How do you shop and save $$ at the food store?

[gategrrl]

 Well I'll be goshdarned, but it DOES pay to scissor those coupons out of the Sunday paper and the circulars they send into your mailbox constantly.

So far I've found some coupons for aspirin, Aleve, ibuprofen, band-aids and razors (which I already have enough of, but with Mermaid growing leg hair, it's not going to be enough). There are super-coupons for various Vons snacks, including one of Little Guy's favorites. There's coupons for raw and cooked chicken. Coupons for the brand of TP I use, and paper towels (although I'm trying to move to cloth towels instead, but paper towels are still needed). And coupons for Michaels and Joannes, which I can use for Mermaid's newest passion for cake decorating. The supplies she needs for that class? Stupifyingly expensive if you're not careful.

Of course, the key is not to buy items you're never going to use, and not to let the expiration date on the coupons rush you. AND wait until the stores you frequent have sales on those items anyway. 

I'm no pro when it comes to food shopping -- I still spend WAY too much on food in our house, but that's what eChef is supposed to help with.

Comments

[lovellama.livejournal.com]

I don't buy everything on the list, in fact some times I might have only 3 items because what is on sale are things that we don't use. And if I'm reading the question right, yes, it does include food as well as TP and aspirin and toothpaste?