodorant was free. Read the fine print before you combine. Please note that there are no "store" coupons for military commissaries. Although links to coupons recently returned to the Commissaries.com website, these are still manufacturer's coupons. If the coupons say "commissary" or "military," it means they are manufacturer's coupons good only in military commissaries. So don't try to combine two coupons on one item at the commissary. Save that for civilian stores offering true store coupons.
Unadvertised Sales and Clearances. Check the store aisles for sales and clearance tags. As much as 50 percent of the week's sales are not advertised.
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Ellie Kay is a best-selling author, national radio commentator for "Money Matters" and a regular guest on CNBC's "Power Lunch." Her books include "Shop, Save and Share," which shows families how to save 50 to 85 percent on their food bill. She is the wife of a fighter pilot and mother of seven children. For more information, go to EllieKay.com.