The Best Times to Save

My favorite times to coupon shop are when the stores have everything on sale!  Holiday weeks have more items on sale than regular weeks.  They often advertise items very low to entice shoppers to spend a bit more.  As a coupon user, I know that these weeks are loaded with top manufacturer offers too.  Manufacturers start to issue their coupons in newspaper inserts, with printable links, and digitally about 14 days before the holiday itself.  This makes a perfect time to coupon shop.

The best holiday weeks may seem obvious, and with a little planning ahead you can really stock up your cabinets for a lot less money.  In my 10+ years as a coupon expert for County Market, I have found that some holidays are better than others.  Here is my top list:

#6 Easter.  This week is the time we first see spring grocery brands peek out.  Ham is on the cover of every ad, and bunny cakes fill the bakery.  I usually look for side dish staples that can be adde to any meal during this weekly sale.  Items like Velvet shells and cheese, or Rhodes dinner rolls are sure to be on sale.  Why? Because they go well with ham!  Eggs are also a deal for Easter, so think ahead to any menus that you can rely on eggs.  Cakes like Pillsbury, Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker will have deals, breakfast casseroles companions like Jimmy Dean, or frozen bagged veggies from Green Giant, and French toast companions like Aunt Jemima Syrup make wonderful cheap food selections when the eggs are so cheap.  Gather those coupons, and be prepared.

#5 Memorial Day and Labor Day.  I put these two together because the sales are almost identical.  Usually you will find lots of  convenience foods.  Lots of Deli deals, lunch meat like Land Of Frost, and Kretchmeier, look for soda and alcohol beverage deals, many easy to prepare kit types of foods.  You'll see either Oscar Mayer or Nathan's hot dogs in the ad.

Lays Chips usually hit the front page.  Look for peels from Lays about 2 weeks before each holiday for free dips when you buy 2 chips.  Easy open a can types of foods are in these sales like Bush's Baked beans, or Suddenly Salad pasta kits, and even Dole Canned fruits. Look for huge deals in condiments in both these sales.  KC Masterpiece and Sweet Baby Rays often hit the front page, and just about any brand of ketchup, mustard, mayo and relish will be on sale.  Have your coupons ready.

#4 Cinco De Mayo.  This may be our families favorite sale.  Everything in the ethnic Mexican foods aisle goes on sale.  All I have to do is collect all the brand coupons a few weeks before the first week fo May and plan to stock up for the next 6 months.  If you never prepare tacos, nachos, or baked burrito pie, this holiday may not be for you.  In our house, we make all these foods regularly.  Start planning in March.  Send emails to your favorite brands like Wholly Guacamole, Old El Paso, Herdez, Chi Chi's, or Mrs. Renfro's to ask for coupons.  You will have them in time for the store to put your items on sale. Tip:  Ask for Margarita ingredient brands too.

#3 Christmas This is probably the holiday you think of first when talking about shopping.  With grocery sales, it's decent, but not the top.  We often see deep discounts in the meat department.  You'll also find seafood selections on sale, and plenty of pre made cheese and fruit plate deals.  For coupon shopping you will need to look for items that go along with party planning.  Look for deals on Nabisco crackers, Kraft cheeses, Prairie Farms ingredients, and all spices.

#2 Thanksgiving.  It's a doozie.  Full ad, that usually runs longer than a week.  Of course you will find deals on Turkey.  Keep in mind, you can usually pick ups frozen turkey for the same price as a chicken!  I tend to pick up a couple, then make a turkey for soups and stews in January.  If you want, take your frozen turkey to the meat counter and have it sawed in half.  You'll also find all kinds of coupon match ups this week.  Look for regular coupon brands like Campbell's, French's, Rhodes, Sister Schuberts, Pillsbury pie crusts, Cool Whip, and many more.

 They will ALL be on sale, and most will have coupons that match.  This week's sale is so big, you'll find many more items marked down once you get in the store.  I usually cut my shopping the week prior just to double up my goods this week.  I normally would spend $100 per week, but for this time, I skip the week prior and spend $200 in one week.  I can get $400 for $200 easily.

#1 New Year's Eve. Does this surprise you?  That New Year's is at the top of my list?  It is a little surprising. The brands on sale here are pantry staples.  All the things you need to make appetizers, or to flavor other foods.  I usually stock up with pepperoni peppers, olives, roasted red peppers, cans of green chili's, and cream cheese.  Many of these items are shelf stable, and many are freezer worthy.  Look for coupons that expire 12/31 and use them up this week.

