[JudithMR]

This is only my second big "deal" at Shaw's, but I've worked out an approach to the cat deal that works for me. I'm sure everyone does it a little (or a lot) differently, so I thought it might be interesting if we shared our systems. I still have a lot to learn and would love to pick up some pointers from others.

The description that follows no doubt contains an insulting amount of detail for the more experienced shoppers on this forum (that would be virtually everyone but me!)--and I apologize for that--but I'm hoping it will help those who are feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to begin.

This is how I approached this deal:

1. I drew up a list of every item in the deal that I might conceivably buy, including the size, sale price, and any other information (like variety included or excluded).

2. I listed the coupon match-ups for each item, including the value of each coupon and the number I had of each. I didn't order coupons for this sale, but I did hunt down IPs that I knew I would use.

3. I figured the final price of the item (sale price minus coupon) for each type of coupon I had. For the Progresso soup, for example, I had $1/3, $1.10/3, and $1/4 coupons, all of which netted a different final price for the same item.

4. I visited the store to get the shelf price of each item on my list.

5. I highlighted the moneymakers. This is where it might get a bit complicated. This deal, $30/$15, corresponds to 50% off. So any item with a final price of less than 50% of the shelf price is a moneymaker. For example, if paper towels have a shelf price of $2.09 and a final price of .99, they're a MM. A $15/$5 sale means 1/3 off, so anything with a final price of less than 1/3 of the shelf price would be a MM.

6. Before I knew that the deal would double and triple, I drew up several single ($30) scenarios. I wanted the shelf price of each deal to be just over $30 (not including tax), with my final OOP as low as possible, preferably below $15--making the items free after the $15 cat. Because there were a number of items on the list that I wanted but that wouldn't be MMs, I tried to match those with items that would be MMs to keep my OOP as low as possible. I wrote each $30 scenario on a separate slip of paper and paper-clipped it to the coupons I would need for that transaction.

7. Before my initial trip, I read this board and learned that the deal was doubling. Since it was, I combined the two scenarios with the lowest OOP for my first transaction.

8. At the store, I double-checked the shelf price and the sale price of each item. After my initial trip, I printed out the UPC list and also checked the code of every item against the list. I highly recommend doing this for each deal to avoid surprises at the register.

That's it. Obviously, I'm not a "wing it" type of person. If you see a way I can streamline my process, I'd love your suggestions. And I hope you'll share your system too, so we can learn from it.

[jessl]

Great system!

This is what I do - I'm not quite as organized.

1. I also make a list of all the items I might buy.

2. I file my coupons by insert now, so I use the shopping list and the database to figure out where to get the coupons for each item and write it in the margin (11/1 SS for example)

3. I go to my inserts and cut the coupons and write down the coupon amount on the list.

4. I will also look through my clipped and non-insert coupons for any others I might have - found a $1.50/1 fiber one pastry that way

5. I stick the list and coupons in my cancelled check file I bring to the store.

6. At the store I decide what to get. I write down on a piece of paper to keep track of pre-sale price totals.

I probably end up spending a little more this way since I don't figure out the best scenarios but I find if I do that first then I get to the store and they are out of something from my scenario and it throws me off. Also I'm lazy

[stefani1]

ummmm...... I'm even worse! I just try and figure out where the coupons are (which is tough since I'm sooooo unorganized) and then typically I just go and wing it!!

I'm a little more organized for this sale as I know a few deals that I've done on a spreadsheet that work out to be MM or break even. I have a little photo book that I have put all the coupons for this deal in and things that I use everyday. I use my phone calculator and somehow everything usually works out for me!!

[mnjstwins]

I have been horribly unorganized this week. I usually go through and figure all the deals first but when I have to wing it, this is what I do. I keep my reusable bags open in my cart see what I want and keep a running tally till my bag ends up at 30. Recently I've decided that my brain needs help and I'm thinking that a clothes-pin with a piece of paper attached to the bag would be even more helpful during my wing it weeks.

