Required Reading: The "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half" eBook

[MelissaH]

Originally Posted by irelandcastillo

i'm sorry but i don't really know what that means. what am i doing wrong? i click on download and then my screen says if i want to open cancel or save. i tried it both ways and all i get are squares and code. what kind of program do i use? does it give a chance to let you choose what program to use to download?

A suggestion: Make sure you have Adobe Reader on your computer. The eBook is in PDF format, which is the Adobe Portable Document Format. It is a very common format these days. If you don't have Adobe Reader, it is a freebie, and is available at Adobe

[in2amish]

hello everyone

this might sound like i'm rambling on and sorry if it does. i am new to the "real" couponing i do get my sunday inserts and cut and sort them but right now i can only purchased a little groceries at a time and then when i do use the coupons it seems to me that i don't really save that much maybe two dollars at the most. Am I doing something wrong? I shop at walmart and i use there price promise and coupons, i used to shop at kroger but it seemed to me that there prices were high and at that time in my life i didn't have much income. i am tring to save in anyway i can because my dh has been only working two days maybe three a week, its really hard we are a family of 5 with little income. by all means i not using that as an excuse cause i do use coupons. How did everyone start and where? i know that you get your coupons in order,check ads and then match together. from there where do i go? also i am really confused about the cvs and walgreens things could someone shine some light on that for me please.i haave also read the ebook and check all the forums i have really learned alot but for some reason i just can't put it all together. thanks in advance.

[MelissaH]

Well I am totally brand new at this thing, but in my first week, I saved around $175 just by taking a little time out to make a plan and then working the plan. It's all about using the coupons at the time the product is on sale. If Kroger has their products on sale and then you have a coupon for it, you can really get a great deal and maybe even free! With Wal-Mart matching competitors prices, that works out well too.

Last night our local grocery store was having something called a "Moonlight Madness" sale. They offered store coupons that were $1 and $2 off, so I got stratigic with it. For instance, they had smoked turkey in the deli on sale for $1.99 a pound and I had a $1 off on anything in the deli, so I bought 1 pound of turkey and got it for .99 cents. It's normally over $5 a pound. I was able to buy lettuce for 39 cents and organic milk for about $2.50. Think of it as a game, but never go shopping without your game plan or you will come out on the losing end.

[gina4333]

It is probably the way your computer is set up. Mine has the same problem when downloading files. I was able to do it from my work computer that has all the bells and whisltles. Try the library if you can't get it from home. It is a must read when starting couponing. I have read it over many times.
Good luck!

[lucyrevenge]

Originally Posted by in2amish

hello everyone

this might sound like i'm rambling on and sorry if it does. i am new to the "real" couponing i do get my sunday inserts and cut and sort them but right now i can only purchased a little groceries at a time and then when i do use the coupons it seems to me that i don't really save that much maybe two dollars at the most. Am I doing something wrong? I shop at walmart and i use there price promise and coupons, i used to shop at kroger but it seemed to me that there prices were high and at that time in my life i didn't have much income. i am tring to save in anyway i can because my dh has been only working two days maybe three a week, its really hard we are a family of 5 with little income. by all means i not using that as an excuse cause i do use coupons. How did everyone start and where? i know that you get your coupons in order,check ads and then match together. from there where do i go? also i am really confused about the cvs and walgreens things could someone shine some light on that for me please.i haave also read the ebook and check all the forums i have really learned alot but for some reason i just can't put it all together. thanks in advance.

For CVS have you read this post, Philosophy behind ECBs @ CVS . Might be helpful to you. Basic gist with CVS is to buy items that generate ECBs(coupons that are good towards your next purchase). You then turn around and use those ECBs to buy other items that also generate ECBs and in essence only spending the intiall OOP amount and just keep "rolling" the ECBs you get in each subsequent transaction into more deals.

For Walgreens, it is a little more convoluted, but I'll try my best to break it down.

There are Register Rewards which are coupons that print out when you have bought a qualified item(s). Ex. All month the Gillette Fusion Gamer razors have been on sale for $8.99. When you buy one you get a $6 RR. What makes this deal good is there is also a $4 MQ out.

Some rules for RRs:

#1 You cannot roll RRs which is to one deal and then do another using the RR you just received. The second one will NOT print.

#2 You cannot use RRs from the same manufacturer on another deal from that same manufacturer. Ex. If you get one P&G item that prints an RR, you cannot that RR to buy another P&G item that prints an RR. The deals conflict and the RR will not print.

Now there is the Easy Saver Rebate program. Every month there are new deals and rebates. You buy the items stated in the rebate and then have the option of claiming it via mail or online. You can elect to be reimbursed via check or with a Walgreens gift card. The gift card option comes with a 10% bonus. Within the ESR booklet are Easy Saver coupons. These are store coupons and can be stacked with MQ for extra savings.

