A Thrifty Mom » Q and A

Q&A- Are you in a coupon Funk?

A Thrifty Mom — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:49:42 +0000

Question from one of my readers…

I have a question for every couponer out there. Do you ever get sick of couponing? I’m s a stay at home mother of 3 and I’ve been couponing for about a year now and I’m starting to hate it. I have two weeks of inserts not cut and I haven’t even looked through yet. Am I in a coupon funk? I use to love clipping and organizing and seeing all my savings but now I’m loathing going to the supermarket. Has anyone ever gone through this before?

Answer…

YES YES YES!!!! As much as I love couponing even I get sick of it sometimes, here a few tips:

It’s ok to miss a sale- If you are like me you get a little rush every time you get a Thrifty deal. But it is best to take it slow, pick your top “Thrifty Deals” for the week and just try to snag those sale items.

Only shop 1 or 2 stores- It is FUN to get the hot item of the week at each store, but if you run to every store that offers a good deal you may have an awesome stockpile…but you WILL hit coupon burn out way to fast!

Don’t get behind on your clipping- I have to admit that clipping and putting away my coupons is my LEAST favorite job. But it should only take 30-60 min each week to do this. To view my video on how I clip my coupons click here…the only thing I do different now is staple them together before I cut them. If you do get really behind it is OK to just leave those weeks uncut…and start fresh ( you can always go back just clip the ones you need, but that way it is not so overwhelming)

Take a break- Yes I said it is OK to take a break. (but still check in my blog…wink) Before I wrote my blog I would take a few weeks off from couponing when life just got too busy. Live off your stock pile for a bit, that is what is there for right! All it takes is one trip to the store and paying FULL price for a cart of things I know I can get for free to get me excited to coupon again…but the break is nice.

Count your savings- Keep track of how much you are really saving. That is why I do my weekly budget review, it helps me see the big picture of how much I really save. It makes me feel like my hard work is really paying off…and yes proud of what I have done. It gives me the energy to keep it up!

Save for something fun- Take the money you are saving from couponing and put it towards something fun. Like a surprise family trip. Start out saving for something small like going to the movies, or night out with your hubby… so you can reap the rewards of saving.

Get a coupon buddy- I know lots of people shop with a friend, it is fun to hang out with your girl friends and save at the same time. OR I know some people coupon with a “buddy” ….you shop one week and your buddy shops the next week and share the weeks savings. That way you never miss out on the sale, but you only have to shop every other week.

What are your feelings on this….and what tips do you have? Would love to hear from you all!

Q&A- Do you use everything you buy?

A Thrifty Mom — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:54:06 +0000

Got this in a Email:

I was just wondering on whether or not you use everything you buy? Like when you get six containers of sour cream, 20 containers of butter, 18 bottles of bbq sauce or 18 bottles of salad dressing, do you use it all before it expires? Do you donate it to a food bank?

I just don’t buy something because it is a great deal unless I know I have a use for it. Donating to a food bank is a great idea. Or making gift baskets from all the candy you bought… maybe one that includes those cute toothbrushes. lol

Stuff like the feminine products and toothbrushes and such that don’t expire, I totally get.

I just wonder because I have purchased stuff that was a great deal and then on the shelf it sits

Answer:

I get this question all the time, each purchase is a little different so it is a little hard to answer. Just last week one of my good friends asked me where on earth I put all the tooth brushes I bought last month (12). I told her they were already gone, she looked at me kind of funny. Then I explained that within a week of buying them, I gave them to 2 families that were struggling and had not purchased new toothbrushes for their kids in over a year….simply because they could not afford them.

I am passionate about giving back, and helping others. We do make donations to local charities, but more often find ways to give to those I know personally. Most these people would never ask for help, they simply go without. I have found if you simply watch those around you, opportunities always come up to share and help. Sometimes I drop items off in secret, as to not embarrass the person receiving help. Other time I just come right out and ask them what they need and go from there.

BUT most these items we do consume as a family of 6. The sour cream I bought last week is good till the end of July, We have already eaten 2, one for tacos, and the other in Ham and Potato chowder. I will have no trouble using the other 4 in the next week or two. The 20 tubs of butter, I will freeze most them and yes we will eat them all as a family. As for the BBQ sauce and spices I will share some of those, being that it is an item that comes on sale often. If you read my post on salad dressing, I mentioned that I am in charge of Salad Dressing for my up coming Family Reunion, so I purchased it for that reason. The pads, half of them are already gone as well….I am sure the other half will be gone soon.

