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Welcome to The Coupon Crate!  You are on the main page and you can find whatever you are looking for from right here.  I do use Twitter and an RSS feed, for those who use them.  You can follow me @thecouponcrate on Twitter, TheCouponCrate on Facebook, and read more at my Savings Blog If you have an RSS feed, make sure you subscribe.  However, to see the whole list, click the "Weekly Deals" above to get to your shopping destination.  I would appreciate any and all comments.  Thank you for stopping by!

 

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Coupon Master Philosophy 101

Every month when my cable bill arrives, I bitch and moan at the expense to practically anyone who will listen. It’s a complete rip-off! Could I live without 5000 channels? Of course. Will I? Absolutely not.  I pay the bill feeling taken advantage of as I surf for another episode of Criminal Minds. By the first commercial, I am over it and pleased once again with my viewing experience.

Am I frugal? Yes, I am.  I am just not frugally deprived.  There is a difference.  I have evaluated my life and save money where I feel it least.  An average night at the movies and dinner for 2 costs approximately $100…the cable bill.  We don’t go to the movies very much anymore. We got rid of our landline phone and just use our mobile.  I changed from growing flowers to growing vegetables.  And so on….

A huge expense every week was my grocery bill.  No one at my house is a picky eater nor do any of us pretend we diet.  I had to do something, so I learned the fine art of coupons and stockpiling necessities when they are on sale.  Now, one of the places I feel a cut back least is grocery shopping.  Just follow these guidelines:

1.   Stockpiling no longer means you’re in a militia group!  Now it means you are a savvy shopper.  In case you have trouble knowing where to start, I have compiled a list of items that I try to stockpile all year long.  Make sure to customize this list to fit your families needs. STOCKPILE LIST

2.   Skip the prepared meal section of the stores.  Sure, they are quick and easy, but they are also expensive.  You can buy the ingredients to make the same meal for about ¼ of the price. 

3.   Learn when certain produce is in season and shop for it then.  You will get the best quality and the cheapest price when items are in season.  If you decide to stockpile produce, you can freeze the extra or make additional items.  For instance, you can have cooked carrots for dinner, raw carrots for a snack, make chicken soup to freeze and have some carrot cake for dessert.  Who doesn’t love carrot cake? PRODUCE IN SEASON

4.Produce is not the only item that has “seasons”, regular foods do too based on coupon cycles.  That’s right, coupons have cycles. If you know when these cycles occur, you can plan your stockpiling based on the item’s season. COUPON SEASONS

5.   Try generic.  There are some products I will never cheat on…one happens to be Dawn dish soap.  I love the smell, the feel, the way it cleans, and so on.  But there are many products that I could care less of the name.  Some items that I buy generics: cereal, sugar, flour, paper towels, baking cups, bread, margarine, spices and milk.

6.    There are also certain stores that have great deals on their products.  I am quite fond of the Kroger products.  They have a steak or chicken marinade for $1 that comes in about 8 different flavors…yum!  They also have great vegetables, shredded cheeses and bacon, all of which are at a great price.  Unfortunately, you will only learn thru trial and error.  Heads up:  Aldi salad dressing….yuch!

7.   Another tip is to shop your local dollar store for name brand items.  My Dollar Tree has Pringles, Little Debbies, Snyders pretzels, Ole Monterey and Starkist….all for $1.

8.   Most grocery stores have a reduced or quick sale rack.  Most of these items are simply dented or have ripped labels.  A couple weeks ago, I bought Hunt’s tomato sauce for .10 a can because they were dented.  Look for your store’s deals.

9.   Shop drug stores for food items. All drug stores carry at least one isle food items.  Although the selection isn’t awe inspiring the prices can be, especially when they get marked down.  It’s a marketing ploy to get you in the store, but if you’re strong enough not to keep throwing things in your basket, you can really save some money.

10.My final thought….in order to really become a Coupon Master and save big money, you must be willing to put in the time to go to more than one store.  Keep in mind convenience comes at a price.  If you don’t believe me buy batteries from the gas station.

Okay, so you’re willing to do all of these things, now what?  This is the simple part…keep your Sunday coupon inserts and date them.  Then come back here, click on the store you wish to shop at, and clip the appropriate coupons!  How easy was that??!!







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Military HelpDid you know that expired coupons help military families?  The military bases overseas can use manufacturer coupons for 6 months after their expiration date.  What an easy way to really help the people that keep us free and safe...

Please look at The Coupon Crate's military page for more info...

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