What is couponing?

Couponing is a relatively new phenomenon for many people.  A simple definition that I personally use is the effective use of coupons to save money, particularly on items you buy often such as groceries. 

So how would coupon use not be effective in saving hard earned money?  Well, it's simple really if you think carefully about it.  Here is an example.  Let's say you plan to buy milk for your household.  Your local food market offers name-brand milk for $3.99 and store brand milk (which you don't know is made by the same manufacturer) for $3.29.  If you have a 50 cent coupon that says "do not double or triple" at the top for the name brand milk, that would bring its price down to $3.49, still 20 cents higher than the store brand milk.  Now twenty cents may not seem like a lot of money when you consider just one item, but over the course of time 20 cents here and 20 cents there can add up.

Let's say you saved just 20 cents per day through smart grocery shopping.  If you multiply that by 365 days in one year, that totals $73.  With the cost of gas constantly going up I can definitely use that much extra cash.  With some creative couponing, strategic sale shopping, and buying generic store brands when you can't save more on name brands with coupons and sales you can even save much, much more than 20 cents per day.

Just Ask

Does your grocery store's competitor offer a better price on a product you want to buy?  If so, will your store match or beat the competition's price? 

Do you live in an area with a competitive grocery market?  If so, how can you use that to your advantage?

Does one of your bank debit or credit cards offer cash back on groceries during certain months of the year?  If so, that may be a good time to stock up on non-perishable food if the sales prices and coupons also make it worth your while.

Does your local food market have a particular day that they honor double or triple coupons?

Does your store offer an item for free if it is incorrect on your receipt?

Do they honor competitors' coupons or have a store loyalty program?

Do they offer special promotions through their website or a mailing list?

Are there any other ways to save money on products you buy regularly?

All of these are good and valid questions.  If you don't know the answers, ask a manager or store employee.  It may save you alot of mone, especially over the long run

Just ask.

Creative recipes for Leftovers

Cheepcooking.com is an amazing idea source for leftover food inspiration.  The website has several creative ideas for leftover food on their website http://www.cheapcooking.com/articles/more-ways-with-leftovers.htm. 

Although that is a great place to get started and has taught me a great deal, I would like to add a few ideas of my own:

Leftover spaghetti noodles and Sauce:   You can cook these together for a great freeze ahead meal of baked spaghetti or use them separately.  If you don't want to freeze your leftovers the noodles can make a lovely pasta salad or be used as stir fry noodles which are both great ideas for lunch or supper.  The sauce can also be used as a pizza sauce or re-flavored to serve as sloppy joe or taco sauce. 

Leftover sandwich bread: I love to use leftover bread as a pizza crust, in grilled cheese sandwiches, in freeze ahead or ready to eat french toast or in homemade croutons.  You can find these and other recipes on the web by doing a quick google search.