Easy Steps to Save Money: Coupons

Each day this week I am going to cover little steps you can take that will save you money when you shop.  Last week we talked a bit about coupons, and today I will cover them in a little more detail.  Do you have to be an extreme couponer to save money?  Absolutely not!  To me, couponing is about finding out what kind of couponer you are comfortable being.  Some people clip all the coupons from each Sunday paper and file them in a binder.  Some even dumpster dive to get more coupons or buy the coupons online.  All this is too complicated and stressful to me.  One of my favorite bloggers,  Jodi Furman of LiveFabuless.com, unclips her coupons.  She simply takes the coupons from the paper, writes the date on them, and files them away.






How quick and easy is that.  You can then use the coupons with any coupon match-up you chose.  If you don't remember what a coupon match up is, the idea is simple.  A coupon match-up will take the sales ad for a store and list where you can find a coupon for the item that is on sale.  For the coupons in the Sunday paper, it will list it by date, so all you have to do is go to your file and clip the coupon you need.  To find a coupon match-up for any store, simply Google the store name and coupon match-up.  Coupon Match-ups are not limited to grocery stores.  They are available for Wal-Mart, Target, K Mart, and even pet stores. 


Coupon match-ups are not limited to using coupons from your Sunday paper.  It will list in store and on product coupons.  They will also link you directly to online printable coupons.  Sometimes the online coupons will be from the manufacturer's website or facebook page.  Many times it will send you to coupon sites, like coupons.com.

The most important thing you can do when couponing is know your stores policy.  Most stores have a universal policy for coupon use at all of their stores.  These policies can be found on their websites or in store on display.  I recommend asking about policies at customer service before you shop with coupons at a store for the first time.  Some individuals stores will have different policies.  They also may take competitor coupons and competitors may differ from store to store.  This will save you from dealing with issues at check and feeling bad for the people behind you :)


Once you get the basics of couponing down, then the fun begins.  This is also when you will discover what kind of couponer you are.  Some stores around the country will double the value of your coupons; however, where I live in Florida, this is not done.  Some stores will allow you to stack coupons, which means you may use both a manufacturer and store coupon on one item.  Imagine the savings if that item is on sale!  My favorite way to save with coupons is when items are on sale for BOGO (Buy One Get One Free).  Again the way this works will depend on where you live.  In states other than Florida,  you do not always need to buy two items on a BOGO.  You can get half off one item, but I am unsure how the coupons work with this scenario.  (anyone?)  In Florida,  BOGO can save big time.  First you have to get two items; however, you can use use coupons on both items.  Not only can you you use manufacturer coupon for each, but you can stack a store coupon for each. Now you are in the land of virtually free products...cool huh!  But what happens when you have a free product coupon (sometimes found in Sunday ads; I get a lot from Facebook contests and promotions) and the item is on sale BOGO?  TWO FREE PRODUCTS!!!!!  


As you start to coupon, you will learn how far you are willing to go to save and how much work you want to put into it.  But you will save money!  Everything I covered here today does not take much time or effort.  Follow a coupon match-up, get your coupons, and save!  This little step will help you to live life a little better everyday!!

Meal Planning Step 5 - Action!

So you know what is on hand at home, you know what's on sale at the store and have coupons for it, you've come up with recipes based on this information...it's time to shop!  Stick to your list!  You can add a few essentials, but put them on your list before you go.  Sticking to your list will save you time and money; of course, so would going to the store with the kiddos!  Now the rest of your week should be a piece of cake...if you are dieting I am sorry for saying that :)  You know what to make each day and have the ingredients ready to go.  No last minute runs to the store.  No more going out for fast food.  Like I said at the beginning of the week, meal planning is the ultimate in multi-tasking for living life a little better everyday. You have saved money, time, and created healthy meals for the week!  Now we all just have to stick to the plan ;)

Save money...great! Earn money...better!

I never shop online without first selecting the store in Ebates.  It is a quick and easy way to earn money back most of your online purchases! Even with all my deal shopping, I received over $60 last year just for selecting stores and finding coupon codes to save even more through ebates. Give it try!

Meal Planning Step 4 Find Your Recipes

Finding recipes is the fun part of the process of meal planning; however, for me, it is the most time consuming as I enjoy looking at recipes.  The easiest was to find a recipe is to Google search the ingredients you have on hand  and what is on sale and find recipes (hopefully healthy ones).  Google even has a search option just for recipes that allows you to refine your results.

Once you find your recipes, you can keep it simple and write out a schedule of the meals for the week (there are also some great apps available to help you do this that even include shopping lists).  If you are dieting, I recommend you schedule all your food including all 3 meals and snacks.  If I do not do this...I will graze all day!  I am currently testing out some apps to help in the meal planning process.  Do you use any? I would love to hear about them!

Meal Planning Step 3 Inventory

Another simple and quick step in meal planning!  What do you have in your fridge or pantry that needs to be used before it goes bad?  Is something hiding in the pantry you don`t even remember buying?  You spent money on it...so don`t let it go to waste.  This step will again help narrow your focus on choosing what to cook. How great that one quick and easy step can save you both time when you are choosing recipes and money since you are not wasting what you already spent your hard earned money on!  Put your inventory together with what you plan to buy and you are ready to pick out recipes...Step 4 and the fun part!

