Electronic Coupons

Loading electronic coupons onto your loyalty cards is an easy way to coupon without having to worry about clipping inserts and remembering to bring them with you. Currently the only local retailer to accept e-coupons is Smiths. There are several websites that will load coupons onto your Smiths Rewards Card:

Smiths Food & Drug homepage: The Smiths site allows you to load up to 150 coupons onto your Smiths Rewards card. You have to create an online account first. They will be ready to use 1 hour after loading. Also, if you give them your mailing information, Smiths may send you coupons from time to time in the mail. I receive special coupons from Smiths about once a months or so that correspond with upcoming sales and promotions.

Cellfire: After creating an account you can load coupons onto your Smiths card or onto your cell phone to use at other local retailers.

Shortcuts: Another site where you can loan coupons onto your Smiths card. This site also offers printable coupons and cash back for online shopping.

Upromise: Upromise is the only site that currently allows you to save from multiple retailer's loyalty cards. In our area, you can save from your Smiths, Albertsons, or Rite Aid cards. Unlike other digital coupons, however, Upromise does not give you "cents off" upfront, rather, they take the savings and add it to your Upromise account, which is a college savings account. If you don't have a child that needs saving for college you can appoint a grandchild as your beneficiary or even use Upromise to pay off student loans. See Upromise.com for more information.

Grocery Smarts

Grocery Smarts is a great tool that a lot of shoppers use. It allows you to create a printable custom shopping list for each store, lets you know which deals are hot (and how hot), and directs you towards the coupons you'll need for the sales. To get started simply click the logo below:

 Once you get there, use the drop-down menu to select your desired store (in our area - Walmart, Smiths, Albertsons, Harmons, Kmart, Lins, Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens). You then press the "Start" button at the top, click on the items you want to add to your shopping list, and click "Shrink" when you are done. Then you can click the print button to print your shopping list to bring to the store. Use the right-hand column to see what coupon match-ups you'll need (this column will also point you to where you can print applicable coupons). Then go back to the home page and do the same for the next store you want to shop. 

I have to confess, I don't use Grocery Smarts. I've played around with it and I can see why some people love it, but for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me (it might be my knee-jerk reaction against printing out my grocery list - I've always been very frugal with how much I print). Also, I question some of their star ratings. Some sales that they list as 5-stars aren't 5-star worthy, in my opinion. I do think it's a great tool, however, especially for beginners.

Good Couponing Blogs

These are some of the best couponing & deal blogs I've come across:

GENERAL COUPONING/DEAL BLOGS:

The Krazy Coupon Lady: These ladies blog about grocery & drug store deals, online deals, free samples, etc. They post deals for the upcoming week on Saturday generally, covering Rite Aid, Walgreens, K-Mart and Target. They also often give ideas on how to use Albertsons doublers. KCL is probably my favourite deal blog. They have great beginning couponing info including how-to videos, an extensive coupon database, up-to-date catalina info, as well as answers to frequently asked couponing questions. Their site is a really great tool for both beginning and experienced couponers.

Common Sense with Money: Although she lives in the Midwest, this blogger is another one of the best, with very up-to-date deals. She posts about the grocery stores (Target & Walmart) as well as Walgreens and Rite Aid. She also blogs a lot about daily deal sites (like Groupon) and online deals. She has also recently written a free Couponing E-book and you can request a copy to be emailed to you on her site.

Utah Deal Diva: Although she doesn't put out the same volume of posts as the previous two blogs, this blog is good because she's based in Northern Utah. She will blog about Smith's deals as well as other Utah-related deals. She often blogs about free activities to do in Utah, which sometimes includes St. George. I don't check her blog as often, but try to catch up on it once or twice a week.

Dixie Coupon Chicks: This blog is written by a blogger in St. George, and is good because she posts deals weekly for most of the local stores, including Lin's (which is useful because the Lin's ad is not delivered to our area). She also posts about local events.

Hip2Save:Another good blog with deals that some of the other bloggers miss. I haven't spent much time reading this blog but I'm impressed with what I see so far.