[10goodreasons]

I do sort of what you do.
I made a coupon book with an old baseball card album. (which I got at the end of a rummage sale- in the bag sale. I knew it would be good for something!)
I put all the coupons for things I always buy in there along with CVS ECB's and coupons from specific stores. (The CVS;s around here take expired ECBs.)
I have a file with whole inserts by date. (Sometimes those get extremely mixed up but I try to reorganized on an off week. I did that last week)
I figure out what scenarios will be free or almost free. I figure if the final cost of an item minus the Q and cat value is less than half than it's a mm.
I paperclip my coupons together by deal and write it on an old envelope. I write the number of times I'm doing it/ I sometimes write the SP I've based the deal on so I can check quickly.
I always carry a calculator and the UPC list. I shop at 3 or 4 different shaws and the psps are all over the place.
I am like you. I joins AFC in May and it took me all this time to really figure out how to do this the right way. I'm sort of the enthusiastic newbie. I get my q's from friends and the local recycling center. I haven't bought any online yet. I'm not that organized.
I would say:
You can get really caught up on MMs and forget to purchase stuff you really need. I bought 4 rolls of paper towels because I don't use them very much except for camping and I know there's be another deal by then. But I do use a lot of flour. It's not a mm but it's worth stockpiling for .40 cents a bag. If I had more time it would be worth it to focus on mm but for right now, I'm saving a ton and that's fine for me.

[rjdudley55]

Originally Posted by mnjstwins

I have been horribly unorganized this week. I usually go through and figure all the deals first but when I have to wing it, this is what I do. I keep my reusable bags open in my cart see what I want and keep a running tally till my bag ends up at 30. Recently I've decided that my brain needs help and I'm thinking that a clothes-pin with a piece of paper attached to the bag would be even more helpful during my wing it weeks.

I actually setup a spreadsheet. I let it add up the shelf price total to the set amount. I let it set up the sale price total. Then I let it add the coupon totals in to give me the OOP. Takes some time to initially setup the spreadsheet but I'm able to re-use it from deal to deal by just plugging in new items.

[rjdudley55]

What I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to know is the system of one Ms Melchef

[JudithMR]

I'm envious of you guys with your spreadsheets. You must have some mad computer skills to set that up.

I wish I could just wing it, but I have a hard enough time keeping everything straight, even with my detailed lists. I got to the checkout line last week with 8 paper towels and 8 tissues (instead of the 12 I needed), and it completely threw me off until I checked my list for the tenth time.

[melchef]

Originally Posted by rjdudley55

What I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to know is the system of one Ms Melchef

You would be sooooooo unimpressed. No spreadsheets for me. Pen and paper. Basically I make a list of all deals in order of profitability if I am shopping for just my family. Then I go to the store and do my deals from the most profitable down to the just plain free stuff. I use the overages to pay for my meat and veggies.

If I'm working on a donation shopping trip, I just focus on items that are needed and cost nothing.

Simple eh? All of my coupons for orders are in separate envelopes and numbered by transaction. I lay each envie on top of that order to avoid confusion.

Then I pray that the cats spit out of the machine.

Voila. Free stuff.

[10goodreasons]

Originally Posted by rjdudley55

I actually setup a spreadsheet. I let it add up the shelf price total to the set amount. I let it set up the sale price total. Then I let it add the coupon totals in to give me the OOP. Takes some time to initially setup the spreadsheet but I'm able to re-use it from deal to deal by just plugging in new items.

Do you use excel?

[10goodreasons]

Originally Posted by melchef

You would be sooooooo unimpressed. No spreadsheets for me. Pen and paper. Basically I make a list of all deals in order of profitability if I am shopping for just my family. Then I go to the store and do my deals from the most profitable down to the just plain free stuff. I use the overages to pay for my meat and veggies.

If I'm working on a donation shopping trip, I just focus on items that are needed and cost nothing.

Simple eh? All of my coupons for orders are in separate envelopes and numbered by transaction. I lay each envie on top of that order to avoid confusion.

Then I pray that the cats spit out of the machine.

Voila. Free stuff.

The Simpler the Better.
Will Someone explain an envie? when you say you lay each envie on top of the envelope. It's not in the acronyms list.
I think I better get off the computer and go outside. It;s got to be 70 degrees out there. No more coupons til monday.

[rocksplatter]

I started trying to learn this coupon thing during my maternity leave and primarily stuck to CVS and Wags. At some point you realize you don't need anymore toothpaste or shampoo so I started trying to deal with groceries! I've learned so much from reading everyone's deals on here!!

My system is pretty easy now since I teach full time and have a 20 month old and I'm due around New Years.

I buy one paper and collect other inserts from friends. I only clip food coupons and put them in an index card box that's categorized. Inserts I keep whole in a binder with plastic pages and keep by date.