Meal Planning Step 2 - Coupon Match-ups

Planning your meals around sales helps you save money and also simplifies trying to figure out what to cook.  Buying only the proteins or produce on sale will help narrow down your choices in the vast world of recipes on the internet.  Do you know when your sales ad start each week for your grocery store?  Did you know you can find out ahead of time what will be on sale for the next week?  There is a lot I could tell you about shopping sales and learning to coupon, but nothing is simpler than finding a coupon match-up for your local grocery store  and just start using it to create a shopping list that will save you money and time!  A coupon match-up takes a sales ad (typically for this week and the next) and lists all the items on sale and what coupons are available to go with that sale item.  It will even tell you where to find the coupon!  It is available to print online, the link will be right there underlined by the item.  If it came from the Sunday paper, it will list what day it was in the paper.  Some times it will tell you a coupon is in a magazine or on a peelie on a product. How easy it that, right?  All the info you need is right there.  I recommend you Google your store and the words coupon Match-up and find a site you like and then just try it!  Over time you will learn what kind of couponer you are.  For me, I don't buy the Sunday paper; however, if I go to my in-laws who don't coupon, I take theirs.  I rely a lot on internet printable coupons.  You will need to know your stores couponing policy which can be found on the coupon match-up's web page or your stores web page.  Can't find it still?  Simply ask in the store.

Let the Games Begin...

There are many ways to "sweep".  Contests on blogs is one of them.  Give this one a try and good luck!
http://www.robynsonlineworld.com/2011/12/motorola-droid-bionic-smartphone-giveaway/

Meal Planning Step 1

Picking a day to plan your meals for the week is your easiest but most important step.  You need to pick a time that will allow you to actually do it!  For me, its when the kids aren`t home.  Maybe for you during the evening hours might work.  If you allow yourself the time to plan once a week, it will give you more time during the week when you would normally be debating what to make, or heading out to the store, or dare I say it, arguing about what fast food to eat! I also chose Monday because that is when the coupon match up for Publix comes out.  It allows me to know what sales or couponing deals will be out on Thursday.  What`s a coupon match up? Tomorrow I will cover what it is and how to find one for your favorite local grocery store.

Meal Planning

Meal planning is my first goal of the New Year.  This will be Living Life Better multi-tasking at it's best!  By meal planning you can eat healthier, save money, and destress your life all at the same time!

Step 1:  Pick a day to do it!

I am going to meal plan on Monday.  For me, this is a good time, as the kids and hubby are out of the house.  Plus, starting my week out organized will hopefully start my week off right and keep me on task.  Monday is also the day that my favorite blogger for my favorite grocery store posts her coupon match-ups for the upcoming sales ad.  I rarely buy something unless it's on sale and I have a coupon...or sometimes two!

Step 2:  Find a blog with a coupon match-up for your local grocery stores.

This is pretty easy to do. Google your store name and "coupon match-up".  I do most of my shopping at Publix and use I Heart Publix.  Let me just take this opportunity to say that you can save money at your local grocery stores!  You do not have to travel and shop at places like Costco, Sam's or BJs.  Yes you can find fabulous deals there; and if you don't want to coupon, it might be a better choice for you.  BUT you do not have to spend your money on a membership to save money on your grocery budget....really!  You can learn to coupon at your own speed and find what works for you.  Always buy what you use regularly and in reasonable amounts if it's on sale.  Proteins (your meats, poultry, and seafood) should only be bought if it's on sale...that's of course if you are trying to save money.

Step 3: Inventory your fridge and pantry.

What is in the fridge you need to use up?  What is in the pantry?  Do you have rice or pasta? Broth? Look in the waaaaaay back?  What did you buy on sale and forget about?  For me, I inventory what I have at home and what produce I will be getting that week from the my local organic coop, Annie's Organic Buying Club, that I belong to and am a coordinator for (which gives me a free share of organic fruits and veggies each week!!).

Step 4: Find recipes for items you have at home and what's on sale.

Google is your friend here again.  Just search the ingredients you have on hand and find recipes (hopefully healthy ones) and write out a schedule of the meals for the week (there are also some great apps available to help you do this that even include shopping lists).  If you are dieting, I recommend you schedule all your food including all 3 meals and snacks.  If I do not do this...I will graze all day!

Step 5: Shop, Cook, And Stick to the Plan!

I know I threw a lot at you, and if you are new couponing, blogs, coops and such, you are probably thinking that this is not going to be easy.  This week I will take each step and break it down for you.  I promise you can do this!  And to myself, I promise I will do this!  Together we can learn to Live Life A Little Better Everday! Feel free to post questions and suggestions on my Facebook page.

MY THEME SONG!!!!!

Good morning all! Who wants to smile to start their day? Do you remember the show Ally McBeal? I'll bet if you do not remember the show, you remember the dancing baby! But do you remember when she came up with her own theme song? This is something I starting doing back then...silly I know! My song has changed with the seasons of my life, but they always have one thing in common...THEY MAKE ME SMILE! So today I started my day with my current theme song...Hold me by Jamie Grace.  I also have a super stressed out day theme song...This is the Stuff by Francesca Battistelli.  Check theme out!  If do don't have a theme song, I challenge you to pick one today!

                                                       Jamie Grace - Hold Me

                                                       Francesca Battistelli - This is the Stuff

Tomorrow I tackle MEAL PLANNING!!!!!

Tomorrow I tackle MEAL PLANNING!!!!! It will cover bettering my family's health, but by doing so it will also save money and simplify life! Look at me multi-tasking for the first step of the journey!!!!

Living Better Starts Today!

I have been procrastinating on starting my blog for...well let's just say a while. It's a new year and I am determined to make this happen! I believe that I (all of us really) can learn to live a better life with small simple actions. I always stop myself because I feel overwhelmed by the task. A perfect example is this blog. I have fought myself on starting, because I wanted it to be perfect to start, but I was going against the idea behind what I want to do. So today I start by living my life a little better everyday...one post at a time! I hope that some of you will join me on my journey. We can learn from and support each other along the way!