Now that you have your coupons and are organized it's time to go shopping!
- Grocery List
I created my own grocery list template in Microsoft Word. I'd recommend this because the templates are already there, you just have to add your own categories. These categories match up to the ones in my binder and are in the same order. Mine are based on the aisles of the store and are in the order I walk through the store in (do what suits you best).
You can create this list wherever you'd like of course but if you're using Word go to "file", then "new", then under templates select "lists" and lastly "home lists". Here you'll find different templates. Chose the one you like best. I'd recommend using one that is very basic and that you can print out and fill in by hand (but do what's easiest for you). Be sure to change backgrounds to white so that you use as little ink as possible when printing.
- Menu planning
Starting to menu plan has been one of the biggest money savers for me! Each week I would create a grocery list based on what sounded good and I would add things to that list based on spur-of-the moment decisions at the commissary. What I'd end up with is food that spoiled and a pantry full of random things. Here's what I do now:
1) First I write all of my "standard" items on the grocery list. Standard items are those that we can't go without in my household, ie. milk (hubby loves it), lettuce (we ALWAYS have a salad with meals), coffee (I drink it every morning) , etc.
2) Then I grab a piece of paper. I take a moment to see what I have in the pantry and try to think of a few meals that I can create in the following week using these items. I then write these meals on the paper and add the missing ingredients to my grocery list.
3) Next I reference the commissary (or other store) sales list to see what's on sale at the time. The key to successful couponing is to buy things when they are on sale AND you have a coupon for them!! Subscribe to my blog to recieve regular updates on Commissary, CVS and Rite Aid sales that match up with a coupon (I'll also be posting about freebies). I also go through my coupons to see which I can match up with the items on sale or which high value coupons I have and come up with some more meals to round off the week. I write these on my paper and their ingredients on my grocery list. I then label each meal (but you don't have to) with days of the week....viola! I have a menu that I post on the fridge. This menu also cuts down on the question....What's for dinner honey? :)
4) Now I see which items are on the commissary sale list that I have coupons for AND that are worth stocking up on (see Step 4 - Stockpiling). I add them to the grocery list.
5) Last but not least I pull my coupons. I go down my grocery list and pull the matching coupons out of my binder. The coupons go in an envelope that I have labeled "OUT".
I always bring my binder in case there are any other deals to be had, any unadvertised sales or anything in the clearance section.
Now that you're shopping, what do you do with all of your goodies? Check out Step 4 - Stockpiling!
* Comments? Questions? Ideas? Let me know :)
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