novathrifty

Every week, I show you the best deals I see at Harris Teeter, Giant, and Safeway.  Here is how to make the most of those posts.

Getting Started

First, you will need to get bonus cards from each of the grocery stores (this is called a VIC Card at Harris Teeter, a Giant Card at Giant, and a Club Card at Safeway).  You need a bonus card to take advantage of most of the sales at the store for that week.

Next, you need a subscription to the Sunday edition of a newspaper that carries coupon circulars (I get the Washington Post).  The Sunday paper carries three different coupon circulars: SmartSource, RedPlum, and the P&G Brand Saver.  Note that in some markets, including mine, RedPlum comes as a targeted mailing during the week, but you should get it if you have a subscription to the paper.  If you are not receiving it, you can request it here.

For the most savings, you may want to get two or three copies of the paper.  Even if you use only a couple of coupons out of paper, you will likely profit.  Try asking friends and neighbors for their extras.

Finally, several websites offer internet coupons.  If I see good deals using these coupons, I will link to the site where you can find it.

Clipping Coupons

There are many strategies that you can use to clip and organize your coupons.  You may choose to leave the circulars in tact and clip the coupons only as you need them.  I prefer to clip the coupons I want, then organize them by category.  I keep each category in a separate envelope so that I can reference them easily.

Here are some suggested categories: dairy/eggs, sauces/condiments, canned/soups, breakfast, baking, frozen, baby/kids, pets, paper products, household, and personal care.

Using the Grocery Deals Posts

The best way to save money is to combine store sales with coupons.  Each week, I post the items, sale prices (if available), coupons, and final prices of the items that I see as the best deals at each grocery store.  A typical item might look like this:

• Crest Premium Toothpaste – $2.50
  • Use $1 off 1 coupon from 3/1 RedPlum
  • Final = $1.50

In this example, Crest Premium Toothpaste is on sale for $2.50.  If you use the coupon for $1.00 off 1 from the March 1 RedPlum, the final price will be $1.50 each.

When a particularly good deal comes around, stock up on nonperishables.  You should rarely if ever have to pay full price for a nonperishable.

Good luck, and feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions, or tips on good deals!