Some show there love with a plate of cookies and a card , I do it with a bag of BBQ sauce and pads…lol!

Did you get my email…and where is my comment?

A Thrifty Mom — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:09:23 +0000

Both of these question I get often, did you get my email or where is my comment on you blog?

First off I want to let you all know that I love hearing from you. Some days I feel like I am blogging to a blank computer screen…so getting your ideas, input and feed back is great. It really makes my blog much more enjoyable and makes my time posting feel like I am helping my bloggy family.

But let me explain a few things, when you leave a comment on my site it does not show up right away. It will have to be approved before it can be shown on our site. Please note that we do approve 99% of all comments sent by our readers. The only ones we do not approve are ones that are vulgar. WHY do we have to approve every comment? Because no matter how hard we try our site seems to be blanketed DAILY with spam comments. Some days we only get a few, but other days we get hundreds. Some of them are just links to other sites that are trying to sell products, or jumbled computer codes with links….these are ok and don’t bother me much. But we also get ones that link to sites that are disrespectful, vulgar, promoting images and language that I feel is damaging to ones mind & spirit.

I feel like this blog is a little extension of my home, I would not allow such things in my home ….so I will not allow it on my blog either. It takes lots of extra time to weed thru all the junk comments to make sure our readers comments are approved, but we feel it is worth the extra time to keep our site and comment section family friendly. We have tried several spam blockers, many have helped but none have been able to block it all. So if any of you have a suggestion please let us know.

As for emails, we get hundreds a day, and that’s not counting the spam emails. I want you to once again know how much I love hearing from you. I try hard to read each and every email and reply. Many of my great deals or ideas come from readers….. so please keep the emails coming but also know it may take a bit for me to reply.

Q&A Walgreens Adjusting the price of an item or coupon

A Thrifty Mom — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:00:50 +0000

This is an email I got yesterday from one of my readers.

“HELP! I was at Walgreens today and had a coupon that was for a higher value than the item I was purchasing. In the past the cashier and/or manager would either adjust the price of the coupon to match the price of the item or adjust the price of the item up to match the value of the coupon. This manager was VERY adamant that they ARE NOT allowed to do either of those. I called corporate and he told me they don’t have any specific policy. Have you ever run into this issue? Do you have any emails from corporate regarding this issue?”

I get questions like this all the time, this is an OLDER post I did a few months ago to address this question! It is a great thing to learn for new coupon shoppers and a good reminder for everyone else. Hope it helps some of you at your local Walgreens!

Walgreens they have Ritz crackers on sale for buy one at $1.99 and get one free.

You can combine this deal with a $2 off 2 manufacturer coupon making these free!

I bought mine with no problem, the cashier just put the value of my coupon in as $1.99 instead of $2.00, but I have gotten several emails from my reader telling me they were not able to use the coupon.

“I had a problem trying to buy the Ritz crackers tonight at Walgreen’s. I had 4 boxes and 2 coupons. She rang all my stuff up. Then as she was scanning my coupons, she said it wouldn’t ring up my 2nd coupon. She said that after the first coupon, there was only $1.98 left and since the coupon was for $2, it wouldn’t let her do it. I asked her if it should just go against the total purchase … because I was owing more than 2 cents. She said it goes per item. So, she gave me back my coupon and I ended up paying $1.98 for 4 boxes … not really the deal I was hoping for!”

I called Customer Service several times about it, but being that it was not MY transaction they were not able to help much. They told me it was a problem with the coupon, I asked if they could price adjust it , and they would not give me an answer.

This morning I saw that my blog friend Momsbyheart had posted a letter from Walgreens Corporate office telling them that yes you can price adjust a coupon down to the value of the item. Click here for your own copy. I will print his out and carry it with me in my coupon binder that way if this happens I will be able to show the cashier, the corporate policy.

SO the cashier needs to lower the value of the coupon from $2 to $1.99 and it will work fine. Or adjust the price of the crackers up to $2. A simple fix!

Do you use a coupon for everything?

A Thrifty Mom — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:40:45 +0000

A questions I always get at my coupon classes is: Do you use a coupon for EVERYTHING you buy?

