And now a practical post about saving money on groceries. The cash we keep in our pockets by clipping coupons means more to spend on home projects and paint. Since I recently shared my goal to learn how to use coupons better this year, here’s an update with what I’ve learned so far—simple, practical couponing tips that actually translate to real savings.
I saved $53 on one grocery trip. That’s proof that coupons can work when you use them strategically.
I’m far from a coupon expert—I only started navigating this world a few weeks ago—so I’ll keep this straightforward. Here’s what helped the most:
Tip One: You’ll save the most when your store matches manufacturer coupons and when you stack a manufacturer coupon with a store sale or store coupon. For example, at our Kroger the store matches coupons up to 50 cents. If Kroger has organic milk on sale for $1 off and I have a 50-cent manufacturer coupon that Kroger matches, the $3 gallon can effectively drop to $1. Stack sales and matched coupons and the savings add up quickly.
We usually do one big grocery trip every two to three weeks, which helps avoid impulse buys. Buying in larger, planned trips also lets coupon savings accumulate across many items.
Tip Two: Only use coupons for products you actually buy or genuinely want to try. If you clip a coupon just because an item is cheap but you won’t use it, you’re wasting money, space, and time. Our family focuses on organic produce and dairy plus staples like pasta, bread, cereal, and granola. It can be harder to find coupons for organic items, but they do exist—and combined with store club cards and e-coupons, we’ve seen meaningful savings.
Besides the Sunday paper for printed coupons and the store weekly flier, I check a few online resources to print coupons or load e-coupons to my store card. I experimented with several coupon blogs and printable coupon sites to find my favorites, then stuck with the top handful to avoid overwhelm.
- Favorite coupon blogs and deal sites (search these names online to find them): Southern Savers, Coupons.com, SmartSource, MoneySavingMom, Hip2Save, MojoSavings, Frugal Coupon Living, Passionate Penny Pincher.
Don’t get overwhelmed—most of my printable or loadable coupons came from just a few of those sites. Bookmark a couple you trust and check them before a shopping trip.
On our recent trip we spent roughly $160 for two to three weeks of groceries for the three of us and brought home nine reusable bags with 77 items. The $53 we saved came from combining store sales, matched coupons, and loaded e-coupons. Here are a few real examples of how stacking worked for us:
- YoBaby organic yogurt 4-packs: Regularly $2.69 each (two total $5.38). Kroger had a 60-cent-off sale on each, and we had a manufacturer coupon for buy one get one free. That made both 4-packs cost just $2.09 total—a savings of $3.29.
- Gorton’s grilled shrimp (8 oz): Regularly $5.99. Kroger had a $3-off promotion, bringing it to $2.99, and we had a $1 manufacturer coupon, so the final price was $1.99—a $4 savings.
- FiberOne granola bars: Regular price $2.49. Kroger sale took $1.50 off, making it $0.99, and an e-coupon on our store card took another $0.50—so we paid $0.49 for the box.
Not every item will be a dramatic deal, and that’s fine. Small savings—20 cents here, 50 cents there—add up. The key is buying items you actually eat and use.
Basic couponing principles I picked up:
- 10 for $10 or similar multi-buy labels don’t force you to buy ten items; the sign is a marketing tool. Buy what you need and what makes sense for your family.
- Don’t assume the largest size always saves the most. Sometimes a coupon applied to a smaller package yields the best percentage savings. Compare price per ounce when possible.
- Coupon cycles tend to repeat: many experienced couponers say popular items go on sale roughly every six weeks. That means you can often buy just what you need until the sale returns rather than hoarding a year’s supply.
How I stay organized: I keep clipped or printed coupons in a clear plastic sleeve. As I clip over the two- to three-week period between major trips, I toss all coupons in that sleeve. Before shopping I remove the ones I won’t use so only relevant coupons remain, and I slip my detailed shopping list in the sleeve so I know how many of each item to buy to maximize savings. At the register I hand over my store loyalty card (for loaded e-coupons and store discounts) and then present any paper coupons I’ve clipped.
That’s my couponing update—simple steps that helped me save on real groceries my family eats. Happy clipping, and if you have tried-and-true tips from your own couponing experience, please share them—there’s always more to learn.
P.S. Not all kids’ toys are equal—see what toy Clara got that we love so much we don’t want to hide it away (unlike most of her other toys).