[Tatonka]

I'm in a new city with new stores I've never been to an policy I'm unaware of. What to do when you're in a new place and are living as frugal as possible till you find work? Any advice welcome!

[sugarloaf10]

The first thing I do is create a pricebook of the major stores for my staple items. That gives me a feel for what a good price is in the area. I also look up all the thrift/consignment shops nearby and check those out to see if they are any good. And get a library card as soon as possible to take advantage of books, movies, and local resources. Libraries also often have information on public transit (if you use it or your city has it).

[noellebrow]

I'd look for frugal/money saving blogs that are local to your new area and of course, check out the forums here!

[Tatonka]

Thank you so much.

[missmeglea]

I'm in the same situation...moved to Virginia from the Chicago area, so I basically spent a few weeks going to different grocery stores to see where the best prices are. (We're military, so I also wanted to compare store prices to the commissary.) I also make sure I look at every sale paper to get an idea of what is out there for a decent price! I'm new to this site (only been on here about a week!) but now that I have it, I don't have to do as much "leg work." This site really is a blessing

[nwfrugalista]

I would make a list of the chain groceries that are the most convenient for you, and then look at the forums on this site to see which has the best deals that week (also to find out if any stores double/triple and limits on how many coupons double per transaction, how many like coupons can be used, etc). Some geographic areas have lots of AFCers, so you might out out a thread asking if there are any other AFCers in your area who could give you some ideas of which stores are the most coupon-friendly.

In the meantime, if you're already familiar with one of the big three drugstore chains or one of the big box stores (target or WalMart), you can keep working the deals there as you learn the ropes for the new stores.

I moved from Seattle back to the East Coast last December, and it was a challenge at first (I STILL miss Albertson's since it was my first grocery with coupons LOL), but I have found that there are positives as well (I'd never had a super double or triple store until we came here )

Good luck with everything