To answer this questions NO I do not use a coupon on everything I buy. I would if there was a coupon for everything I needed. But some products just do not have coupons. Or some times life just gets TOO busy, and i do not have time to bother with coupons. But my goal in couponing is to stock up at the lowest price point and keep those items on hand in my “stockpile”. In doing this I allow myself to choose the price point I am willing to pay and free myself from having to pay full price for items, because I planned ahead.

Items I buy without coupons, are must haves like bread, eggs, milk, fruits and veggies. Or items that I am brand specific on like Rice….I really only like Jasmine rice. It is not the lowest prices rice, but my favorite. So one way I save money on this product without a coupon is to buy it in bulk.

You can find the 50lb bags at Costco for $29.99 ( 60 cents a lb) or you can buy it various other stores in a small 5 lb bag for around $5-$6 dollars. We eat a lot of rice so we buy it in the big bag, separate it into smaller air tight containers, write the date on them. This saves us around 40 cents a lb.

We get cash rewards every year with our Costco credit card, so every year we use the rewards to restock with a new bag of rice.

How to get more Double Coupons

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:55:27 +0000

Got this email last night,

Question: How do you get more than 1 set of doubles when they come on Wednesdays?

Answer: Well most the time doubles come on Sunday and if you get the A Thrifty Mom paper deal with the Statesman or the Tribune, you will have lots of extra doubles. BUT when they come on Wednesday most of us only get one…so that does bring up the question as to how to get more.

Ask your neighbors, most my neighbors get the paper….and they are more than happy to give the Albertsons ad.
Ask for extras at the store….each store is a little different, some you will need to ask customer service, others the cashiers will have them.
Ask your co-workers, friends family
Look for the FREE weekly paper that comes to some areas from the Tribune or the Statesman. They toss it once a week, most the time it has an Albertsons ad in them. Last year I have several empty houses on my street that got the weekly paper, I was happy to pick them up for the extra doubles….plus it helped keep the street clean. My new Neighborhood does not get this free paper….so it varies by area.

In following these examples above I am normally able to get all the doubles I want….it may take a little bit of work, but worth my time!

What are your ideas on how to get extra double coupons?

When to ask for a Rain Check

A Thrifty Mom — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:04:53 +0000

We all are disappointed when we go to get a Thrifty Deal only to find the item out of stock. Here is what I suggest you do first. Ask to see if they have more, some times they will have another display, or more in the back. If they are out of the item, ask when the next shipment comes in. Try to come back before the sale ends, or get a rain check for the sale price.

What is a rain check? An assurance to a customer that an item on sale that is sold out or out of stock may be purchased later at the sale price.

If the item is part of a Catalina promo getting a rain check may not work. They can not write you a rain check for the catalina only the sale price. Some catalina run longer than the ad price so it is still worth getting a rain check, and you will just need to pay attention to the end date of the catalina.

If the item is not part of the weekly ad, but on sale you can still get a rain check. The photo above shows the tag for No Yolk Noodles, normal price $1.99. These were not in the ad but on sale for $1.29. If you look at the bottom of the tag you can see the sale price is only good till 3/16. Being the sale is almost over I got a rain check. I hope to find this time back in stock next time there are double coupons…and use it with the .75 cent off coupon to get them free. Many times these tag sales will last a few weeks…so it is important to look at the end date.

To get a rain check you will need to ask Customer Service or some cashiers are able to write them. Please note that every store does rain checks a little different, it is important to ask your store questions you may have. But Rain Checks are a great way to get a Thrifty Deal.

Albertsons Rain checks expire 30 days from the date written, while Walgreens do not expire.

I know Albertsons and Walgreens give out rain checks….what stores in your area use them?

Q&A: Coupon is more than item amount

A Thrifty Mom — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:06:21 +0000

Yesterday I got this comment on my site, about the FREE Buddies you can get with the $1 coupon:

I had problems using the coupon today at Target because they cost less than the coupon. Anyone else have this problem?

