We are starting with the basics so if you are a Coupon Diva these may be things you already know but can't hurt to check them out and make sure, so we can all sharpen our skills. If you don't have time to read it all READ what's in red below.
Following are a few tips that I think are important as you are getting started.
A price book for me is something I started a couple of years ago to help me manage what was or was not a good STOCK up price on staples. I think everyones price books will look a little different, however here are some basic guidelines to get you started.
- Buy or repurpose a small notebook that will fit in your purse or coupon binder when you go to the store. (I say repurpose as I started with one of those little top spiral bound notebooks one of my children received in a goodie bag from a birthday party that frankly would have ended up thrown on the floor in the playroom/bedroom and then eventually in the trash)
- Find 1-2 good deals this week that you feel are cheaper than you have seen in the past. For example, I chose the Hyvee Brand Milk at $2.99 gallon from last weeks 3 day sale. Write your entry in your price book. My entry would look like this.
Hyvee Milk 1 Gallon, $2.99, No Coupon, Jan 18 2013
or
Prego Jar Sauce, $0.99, $0.25 Coupon, Nov 2012
- Keep your notebook with you at all times - when you are creating your shopping list or at the store buying things, this way you know if that EXCLUSIVE TODAY ONLY sale price is good or not. I even have a price book for clothes and kids items, I know what a great price for a Hoodie or Jeans or Buzz Light Year toy.
- EXTRA NOTE: If you are a techie like I am, I will write these down in the store or when I get home from shopping and detail if I used a coupon or not (oh, and the price I list is the final price after coupon) and then I type it into my spreadsheet. This geek likes to sort her stuff and track when the best sales have been and if the prices are going up from season to season or year to year, I know I know total geek. When I was using a book and not typing it out I would just draw a line through if I found a better price and write it under the original pricing. This will allow you to really focus on when the sales cycles are and when you get the best price on certain items. For example did you know you can get ketchup and mustard super cheap typically in May. Yes everything has a sales cycle, so you will want to think about stocking up on coupons for condiments around this time and then buy what you think you will need while the price is low.
Ok this is a touchy subject with me since the invention of the Extreme Coupon show on tv. I do NOT believe in stashing things in every corner of my house or under my kids beds, are you kidding me ??? Nor do I personally believe you need to have 200 tubes of toothpaste. I know there may be some of you that believe otherwise and that is fine -- it just doesn't work for me. I want to save my family money but not to this extreme and I also believe STRONGLY in Paying It Forward -- which to me means when I have more than about 6 months worth of items it is time to start sharing with my local food pantry, social services, families in need, or families in general, frankly who can't use a few free items. Ok I am stepping off my soapbox now, again these are just my thoughts and opinions and what works for me and my family. As many of you know My Kansas City Mommy has 6 kids so that means my stockpile will look much different than someone with 1 child or a single person.
To begin a stockpile I suggest the following:
- Find 1-2 good deals this week that you feel are cheaper than you have seen in the past. For example, I chose the Hyvee Brand Milk at $2.99 gallon from last weeks 3 day sale. Toothpaste from CVS this week.
- Find as many coupons as you can for these 2 items. Don't be afraid to ask friends, family if they have any left over inserts or coupons or if they would print a few for you on their computers.
- Find a place for your stockpile that is not going to "drive you crazy" in your home that you can store a few items. You can be creative on this - for example under a bathroom sink, etc. Email me if you don't think you have the space and I bet we can figure something out for you. I have a friend that keeps hers on the top shelf in her closet and behind her shoes.
- Head over to the store and pick up the items at the discounted price (make sure you get them in your price book).
- Store the items in your new Stock Pile area. Always put them away immediately and I store mine in groups - toothpaste together with other bathroom items, canned items together and laundry items together.
- Admire your accomplishments and repeat next week. Trust me once you get started on this you will be hooked, I LOVE to see my stockpile grow and it reminds me the great deals I am getting for my family and the money we are saving. I also LOVE the challenge/adventure of it - yes I know that is kind of sad that this is a major rush in my life - to see how much I can save on each item that we need.
Happy shopping!
Remember if you have a tip or trick that works for you please feel free to share as we all learn by working together. My Military Mommy is here for our readers to share and swap ideas on how to make this all work by working together.
Tell My Military Mommy what topics you would like to see covered each week by leaving a comment.
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