someone has to start this thread!

[flash]

I'm sure you've all seen it too often, but Jeffrey asked me to SHOW him how to use coupons/sales/discounts to save 80% on groceries. So I did...

The article, complete with photos and spreadsheets, is on the savingadvice coupon site at

http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/sa...groceries.html

[DivaJen]

I saved 50% the other day just by combining store specials with coupons....
It's not a feat I perform regularly, but it wasn't hard to do either. And technically, I saved more because I get a 5% rebate on grocery store purchases via my Master Card.

[Lori63]

I regularly save 30-60%. I occassionally have the 90-100% trips. I love coupons.

[PrincessPerky]

Wow to the link..I generally don't buy most of that stuff, but I need to learn how to find what I do buy..and be less brand loyal.

[jnsferris]

Okay, I was very pleased with myself the other day. I went on a small trip and came home with $10.50 in groceries for $3.79. I had two free coupon items and one coupon that cut the price in half. The others were sale items. Usually I manage about 20%.

One store I shop at has double coupons up to $1, so I love catching their $2 items that I have a $1 coupon for. I've gotten hair styling products/shampoo/body wash for free this way, ice cream. Or 2 cake mixes, etc. The store will even double a coupon that pays me to buy the item, which is always nice.

[jacquelynrose]

I am still Learning this and I am Excited! I think I did this correctly! Next time I should only test it with buying just one item....hmmmmm.....

Jacquelyn

[LISA178]

Todays great deal:

Save-A-Lot Market

Cottonelle 4pk for .99

7 x .99 = $6.93

$6.93- (6) $1.00 coupons = .93

.93 - .50 coupon = .43

28 rolls of TP for under .50

Thanks Coach !!!! (LOL)

[34saving]

Today's good deal:

2 jumbo packs of CVS diapers = $17.98
4 12 packs of Pepsi/diet Pepsi = $10
1 Schiek titainium Quatro razor (w/ 2 cartridges) = $8.99
2 Revlon brushes and a comb = $1.98
1 80 count CVS diaper wipes = $1.99

Seems like a total rip off until:
-$5 manufacturer coupon for razor
-$2.79 CVS coupon for free wipes (even though they were on sale for $1.99 - whatever )
-$4 off a $20 CVS purchase
-$15 CVS "Extra Care Bucks" for previous purchases (made in a similar fashion)
-$10 Pepsi mail in rebate
-$6 extra care bucks that will show up the next time I shop (for the razor)
-$4.50 for Buy 1 Get 1 50% diapers
==$6.35 that CVS gives me for taking this stuff off their hands

[karen_kester]

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Originally Posted by jnsferris

Okay, I was very pleased with myself the other day. I went on a small trip and came home with $10.50 in groceries for $3.79. I had two free coupon items and one coupon that cut the price in half. The others were sale items. Usually I manage about 20%.

One store I shop at has double coupons up to $1, so I love catching their $2 items that I have a $1 coupon for. I've gotten hair styling products/shampoo/body wash for free this way, ice cream. Or 2 cake mixes, etc. The store will even double a coupon that pays me to buy the item, which is always nice.

Hi. I have looked everywhere for a store that doubles coupons in the Charlotte area. Which one did you find? kk

[kashi]

Yesterday I saved 45% at one grocery store (double coupon day) and 28% at another grocery store! The total saved was nearly $53! That's pretty good for me. I experienced my first double coupon day, and didn't even realize it until I was at the checkout.

[LISA178]

Congratulations Kashi !!!!!!
It's so much fun when you see the results .

Lisa

Originally Posted by kashi

Yesterday I saved 45% at one grocery store (double coupon day) and 28% at another grocery store! The total saved was nearly $53! That's pretty good for me. I experienced my first double coupon day, and didn't even realize it until I was at the checkout.

[geojen]

What store doubles coupons up to 1.00? I can only find ones that double up to 50 cents!

[kashi]

Where I live, Rainbow Foods doubles coupons up to $1 on Wednesdays.

[jnsferris]

Where do you live? We have one here in MN and I love going there. The only other restriction is that they will only do up to 5 coupons and you have to spend up to $25 in the total transaction, so I've had to be a bit creative when I go there to make sure I receive my savings. You're also supposed to bring in a separate coupon that is offered in the newpaper to "activate" the double coupons, but you don't really need it.

I originally thought that they would automatically double the coupons of lowest value, so I was careful to only use, if possible, 5 $1 coupons and bring my total up to the required $25 by purchasing other items that we're either MIR's or items where a doubled coupon would exceed the price of the item, v. good sale prices or including additional coupons that weren't subject to doubling, but one day when I was using some coupons that said "No doubling" and exceed the price of the item by more than a quarter, their computer went ahead and doubled them.

interestingly, the value seemed sort of random, where some of them were the lowest value items, and some were higher. The order the coupons were scanned didn't factor either, so I think it is a computerized system that doesn't really "think" as much about it as I do.

One day, when I pointed out that my 75 cent coupon couldn't be doubled a cashier said the computer would double it anyway, so I'm not sure how it works. I've always wondered how that works because, to my knowledge, the store does eat the cost of the doubled coupon value, as it is a promotion they offer, so I've never really understood why the manufacturor would object.

Anyway, that's my too-long, drawn out story of Rainbow foods!

Jodi