Then one of my wonderful readers CH took the time to help her out with this answer:

Target is supposed to lower the cost of the coupon to match the cost of the product. It is in their coupon policy.
Target Stores Coupon Policy
Coupons are a great way to save even more when shopping with us, and it’s easy to use them at our stores.
• Target accepts one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon for the same item (unless prohibited)
• Super Target coupons can be used in any Target store if the store carries the item
• We gladly accept valid internet coupons
Because of the variety of coupons available to our guests, we do have some guidelines for how coupons can be redeemed at Target.
When accepting coupons, we use the following guidelines:
• We accept two kinds of coupons: Target-issued coupons and manufacturer-issued.
• We’ll accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer coupon for the same item, unless either coupon prohibits it.
• Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.
• We can’t give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item.
• We can’t accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.
• All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier while you’re checking out.

A huge thanks to CH for taking the time to help out another reader, and she gave a wonderful answer backed with the coupon policy. I am always super grateful when my readers help each other out!!!! Between emails and comments I have hundreds to sort thru each day…..it can be a bit over whelming. Thanks again!

Q&A- How many?

A Thrifty Mom — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:01:08 +0000

Question: How much do you really stock up for a family of four? Also, on the online coupons how many coupons do you print of each one and are you printing all available or just the ones that you think you will use? Some will print several on one page and others only print one coupon on each page(lots of wasted paper).

Answer: I always say stock up on items when they are at least 50% off…get what your family will eat in the next 2 months. But if it is 75% – FREE then I stock up as much as I can store, and what my family will eat before it expires. Each family’s needs are a little different, so it is hard for me to say how much for you to buy. But the longer you coupon the better you will get at learning what you personally feel is a great stock up price and how many to get to meet your family’s needs.

As for the printing question, if it is a product that your family uses or if it happens to be a high value coupon then I go ahead and print them. Because I do not want them to reach their print limit and miss out. But if it a product that I do not really need or buy often I wait to print it till it matches up with a sale. Click here to see the latest new printable coupons. Hope that helps?

Q&A- How many coupons can I use

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:00:30 +0000

Question:

I have a coupon question that I did not see the answer to on your coupon 101 page. I am just getting started and purchased multiple papers for the first time this week. I see that there is a .50/off eight yoplait coupon as well as a .40/six yoplait. Since I purchased three papers, I have three of each. If I purchase eight yoplait cups will they let me use all six coupons since there are eight items or is one coupon since it covers eight yoplait containers?

Answer:

I get this question about once a week so I thought I would do a post on it to help clear up any questions others may have. You can use one manufacturer coupon per item. But if the manufacturer coupon states $1.00 off 2 them you can only use one coupon per two items. Or in the above example you can only use one coupon ( for .50 cents off per 8 items.

In some cases you can use two coupons per item this is called Stacking your coupons- You are able to do this when you use a in-store coupon ( a coupon that the store prints, normally in the weekly ad. It will have the store logo on it) along with a MFR (manufacturer coupon). You do have to be careful because some stores like Target have their store logo on manufacturer coupons. When you use the in-store coupon and the MFR coupon together this is called “stacking” your coupons. So watch for those in-store coupons, and see if you have a MFR coupon to go along with it.

Q&A: How many?

A Thrifty Mom — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:00:34 +0000

Question: How much do you really stock up for a family of four(2 girls 8 &3, 2 adults)? Also, on the online coupons how many coupons do you print of each one and are you printing all available or just the ones that you think you will use? Some will print several on one page and others only print one coupon on each page(lots of wasted paper).

Q&A: Albertsons Twice the value coupons

A Thrifty Mom — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:00:43 +0000

Question:

I was not able to use a Twice The Value coupon last night for a Kellogg’s coupon that said “do not double or triple”. I had a conversation with the checkers that the coupon wasn’t being doubled, but that Albertson’s was doing the increase and not expecting the manufacturer to, which is what that instruction on the coupon means. They told me that Albertson’s policy, as of A FEW MONTHS AGO, is not to “double” those coupons that say “do not double”. I even suggested that, while our nickname for the coupons are “doublers”, they are actually “Twice The Value” coupons (my friend even calls them “twice-lers”). And that the separate TTV coupon was what was causing the increase in savings. I did not win the argument, and chose to return the cereal I had intended to purchase..

Was this my mistake? I’ve not heard anything, and I’ve never had this problem. Seems by now (in my 3 or so months of couponing) I’d have used a coupon that said “do not double” and run into this…

Answer:

About a month ago my local Albertsons said that they would not long allow us to use the twice the value coupons on coupons that say do not double. Some cashiers have not been checking the working, but they are really trying hard to get all the cashiers on the same page and following this new guide line. Now I have to admit that I was disappointed with this new rule, being that it is the store giving you the discount not the manufacturer…so why should it matter? But I have to say Albertsons is still my favorite store to shop at and I am able to find the best deals there. One thing you will learn as you coupon that the rules seem to always be changing, sometimes for the better and sometimes not so good. I know most our local stores have switched over to the new rule. Not sure how it is in other areas, but I hope by posting this it will help some of you out!

