- 1). Go generic—and don’t look back. Many generic products are the exact equivalent of their name-brand siblings. Certain items like cough and cold medicine, laundry detergents, dairy foods and bath products have the same ingredients as the better-known brands. Read the ingredients labels and you’ll find that you can save up to 20 percent just by buying generic.
- 2). Sign up for the store’s frequent-shopper program. You’ve probably seen those miniature plastic key fobs hanging from everyone’s key chains. While it can be tempting to just use their cashier’s generic tag, sign up for your own. Many stores offer discounts and coupons for frequent shoppers, which will only be tallied if you use your own personal tags.
- 3). Don’t be store loyal. Go to the store that has the best discount, even if this means going two or three different stores. Read the store’s circulars to see who is having the best sales and group your shopping lists for each store.
- 4). Sign up for coupons on manufacturers’ websites. They will often mail you product samples and usually have coupons on their site you can print out. They will also sometimes mail you coupons.
- 5). Find out which grocery store has double--or triple--coupon days and do your shopping on those days.
- 6). Keep your coupons organized in a coupon holder and keep it in your car. Coupons are worthless if you forget to bring them with you, or if you’re fumbling to find the correct ones at the checkout counter and miss some.
- 7). Buy reusable grocery bags. Not only are these great for the environment, many grocery stores now offer a monetary reimbursement for using them instead of plastic bags. Most reusable bags cost around a dollar—you can often make up the cost of one bag in less than six months if you shop once a week.
- 8). Ask your friends and neighbors for their coupon circulars. Most people just toss these valuable newspaper inserts without even looking at them—that’s like throwing money away. If they’re not going to use them, ask if you can have them. Or take them if you see them laying around, unused, in fast-food restaurants or diners.
- 9). Join a warehouse club and buy in bulk. Savings of up to 50 percent can be found at places like Sam’s Club and BJ’s. Buy all of your nonperishable necessities there like garbage bags, toilet paper, paper towels and laundry soap.
- 10
Check out dollar stores for other nonperishable items. There’s not much difference between the 100 pack of brown lunch bags you buy for a dollar at the Dollar Store and the $2 one you buy at the grocery store.
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