Snip Snip

These days everyone is looking for a bargain, but this morning the news featured a guy who takes the cake. He is a stay-home dad who converted his garage into food storage for his coupon treasures. The two-car space sported two chest freezers and rows of shelving brimming with nonperishables. In the story, the man said that everything in one of the freezers cost him 30 cents or less. (WOW!) How did he accomplish this feat of bargain hunting? First, he buys ten Sunday papers each week for the coupons. Next, he combs through the grocery ads to line up sale prices and coupon discounts. Finally, when something is really cheap, he buys as many as the store will allow.

Of course, this is probably overkill for most of us because of the time involved. Still, I am a coupon clipper who schleps a book full to the store each week. My system entails a cheap photo album and homemade dividers. I have the kind of book that has the clear plastic spaces for two photos on each page. These spaces easily hold a couple of coupons so I can see the product, the discount, and the expiration date at a glance. Next, I cut down some file folders to create tabs which I organized based on my favorite grocery store's layout. This album lies open atop my reusable bags and purse in the grocery cart. As I move through the store, I flip the pages to show items corresponding to the area I'm in. (Thus the book begins with produce and moves through sections like deli, bakery, cheese, meats, baking goods, etc.) I created a folder inside the front cover to hold the coupons I am using on any given trip. Before going to the store each week, I discard any coupons that have expired and add new ones to the book.

On a low coupon trip (when few corresponding items are on sale) I generally have about five dollars worth of discounts. However, many weeks my coupons total 15 to 20 dollars. It helps, too, that Fry's makes all manufacturer's coupons worth one dollar no matter the face value. In addition, since I am a regular customer, the store sends me books of coupons at least once a month. (For example, last week I bought a sugar-cured spiral-sliced ham which was on sale for half price, plus I had a three dollar coupon the store had sent me. Ultimately, I spent seven dollars for a 20-dollar Easter ham.)

In addition, manufacturers seem to like coupons for certain kinds of products. I find I have many drink, dairy, and frozen food coupons, so I always check to see what's on sale. A couple of weeks ago I bought one of those "meal for two" packaged dinners (orange chicken) for a dollar. Pizza coupons are always helpful too, but I've noticed that the manufacturers don't often overlap the sale and the coupon discount. However, Fry's frequently sends me coupons for one or two dollars off frozen pizza. In addition, every three months or so I receive a coupon book for freebies ranging from pizza to eggs to baking items or cheese. Another shopping area that seems to have coupons galore is health products. I have not paid full price for vitamins or supplements in six months. As a matter of fact, Fry's ran buy-one-get-one-free specials several times coupled with two dollar discounts. Thus the 10 dollar vitamins ended up at four dollars a bottle.

Of course, whenever I see prices like these I wonder why I have to pay ten bucks for the item the company can sell for four. I realize that some items are loss leaders, but generally that applies to store brands and local sales. Manufacturer's coupons and sales tend to cover a large region. I think, too, that the sale/coupon prices make me jaded about products. I know the company hopes I'll fall in love with something and buy it at full price, but that just doesn't happen. At the grocery store we buy staples, items needed for any particular plans, and whatever's on sale. Even gum and candy bars are reserved for sales and coupons (which often get them in my cart for 20 cents or less).

All of this coupon clipping and bargain shopping can take some time, but the money saved is pretty substantial. I'm not a pro like the guy on t.v. this morning, but I think coupons help my family eat well and feel spoiled while keeping our grocery bill reasonable.