Q&A- Which stores give you the best deal

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:01:17 +0000

Question: Why do you shop at Albertsons when it seems to have the highest prices over all. If I use my coupons there, it really only makes them the same price at what I could get at Walmart or Winco BEFORE coupons.

Answer: I have to say that I think you can find a “thrifty deal” at just about any store you go to. All stores have deals it is how you use your coupons with the stores sales that really helps you save. SO to answer your question yes if you just walk into any store and use a coupon you will save some money…but the key to saving is waiting to use a coupon with a really good sale. Walmart and Winco do tend to have lower prices over all, but they do not run promos very often like Albertsons and Walgreens. The goal is to stock up on these promo items at their lowest price point, and then use a coupon on top of that promo to get that item at its rock bottom price.

When you first start to coupon it is sometimes best to shop at the lowest price stores for your “must have items for that week” but set aside part of your budget for your stock up coupon items. That way you can feel ok about buying 30 cans of soup in a week, knowing that your family will now have soup for the next few months at is lowest price point. But you have also taken care of the basics first. Before long you kitchen pantry will be full of items that you got at their lowest price point or free. And you will not have to pay full price for them when you run out…instead of running to the store and paying full price you just run to your pantry.

Q&A- Thrifty Baby ideas???

A Thrifty Mom — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:00:08 +0000

Question: I have followed your blog for a couple months now, thank you for all you do! We have a daughter that is a little over 1 1/2 now. We have been talking about baby number 2, with my new thrifty ways I am wondering if you can share some ways cut cost of having a baby. I would love to know what you bottom price is for diapers..food..ect. I want to begin to build a stock pile so we are not hit with all the costs at once! thanks for trying to find time for me!

Answer: I have found that if you wait till you think you can afford to have a baby you will probably NEVER have one. Matt was 26 when we got married and eager to have a little one. I was only 20 and still very young, the thought of having a baby scared me to death but it was also something that was very important to me. My son Matthew was born about a year and a half later. I was still very young, scared and then finding out he was missing half his heart was more than a little over whelming.

But one thing I have found after having 3 kids is there are lots of ways to cut costs, here are a few of my ideas:

First off I have breast feed all my babies, Yes is is very good for them, but it is also VERY THRIFTY! This can save you a ton of money!
I have found they grow so fast, and they do not really get dirty unless they have a total diaper blow out. So once they outgrow their clothes they still look brand new. Some of those little outfit are VERY expensive, I will normally buy one or two new clothing item’s for photos or special days. But for the most part I go to good 2nd hand children’s clothing stores. Many of them are very picky at what they will sell, and you can save a ton of money by buying 2nd hand clothing. My local store Other Mothers, has a huge .25 cents sale once a month , where everything is .25 cents. I get most my kids clothes there!
The bottled baby food is nice, but will send you to the poor house. If you buy fresh squash ( or grow it in your garden), fruit and veggies and make your own baby food it is not only better for them but saves a ton of money.
Start watching the sales and buy a few packs of wipes or diapers when they are on sale for a good price. By the time your baby is born you should have a nice sock pile. I stock up any time they go close to 50% off!
If you are thinking of having a baby check your insurance plans, we pay more per month for our family plan but it pays for the baby 100%, all I have to pay is a $500 hospital stay. I may pay more a month but this has saved me thousands for the price other plans cost.

Those are just a few of my ideas, what thrifty baby tips do you have?

Q&A- black and white coupons

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:47 +0000

Question: Will a store accept printed coupon if they aren’t color? I think its a stupid question, but as I don’t have a printer & would have to go to the library I don’t want to end up not being able to use them cuz they’re black & white…

Answer: I personally do not print them in black and white, I go ahead and print them in color. I hate to use up the color ink, but it is worth it so me. Like I have always said some stores are more coupon friendly than others, my local Albertsons does not seem to mind them in black and white. But I know other stores will give you a hard time or refuse to take them because they can not see the water marks on the coupon. They fear that they have been photo copied so they refuse to take them. I am not one to fight with the cashier so I just find it is easier to print them in color.

