As part of being a frugal shopper and a ‘coupon queen,’ saving money goes beyond the grocery store transaction. There are at least two other very important aspects that go hand in hand that help me be a good steward of what God has entrusted to me.
Simply put, they are stock building and menu planning.
First, back-stocking occurs when I find a sale item at a low price, pair it with a coupon, and purchase the item in bulk (as many coupons as I have on hand for that item). For example, Ragu pasta sauce was recently on sale at Walgreens. In combination with the sale, if you bought 8, you also received a registration reward. I pulled out 8 coupons for Ragu and bought them, getting the sauce for about $.38 a jar. At the same time, I noticed another store had pasta for sale, for which I also had a large number of coupons. I was able to stock up on pasta for as little as $.50 a box.
Now, there are some needs when stocks accumulate. The first would be coupons. Second, it would be space. You’d be surprised how much space you have, when you’re organized. Third, you need to know the prices. For beginners, this may require keeping a price book. Or for others, they are seasoned veterans here and can recognize a lot easily. And finally, there is the financial aspect. My advice for beginners is to start slow, possibly accumulating just one or two articles per week. It is a construction process. Don’t ruin your budget (or wallet) by trying to do too fast. Know that sales are cyclical, which means that the item will be on sale again. Watch for it next time, have your coupons ready, and then buy it at a fraction of the cost.
Now as to menu planning. Some may think that these are two unrelated issues. But actually, they work together. I believe that menu planning is vital for the frugal shopper. It is important that he knows what he needs to provide meals for his family. To get started, make a list of the foods your family enjoys. Then make another list of the ingredients needed to make these meals. Now you know what to look for in sales flyers in the coming weeks.
I always print a blank monthly calendar from my computer. As I sit down to decide what meals to prepare for the coming week, I always refer to my reserve. For example, if I know I have pasta and sauce (which you know I do!), then rest assured that at least one night we will have spaghetti, ziti, lasagna, etc… This is how the two methods work together. I know what I have on hand, I know what’s on sale, and I know what meals will fit for this week.
I know this may seem time consuming. Not really, since you work from week to week. At first, there is some extra time involved in preparing the lists, but the money you will save will be worth it. Again, none of this happens overnight. It took me 3 days to get all my coupons back in my binder in the summer! So go at your own pace as time allows and you will reap the benefits.