saving.

I'm not ashamed to admit it, I use coupons. Why waste my hard earned money when I can save some of it?  I'm also not someone who hoards, only spends $3 on basket after basket of groceries, or uses the majority of my week to figure all of this out.  The old adage is true though: he who fails to plan, plans to fail. Use just a few minutes a week and have some extra moolah to splurge on something nice later on!

Here are a few things that I've learned:

Getting coupons: get a weekend subscription to the the Post (it pays for itself several times over) and you can also print coupons from online (redplum.com; smartsource.com; coupons.com).  Some stores also print their own coupons and will also take a manufacturer coupon...so when the stars align :) Also check your mail for any coupons -- local businesses want your patronage!

1. Milk: I've found that this is always cheapest at Costco. We don't do organic, just regular. A gallon of whole milk is $2.58 right now (which is what Nathan drinks)
2. Weekly Specials: Check out the your store's weekly circular BEFORE you go shopping: planning = saving money. Most circulars run Wednesday-Tuesday.
3. Doubling Coupons: Nearly every grocery store will double ALL coupons automatically (unless stated otherwise) up to 99 cents. This means that if you have a 75 cent coupon, you will automatically save $1.50.  Occasionally stores do 'Super Double Coupons' where the original value can be up to $1.99 before doubling. Trust me, this totally adds up!
4. BOGO: My favorite - buy one, get one. This is amazing, especially when you can combine it with a coupon (see #5). Some stores (like Harris Teeter) do a magical thing that's Buy 2, Get 3 Free. Those are the best.
5. Combining Deals: Try to combine BOGO with your coupons to make the price even cheaper.  For example: the store is having a sale, buy one get one, for XX Product. You also have a $1 coupon when you buy 2. The price is normally $3/item.  You will get 2 of them for $2 total.
6. Frozen Vegetables: If you are trying to incorporate more veggies into your diet, this is a cheap and good route to go. There are generally coupons in circulars, plus store sales on these!
7. Meal Deal: Harris Teeter generally puts a meal deal in the circular where if you buy certain items, they generally come at a discount.  Sometimes it's a good combination, sometimes it's not -- it really depends on the week!
8. Meat: When in doubt, buy at Costco. Yes, it is more up front but you save by the item.  We are getting ready to buy an extra freezer :)  For example, you can get 4 containers of ground turkey for about $16.00, where each container has about 2 lbs of meat. We use a lot of this because it can be used in anything.  If you do this at the grocery store, it's generally $5 for a package of 1lb.  You can also match up the deals at Harris Teeter when they come up, they generally will do a BOGO deal on bags of frozen chicken where you will pay about $8 for 2 full bags in total.
9. Toiletries/Household Items: TP, paper towels, shampoo, conditioner, etc. are almost ALWAYS cheaper at Costco (Kirkland generic is almost always equivalent to the name brand, as well)
10. Gas: If you're not already, only fill up at Costco. It's so much cheaper!
11. Restaurants: I know it's not the most popular thing, but lots of restaurants put coupons out there! Right now, in my binder I have Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bertucci's, Chick-fil-a, and a few local places. 
12. Amount to Buy: Store sales run on about 6 week cycles. Buy only what will last for about a month and a half if you find a great deal. Don't fill up your garage, children's bedrooms, and every closet in your house! 

 If you're interested in making your money go a bit further, I hope that these little tips help! :)