I have 5 kids, 2 businesses and a life. I do not spend 40 hours a week clipping coupons and using them as some may think or at least used to think during the “extreme couponing” days. Chances are, you probably have a life too and don’t have a whole lot of extra time.
Believe me, I get it. I have operated this website for nearly 10 years and there were times when I had the time and there were times when I simply did not. That being said, there are plenty of ways to save money without ever clipping a single coupon. I thought I’d mention a few of those with you today.
10 Ways I Save Money Without Coupons
- Shop the Sales Flyer: The sales flyer is full of “loss leaders,” those are the items the store is willing to lose money on just to get you in the store. If you plan your shopping around those items, you’ll save 30-50% without every clipping a single coupon.
- Shop Double Flyer Days: Our Sprouts and Whole Foods both have double flyer Wednesdays. That is when last week’s sales flyer and this week’s sales flyer are both valid on the same day. That means, double the sales.
- Use Case Discounts: Many stores, like Sprouts and Whole Foods, offer case discounts. This means, if your item is on sale, you can buy a case of it and get 10% off too. This is a great deal if you’re looking to stock up on granola bars, rice milk, etc.
- Find a Local Co-op: In our city, I own a local co-op called The Produce Gathering. It’s great, you can get baskets of produce starting at $15 plus tons of local complements. The co-op’s work in such a way that the more people order, the more produce you receive. Simply google your city name and the word “co-op” or “produce co-op” next to it.
- Stock Up on Sale Items: With couponing, I teach people to wait for the rock bottom price, apply their coupon and stock up (not in ridiculous amounts). The same principle applies even if you don’t use a coupon, when the items hit their rock bottom price, stock up!
- Menu Plan: This is such a good tip but most people miss it. Plan your menu around the week’s sales then go shopping and be done with it. That means, write out every single thing you need so you don’t make another trip to the grocery store. Too many trips will equal too much spending at the end of the week because you always find more things you think you “need” when you shopping.
- Use Easy Money Saving & Earning Apps: Apps like ibotta, make it easy for you to earn money based on your purchases! All you have to do is download the app, decide what items you want to buy (unlocking the savings) and scan your receipt when finished. That’s it, easy way to earn real cash! I have used ibotta for a few years now and have earned back more than $400!
- Choose the Right Store: This is a big deal, if you’re not going to use coupons, at least visit the store with the best deals. The store might change weekly, one week Target is best and the next week Sprouts is best. It’s all about checking the sales flyers first and figuring out your best place to shop.
- Buy What You Will Use: Wasting food is a big money waster too. If you don’t think you’ll have time to eat it, don’t buy it especially fresh foods like produce that will go bad before you eat it. I buy tons of produce, I spend real money on it, I can’t stand it when something goes bad. Plan ahead and you’ll save yourself from throwing away money.
- Skip Prepared Foods: Leave the bagged salad on the shelf and make your own. This is a big deal and I know it takes time but you can save real cash too. Make your own potato salad, skip the deli sandwiches and for the love of all things, don’t stop at the bakery…as tempting as it might be.
There you have it, it is not nearly as hard as you think to save money. Start utilizing these tips and they’ll become habit, you won’t have to think twice about it. Save money & eat healthy!
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