I read through these sites during the week and copy/paste ideas to my stickies notes and pull coupons when I get a chance. I make a list of items I'm interested in, find the coupons and order extras online, for weeks like this!

I try to write out a few scenarios but I usually find they never work out as planned because items are out, psp prices are different, etc. So I put all my coupons in my index card box under USE THIS WEEK and separate my deals in the cart, only like to do 2 trans at one time. I usually keep track in my head and when I get to $30, I file those coupons until checkout and start the next deal, etc.

I might not have the lowest OOP by any means, but it's usually not more than a dollar or two at a time. I would rather spend a dollar extra that be under by a few cents and not receive the CAT.

Some people are way more organized and I love reading about that, but for me this works with my schedule and time I want to spend on it. I'm amazed at how much you can save on groceries each week!!! I consider it a part time job, I'm not making more money necessarily but I'm not spending much either!!!!

[prayfamily42608]

I am so boring compared to everyone else. No spreadsheets, just a notebook and pen. I don't like all the work that goes into a shopping trip so I let someone else do it for me.
I go through the flyer and find what I want and then I just spend 10 minutes ordering my coupons from an online clipping service. I'll spend more time putting together a deal for catalinas and do around 8 to 10 separate orders in a week than I do buying the paper, clipping the coupons, organizing and storing them so I just order only what I need in the quantity that I need and voila shopping made easy for me!!
I spend less and save more each week buying custom ordering my coupons than I would if I just bought the Sunday paper in multiple quantites and settled for the less than desirable coupons that are released in my area!

[Ibis]

I don't use many of the sunday insert Qs either, but enough of them that it makes it worth it to me to keep getting the sunday paper. I got a sweet deal on sunday-only delivery a while ago, and now I'm grandfathered-in at that low price.

Most of my coupons are IPs. I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that in addition to three computers that we use on a regular basis, we still have a couple of old desktop computers and laptops around here that nobody uses anymore (except to print coupons). I can usually print enough IPs to get the deals I need.

I'm always impressed and amazed at the volume deals everyone does around here (I'm looking at you, mel) but I don't think I have it together enough yet to plan that far ahead and order Qs from the clipper services.

[Ibis]

Originally Posted by melchef

Then I pray that the cats spit out of the machine.

Aha, I'm not the only one that does that, eh?

Oh, I have to tell you that today I got the little pink stripe on my ONYO cats in my last transaction. I told the FE manager on my way out the door that the cat machine on that SCO was almost out of paper! (Paying it forward!)

[Lestagirl]

[quote=10goodreasons;2410783]The Simpler the Better.
Will Someone explain an envie? when you say you lay each envie on top of the envelope. It's not in the acronyms list.

Envie= Envelope

[Lestagirl]

Well I am not very organised but I try to only buy stuff I really need or use and then I put those coupons in an enelope and attach my list with it. I write the presale price and sale price down as I go, and I have been going to self check out and scan my card at the end to make sure I spent $30 then do my coupons, but I think I will take the UCPs of items I want next time. I have only done this twice this time, one success and one fail.

[BrendaS104]

I'm seriously old school.

I look at the sell items (on here or in the paper).

Then I look in the database here for coupons. If I don't have the best ones, I order them from dede. (I try to do all this on monday after the sale preview comes out)

I try to keep it as simple as possible, because otherwise I get confused and screw something up.

For each transaction:
I write down the items, quantity, shelf price, sale price
then I take an accordian file that I've labeled 1,2,3,4,5...

In each section I put the list and coupons needed for 1 transaction.
Each section of the accordian represents 1 transacton.

Also on the list I estimate what my overage is going to be so I know how much I have to play with.

On a side note... if I get to the store and find a clear shelf, I put that transaction to the back and save it for another trip.