There are also deals and matches on mixers in the liquor department, and baking ingredients you can use year round.  Paper goods like plates, cups, and utensils go on sale.  Add in some everyday things like toilet paper and laundry detergent and you have a winner.  This week most shoppers are not shopping.  The stores know it and are enticing you with great coupon matches.


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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

Come visit at County Market Coupon News on Facebook

Visit County Market Coupon News Cookin w Coupons's profile on Pinterest

All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

Don't Try Saving Money Without One of These

Saving money isn't easy.  There are many distractions in stores like fresh cooked donuts, or a nice roast sale, or even a bag of Cheetos in the Penny Pincher book!  Staying focused on saving money for your family is hard.  That's why I suggest you do not even attempt to try to save money with someone to help you.  Who is your support person?  Do you have one?  Let's talk about where to find one and what types of things you can do if you become someone else's saving money support person.

1.  A support person maybe just someone who you talk to regularly that asks you how your savings plan is going.  This person might not be a saver themselves. Yet it's someone who can remind you of your overall savings goal.  Are you saving to pay off a loan?  Or are you saving for a vacation?  Whatever the goal, this person should know all about your motivations and will help remind you of the big picture.

2.  Your savings partner can be a very active coupon user.  It's best to trade coupons with someone who doesn't buy all the same foods you buy.  This person may live on your street, or work in your office.  Maybe it's another parent from your child's school.  This person gives you coupons they do not want, and you reciprocate.  It's a great way to cut coupon gathering time and costs.

3.  Another type of savings support is having someone who helps you to keep track of your actual savings.  Saving your receipts is a good way to review your progress and seeing the actual dollars add up.  This person may also be in your Ibotta Teammate list.  That person provides a little motivation to keep seeing all the deals and tally up your monthly and annual savings with you.

4.  We often talk about what is saved when we buy groceries, but you need support at home to save as you consume groceries.  Your family is a big support network.  Sit them down and talk about how you can all help out by eating leftovers, packing snacks for the road, and not wasting half opened items.  This area of savings takes help.  If you are trying to to it all yourself you are going to be very tired and frustrated!  Have a sit down at the kitchen table and get everyone on board.  Maybe the kids need a goal too.  For example, if you don't find a half consumed bottle of tea all week, you kids get to go to the movies.

One of the most frustrating things about being the saver in the family, is feeling like you are alone.  You are not!  There are so many savers in the County Market world, and you can connect with all of us.  Use our Facebook page to share tips and successes of your savings adventure.


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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

WANT Shopping VS NEED Shopping

Saving money with coupons is easy. So easy, that it is widely accepted as a way to quickly cut some money out of your budget when you need a quick cut back.  Coupons and curbed grocery shopping is the number one tip on many lists of ways to save money immediately.  Few people see the long term use of coupons and grocery smarts as the way to long term savings success.

Long term coupon shopping can effect the way you shop for everything.  As you gather your coupons weekly, look at the sales and start to become aware of price cycles you will find that your impulse buying is naturally curbed.  You no longer NEED to buy groceries today, because you have several things on hand to cover your meals for the next few days.  You do not NEED to pay full price on coffee or your favorite soft drink because you already have one on the shelf that you saved money on when you bought it.  You do not NEED to pick up snacks or convenience food because it's something you are always on the lookout for and you recognize a good price and an advertised price.

WANT still exists.  Sometimes I want to prepare a food I'm craving, and I WANT it now!  Usually I have most of the ingredients and only need a couple thing.  One or two items of WANT per week is not going to blow your weekly or annual budget.  The other 90 to 120 items you buy are all either coupon steals, or sale deals.  So you are saving money on each and every one of those items.  The WANT will only add a couple dollars to your cart total.

It's the long term curbing of the NEED's that will yield the highest savings.  In my home, I keep the grocery budget.  Anytime I am way under on that budget I find lots of ways to spend my surplus on my kid, or family.  Many times, I save that grocery surplus for trips.  I keep a little passbook savings account at a local bank to put deposits.  This gives me a chance to really see the savings.  Once, we went to Disney on 18 months of coupon savings.  We didn't hold back on that trip!  Most recently, I took our grocery savings from last spring and we travelled to Niagara Falls.  Travel is my thing.  I love vacations and seeing new places.  I allow my NEEDs and WANTs to pay for my travels.