WeUseCoupons.com: If you were able to see the very first, hour-long episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC you will know about Nathan, the "extreme couponer" who bought cases upon cases of Total cereal. This is his site. I haven't had the chance to explore it much, but it seems like a good resource. It seems to be of a forum-type site and not really a blog, so individual users can post their own deals. There's also "virtual couponing classes" in YouTube video form.

STORE-SPECIFIC BLOGS:

I Heart Rite Aid: I recently found out about this blog, which covers Rite Aid offers exclusively. This blog is useful because it features the Rite Aid circulars for the upcoming 2-3 weeks, meaning you can see what will be on sale weeks before the ad comes in the paper. Our local Rite Aid has fantastic management, and they are willing to take orders from regular customers in advance and set items aside for you, as long as you let them know before they submit their order. By looking at the upcoming ads you can see if there's anything that you might want and you can get an order in ahead of time. This can often equate to free stuff if you have the right coupons.

I Heart Wags: Just like I Heart Rite Aid, except for Walgreens (which is known as Wags among couponers). Seeing the circulars ahead of time can also help you print off any internet coupons before they reach their maximum print limits.

Totally Target:  Although this blog does cover other deal happenings, as it's name implies, it focuses largely on Target-centric deals.

OTHER GOOD SITES:

Sunday Coupon Preview: If you've ever debated whether or not to hold off on your Albertsons/Smiths/Lins shopping trip until Monday, this is a site that can help you decide. This site gives you a preview of what coupons will be in the coming Sunday inserts. Since Albertsons, Smiths, and Lins ads run Wednesday until Tuesday, checking this site could save you some money. If there's going to be a coupon in the Sunday paper that corresponds with the current sales circular, you might as well wait until Monday or Tuesday to shop.

Pinching Your Pennies: A huge site with forums, coupon codes, etc. This site has deal forums categorized by state with deal threads specific to Utah stores and deals, with links to the Grocery Smarts lists for each store.

Hot Coupon World: Another really good resource. This site is extensive. It's a forum-style site and has oodles of information. It has a good Couponing 101/102/103 section for beginners. Here's the link to that.

Sales & Couponing Tips

Here are some tips to help you get the most bang for your buck and steer clear of store tricks that end up costing you more:

1) When using s coupon, it's usually cheapest to buy the smallest size of whatever you're buying. If you're deciding between a 6 oz. toothpaste and a 4 oz. toothpaste and you have a coupon it's almost always better to buy the 4 oz. The larger size may have a lower cost per ounce regularly, but not after you factor in the value of the coupon. If you do the math it's almost always smartest to buy the smaller version. A large product may be much less expensive with coupons, but the smallest size may be free! This is part of the logic behind multiple coupons.

2) Stores like to confuse customers with wording like 10/$10 in their circulars. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY 10 TO GET THE SALE PRICE. 10/$10 is essentially $1 each. If a purchase of 10 is required to get the deal, it will say that it is required. Furthermore, these types of sales are not always the best deals. Sometimes they even increase the price for this type of sale. If a can of tomatoes is on sale 10 for $10, but the regular price is $0.89, then it's not really a sale, is it? Having a good knowledge of both the sale & regular price of items is important.

3) Hit the clearance racks! One of the best things about bringing all your coupons with you to the store (a.k.a. the binder) is finding hidden treasures on the clearance shelf. Just yesterday I was behind some savvy shoppers who were combining Albertsons "Twice the Value" coupons, manufacturer coupons, and what they found on the clearance shelf for some amazing deals (2 Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascaras for $0.50! I wish I'd found that deal!). I've found killer deals on the clearance racks at Smiths, Albertsons, Target, and even Walmart. It's all about being prepared for any shopping situation!

4) You've put the work in finding the deals, filling your cart and have all your coupons in hand. Now watch that cashier! Don't ever expect for things to go completely smoothly at the register. I have to correct cashiers almost weekly. Sometimes they're looking at the coupons they're scanning and they miss that the computer needs additional information. Meanwhile they've tried to scan 4 or 5 more coupons and those ones haven't been deducted from your total. Sometimes they accidentally drop one on the floor and look at you like you're crazy when you try to tell them so... (and sure enough, when you look at your receipt after you're missing a $2 coupon.....grr....). Anyhow, I always count the number of coupons I have to make sure I have the correct number of deductions. This is especially important in situations like Smiths self-checkouts, because often the cashier will be scanning your coupons several feet away from you and not at your register.