[tentpeg]

This is so interesting to read the various methods! When I see a good CAT deal like this one I make a list of shelf prices to check (since they seem to change periodically!). Then I take an hour or so to sit down and make a list of shelf price, sale price, coupon price, and then the amount that item would cost if part of the "package" deal. Her's how I figure it. Take the flour. I pretend I"m buying $30 of flour. How many would I need to buy? Divide $30 by the shelf price of $2.99 and you get 10.03. Round up to the nearest whole number and you'd need to purchase 11 bags of flour. So then figure how much you'd actually spend. 11 bags of flour times sale price of $1.99 is $21.89. Deduct coupons, always assuming the dnd will NOT double, (11 50-cent coupons is $5.50), so $21.89 - $5.50 = $16.39. Then I subtract out the $15 coupon that will be generated to get a total of $1.39 for 11 bags of flour, or 13 cents per bag. Then I also know it will be slightly better than that if I combine the flour with other items to bring the pre-sale price to as close to $30 as I can without going under. I figure up what I want to buy in each transaction and write it on a slip of paper, pull the coupons, and clip it all together. The only problem with this is that when the store is out of things, I need to unclip and refigure on the fly.

[jorkenzie]

I can tell you what an envie is...it's an envelope! I think she said that she places the coupons in an ENVIE on top of each order! So, she may have 5 orders in her cart and 5 envies, one on top of each order! Thats the way I understood it!
HTH
Sue

[kromes]

i started couponing when i was off with my second child this past March. so i have been doing it for about 8 months and for me i'm easy. it has to be a mother of 2 working full time like i have time for it not to be easy. no spreadsheets, i don't care about mm's just good deals and knowing when i go to the store i used all the coupons i could and saved money.

i first get the weekly ads. mark anything i would like to purchase. then i check this board and a local one we have here that has match ups. i copy and past it into word and print it out. highlight the things off the messages boards i want and start searching through my coupons to see if i have them. i store all my inserts in a folder per month and date order so when it says ss 11/8 i go right to nov folder and pull out ss for that date. it makes it easy and fast. i usually have 3 to 4 batches of inserts via friends and the place i work at i get them from. i clip each set of items together and when i'm at the store i use my grocery totes to separate each set of items toss in my coupons on top and i'm ready to check out. i really try to only do *2* the magic number i have found or 3 transactions at a time unless i have waited till the last min. and have to do all 4 at once. if so i always go at late night or a unbusy time. you get less hassle that way and don't feel bad about taking anyone's time for all the transactions. one last thing i do go through the coupons each week as i'm searching for the weekly deals and if there is one expiring within the week i will clip it and take it with me to the grocery store or walmart to see if it's on sale/special and not listed. one of those full month deals we forget about sometimes. another i do is as i'm walking the store getting my items i write anything down that says it's an in store special or just one sale that i did not see on the message boards and check if i have a coupon at home to use. At first that was very hard but after a few months you really do start remembering more of what coupons you do and don't have left at home. trust me you do remember, i hate to read have never been a book reader and i totally have started to remember what i have somewhat.

i'm no pro but save around 50 to 100 bucks a week on average at the store which makes me thrilled. i think what have i been doing for all these other years.

[rjdudley55]

Originally Posted by melchef

You would be sooooooo unimpressed. No spreadsheets for me. Pen and paper. Basically I make a list of all deals in order of profitability if I am shopping for just my family. Then I go to the store and do my deals from the most profitable down to the just plain free stuff. I use the overages to pay for my meat and veggies.

If I'm working on a donation shopping trip, I just focus on items that are needed and cost nothing.

Simple eh? All of my coupons for orders are in separate envelopes and numbered by transaction. I lay each envie on top of that order to avoid confusion.

Then I pray that the cats spit out of the machine.

Voila. Free stuff.

Say it ain't so Joe! Now we have to tear down our CouponGoddess shrine. Maybe we can sell it on eBay You could've just let us down easy by lying

[rjdudley55]

Originally Posted by 10goodreasons

Do you use excel?

I have a Mac so I use NeoOffice. It's a free suite of programs similar to MS Office. But, any spreadsheet should work.

[Jen_in_NH]

I want to set up a spreadsheet, but I'm not organized enough for that yet. So for now, I make a list of the things I want to buy from the sale, and then read everyone's post to find the PSP. I just sit with giant stacks of coupons and a calculator to figure out how much of each product I need to make it work.

Each transaction gets written on an envelope, and the coupons for that transaction are in it. The envelopes are also numbered as to what order to do them in.

I have another sheet of paper I bring with the total number of each product I need, as well as the shelf price and sale prices next to it. I also have a note about the cheapest individual product from the sale. That way, if my store's shelf price doesn't match what I've found on AFC, I can toss one of the cheap products in to get the total right.

Thank God there's a calculator on my phone

[BrendaS104]

attached is my spreadsheet which is pretty simple.