Dumb question re:coupons

texansarah · February 2010

So, in an effort to be more thrifty, I would like to start using coupons more. The catch: we don't get the paper, not even on Sundays. Anyone know if it's possible to get the Sunday paper after Sunday for free? What does the Statesman do with the extra copies that they aren't able to sell? Any ideas? Or should I just bite the bullet and pay for the Sunday paper?

TX-Bride · February 2010

I suggest that you buy the paper one sunday and see what kind of coupon there are, honestly I rarely use the coupons, they are mostly for brands and items that I don't use.

sandieleeann · February 2010

I get the paper to look at the coupons, but a lot of them will usually be a dollar off after you buy 2 or 3 of the product, which doesn't really save me money when I only need one to begin with.

serend · February 2010

They can be hit or miss. The paper is only like $1.50, and I know we've saved more than that a week on coupons, mostly on household items. You can also read the store ads in the paper and match coupons w/ items already on sale.

To save money on groceries, I'll go to HEB (usually to buy the paper). I search their giant coupon wall and pick up both of their ads. Then build a weekly menu around sales and coupons.

It's helped a lot. Honestly, when we're being very diligent about it, we cut our weekly grocery bill almost in half.

Spanishbeauty · March 2010

There might only be a few coupons/week that you will use, but after a few weeks you'll have a lot that you have built up. Many coupons are good for a month or more. There might be many coupons of brands that I don't use, but I'll cut it anyway and probably switch for that week if it is in fact cheaper than my normal brand.

Also, I like Serend's idea of matching along with the in-store coupons. I haven't gotten this far yet, but I would like to, eventually. I too just started clipping coupons and just haven't gotten the routine down.

I just buy the Sunday paper at either HEB or a gas station (you can actually have just the Sunday paper delivered as well). I noticed that there were a ton of coupons last week, but not too many this week. So maybe they kind of trade off??

KristinD3 · March 2010

We get just the Sunday paper delivered, and I can usually save enough on groceries each week too make it worth it. I will also use the HEB in-store coupons. I've just recently started printing them off the internet too. I can't remember what exact sites I've used, but I'll google coupon sites and usually can find several good coupons that way.

texansarah · March 2010

Thanks guys. I also just saw this post:

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/32246993.aspx

But a lot of the coupons I could find are for stuff I don't need. We try not to buy a lot of bread, cookies, or snack-type stuff. There don't usually seem to be a lot of coupons available to fruits, veg, and meats. Especially organic. But I've been trying to plan more around the store coupons. And groupon just had a 50% off deal on Greenlings today!

MrsRosie · March 2010

www.coupons.com

http://www.redplum.com/

http://moneysavingmom.com/

I know there are others but I can't think of them...

Nessia · March 2010

Yeah it's rare to find coupons on meat and fruits and veggies. I buy meat at costco. Their chicken breast are pre-packaged by two breasts which I prefer. I also buy their ground beef and divide up at home. We also love their pork loin chops. Really thick but very little fat. Another must is their individually packaged tilapia. I stick those in the oven completely frozen and their ready in 20 minutes. We usually spend 100-120 at Costco once a month and the meat lasts all month.

ditzydi_2000 · March 2010

I used to be able to get the Sunday paper from a gas station on Mondays and they still weren't free. I'd check for online coupons. I'm sure the ladies on the MM board can direct you to some good reputable sites.

Leigha12 · March 2010

I've started watching $10 dinners with Melissa D'Arabian on the Food Network (I dvr it on Sunday mornings) and in addition to her recipes for 4 people for $10, she gives tips. The best one I've learned so far is about loss leaders. Grocery stores usually select one pork, one chicken, and one beef item per week and put them half off. The idea is to get you into the store so you buy other stuff. But if you have freezer space, you can stock up on these meats (or at least use them for that week). Yesterday I bought two pork loins (great cuts) for only $1.47/lb at HEB. We'll have one this week and I'll freeze the other for later this month. Since there is only 2 of us, I paid less than 3$ per pork loin. Get the store ads and keep an eye on these things. Meat is one of the most expensive items. And check out the show!

Taytee · March 2010

When I used to clip a lot of coupons I asked 2 neighbors who I saw got the paper if I could take their coupons. I'd leave the rest of their paper on their doorstep instead of in their driveway It was a good deal for both of us.

For really good deals I suggest checking out http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ and http://www.afullcup.com/ I used to use both of them often but I just don't have the time really.

texansarah · March 2010

Thanks everyone! Lots of good tips and websites. I'm working my way through all the websites right now.

Temp919044062507573 · March 2010

a good blog to follow: www.savingwithshellie.com

Dumb question re:coupons

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