5) Don't let the cashier pull the "one coupon per purchase" line on you! One coupon per purchase does NOT mean one coupon per transaction. Each item is considered a purchase-- many coupons actually say "one coupon per item purchased, which is a much better way to phrase it. 

6) Buy-one-get-one-free coupons - Did you know when using a B1G1 free coupon that you can use 2 coupons? For example, you have a B1G1 free coupon for deodorant, but you also have a $1 off coupon for the same brand and size of deodorant. You can use both coupons, because you have 2 items. This kind of scenario happens fairly frequently with P&G insert coupons.  Also, some stores, like Rite Aid, allow you to combine a B1G1 free coupon with a B1G1 free sale, making both items free.

Rainchecks

From HotCouponWorld:

Do you wait for your local sales announcements, and rush to the store to cash in on the too-good-to-be-true pricing? If so, you have probably experienced the “empty shelf” syndrome. Hot sales prices on one or two advertised items can drive customers in quickly, depleting the stock on hand. Late comers must choose between purchasing alternate higher priced items or checking back regularly in hopes of finding the item restocked.


A third choice is available, providing a blessing in disguise for smart shoppers. This choice is the “rain check”.

In 1971, the Federal Trade Commission issued the Retail Food Store Advertising and Marketing Practices rule; also know as the “Unavailability Rule”. Amended in 1989, the Unavailability Rule protects consumers against grocery stores that advertise bargains to attract customers but fail to have adequate stock available. Unless an advertised sale states clearly and adequately that “quantities are limited” or “not available at all locations”, the store must offer customers a comparable offer, either:

• A "rain check" that allows customers to buy the item later at the advertised price
• A substitute item of comparable value to the sale item
• Some kind of compensation that is at least equal in value to the advertised item

Most stores offer customers a “rain check”. These paper vouchers are a valuable “I.O.U.” guaranteeing consumers receive the same sale price at a later date of the customers choosing. Consumers are not required to check back during the advertised sales period. Rain check vouchers are available immediately at any time during an advertised sale, whether or not the store receives, or plans to receive, an additional supply. And to ensure the product is available in the future, rain checks are typically valid for up to one year from date of issuance.

This provides some key advantages to obtaining rock bottoms prices:


Rain checks are sales, not coupons, and can be combined with other manufacturer offers. New coupons or additional special offers and rebates may be issued during the rain check period, providing an even lower overall cost.


Rain checks are not required to be redeemed. They can be used during another promotion on the same item; if the “current sale” price is higher, use the rain check to receive the lower sale price. If the “current sale” prices are lower, save the rain check and purchase at the current sale price. Or, if the store is out of stock once again, pick up another rain check for the better price.


If storage, refrigerator, or freezer space is an issue, “capture the savings” on the rain check, and wait until space is available before purchasing the items.


If items are not needed immediately, or a stockpile has already been purchased, save the rain check until it’s needed. Purchasing items later generally provides fresher product with a later expiration date.


If you know income or finances will be limited in an upcoming month, stockpile rain check sale prices along with your coupons to stretch your grocery dollars during that period.

There are several techniques to augment the value of rain checks. Some consumers check back to see if the items have been restocked during the sale, and receive an additional rain check with every inquiry. They may also check with different store locations within the same grocery chain: rain checks can be received at each store where the product is unavailable. Also, if a store is out of only one specific product or flavor, e.g., the store is out of Kraft Fat Free Ranch salad dressing, but other flavors are in stock, a rain check can be received for the Kraft salad dressing sale price.

So, next time you find the perfect sale, you might not need to rush out to the store. Just remember to walk up to the customer service desk and get a rain check.