In general, when you are first starting out you sometimes need to spend a little more to get your stockpile going. The best way to really save is to build a stockpile. Since you are in a different situation currently, I would suggest only focusing in really great deals that you can use. i.e. the free foil at Walgreens this week - free TP at Kroger - etc.

By the way 30 miles south of Chicago? Where are you at? Might be able to help you more if I know exactly what you have available to shop at.

[in2amish]

im in momence by kankakee
last night i went through my coupons and looked at all the sale ads and im so excited that i can't wait to go shopping.

here are some of the sales i will be getting
CVS
colgate$.88
coupon $.75 so it will be $.13
" " $1.00 it will be .12 back to me

scope 3.99 coupon 1.00 2.99

colgate 2/4 coupon .75 for toothpaste 1.25
coupon .75 /toothbrush 1.25
it will be 2/2.50

vicks dayquil 2/9.98 2 coupons for 1.50
make it 2/6.98 and then get ecb of 5.00
total savings 7.25


walgreens
oust spray 2.99 each i have a coupon BOGO and they have a rebate for 1.00 so would i be getting both for .50 after i get my rebate
softsoap bodywash 3.49
coupon .75 2.74
rebate 1.00 making it 1.74
tylenol rapid release gels
their coupon get 4.00 off
coupon 1.00
if it 8.99 it will end up being 3.99 after all the coupons

did i do all my figuring right i am so excited i feel like i am really learning something
thanks again.

[lucyrevenge]

Momence? Oh yeah, ok know where you are at. Was throwing me off because I am 35 miles south of the city so was wondering where you were as you are actually farther south than I am....closer to 50 miles south of the city.

Anyway, your figrues look right. This is what I would suggest for CVS:

Trans. #1
(2) Vicks - $9.98 minus (2) $1.50 MQs
OOP $6.98
Get back $5 ECB

Trans. #2
Colgate TP $.88 - $.75 MQ - $.13
Scope $3.99 - $1MQ - $2.99
Colgate TP $2 - $.75MQ - $1.25
Colgate TB $2 - $.75MQ - $1.25

$5.62 subtotal hand over $5ECB from 1st trans. - $.62(plus tax) OOP


So you will get all the above for approx. $7.60.

For Walgreens I would suggest getting doing one the razor deals first and then using your RR to deal your other deals? Even if you do not need the razor maybe there is someone you know who does and you are going to spend that $$ anyway.


Oust Spray BOGO $2.99(Rebate $2)
Softsoap bodywash 3.49 minus $.75 MQ - 2.74(ESR $1)
Tylenol rapid release gels - $4 in-ad Q (check for $1 blinkies or peelies with these as I saw some the other day on the boxes)

So without the Tylenol you are going to spend $5.73 OOP. If you do the Gillete deal $8.99 minus $4MQ - You pay $4.99 plus tax OOP and get a $6 RR. Now you can use that $6 RR to get the Oust & the Softsoap but you will will also have the razor. You can the Razor deal again to roll into your Tylenol deal. Since you have coupons for everything just make sure you give the RR over first if you decide to do it that way and then hand over your RR otherwise the register will count the RR as a MQ and you will a filler item.

Make sense?

[mommaof3]

Originally Posted by lucyrevenge

Since you have coupons for everything just make sure you give the RR over first if you decide to do it that way and then hand over your RR otherwise the register will count the RR as a MQ and you will a filler item.

Make sense?

What is the correct order again, including wags q's? (wags q, rr, and mfq)??

[lucyrevenge]

Originally Posted by mommaof3

What is the correct order again, including wags q's? (wags q, rr, and mfq)??

RRs
ESC
MQs
in-ad

This is my system. All stores are YMMV. In general by doing it this way, any RRs you have will not count as a MQ so you will not need a filler for them if your coupon count exceeds the number of items you have.

I change this system up depending on the deal and the cashiers I encounter/stores I go to.

[in2amish]

my totals were different i did it all in one shot. guess i will learn for next time
walgreens was 47.64 cause i bought a straightner and one more softsoap, i thought i really did good ,but when you told me your totals i was kinda bummed. also what is the FSA?
WAGS coupon savings 4.30
wags advertised savings 12.87
mfg savings 9.24


my totals at CVS were 22.02
it said i saved 16.23 and here it says i have 10.58 FSA
health care eligible total what do i do with that
also i had to ask the cashier for my 5.00 ECB cause they didn't print and of course i had a whole line behind me so i was pretty nervous but stood my ground and got them whoo hoo