I am SO OVER grocery prices. Also coupons SUCK. How are YOU saving money? - Page 4

[ryan'smom]

I guess I am one of the lucky ones who has a coupon friendly store a couple miles away. (I used to think coupons were a waste of time until I had a huge awakening about 2 months ago). I used to do most of my grocery shopping at Super Walmart until I discovered www.hotcouponworld.com and a great blogger who matches the local sales with coupons.

Now, I NEVER shop at Wal Mart because I'm now getting the same stuff for pennies or even free. For example:

9 lbs of Carolina Rice= FREE
10 pks Land O Lakes Butter= FREE
30 bottles Wishbone Dressing= FREE
8 boxes Whole Wheat Pasta= FREE
12 cans Hunts Pasta Sauce= FREE
30 pkgs of cheese (shredded and chunk)= $1/bag/pk
20 Mission flour tortillas= 50cents/pack
Kelloggs Corn Flakes/Cheerios= 50 cents box
Brownstone whole wheat bread= 80cents loaf
8 Coffeemate coffee creamer=FREE
8 containers Quaker Rolled Oats= FREE
Knorr pasta sides= 10 cents/pk

I just started couponing a couple of months ago, and I already have a nice stockpile of groceries going. Granted, we do not eat organic, but we try not to eat a bunch of junk either.

What chains of grocery stores are you near?.....you might be surprised (like me) what great deals are out there if you take a closer look!

Good Luck!!

[surrogate]

ryan'smom you are my kind of couponer!

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by ryan'smom

Now, I NEVER shop at Wal Mart because I'm now getting the same stuff for pennies or even free. For example:

9 lbs of Carolina Rice= FREE
10 pks Land O Lakes Butter= FREE
30 bottles Wishbone Dressing= FREE
8 boxes Whole Wheat Pasta= FREE
12 cans Hunts Pasta Sauce= FREE
30 pkgs of cheese (shredded and chunk)= $1/bag/pk
20 Mission flour tortillas= 50cents/pack
Kelloggs Corn Flakes/Cheerios= 50 cents box
Brownstone whole wheat bread= 80cents loaf
8 Coffeemate coffee creamer=FREE
8 containers Quaker Rolled Oats= FREE
Knorr pasta sides= 10 cents/pk

I just started couponing a couple of months ago, and I already have a nice stockpile of groceries going. Granted, we do not eat organic, but we try not to eat a bunch of junk either.

I am near you!
What blog are you following???

[ryan'smom]

Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove

I am near you!
What blog are you following???

I follow www.ccherrypicker.blogspot.com .....and the Giant Eagle forum on www.hotcouponworld.com......

Definitely worth a look to see if it is something you would like to try. I really have fun doing it!

PM me if you have any questions

GO STEELERS!! lol

[PatienceAndLove]

Originally Posted by ryan'smom

GO STEELERS!! lol

I think you mean Giant Iggle and "Go Stillers!" ;-)

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Originally Posted by ryan'smom

I guess I am one of the lucky ones who has a coupon friendly store a couple miles away. (I used to think coupons were a waste of time until I had a huge awakening about 2 months ago). I used to do most of my grocery shopping at Super Walmart until I discovered www.hotcouponworld.com and a great blogger who matches the local sales with coupons.

Now, I NEVER shop at Wal Mart because I'm now getting the same stuff for pennies or even free. For example:

9 lbs of Carolina Rice= FREE
10 pks Land O Lakes Butter= FREE
30 bottles Wishbone Dressing= FREE
8 boxes Whole Wheat Pasta= FREE
12 cans Hunts Pasta Sauce= FREE
30 pkgs of cheese (shredded and chunk)= $1/bag/pk
20 Mission flour tortillas= 50cents/pack
Kelloggs Corn Flakes/Cheerios= 50 cents box
Brownstone whole wheat bread= 80cents loaf
8 Coffeemate coffee creamer=FREE
8 containers Quaker Rolled Oats= FREE
Knorr pasta sides= 10 cents/pk

I just started couponing a couple of months ago, and I already have a nice stockpile of groceries going. Granted, we do not eat organic, but we try not to eat a bunch of junk either.

What chains of grocery stores are you near?.....you might be surprised (like me) what great deals are out there if you take a closer look!

Good Luck!!

