Plan It Out!!

Sometimes we are in such a hurry to get out of the door that we forget to plan out our trips, but the plan is what can save your tons. I find that it works best to make your plan the night before the actual shopping trip. The method that works best for me is to gather all of the weekly circulars, along with your coupons, and a pen and paper. I try to practice Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), so I also get my menu out while making my list. Go through and check the circulars for weekly sales, and the coupons to match the sale items. I like to try to plan my menu around what is on sale, but since I cook for the entire month at once, sometimes that is a little difficult.

Once you have everything together, check the different stores for sales. I find that most of the time all of the best deals are not at the same store, so you have to shop around. For me, I plan all of the shopping for the same day because all of the large stores are located 30 to 45 minutes from my home, so it saves time and gas to get it all done at once.

When making out the lists, I find it helpful to start a new page for each store, so I don’t get confused. I also make an envelope for each store to hold the coupons for that particular store. Don’t forget to check online resources for coupons also. Many stores accept Internet printed coupons, so you don’t want to overlook that.

If you are just starting out, it can be a little overwhelming at first, but don’t give up. If you stick with your program you will see the results soon enough, not only in your wallet, but also in your pantry.