When to Shop, When to Stock: Sale Cycles

Seasonal Sale Cycles

JANUARY:

Sales/Deals:
Oatmeal (it’s National Oatmeal Month!)
Quaker products

Diet foods and products, New Year, New You type promotions
Healthy Choice, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, yogurt, 100 calorie packs, Special K, K20, Right Bites, Smart Start
Diet aids

Winter Health: Cold Medicines, Pain relief, Health products, Vitamins

Soup, Chili, “warm you up” type foods

Super Bowl party foods-
Pepsi, Coke, soda, chips, dips, cheese, sandwich items, crackers, snacks

Cleaners/household items (winter cleaning, organization, storage, Rubbermaid totes)

White sales/home items

Furniture

Computers

Sports and Weight Loss Equipment

Special promotions introducing new product lines, especially hair color, make up, beauty products, bath products

Clearance items:
Calendars, planners, anything dated items

Christmas/Hanukkah/New Years party supplies
Wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, cards
Ornaments
Candles

Toys
Winter clothing, coats, gloves, hats, boots, etc.

FEBRUARY:

Sales/Deals:
National Canned Food Month – Canned vegetables, Canned fruits, Canned tuna, Canned beans, Cherry pie filling

National Hot Breakfast Month promos-
Kellogg’s, General Mills, Post, Quaker, etc. Hot cereal, Eggo’s, waffles, syrup, etc.

Heart and heart-healthy products (American Heart Month) -
aspirin, supplements, low cholesterol oils and spreads, etc.

Westminster Dog Show this month-
Dog food, Eukanuba, Pedigree, Purina, Iams

Valentine’s Day promos-
Chocolate (also Celebration of Chocolate Month), Valentine’s candy, KY, Monistat, etc., Hershey’s, Hershey’s kisses promos

Chinese New Year promos- Soy sauce, Teriyaki, Canned water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, Crunchy noodles, Ramen, Stir fry

Electronics

Floor Coverings

Housewares

Furniture

Clearance items:
Valentine’s candy, Candy, Chocolate

MARCH:

Sales/Deals:
Frozen food month- Frozen vegetables (box, bag, steam), Frozen fruits, Frozen dinners/meals, Ice cream, Waffles

Cleansers and household items (spring cleaning month)

Peanuts (national Peanut Month)

St Patrick’s Day –
Potatoes, corned beef, “Irish” foods

Gardening supplies

Clearance items:
Winter items
Popsicle, ice cream, frozen novelties, etc (this is the time when “last year’s flavors” are cleared out, packaging redesigned, etc., to make room for the new products in April)

APRIL:

Sales/Deals:
Easter/Passover: Eggs, Ham, Asparagus, Horseradish, Butter, Coconut
Some Jewish/Passover items not found during other months, 

Toys (Easter basket-type toys)

Earth Day promos- Organic foods, Organic/environmentally conscious products
Energy savers, Coupon inserts for environmental causes

Daylight Savings Time promos- Batteries, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide monitors

Clearance items:
Easter - great time to stock up on decorations & non-perishable gifts for next year

Olive Oil (April starts the new season)

MAY:

Sales/Deals:
BBQ/Memorial Day promos- BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Marinade, Pickles, Salad dressing, Popsicles, Hot dogs, Hamburger/ground beef, Ribs, Steaks, Buns, Paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, etc., Soda
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Allergy meds
Coupon inserts of Summer Blast-off theme

Cinco De Mayo promos – Salsa, tortillas, tacos, seasonings

National Pet Week promos- Dog food, cat food, treats

JUNE:

Sales/Deals:
National Dairy Month promos- Dairy Products, Milk, Cheese, Ice cream, Yogurt, Sour cream

July 4th promos- BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Hot dogs, Marinade, Pickles, Salad dressing, Popsicles, Hamburger/ground beef, Ribs, Steaks, Buns, Soda
Paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, etc.
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Hats
Self-tanner

National Headache promos- Aspirin, pain relievers, headache meds, allergy / sinus headache meds

JULY:

Sales/Deals:
Back to school starts school supply “deals”