I would like to hear from the rest of you, I know that many of my friends print in black and white. What has been your experiance what stores are willing to take them?

What does SS, RP ans P&G mean?

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:00:56 +0000

Question: I am a little new to couponing, would you mind telling me what the abbreviations stand for and where I can find each of the coupons?

Answer: Sometimes on my match ups you will see something like this ”use the $3.00/1 in 08/02 SS”, this means the $3 off one coupon from the August 2nd Smart Source. There are three main coupon inserts that come in the Sunday paper. The Smart source (SS), the Red Plum (RP) and the Proctor and Gamble (P&G). Now one important thing to note it that not all papers get all the inserts. Or you may get the insert but it may not have all the coupon in it. Larger city’s tend to get more coupon, or higher value coupons. So just because I have it listed does not mean it is always in your Sunday paper.

Now that I have it….where do I put it???

A Thrifty Mom — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:12:46 +0000

Below are just 2 of the many emails I get asking me where I store all my thrifty deals,

Here’s my purpose for writing – I live in a pretty average sized home – with a pretty average sized kitchen, pantry, garage, etc. We have an average refrigerator/freezer and we have another freezer in the garage. I’m curious where people stash all the stuff they accumulate. We have a linen closet full of toilet paper, paper towels, sunblocks, mosquito repellent, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, etc. And my pantry is just about dangerous to open for fear of being attacked by falling food. I’m really curious where else people go with all this stuff. I get more than we consume right now and I’m good with that right now because I’d like to continue to have a little more of a buffer in this economy for my little family, but barring finding a box of cereal when I open my glove compartment, I’m looking for creativity!

I’ve been struggling with storing all my ‘thrifty’ deals. I remember reading a while back that you lived in a smaller home, so where are you keeping everything? Would you mind blogging with pictures of how you are storing and where you are keeping everything. My friend and I are contemplating on buying storage drawers or baskets to keep everything but would like to avoid that cost if possible.

First I have to say I can not believe I am showing you this photo…. Ahhhhhh. It is not all neat and perfect like I wish it was. But once again I am going to swallow my pride, and show you the not so pretty parts of my life, in order to try and help you!

I get asked questions like this daily, and yes I live in a very small 900 sq ft house, so space is a huge issue. I have one tiny pantry that fits a small amount of food in it but one shopping trip will fill it up. We went ahead and bought a large stand up freezer and have it in our garage. We also bought 2 large sturdy shelving units from Home Depot. ( I say sturdy because we made the mistake of buying cheap ones first and the weight of the food made them fall apart) We have the 2 storage shelves set up in our garage. But here is the thing, you have make sure your garage is insulated and will stay cool or the heat will make your food go bad.

I keep all the personal care products in my walk in closet, and laundry room. Some day I DREAM of getting a larger home with a huge storage room. Where I can store all the food my little heart desires and have it perfect and in order. But till that day my garage works just fine. I do have to say, only store what your family will be able to use. I have made the mistake of going over board and buying so much of something just because it was a good deals, that it goes bad before my family can eat it all. I now have a certain spot for each item, so when the “granola bar spot” is full, I know that I can’t buy any more because I will have no were to store them. This helps me stock up on the items my family will eat and use. So watch those dates, rotate your food, and keep in it a cool, dry place.

What tips so you have for storing food? I would love to hear from you all!

Q&A- Start slow

A Thrifty Mom — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:08:27 +0000

Queston: When you first started the stock pile process did you still have grocery bills that cheap? I am just starting out but I cannot figure out how to get started and only spend $100 in a month. Everytime I go to the store I end up doing the whole grocery shopping and then I will pick up a few extra items to start my stockpile because they are on sale. Just wondering how hard it is also to get out of the habit of doing a complete shopping trick to just getting on sale items? Thanks for any information you can give. I am recently became a stay at home mom and want to prove my worth to husband to help save money for the family.

