SUPER Savings

I am super competitive.  Not everyone knows that about me but that is because I don't let it show often.  But I'm admitting it; it is true.  I love to win and hate to play/do things in which I don't think I can win/excel.  Remember this.

I also love being thrifty.   Anywhere I can save a penny or two, I am all for it.  And as a homemaker and primary grocery buyer I feel like it is my job to make the grocery $$ stretch as far as possible.

Well, I have been hearing rumors of people saving astronomical amounts of money on their grocery bill.  I heard to go to southernsavers.com.  So I went to check it out.  I didn't have time or knowledge to figure it out.  So I signed up for some coupons on coupons.com and went to the grocery store.  That doesn't work, you end up saving like $5.  So more determined (remember I'm competitive, if someone else can do it, I should be able to too) I went back to southernsavers and did some more detailed investigation.  It's worth spending a few hours if needed!

I'll sum up what I learned (I know those of you who are already doing this are thinking how behind the times I am) you have to change the whole way you shop.  You don't buy groceries when you need them, you buy them when they are on sale.  Apparently, grocery stores put items on sale in a six week(ish) cycle.  It's kind of like buying from Hobby Lobby, just wait and it will go on sale.   Clip coupons (online and in the Sunday paper) and hold them until the item you need goes on sale.  Then when you find a great deal you purchase the item at a sale price, plus coupons, stock up and you have just saved a ton of money. Not only on this grocery bill, but for however long those items will last. 

So, to sum up, look for great deals bogo, money off with rewards card, whatever; clip all coupons and save them; purchase only what is onsale; build up six to eight weeks of what you can.

Now you may say, I don't have time to go check out the stores or look through the adds.  You don't have to.  Go to southernsavers.com pick which grocery store you will use, and find that weeks add listed.  When stores release their adds southernsavers will post them in list form online along with all of the coupons that you may have (it will take a while for you to collect everything that they list).  They also list the prices so you can figure out what exactly you will pay.  Remember some stores double coupons up to $.50.  You can click beside the items that you want to buy and print a customized grocery list.

Don't forget to check out pharmacies!

Of course it will take me a while to get to where I can save more than what I spend, because for a while there will always be a good many items that I need now.  But I have to say I was pretty proud of myself for savings this week.

• I spent $37 on groceries and saved $31.  That's really close to half off.  

• I also was able to get a pack of diapers at Walgreens for $3.99, that is $8 off!

• Earlier this week I got two packs of diapers at CVS for $5.50 each.  

So that's like 90something diapers for $15.  That's $.08 cheaper per diaper than Walmart online (which is usally cheaper than the store).

$37 it doesn't look like a ton but remember it would have cost me $68.  Man, groceries are overpriced

 $14 plus $3 off next purchase and $4 was on the card.

I am now a bit obsessed.  Remember, I am competitive, and nothing is better than competing with yourself (you always win)!!  I am going to see what great deals I can get this week!

Keep scrolling I've posted a lot in the last two days!