I stockpile with coupons as well, and use the same site along with a few others. We have Harris Teeter here, and they frequently run promotions where they will triple coupons that are up to $.99 value, or Super Doubles where they double coupons up to $1.99 value. Currently they are running super doubles. We don't buy junk, but there are still deals to be found. My stockpile is pretty set for now, but one of the items that is free with coupons this week is Quaker oats. Other things I typically get for free/super cheap with coupons include tortillas, beans, taco shells, spices, tuna, brown rice, pasta, canned organic tomatoes, mayo, frozen veggies, 7th Generation dish and dishwasher soap, and lots of other stuff. People get tons of other stuff for free/cheap, but most of it is processed crap. I skip over those items and only go for the things we use. When something I use often is free or extremely cheap with a sale I get as much as I know I'll be able to use.

Another site I really like is afullcup.com. Like hot coupon world there are match ups for grocery stores.

[frugalmum]

I am at my wits end with grocery prices and just don't know what to do. It seems like prices have gone way up in the 2-3 again (anyone else noticed this?). Shredded mozzerella (I know I can shred it myself, but the pre shredded kind is low moisture and my kids will eat pizza only with low moisture cheese) went from 7-8$ a bag to 11-12$ a bag. I now only buy it if it is on sale for $8 or less. I cook 80-90% from scratch and still am getting hammered at the checkout each week. Yesterday I was going to buy a chicken to roast-- the cheapest whole chicken was $8!! I remember not long ago, you could get a chicken for $3.

There is a very cheap grocery in my area that caters to ethnic cuisine, I think I have to start shopping there.

Otherwise, pretty much, if it is not on sale, I don't buy it, unless it is a very basic staple I can't do without or is already affordable.

[ryan'smom]

Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove

I think you mean Giant Iggle and "Go Stillers!" ;-)

[honeybunmom]

Originally Posted by frugalmum

I am at my wits end with grocery prices and just don't know what to do. It seems like prices have gone way up in the 2-3 again (anyone else noticed this?). Shredded mozzerella (I know I can shred it myself, but the pre shredded kind is low moisture and my kids will eat pizza only with low moisture cheese) went from 7-8$ a bag to 11-12$ a bag. I now only buy it if it is on sale for $8 or less. I cook 80-90% from scratch and still am getting hammered at the checkout each week. Yesterday I was going to buy a chicken to roast-- the cheapest whole chicken was $8!! I remember not long ago, you could get a chicken for $3.

There is a very cheap grocery in my area that caters to ethnic cuisine, I think I have to start shopping there.

Otherwise, pretty much, if it is not on sale, I don't buy it, unless it is a very basic staple I can't do without or is already affordable.

What size are those bags of mozzarella? $11-12 each?!! And $8 for a chicken? That is truly outrageous. I don't think I pay that much for an organic, free range chicken! Do you have any CSA's near you where you could at least get your meat? I drive a bit for mine, but the pick up is only once a month, so, I deal with it. There are others with pick up spots in the city, but, I'm happy with this one and the prices.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by honeybunmom

What size are those bags of mozzarella? $11-12 each?!! And $8 for a chicken? That is truly outrageous. I don't think I pay that much for an organic, free range chicken!

Ummm...

Part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella (pre-shreded) here, 16oz, is only about $3 on sale, about $4, not on sale. Not organic, and we actually prefer the buffalo mozzarella that is a couple bucks more, but I can't imagine such prices!

In fact, dh and I were just talking about how our grocery bill is DOWN from a couple of years ago. I cook almost exclusively from scratch, so I don't know what goes on with processed foods much. We're paying less (and we don't coupon AT ALL) these days.

[sunsetdancer]

I just checked the preshredded mozzarella cheese we have and it is low moisture, part skim and I think it was about $2.50 for a bag of two cups of cheese. It can be cheaper but thats a common price where in live. It is just Kroger brand and is not organic or anything else. The name brand cost more but not too much more. I have seen the six cup bag about $5 on sale but I think it's usually about $6 per bag.

I'm always kind of amazed when people say they don't buy things that have coupons. I've seen coupons for healthy (or healthier than the alternative) foods like whole wheat bread, pasta, rice (both white and brown), oatmeal, cheese (organic and non), meats (mostly chicken but sometime other). People dont eat anymof those items? I know some people have dietary restrictions and personal preference but coupons are not just for junky foods. Of course, there certainly are times when the store brand is cheaper but sometimes that isn't the case.

[brennasmom]

You can buy a larger chunk of cheese and then shred at home and freeeze. Works really well.

Currently safeway is running great sales on grapes (.99 per #) and canalope for .99 each. I buy several and use thru the week.

Also free campbell's soups.