Answer: When you first start to coupon, you are not going to be able to spend your weeks budget on building your stockpile. Or you would be stuck eating cereal and yogurt one week, and wheat thins and ketchup the next. When you first start your stock pile shop like you normally would…that way your family has there basic needs. But set aside a certain dollar amount that will be your stock pile money. You will then know that you can use that money to find items at their lowest price point and buy multiples at the lowest price. But once that pre-set amount is gone then you will know you have to wait till next week to start stocking up again. Most likely you will be able to buy 3-4 times more with your “stock pile” items, soon your pantry will be filled with items you bought at their lowest price point. So you will not need to buy them at their highest price point…..as the weeks go on your weekly spending will drop. You will still be buying just as many items….just at a better price.

I only spent $100.00 this month but normaly I spend around $200.00 it works for my family, but make sure you do what works for yours. Be happy about any money you save, and feel good at the progress you are making!

What are you thinking???

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:15:17 +0000

If you have been following my blog, many of you have noticed I have gotten a TON of free salad dressing the last month. I have not counted but I know I have gotten at least 60 bottles free or almost free in the last 2 months. I know many of you are wondering what I am doing will all of it. In fact I get questions about it all the time. Do not worry I have not lost my mind, and yes I am well aware of the fact that I seem to get it almost every week.

First off I do eat a lot of salad, my family eats it as a side dish 2-3 times a week. But the main reason I stock up is to give to others. First let me say if I do not need the item, I only stock up if the store is well stocked. There is no need for me to clear the shelf when others need it. But I am lucky that my local Albertsons has been well stocked for the last Kraft, Wishbone salad promos. Some times I get the free salad dressing as a filler item, for example the last sale I had to spend $25 to get the $10 discount. All I really wanted was mayo and soap but that only came to $15.00 so I used the salad dressing as a filler item to get me up to the $25.00 mark. It was Free so why not get it?

I have told you before that most of my family does NOT coupon shop, so it is nice to help them out with freebies. We have family dinners all the time and I am happy to supply the salad dressing. In my church we like to take meals into families that just had a baby, or if they are sick, or just to welcome them to our church family. I always sign up to bring the green salad, I then not only bring them salad but a few bottles of dressing too. It is a way that I can give back on a small budget!

Q&A- Albertsons catalina sale

A Thrifty Mom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:42:42 +0000

It has been awhile since Albertsons had a Catalina sale, I have had a lot of question on it. So I thought this may help you out…

Question: Can you take the 10.00 catalina you get and use it on your next group of $25.00 and just keep on rolling it?

Answer: Yes, you will get one $10 catalina back for every $25 you spend on the item’s in the promo. I always split the items up in my cart in groups of $25. I pay for the first group and then get back my $10 catalina, then use it on each group of $25 after that making each additional group only $15.00. You can do this over and over and over. BUT it is best to do one transaction, pay and then get back in line. This helps the cashiers keep the customers happy plus it gives you time to sort your coupons out, and have them ready in between each transaction. Please note that I have heard of some stores that will not allow you to use the catalina on the same day you get it ( even if it is for another order) but I have always been able to use it right away on my NEXT $25 transaction.

Question: I was wondering , is the $25 counted before coupons or after coupons?

Answer: The $25 mark is counted before coupons. Remember the store IS getting paid for your coupon, so using a manufacturer coupon is like paying with cash. ( an in-store coupon is different the store is not getting paid, they are just giving a discount) So if you have $15 dollars in coupon it would bring your total down to $10 which you pay with cash, then get back the $10 catalina which you can use on your NEXT order.

Question: Do you have to buy all $2.00 item’s or $1.50 items or can you mix and match the prices up to $25

Answer: Yes you can mix and match any of the products from the front page of the add. Just as long as they reach $25

One more thing the hardest thing about a catalina sale is when you pay and then wait and no catalina prints. Some cashiers are happy to help you figure out why it did not print but if you happen to get a cranky cashier here a few tips,

1. Your total has to be $25 before tax so if you live in Idaho and pay 6% sales tax you total will need to be at least $26.50 in order for the catalina to print. ( now you can bring your total down with coupons…but before coupons and tax it has to be $25.00)

2. Make sure you have the exact size, flavor, that is listed on the ad promo. If one items if off, your catalina will not print

3. Buy in groups of $25.00 I always seem to have trouble when I try to do more than that.

4. My Caldwell ( stadium store) is GREAT about helping you out with coupons. But if you happen to get a not so coupon friendly Albertsons and your Catalina does not print you can call 1-888-8coupon, this is the number to the catalina company. Have your receipt call them and they will be able to mail you your catalina or tell you why it did not print.