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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Getting the best deals from the brands we love

How do you grocery shop? Are you like my husband, and you head to the store just grab what you need and go? Or are you like me, and you like to save? I love to save money on the brands my family uses. So when I grocery shop there is a process I go through.

First you need to make a list. I keep a list on the refrigerator, as items are emptied out or used, it gets added to the list. I add items to replenish the stock in my pantry this way. My boys like to add things they like. Making a list helps you only buy what you need, no guessing. Or having to run to the store for missing items. I remember trying to make Hamburger Helper for the boys and I had no milk. Ok, just in case you don't know you cannot make Hamburger Helper without milk, trust me I tried.

Next I always grab the weekly sales ad. The weekly sales ad is like a guideline for what a store is promoting on sale. This is a great place to start. These are not all the items on sale though. During different times of the year or seasons, different items go on sale. As I go through the ad, I circle any items that are on my grocery list.

Now, it is time to pull out my coupons. I never knew how much I could save by cutting coupons. I use to skip on buying my favorite brands and go with the generics just to save a buck or two. Sometimes it just does not taste the same. I bought the generic brand of flavored oatmeal versus Quaker, urghhh. Never again.

So where do I find my coupons, you ask? I get the Sunday paper with the inserts. I also go online and requested coupons for my favorite items from the brands themselves. Companies love to hear your feedback. I just received a coupon from Silk. I had been having a hard time finding coupons for this milk. I contacted the company and they sent me a coupon. Another great place to get coupons is online. You can go to different websites to get them. Just get online, click, and print. Another place to get coupons is from your favorites stores. I get coupons mailed to my house from Krogers. I received an envelope full of coupons. You can also print Kroger coupons online. Also, products will have coupons attached to them. Some have coupons on the shelves. I also have a buddy system for extra coupons. My friend and I share coupons we do not use and pass them to each other. This way those coupons do not go to waste. And if there is a coupon you might need, they may have it. This buddy system works great.

At this point I match the coupons with the items on my list. This is one of the best ways to save. I always have a coupon for every item on the list. If it happens to also be on sale, then you just save more money.

One of the best times to shop is when a store is having an event. I love to shop at the Kroger MEGA events. I save so much money on all the brands I love. Currently Kroger is running a promotion. It is a 14-day promotion. From now until March 12th, you can receive CartBuster savings on products. Some of the brands you can save on are P&G, General Mills, Nestle, and Pepsi. Go to the Kroger Facebook page for more details.

Don't forget before you head to the store to check to see if you have your card. Store cards will save you money on all your favorite brands.

When you are the store don't forget to stock pile on your favorite items, when they are on sale. And do not forget to use your coupons.

Whether you consider yourself saavy, thrifty, cheap, or frugal, everyone can use extra money. You do not have to give up your favorite brands anymore. I enjoy grocery shopping now. I try to beat my savings every week. The more I save, the better I know I am learning to stretch my dollars.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms Kroger CartBuster blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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