Savings 101

It's a fun challenge for me to find deals, save money, and bring home good products for my family in return. I realized though that maybe someone reading this is starting from scratch. So, I figured I would give you a run down of the basics on how I play the game. In my area, the 4 main grocery stores I shop at are Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger and Target. Each of these stores has their own online store coupons you can print to stack with a manufacturer's coupon for the same product. In my area, Publix is the only store who will accept competing store's coupons as well, although you should ask your grocer what their rules are. Meaning, I can print a coupon from Target's coupon page online, use it at Publix, combine it with a manufacture's coupon on top of an already going sale & CHA CHING money in my pocket! There are several sites you can print manufacture coupons from, but my favorites are swagbucks.com  and commonkindness.com because there are added benefits in printing coupons from their sites. Swagbucks gives rewards points which I use to redeem Amazon dollars that never expire, while Commonkindness donates money to a charity of your choice when you use their coupons. Another great site is Mambosprouts.com for organic coupons alone. In addition, many products allow you to print coupons from their own webpage, such as Stonyfield Yogurt. On top of all this, there are rewards programs from leading companies that give you free stuff from buying their products. Pampers, Huggies, Stonyfield Farms and even Kellogs have consumer loyalty programs. I frequently redeem free grocery vouchers in return for buying products I already saved huge on. I know it may seem overwhelming when reading, but it really is so simple if you can be ever so slightly organized. I save about $40 a week in coupons alone, spend about $200 a month on groceries and still have savings loop holes kicking in afterwards. On top of this, we eat mostly organic, crap free, yummy, belly filling foods. The details can get quite extensive so if you have a question..ASK! I want to share the wealth of savings & goodness with you!