National Ice Cream Month

July 4th promos- best BBQ sales of year through 7/4.
BBQ Sauce, Baked beans, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Marinade, Hot dogs, Hamburger/ground beef, Ribs, Steaks, Buns, Soda
Paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, etc.
Insect repellent
Sunscreen

Fireworks

Clearance Items: Toys (Target)

AUGUST:

Sales/Deals:
Back to School promos-
Lunchbox foods/meals, Pudding cups, Lunchables, Lunch meat, Bread, Cold cereal, Waffles
Kellogg’s promos
School and office supply – Pens, Pencils, Markers, Crayons, Glue, Paper

Backpacks
Lunchboxes

Fuel for School/Back to School coupon inserts and rebates

Teacher Appreciation Days at various stores (Staples, Office Depot, etc.)

1c sales on items each week at Staples and Office Depot

Clorox Classroom cleanup, disinfecting wipes, Purell, sanitizers

Clearance items:
BBQ equipment
Patio furniture, equipment
Charcoal, lighter fluid, etc.
August White sale/linens
Summer items
Sunscreen
Insect repellent

SEPTEMBER:

Sales/Deals:
Back to School promos continue up to Labor Day-
Lunchbox foods/meals, Pudding cups, Lunchables, Juice boxes, Capri Sun, Pop Tarts
Lunch meat, Bread, Cold cereal, Waffles
School and office supply – Pens, Pencils, Markers, Crayons, Glue, Paper

Tomato products begin- Spaghetti Sauce, Tomato soup, Canned tomatoes, Tomato sauce

Diabetes Smart coupon themes - Diabetic meters, Glucerna/Boost, etc., Diabetic care

BABY ITEM MONTH, look for sales mid month on major baby equipment, baby safety, general new baby "stuff"

Organic Harvest month sales

Clearance items:
Summer holiday and picnic supplies
After Labor Day end of season clearance - look for 75% off BBQ and picnic supplies this weekend and after.

OCTOBER:

Sales/Deals:
Halloween promos- Candy, Cookies, Baking season begins, Baking chocolate chips, Fruitcake/candied fruit, nuts

Fall promos
Apples
Pumpkins (fresh)

Pet products, food

Cars, Car care products

Daylight Savings time ends promos- Batteries, smoke alarms, safety equipment, alarm clocks

Clearance items:
“last year” flavors of holiday foods – time to clear the shelves for new products and packaging…

NOVEMBER:

Sales/Deals:
Quilts, blankets
Hot cocoa, coffee, tea

Canned foods – soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Baking goods - nuts, chocolate chips, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, cake mixes.

Holiday/Thanksgiving dinner foods – Turkey, Pumpkin (canned), Stuffing mix, Potato mix, Butter, Sweet potatoes, Fresh potatoes, Gravy, Bread/rolls, Frozen pies, Cranberry sauce, Fresh cranberries

Clearance items:

After-Halloween sales are the time to stock up on things for the next year. I like to buy the Halloween candy-alternatives like Halloween crayons, erasers, watches, spinning tops, etc. I mix this in with my next year’s candy bowl and it stretches my loot for all the neighbor kids!

DECEMBER:

Sales/Deals:
Christmas dinner/Holiday party foods -Party/deli platters, cold cuts, sour cream, dips, crackers, chips, soda, ham, stuffing mix, potato mixes, butter, fresh potatoes, gravy, bread/rolls, frozen pies, green beans, french-fried onions, cream soups, broth, pie filling

Baking supplies – Flour, Sugar, Butter, Cream, Cake mix, Brownie mix, Muffin mix, Breads, Pie Crust, Marshmallow, Whipped cream

Wrapping paper, cards, ribbon, bows, tape

Egg nog
Party supplies, paper plates, napkins

Clearance items:
Post Thanksgiving clearance
Fall décor and craft clearance
After Christmas clearance

Wanna prove it? Track your savings!