[EFmom]

Originally Posted by sunsetdancer

I'm always kind of amazed when people say they don't buy things that have coupons. I've seen coupons for healthy (or healthier than the alternative) foods like whole wheat bread, pasta, rice (both white and brown), oatmeal, cheese (organic and non), meats (mostly chicken but sometime other). People dont eat anymof those items? I know some people have dietary restrictions and personal preference but coupons are not just for junky foods. Of course, there certainly are times when the store brand is cheaper but sometimes that isn't the case.

I check coupons and use the occasional one, but for the most part, even with the coupon, the store brands are cheaper, and I tend to only buy things when they are on sale. Our stores don't double.

[MsBirdie]

We eat vegan, with very few packaged foods and I shop at Walmart with all the other stores ads in hand because walmart will match their ads so I am not having to go from store to store. This week I got peaches for 77ents a pound instead of the 1.29 that was listed. I love going up to the cashier and having everything I bought for a cheaper price. I have never really done coupons for groceries because we do not eat those things. I will use them for dog food, toiletries, etc. Also, I make all my cleaners.

It is really tough right now with grocery prices.

[TTLLM]

I also am surprised by those who won't use coupons. A couple weeks ago, my grocery store had a coupon in their ad for $10 off when you buy 6 General Mills cereals. Since it was a store coupon, it could be combined with manufacturer coupons. They were priced at $2.50 each. So...$15 for 6 boxes of cereal minus the $10 store coupon minus any manufacturer's coupons I had. These GM coupons are a dime a dozen, I swear. I happened to have $1.00 off 3 coupons. So, we're currently at $3.00 for 6 boxes of cereal, but THEN, the register was spitting out $6.00 Catalina coupons, so now I've made $3.00 for buying those 6 boxes of cereal. This week they are doing a similar sale that happens to include more items like yogurt, Progresso soup, Pillsbury baked goods, etc. Nothing ends up free this time, but there's some nice coupons out for these things, and when you buy 10 items, you get a $5.00 Catalina coupon. Another great deal I got last week was Quaker oatmeal 18 oz. boxes were on sale for $1.48 each. I had $1.00 off coupons making them 48c each. I bought 10, but I still have 15 coupons because I'm waiting for the Target sale which should make these real close to free.

[Jazzy L]

I feel the same way!!!! I found a new site that shows where the lowest grocery prices are in Birmingham every week. mygroceryspy.com. It updates twice a week. You can print out your personal shopping list by store or you can have it sent to your cell phone. How cool it that? I use to help me build my menu around the lowest priced groceries each week. I've been using it for two months now and I just love it. I really hate buying something at one store just to see it cheaper at another store. Now I can find out before I go shopping.

[RawMilkMama]

We eat a very whole foods/ Nourishing traditions diet, so very little of what's in the grocery store and even less of what has coupons fits our eating habits. I tend to buy most of my grians (wheat berries, rolled oats, buckwheat, rice, popcorn, etc.) through natural food co-ops. In my area, the best co-ops are Frankferd Farms and Quail Cove Farms (mid-Atlantic/ East Coast).I grind my own wheat for flour (first I sprout and dry the wheat) and make my own kefir, yogurt, kombucha, and sauerkraut. We buy beef by the whole animal and raise our own egg laying chickens.  

[starrmama]

I'll mention a couole things that haven't been covered as much... one that has been saving me some money is to buy in bulk online.  If you don't have many grocery store options, it might even save money to buy regular groceries online; don't know since I haven't really looked into that, but maybe. 

My grocery bill is huge in comparison to most discussed here, but its worth-it to me that we eat well for our health, and also that we we enjoy our food too.  We are pretty Nourishing Traditions based too and I like supporting and eating local, so we really don't buy many name brand things that would have coupons.  Still, I'm trying to get it down so we can save money to build my little eco dream house, etc. 

Anyway, we go through pretty much coconut oil too.  In stores its like $20 per quart?  Last time I bought 5 gal from Mountain Rose Herbs (they are AWESOME btw), It was $9.61 per quart including shipping.  I put out the word on some local e-mail lists I'm on and usually can unload at least half of it to other people if I don't want that much money tied up in coconut oil :)  There are some other things I buy now online too in bulk, like organic black tea for kombucha, stevia, and the cranberry concentrate that my kids love to drink dilluted.  Buying our grains and beans in bulk online would probably also save a lot... I need to get on that.  Oh, quality nuts are also usually really expensive, but I at least have found a source for almonds now... I buy them direct from the farmer at $5 per pound including shipping and they are unpasteurized, which you can't even get in the store now.

