You might wonder, with all the deals I post- how do I keep it all straight? I have several stores that are just a few miles away and conveniently located together- like my new CVS right next door to Safeway. I usually make 1 big trip a week and hit 3 stores.
First I go through all the deals for the week and decide where I am going to shop. I have zero loyalty to stores and strictly seek out the ones that offer the most bang for my buck.
I typically go through the fridge, pantry and freezer at the end of the week and figure out what we need to eat. Any produce that is going bad or pantry items that are close to expiration etc.. I make a list of. I check the circulars or skim the deal posts I have already done and figure out where I am going to shop. Lately it has been Safeway but on a cruddy sale week I will hit Super Walmart for the best overall prices. I am very picky about stores and I do not like to shop anywhere that is too hectic, dirty or has poor quality products regardless of the price.
Then I go through and create my menu plan. I typically stumble upon recipes online or in magazines during the week and I print or tear them out and create a little stack. Then I go through and create the menu for the week and see what we have on hand that I can use and what we need.
I got this free notepad in the mail for menu planning that I use to quickly jot down our menu and it goes right up on the fridge.
Then I take my list and go through my coupons and I get them ready for my shopping trip. I have a wallet that is long with a ton of space so I just slide the ones I need in my wallet. (You can also use an envelope. ) I usually don’t add everything I need up- but in the case above I needed to hit $30 for the Safeway promo and $50 at Target to use a $5/50 catalina. So I jot down what I need and I usually do a quick calculation of the cost before coupons and after.
For catalina deals like the ones at Safeway, I have my calculator on hand in the store and I add the prices up as I put things in my basket. This is a great way to double check yourself and the few extra seconds will significantly reduce the likelihood of having issues later.
This may seem like a lot of bother but it works for me to get organized at home and I can get in and out of stores quickly. I also rarely have to return to a store due to forgetting an item, so ultimatley for me it is a huge timesaver.
For more great tips check out Works for Me Wednesday!
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