Last year I came across a great pre-formatted spreadsheet to help me track my savings. It allows me to calculate exactly how much I'm saving using coupons, rebates, and other discounts. It also calculates my average rate of savings. I started using this tool in 2010 and found that my average savings rate last year was nearly 65%, thanks in part to over $7000 in redeemed store and mfg. coupons. The blogger who developed this spreadsheet was nice enough to release it again for 2011, and it can be found at her blog here. In her post she explains how to use this tool so that you can easily track how much you save. It's a really great tool that's very easy to use once you figure it out.

Savings Tracker 2011

Bountiful Baskets

If you're looking for a way to save money on produce, a food co-op is a great way to go. The only food co-op (that I know of) in our area is Bountiful Baskets, and it is growing in popularity every day. Since I joined several months ago many more sites have been opened, and it is much easier to ensure getting a basket (they used to often sell out quickly!).
Every Monday Bountiful Baskets makes its offerings available. You generally have 36 hours to sign up for the food you want to buy and pay. Baskets are delivered on Saturday mornings at various sites around town. You'll need to bring your own bags or boxes or baskets to carry your food home.
Produce baskets are about 50% fruit and 50% vegetables, and are different every week. They are offered in either conventional (non-organic) or certified organic.You can order more than one, though you must order at least one fruit/vegetable basket to be able to order anything else. They also offer bread packs, specialty packs (such as "Italian" (basil, tomatoes, onions, etc.) or "Mexican" (cilantro, avocados, tomatillos, etc.), and these vary by week as well. Cases of different vegetables and fruits are also offered.
Bountiful Baskets operates on a week A/week B schedule, meaning that each site is available every other week. There are sites all over St. George, Washington, Hurricane, and Ivins. My favourite site is Bloomington Elementary (week A) because of its proximity.
The price for a basket is $15.00 with a $1.50 handling fee. First time participants must pay an additional $3. Bountiful Baskets is run entirely by volunteers, and asks that those purchasing baskets occasionally volunteer from time to time. The food must be picked up within a 20 minute window of when it is available, or it will be donated to a nearby firehouse.

Every time I order a basket I estimate what it would cost to buy the offerings from the grocery store, and it really is a less expensive way to purchase produce. The downside is that you don't get to choose what you get and sometimes you receive something you've never cooked with or don't even recognize. Many people see this as an upside, however, as it forces them to experiment and try new recipes. I'm always excited for the surprise of what we'll get each time. Baskets almost always contain a few stock elements, however, like bananas, apples, and lettuce.
I tend to participate every other week because my family is smaller, but many people order baskets each week. You just need to log on to Bountiful Baskets between 10 am Monday and 11 pm Tuesday (Utah time) to order.

Tip: I also am a fan of Bountiful Baskets on Facebook because they often post recipes or other information on their wall about recent items or offerings. There have been times when I haven't recognized a fruit or vegetable I've received and I found out what is was by looking at their facebook page.

Save Money by Weighing Produce

Here's an obvious though likely overlooked way of instantly saving money on produce: weigh it! I'm not talking about produce that's sold by the pound, but rather produce that is packaged in a pre-weighted amount. I recently discovered this as I was trying to decide whether to buy apples at $0.99/lb or just buy the 3 lb bag for $2.99. I decided to put the bag on the scale and found that it was over 3.5 lbs! Guess which I chose? The girls over at Krazy Coupon Lady also have blogged about this in more detail. Here's their post:

Extreme Couponing Tip:  Save on produce at the scale!

Here’s a great way to get more produce for less money, without even using a coupon!  Hit the scales!  Now, for those of you who, like me, have severe “scale-o-phobia”, don’t worry.  Here’s one scale that won’t affect your self confidence or make you run for the comfort of Ben & Jerry. Weighing produce is an anxiety free, savvy shopping practice!  I’ve often found that by taking less than a minute to weigh my produce, I can fulfill my bargain hunting obsession and save about 10% on many of the following produce items.  There are two important groups of produce that should be weighed before purchasing:

(1) Individually priced produce:  lettuce, avocado, berries, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, peppers, pineapple.
When you’re purchasing produce that is priced per item, instead of per pound, it’s always best to weigh each item.  Did you ever think to take your 1 lb strawberries over to the scale?  You may find a variance of a quarter of a pound!  Better to be the one on the receiving or “heavy” end of the scale!  In addition to smelling your pineapples to make sure they’re sweet, place the few top contenders on the scale to see what they weigh!  Got it now?  Last example, then I’ll move on.  Heads of lettuce are usually priced per head.  I always squeeze my iceberg lettuce to find the more densely packed heads, but I’ve found when I combine that strategy with the scale, I have even better luck finding the jumbo heads.  Lettuce is one item on which I’ve found the most variance with weight!

