Change The Way You Shop In One Week! - Day Five

Preparation is Key!

Ok, we are getting ready to shop! Are you excited? Are you ready for some serious savings?

Step #1: Make your shopping list!

When I make my list for the week, I write down the things I need like milk, eggs, produce. Then, I add the freebies (see the upper left side of my blog for the freebies each week). Then, I sort through the cheap deals to see if there are any good stock up prices.

Step #2: Coupon Match-Ups

I match my list up against my favorite coupon match-up sites so I can find good sales and/or coupons for the items I need. All of my favorite match-up sites are posted on both sides of my blog. You can also use "My Favorite Deals" list that I post every Wednesday morning to catch all the available freebies and cheap deals for the week.

If you consistently stock up on the freebies, eventually you will not have to purchase shelf stable products at full price anymore. You'll have a stockpile & you can just go shopping in your pantry. It takes about 6 months of consistent couponing to build up a good supply, so keep at it!

If you need to buy a specific product, Hot Coupon World has a great coupon database you can search in to see if there is a coupon out there for that specific product. Hopefully, there will be some money makers on your list to help pay for your produce and dairy products.

Step #3: Clip your coupons!

I like to clip my coupons before I leave so I'm not standing in an aisle doing it. Sometimes, the store will be out of a product and I have already clipped the coupons. That's okay, they just get filed in my smaller accordian file. Always double check your list and your coupons before you leave the house. There is nothing worse than being at the register with all your items and realizing you forgot a coupon at home.

Also, I always like to keep a running total as I'm adding items to my cart so I know about how much my total should be at the register. That way, I'll be alerted if my total is way higher than expected. I can check to see if a coupon was missed or if an item rang up at a higher price. I have created a form to capture all the information I need to keep my transactions straight as you are shopping. You are more than welcome to use it too. Click here to download it completely free from Google Docs.

Ok, we're ready to head to the store! Check back tomorrow morning for the 6th installment of this series ....

"Game Time - At The Store!"