[couponcrazylisa]

I’m feeling a little frustrated and disappointed. My husband & I just got home from grocery shopping. We spent about $50 more than usual but we stocked up on a few things. For example, we bought 4 boxes of Pop Tarts (12 count each), 2 pouches of dishwasher tabs (20 count each), 2 browning mixes, & I can’t remember what else. I also did use $25.00 worth of coupons, which is pretty good for my first “real” time using coupons. But we usually spend about $125.00 a week on groceries & today it cost $173.00 I was hoping to spend less not more!

Plus, here is another one of my dilemmas – which grocery store to shop at? Today, we went to Giant Eagle because the fuelperks are so great but I think they’re alittle more expensive in general. The are giving us 20 cents in fuelperks for every $50.00 spent. Then there is Kroger’s, which I think is cheaper but their fuelperks aren’t nearly as good. They are only giving us 10 cents for very $100.00 spent. What to do?

Oh, and eventually my bill will be cheaper, right? Once I get used to using coupons and we get stocked up on some things I’m assuming. My husband keeps saying he doesn’t know if coupons are good because we’re spending more money instead of less. So, what should I tell him? I’m feeling the same way but yet I’ve seen so many blog posts about people saving money.

[Coupid]

You will usually spend a little more at first btu you really have to find your deals and what is right for you. Always shop the ads and the clearance stuff lots of good deals will be found that way. Don't buy things JUST because you have coupons this will can cause problems if a coupon goes in the trash because you didn't use itthen obviously you didn't need the item that bad.

One thing to remember is once you have a stockpile you will save money in a few ways.
1) Your stockup price will drop. You will find yourself looking at the price of things and say...nah I know I can get it cheaper than that and it will pain you to buy things full price.

2) You will find yourself going to the store less because you ran out of Toothpaste or toilet paper etc etc and thsi will cut down on those all too expensive impulse buys when you go to the store.

The easies things to get when you are just starting out is saving a ton on shampoo, toothpaste, and things you can get at the drug stores these will save you a ton and you can put more money towards your groceries. As far as the Fuelperks go we only have Winn Dixie around here so saving a ton on groceries is still tough. I usually just find one or two items that are stockup prices and go for it.

Overage in drugstores on post RR/ECB stuff can get you a lot of things. For instance just this week alone I can make $6 off of buying items at Walgreens. Using this overage for things you need is a great way to start off your stockpile.

If you need a hand ith anything around here just lemme know.

[babymk]

How much you save honestly depends on your location. I live in a land of no double q's, so I don't get the double deals.

I suggest read read and read some more on Afullcup. You have to understand how people in your own area do it. You have to really know what are deals and what arent. I had your same problem in the beginning.

I concentrated on frees at the beginning and. Clipped coupons for my DH when he went grocery shopping for the stuff he would buy normally. No doubles at the grocery store means we watch for sales in the grocery store, but don't save much for regular grocery shopping. But that is our geographical area.

I haven't had to buy bodywash, razors, shampoo, cat food for a year.

Read read read and learn. It's a process. Watch for deals in the stores you shop in here in the forums and jump on it. You'll get there. It just may not be the way you thought since you've probably (just guessing here) seen blogs for outside your area and you watched "extreme couponing" on tv.

I'm also part of many freebie blogs on Facebook and am subscribed to free newsletters that sometimes post excellent deals not found on afc. If you pm me, I can send you links so you can subscribe too.

Hth.

[luv2coupon11]

I agree with the OPs that initially you may spend more since you're stockpiling, but over time you'll see that you can go longer between shopping trips with the stock you have on hand.

I also live where there aren't double coupons, but by shopping the weekly sales, and combining store q's with manufacturer's q's, I'm able to get more groceries for less money than I used to spend on half as much. It's definitely a process, just keep at it and you'll see savings in no time!

[Z and G's Mom]

Totally agree with everyone else...

An example:

Back at the beginning of the school year, I spent $149 on Horizon organic milk boxes for my sons school lunches. I had tons of coupons and matched them up with a mega sale at Kroger. While I spent $149 on milk boxes that week, I saved another $250 from purchasing them in bulk with my coupons. I haven't purchased milk boxes since then and won't need to until at least the beginning of next school year. So while it seemed like a lot of $$ that day, it saved me TONS over this entire year.

[StLouisClipper]

So much good advice on AFC, so keep reading! You spent more on this first trip than you normally would have, but that will change. As others have mentioned, as you begin to build a stockpile of free items, you'll realize just how much you are saving. When you have six, ten or even twenty bottles of shampoo or shower gel in your stockpile, or toothpaste and toothbrushes, this really impacts your weekly spending. I remember the weeks where we needed each of these things and that took a big chunk out of my food budget for that week, sometimes $20 or more. You now have that $20 to spend on other things you need or wish to stockpile. It takes time, but it does come full circle and you will find yourself spending much less and also able to splurge on nice steaks or something else you may want.

[monkeydawn]

I have to say when I started super shopping (that's what I call it) I focused on the drugstores. As far as main groceries I usually shopped Aldi's supplemented and deals at my local grocery store, Target and Walmart. Basically knowing what a good, baseline Aldi's cost was and if I could find a deal (usually clearance) at the other stores that could beat my baseline I stocked up. I focused on growing my HBA and snack stockpile for free/ very cheap at the drug stores. And I really only learned one drugstore at a time. Once I felt like I had a good grasp on the drug stores, then I started looking to save on main groceries. I think the grocery stores are much harder to master.

[Coupid]

Originally Posted by monkeydawn

I have to say when I started super shopping (that's what I call it) I focused on the drugstores. As far as main groceries I usually shopped Aldi's supplemented and deals at my local grocery store, Target and Walmart. Basically knowing what a good, baseline Aldi's cost was and if I could find a deal (usually clearance) at the other stores that could beat my baseline I stocked up. I focused on growing my HBA and snack stockpile for free/ very cheap at the drug stores. And I really only learned one drugstore at a time. Once I felt like I had a good grasp on the drug stores, then I started looking to save on main groceries. I think the grocery stores are much harder to master.

Yeah the drugstores are more difficult to do because most grocery stores you just walk in and pay and use coupons. The drugstores are more "FUN" because you get to play with the system and "manipulate" it to your advantage WAGS is the most "difficult" but once you approach it as a game of figuring out your best transactions it is just fun Yeah fun and time consuming at times but grocery stores it is pretty much do an ad matchup and then go buy stuff.

[missyp997]

Originally Posted by Coupid

Yeah the drugstores are more difficult to do because most grocery stores you just walk in and pay and use coupons. The drugstores are more "FUN" because you get to play with the system and "manipulate" it to your advantage WAGS is the most "difficult" but once you approach it as a game of figuring out your best transactions it is just fun Yeah fun and time consuming at times but grocery stores it is pretty much do an ad matchup and then go buy stuff.

OK off topic but I see why now I live at CVS! I never thought of it this way, it is a game.Thank you!
I find myself only buying like meat at the grocery stores. If I see a sale I will go. Llike today Giant had you buy any 4 Kellogs cereal you got 6.00 off instantly, then I used the 4.00 off 4, couldn't pass that up. I use to try to get the gas points, well than I figured out I was spending more to get gas points, didn't make sense (that was before I really started couponing). The money I save at CVS buys my gas. I think grocery stores charge to much. I also am a Target shopper, was just there spent 8.00 for a lot. It takes time to learn it, be patient and keep reading AFC, this place really helps!

Sorry I talk (type) to much