Bargaining Tips

This is for the locals.

AS part of my New Year Resolutions, I have decided to BUDGET.

Yes, budget.

It's a totally new concept to me, but one I am beginning to enjoy!

There are MANY blogs out there dedicated to coupon saving moms. They are wonderful.

Last night after we put the kids down, I went to Kroger, Target, and Wal-Mart armed with a master list of products that I buy the most. I then compared the prices between the three stores. I was surprised to find that Wal-Mart is not always the low price leader!

I've also discovered some on-line coupon sources. In addition, Kroger has e-coupons that you can load directly onto your Kroger card. You just take about 60 seconds to register your Kroger card, pick and choose the e-coupons that you want loaded onto your card..and voila!

Here's something else I learned. If you still have your paper from yesterday, there is a section of coupons called "Smart Source." Included in the coupons is a coupon for $1 off light bulbs. At Walgreens, the light bulbs are on sale for $2.99. Use your SS coupon to save $1. That brings the price down to $1.99. But get this...when you purchase the light bulb, they automatically print you a $2.00 "Reward Bucks" coupon. So it's like you are getting your energy-saver light bulb for free!

Last Friday, their Honey Nut Cheerios were on sale for 2/$4. My kids and husband eat the heck out of Honey Nut cheerios. I downloaded a coupon for Honey Nut cheerios ($1.00 off 1 box). So that brought the total for 2 boxes down to $3.00. Then, they printed me a $2.00 "reward bucks" . So basically I paid $1.00 for 2 boxes. SO FUN!

So here's my advice for the week. If you are ketchup snobs and only eat Heinz ketchup, it is as low as you will ever find it at $1.98 for the big bottle. Yesterday's paper had a 75 cent coupon, so it was basically $1.25 for the big bottle. SCORE!

The greatest deal on Tampons was a box for 50 at Target (Playtex). There is a down loadable coupon for $1.00 at Smart source online.

Kroger is running a special on Kellogg's cereal this week. KitKat only eats Apple Jacks for breakfast, so that works out well. If you buy 4 boxes (at $2.49 - you won't find it any cheaper), you get a free gallon of milk.

Kroger also has a deal this week that I love. If you buy $25 worth of participating products, you get $5 off your purchase instantly at the check out. So I bought two large boxes of Tide for $11.00 (this was cheaper than at Wal-mart and only a cent less at Target), and an 8 pack of Bounty paper towels for $7.00. But guess what. Kroger also has an additional e-coupon for $2.00 off any Bounty product. So I saved $7.00 off products that I normally buy each week at the regular price! But back to the laundry detergent....that is where I spend a considerable amount of money. Four kids and a husband who works out, wears scrubs to work, comes home and works in the yard equals a TON of laundry which equals a TON of laundry detergent. Walgreens was having a sale on their "off brand" liquid detergent - buy one get one free. So for $4 I bought their "cheap" detergent. I'm going to use their cheap detergent on things that don't matter as much - like the kid's play clothes and M's sweats, etc.

Have fun saving money!!