(2) Bagged Produce:  5 lb bag potatoes, 3 lb bag carrots, 5 lb bag apples, bagged oranges.
When you’re purchasing a 3 lb bag of carrots, the processor who originally placed the carrots in the bag is supposed to fill the bag with at least 3 lbs of carrots.  The weight on the bag should be the minimum, though you’ll find, once you visit the scale; that’s not always the case.  Each bag of carrots has a slightly different weight.  On my last trip to the store, I found a bag that rang it at about 3.3 pounds, so I got 10% more product for free just for taking literally 60 seconds at the scale.  Plus, my kids think it’s great fun.  Potatoes are especially important to weigh.  Since potatoes are 80% water, their weight can decrease over time.  I’ve found the widest variance on bagged potatoes than on any other bagged produce.

Will it Freeze?

If you're lucky enough to have a big or 2nd freezer you can score (and store) some great deals. There are times during the year when frozen good are dirt cheap and stockpiling those items will help you save money. Once of twice a year Lin's has a 1-day sale on chicken breast for $1.29/lb. or so, in a 25 lb. box. Around Thanksgiving time Albertsons usually has a buy-1-pie-get-2-free sale, and they also have buy-1-ice cream-get-2-free sales at other times of the year. I so wish I had a deep freeze. :(

There are other things that you can stockpile in your freezer that you wouldn't normally think of. I have a tendency to overbuy cream cheese when i can get it for free or $0.50 a box, and I recently learned that it can be frozen. Here are some other items you can freeze: (from HotCouponWorld)

These freeze great!

• Cream soups -- poured into ice cube trays. Thaw and stir with milk or water if it separates.
• Goat Cheese
• Croutons
• Hot dogs
• Heavy cream -- shake well and mix with a small amount of dissolved gelatin if it separates.
• Eggs (raw, out of the shell)
• Egg Beaters
• Red potatoes, halved
• Avocados, halved and pitted
• Guacamole
• Poultry, cooked and off the bone
• Butter
• Margarine (sticks and tubs)
• Pasta
• Rice
• Tubes of Cookie dough
• Yogurt
• Gogurt tubes
• Yeast
• Cheese singles
• Shredded Cheese
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Flavored coffee creamer
• Berries
• Orange Juice
• Cookies
• Tortillas
• Bread
• Green onions -chopped in 1/2 inch pieces. Smaller pieces are too watery.

These are ok -- minor troubles

• Lunchmeat
• Milk
• Soy Milk
• Ricotta Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Block Cheese - slightly crumbly, but fine in recipes
• Cream Cheese - a little watery and grainy when thawed, but fine in recipes
• Bananas
• Onions and green peppers (chopped)
• Lemons (whole)
• Pillsbury Crescents & Flaky Layers - not as flaky and layer-y as the MFR intended

Don't even try it!

• Sour Cream
• Mayo
• Miracle Whip
• Apples (whole or chopped/sliced)
• Ready made sandwiches

More information on what to freeze or not can be found at the original source here.

Buying in Bulk: How to Make the Most of Bulk Purchases

Items like meat and cheese might not be what you think of when it comes to stockpiling, but buying these higher-priced items at their cheapest is another great shopping strategy. It does take ever freezer space as well as time and effort, but it pays off. Jessica over at Utah Deal Diva is really talented at stockpiling all kinds of things in her freezer, and she's written a post on how to process some meats and cheeses to freeze for longer-term storage. Here's a copy of her original post:

Today I want to show a few simple ideas on how to save with buying bulk chicken breasts, ground beef and block cheese.