My grocery savings have changed the way I buy just about everything.  Back in my 20's, if I wanted a
new computer, I just picked it out, plopped it on a credit card and bought it.  Now I wait.  I look for a sale of the exact item I want.  I don't get temped to buy a box of cereal, when I really want a jar of pickles.  I'm more discriminating as a buyer.  I look for long term use of products and value more than immediate gratification.  For example, I buy clothes that are wearable in multiple seasons, and skip that winter coat that only looks good a couple times per year. This comes from my experience of buying shelf stable goods that are used in multiple recipes, and skipping the sauce or flavoring that is only good in one recipe.

Of course, I look for sales on household items more now.  There was a time when decorating the house was driven by the latest home trend.  Now I decide exactly the look I want, and realize that sales cycles do repeat.  Just like at County Market, I will see my favorites on sale sometime within a four month window.  Patience will reward me with huge discounts.  Why buy that cool lamp today when I can save 50% on it if I just wait a few weeks? Then there's always that question of do I NEED a new lamp or WANT a new lamp?

Saving money this week, or this month is fast.  You can see the savings very quickly, but they are not huge dollars.  It's when you add up the weeks, and months to see that over all in one average year you can save up to $2000 for your family with little effort.  It really shifts the way you will shop for everything.


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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

Don't Make This Savings Mistake

Some shoppers simply don't want to coupon shop.  They don't have access to a smartphone, or a reliable newspaper insert service.  There are many reasons most people do not coupon shop. I've heard just about every excuse possible over the past 9 years.  Only about 6% of all shoppers are bargain driven coupons.  The other folks, would rather do something else to save money.  Coupons are something they don't want to do.  The good news is that they can still save a lot of money, thousands of dollars, by avoiding this one shopping mistake.

Don't buy just one item.  That's the biggest mistake shoppers make.  They see an item on sale, and they pick up one item and put it in their cart.  No one brags about saving $.30 at the grocery store.  No one loads up their next 401K deposit with $.30 at a time. It's the dollars, and hundreds that people want to save. Buying multiple items compounds your savings.

Let's say this week at County Market there are 130 items on sale.  You guessed it, there actually are 130 items on sale weekly at County Market!  Every week there are sale items, web specials, and clearance items all on sale.  Now let's say that 30 are brands and products you buy regularly. What if you picked up ONLY sale items this week while you shopped?  Now let's say that you figured out that you need 8 of most of them to be 6 month supply.  Now you're putting 48 sale items in your cart and saving $72 on the goods.  Now we are talking about a small chunk of money.

Let's take this scenerio a bit further.  Now let's say that each week when you shop, you actually save $72 from purchasing sale items, and placing those savings in your cabinets to fill you up over a 6 month period. Each week, you save money, and rotate your inventory.  You suddenly find that you have a surplus of shelf stable pantry foods, purchased at a low price, and you have money left over in your budget to do other things. In six months time, you are "Caught Up" in the sales/savings cycle and regularly have a lower budget.

An average shopper can become a sales shopper and save $3744 per year.  This is for an average family of 4.  Now think about all the things you can do with your extra $3744 this year.





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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

The Great SNACK Attack

When I take a look at my grocery receipt, I see that meal prep is very organized.  I take full advantage of sale items, add coupons, and split up bulk buys for future meals.  It's the easy part of shopping!  It's the snacking that takes some work.

Kids are big time snackers.  They snack at home.  They snack after school.  They snack in the car, and at events.  Here are a few tips to help out with snack savings.

1.  Buy the larger bag.  You can purchase more for less per serving.  Buy the larger portion, and split it in half.  Pretzels, chips, nuts, and dried fruit can be placed in smaller cups or bags. Put half in the kids snack area for this week and half for next week.

2.  Always ask for coupons from your kids favorite brands.  Emails to their favorite snack are good, and phone calls are even better.  Simply ask for a coupon, most companies will provide you an automatic discount.

3.  Do the cutting yourself!  When you cut up your own produce and cheese blocks.  Kids need healthy snacks, and cutting it yourself will save some money.

4.  Cut items in half!  My husband has laughed for years when he goes to the freezer and finds ice cream sandwiches cut in half.  Stretch the portions of each snack food.

5.  Bake your own muffins, brownies, and cookies.  Even if you have to buy the frozen or fridge items and bake them yourself.  You can save a considerable amount when you bake yourself.  Store mixes in the freezer to extend the shelf life.


6.  Bananas.  There's a reason people buy Milk, bread and bananas when a storm hits.  They are nutritious and super cheap.  Kids can grab a cheap snack that doesn't require refrigeration and lasts until next week.


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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

5 Steps to Big Coupon Savings

An average family of 4 can save big money if they use coupons.  Most coupons are worth $.75, and most families buy on average 80 items a week.  It's important for shoppers to try to get a coupon for most of the items in their grocery cart. Here are some tips on how to maximize savings by getting and strategically using more coupons. 

