By Mary B
The stories of people who save thousands on a grocery store bill and pay $37 for a total of $1500 worth of groceries fascinate and annoy me. They are able to score great deals and have enough toothpaste to last through to the 22nd century. But often have a ton of space at home to store these items.
What happens if you live in 800 sf and are a family of four? How do you save?
We have minimal storage space, and by minimal I mean virtually none. I coupon as best I can, but am by no means an expert.
The one area I have found luck though is when stores are having promotions that I can couple with their existing coupon deals (Harris Teeter’s super doubler coupon or it’s triple coupon deal are some of my favorites) make shopping practically free! And I can “stock up” as in 3 of a particular item, and enjoy the savings in the short term, which ultimately help in the long run, even if we don’t have a bunker full of deodorant.
For example:
Hamburger Helper will often have a coupon for $.75 off 3. The typical price here in the DC area is $2.25 box. Well if it’s on sale for 2 for $3, that means they are $1.50 each, and with my coupon that means I wind up paying (depending on store’s double or triple policy), anywhere from $3.75 for 3 (so $1.25 box) to $2.25 for 3 (so $.75 each!)
Hershey will often have coupons for $.50 off 2 candy bars. My local store, which doubles up to .99 cents, will often run a promotion, 2 candy bars for $1. With my coupon, I wind up getting the candy for FREE!
Thank you so much for the reality check. my family watched a coupon show last night and i thought the same thing. How big is your house, are you a hoarder and what store accepts all those deals? I felt so much better after reading your thoughts