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Help! I Want To Be A Coupon Shopper

Many of you are checking A Frugal Chick [1] for the first time, mainly looking for holiday deals.

But deep in your heart, you know you COULD be a couponer.  It could happen.  You could save more and plan better.  You understand the difference it can make for your family.

But you don’t have time.  You don’t know where to start.  You don’t know what to do.  And you don’t want a house full of  marinades and laundry detergent.

Before you print or clip any coupons you HAVE to make a menu for your house for the week.

Now before you groan and quit reading I ask you this- how many different recipes do you REALLY make in your house?  The average American household only makes about 10 different recipes.  Yes you might vary it a bit (spaghetti vs ziti) but on the whole you eat the same stuff over and over.

I know from statistics that an overwhelming percentage of my readers live around Hampton Roads.  

If you don’t live here find your favorite grocery store (let’s say “Coburns” and google “Coburns Coupon Match Ups.”  A great local blogger should pop up who can help you find the best deals at your store. 

For those of you who live here just keep an eye on my site- I list all the deals for Farm Fresh [2], Harris Teeter [3] and Food Lion [4]– the three big couponing stores in the area.

When most people make a menu for their house they make a menu and then hope that whatever they have decided to cook is on sale.  This is the WRONG ORDER.

You need to look at the sales flyer for your favorite store, look at what you already have in your kitchen and then decide what you can make from that.

Let’s say you have ground beef and pasta in your house.  Marinara sauce is on sale at your favorite store this week.  Even I know these equal spaghetti.  And you just made dinner for about $2.

So for this week just take 15 minutes and make a plan.  Decide what you are going to cook before you make it and then make your shopping list off of that.

I bet you save atleast 10% just by planning a bit!