The other thing we have here that no one else maybe has (but you could maybe start one if you have the time?) is a produce co-op.  A husband and wife go to the produce wholesalers every week and bring back cases of produce... at the price that grocery stores pay for it (or cheaper if it is slightly damaged or about to expire), and then sell it to members basically at cost.  Sometimes there are super deals on things that are expired but still good, or berries that have one or two in the package that are already moldy, etc.  One time there were beautiful organic strawberries at $7 per flat of 8 containers (the medium size containers, not the small ones)... the co-op is held in a "lifeline ministries" building (meaning they don't pay rent for the space)... SO, I'm sure this is duplicatable in other places as long as you are close to any produce wholesalers and have the time, etc to organize it.

great thread!

[VeggieLovinMama]

There are some great suggestions here. I am with those of you who say that coupons are useless to them. I don't buy a lot of packaged stuff or name brands ususally and here in Canada, there are even less options for coupons I think.

For me, I'm very willing to prioritize food over other expenses because it's just really important to us. We are mostly veg, but we eat some grass-fed organic, local, humane beef now and again. Sometimes we have fish fillets and we stock up on tuna.

We support a CSA which is a great way to save money on organic local produce. Here in Canada, all of our dairy products are growth-hormone and antibiotic free (thank goodness) and so I can get those for pretty cheap ($3.99 for 4L of milk and cheddar cheese on sale is $4.44 for 500g). We do buy some fancy cheeses every week usually like goat's feta, fresh parmesan, fresh mozzarella balls, etc.

I'd love to be able to afford all organic eggs, breads, etc. but that's really expensive here. So for now bread is store bought on sale at $2/loaf and we freeze it. That's about as cheap as a loaf of bread gets here.

My way of saving money is to meal plan. Allrecipes.com has a new meal planning function for supporting members. It's very useful because you just click and drop recipes and then add the menue to your shopping list and print. Saves time and money. We eat leftovers for lunches, including DH who is a grad-student. We bake our treats at home and don't buy junk food or packaged snacks.

Another great way I save money is to go to No Frills which is a grocery store that does price matching. I look through all the grocery flyers and pick out what I want and take them all to No Frills where I will get them to price match the local sales to what I have in my cart. That way I can go to the cheapest grocery store (No Frills) and get even cheaper prices on all the items I want, and even stock up. I always get things like bread, beans, cheese, etc. that way. Saves lots of money!!

[meetoo]

I live in  a HCOL area too. I think you should be able to trim your grocery bill under 150 for a family of three, so don't give up! I don't use coupons very often because I just never find ones for the stuff I use. What works for me is. 

-stocking up on sales!

-meal planning (including lunch/breakfast) This cuts down on a lot of waste and allows for recycled meals. For instance I bought whole chickens on sale for 2.50 each (steal so I stocked up LOL). Out of this one chicken I'm getting 3 full meals plus about 4 sandwiches and left over s on the soup I'm going to make. So we don't get to tired of chicken, I'm making two of the meals this week and threw the soup fixens in the freezer for a later date. Meal planning also helps keep a variety to our meals and helps you work with what's in your pantry. Recycled meals help to keep left overs interesting. :) 

-plan recycled meals! lol

-a deep freezer! This saves a ton of money really it does! Not only does it allow you to stock up on sales but it allows you to toss leftovers that are going to go bad in there. 

-freeze left overs you are getting tired of. Muffin tins make wonderful portions, then you pop them out and toss them in a freezer bag/foodsaver bag. 

-batch cooking. I make big batches of pancakes, meatballs ect and freeze them. It saves time and money. It also allows me to have some "easy" meals on had so I don't get tempted with takeout/fast food. 

-look to the top and bottoms of the racks at the grocery store. The highest priced items are usually at eye level. 

-be very careful what fresh produce you buy. Make sure you are buying the proper amount for your family size so you aren't wasting any.

-buy in season fruits/veggies

-buy some frozen/cheapy prepackaged food. I know this doesn't sound like good advice but we all get tired of cooking sometimes. If your going to end up ordering take out pizza why not just have a frozen one on hand? It' costs a lot less!  If you never get tempted by take out this might not pertain to you. LOL

-I try to shop a week ahead for some things. This only works if you have storage space but it saves a lot. I stock up on sales, then meal plan mainly from whats in my pantry/freezer, then I buy whatever is on sale when I'm at the store. This can back fire though if you end up over stocking so b careful!  If you find you have a very full pantry/freezer then just eat out of that for a while you don't want to end up wasting food because you didn't realize it was in the back of the freezer/pantry 

-l