1.  Make a plan!  You will need a plan to really stack up your savings.  Look at last week's receipt.  Are there items on there you plan to buy again this week? Are there brands you can swap that have a coupon?  How about generics?  Use the weekly ad to look and see if any particular brand is on sale. Does that brand issue coupons, and if so where are they? Use coupon databases like Hot Coupon World to see if there is a coupon for that brand that is valid for today's date, and where it's issued.  Is it a digital coupon, newspaper, or in store type? 

2.  Know all the savings tools you can use in your area.  Digital coupons are available from County Market.  You can also get Sunday newspaper inserts delivered from your local paper.  There are online printable coupons from regular sources and brands. Search for favorite items, then contact the manufacturer to find out all the sources where they offer coupons. 

3.  Build your coupon stash.  A coupon stash is an assortment of coupons you gather that you can use at any point in time.  These should always include the free Penny Pincher coupons issued by County Market.  Your newspaper coupons, free coupons from neighbors and friends, workplace newspaper coupons, and coupons you pick up in restaurants. Double up on coupons you really like.  Don't buy one newspaper insert with your favorite brand, but go ahead and pick up two or three. 

4.  Make a coupon match.  It's the rule of couponing!  When you see a sale price, and a store offers a discount, match that sale price up with a manufacturer's discount via a coupon.  This gives you savings from two different places. These savings area "Matched" weekly.  This is how families can really save big money on groceries. 

5.  Get to know the coupon policy.  It's written so that both the user and the store know and understand how the discounts work.  There is no limit on the number of coupons you can use at County Market.  The computers can scan up to 999 in one transaction, and so far no one has come close to that many coupons in one check out.  If County Market allows that type of deep and unlimited savings, familiarize yourself with the policy and start saving big money!

For more money saving tips:

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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!

Budget Meals and Coupons

Once you save money on your grocery items, it's time to think about how you can save additional money by conserving foods, and cooking efficiently.  Relax!  I'm not talking about more work, or additional time!  Budget cooking tips can help you to stretch your groceries in the same amount of time you are already spending with meal prep.

It's a fact, cooking at home saves hundreds of dollars over dining out.  Taking your lunch, packing a snack, and grabbing a drink from the fridge before heading out the door are those saving tips that most people know about.

Less obvious money savers include these 8 tips:

1.  Add inexpensive ingredients to make your batch or meal larger.  Freeze the extras or save a complete lunch for later.  For example, add cabbage to stews or soups.  It's super cheap, filling and keeps in your fridge for weeks.  Great stretching ingredients include:  Cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, rice, noodles, beans, lentils, and oats.

2.  Consider using dried foods.  Dried mushrooms have a very long shelf life, and can add quick instant flavor to inexpensive foods like rice, pasta, or beans.

3.  Learn to cook meats SLOW so you can can make even the cheapest cut of meat taste wonderful.

4.  Can you use half?  Can you fix half of a seasoning packet?  Or just half of a batch of muffins or brownies?  How about half the package of meat?  Can you cut those pieces in half or only fix three of the four chicken breasts?  There are many times I can use half of a taco seasoning packet instead of a full packet.

5.  Do you ever watch tv shows that show family dinners in the 50's?  One thing they did well, was keep meals simple.  Three items on the plate, and many of the sides were super inexpensive options.  Things like applesauce, peas, or Mac and cheese.  Limit the number of items prepared for dinner.

6.  Use refrigerator containers to corral your foods.  Don't allow foods to be pushed to the back and not used before they expire. Pull a bin out, flip it around periodically.  My kids only eat foods on the top two shelves.  So be sure to pull up foods from the bottom to the top shelves so you don't end up throwing away some of your groceries.

7.  Adopt a night for leftovers or "Fend for yourself" night. We have this weekly where we eat what we have!  Instead of fixing a whole new meal, we pull out all the leftovers and eat em up.  I allow the kids to fix what they personally like.

8.  Not all saving ideas are about having or fixing less, you can also practice using food substitutions. Food Substitutions 

For more money saving ideas visit these pages:
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All internet coupon print limits are subjective. At the time of this email coupons were available for print. If the daily or weekly print limit has been reached, the coupon will be automatically pulled from the websites. You can try to print again tomorrow. All coupons listed are not available in our stores. We list them so you can order or find them to save you money. Check with clipping services, trade boards, or ebay to find coupons not in your store. It is our intent to help you find as many savings opportunities as possible. Enjoy!