Last week I price matched Winco at Walmart and got boneless, skinless chicken breasts for .98/lb. {Compare to Costco's frozen chicken breasts at $2.19/lb!} I bought over 10 lbs worth as it was such an incredible deal! We generally only use 1-2 breasts per meal, so I paid $10.02 for what will most likely cover 14-17 meals, which breaks down to .59-.71 per meal.

Back to the chicken! We froze half individually on a large jelly roll pan covered in plastic wrap. The other half we grilled, then froze individually. When it comes time to prepare dinner, the grilled chicken will take only a fraction of the time to cook after it defrosts. Plus it will have that yummy grilled flavor even in the middle of winter!

Freezing each breast individually is a huge time save as then I was able to put it all in 1 big storage bag so that I can pull out one or two pieces for meals later on.

A couple weeks ago I picked up a package of ground beef that had been marked down at Albertson's. The mark down price made it only $1.11/ lb! {Compare to Costco's $2.69/lb or frozen ground beef for $2/lb!}

I defrosted a package of ground turkey I got a while back for .03 and browned some of the beef and the turkey together with chopped onion. I'm not a huge fan of ground turkey by itself, but when combined with beef, you get the added nutritional value and you can hardly tell the difference. Another tip: even if a recipe calls for 1 lb of ground beef, I use less and you'd never notice!

Altogether I had 4.62 lbs of meat that cost me $3.84. I was able to split it into 6 meals so each cost about .64.

You can also brown the beef and actually make a few meals to freeze. Meatballs and meat loaf are good options. One of my favorite make-ahead meals is lasagna. Actually making the meals and freezing them is a real life saver as you then have inexpensive, home made meals for those nights when you are out of time and energy!

I got these 2 bricks of Tillamook cheese at Albertson's last week for $1.49/ lb. {Compare to non-Tillamook block cheese at Costco for $1.89/lb.} Preparing the cheese for freezing is a no-brainer- I grated it. Normal bags of shredded cheese come in an 8 oz package, however, I opted to stretch them a little farther and made 10 bags, each holding about 6-7 oz and costing me about .60 each. Depending on the meal I prepare, each bag will cover about 2-4 meals.

 

Target Markdown Schedule

If you're like me, you love a good deal at Target. Finding something I need marked down to 75% off makes my day. But did you know that Target has specific department schedule for their markdowns? Here it is:

MONDAY: Electronics, Kids Clothing, Stationery (Cards, Gift Wrap, etc.)
TUESDAY: Domestics, Women’s Clothing, Pets, and Market (food items-regular Target)
WEDNESDAY: Men’s Clothing, Toys, Health & Beauty, Lawn & Garden
WEDNESDAY: Food items (SUPER TARGET)
THURSDAY: Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Sporting Goods, Movies, Music, Books, Decor, Luggage
FRIDAY: Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, Jewelry

It's useful to know this schedule to help you decide what day of the week to shop. For example, if you have young children, shopping on Tuesday may be a good idea, as children's clothing will have been marked down the day before. If they happen to markdown a slew of items to 75% off, it may be pretty cleared out by Friday or Saturday by other deal-seekers. I have been lucky a few times to come across several racks of kids' clothes marked-down to 75% off, allowing me to buy the next size up of off-season clothing for my kids.

Target also has a markdown schedule for seasonal items:

HOLIDAY MERCHANDISE CLEARANCE
50% off items for 3 days after the holiday
75% off items for days 4 through 6 after the holiday
90% off items for days 7-14 after the holiday
This is a general schedule, as different Targets will markdown their holiday merchandise a little differently from each other. The best holiday clearance is Christmas, though if you tend to decorate your home for each holiday or if you have themed-parties, shopping holiday clearance is a great way to stock up for next year on decorations, themed-napkins & plates, etc. for a fraction of what you'd pay before the holiday or at party stores. It's also a great way to buy Christmas cards, valentines, etc.

Another good thing to know is that Target clears out their toy section twice a year, once in January after Christmas, and the other in the 3rd week of July. The July clearance is a great way to grab some toys for 50-75% off mid-year for birthdays or to save for Christmas.