Tuesday Nights
Each Tuesday night, I park myself at the kitchen table with the following:
• The new batch of sales flyers that just came in the mail
• A hard copy of my price-tracking spreadsheet
• A red pen
• A glass of wine
I scour each ad individually.
If I see a price I think is a good deal, I consult the spreadsheet.
If it’s not the lowest price for that particular item, I return to the flyer & continue searching.
If it is that item’s lowest price, I write that week’s cycle number on the spreadsheet near that column & circle it.
For example, the upcoming week will be my 42nd week of price-tracking, so I will write a “42” in red by the Cycle column. I also write the store that’s offering that price. It helps me track cycles & is crucial when price-matching.
Trust me, it’s worth the effort! Remember, that the whole point of that sales flyer is to convince me to shop at their store. They really can pile on the ***stars***, exclamation points!!!!!, bright colors & LARGE PRINT!!!!! ...even when the price is nothing short of highway robbery.
“But I need A-1 Sauce, milk & toilet paper right now!”
Don’t stress out. Buy them. Just be sure to look online for a coupon before you head to the store. If there aren’t any coupons, go buy it anyway. At that point, you’ve tried your best & can cough up full price.
Now...to make the week's shopping list!
Scan your "Cycle" column for all of the items that are at their lowest price this week. That's what you'll be buying this week. If something is at a great price, but you're not familiar with it, search the internet for a fun recipe. It's challenging & rewarding to eat an inexpensive, new yummy dinner. You'll feel a fun sense of accomplishment & might have found a new family favorite!
In addition to the items at their lowest price, you may now add anything else you have an awesome coupon for. Not just any coupon, but one that makes for an incredible deal. I don't like clipping 35 cents off coupons...unless I've found the item on sale for 50 cents or less. Then it's fun.
Third & finally, now add the items you just can't go another week without. We will always use milk. It rarely goes on sale & hardly ever has coupons. But we need it, so I buy it. No biggie.
Next up...
My new favorite hobby! Price-Matching!
• The new batch of sales flyers that just came in the mail
• A hard copy of my price-tracking spreadsheet
• A red pen
• A glass of wine
I scour each ad individually.
If I see a price I think is a good deal, I consult the spreadsheet.
If it’s not the lowest price for that particular item, I return to the flyer & continue searching.
If it is that item’s lowest price, I write that week’s cycle number on the spreadsheet near that column & circle it.
For example, the upcoming week will be my 42nd week of price-tracking, so I will write a “42” in red by the Cycle column. I also write the store that’s offering that price. It helps me track cycles & is crucial when price-matching.
Trust me, it’s worth the effort! Remember, that the whole point of that sales flyer is to convince me to shop at their store. They really can pile on the ***stars***, exclamation points!!!!!, bright colors & LARGE PRINT!!!!! ...even when the price is nothing short of highway robbery.
“But I need A-1 Sauce, milk & toilet paper right now!”
Don’t stress out. Buy them. Just be sure to look online for a coupon before you head to the store. If there aren’t any coupons, go buy it anyway. At that point, you’ve tried your best & can cough up full price.
Now...to make the week's shopping list!
Scan your "Cycle" column for all of the items that are at their lowest price this week. That's what you'll be buying this week. If something is at a great price, but you're not familiar with it, search the internet for a fun recipe. It's challenging & rewarding to eat an inexpensive, new yummy dinner. You'll feel a fun sense of accomplishment & might have found a new family favorite!
In addition to the items at their lowest price, you may now add anything else you have an awesome coupon for. Not just any coupon, but one that makes for an incredible deal. I don't like clipping 35 cents off coupons...unless I've found the item on sale for 50 cents or less. Then it's fun.
Third & finally, now add the items you just can't go another week without. We will always use milk. It rarely goes on sale & hardly ever has coupons. But we need it, so I buy it. No biggie.
Next up...
My new favorite hobby! Price-Matching!
Thanks for all this invaluable info, Jane. I've been clipping coupons but get frustrated when I forget to take them to the store or let them expire. Thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteI was the exact same way. No matter what, I applaud your efforts! If you'd like, I can blog about how I keep the coupons organized so they don't expire on me or get lost anymore.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great! I have a system but it's obviously not really working for me. Thanks!
ReplyDelete