I often am asked if I can really buy real food with coupons. The answer is a resounding "YES!" Granted, coupons for fresh meats, produce and dairy products are rare, but they do occasionally come along. Recently, the best source for these kinds of coupons have come from the Kroger home mailers.
The Kroger home mailers come out routinely, and the coupons in them are often specifically geared for the individual shopper based on previous purchases made with one's loyalty card. In addition to periodically having coupons for totally free items, these home mailer coupons also frequently include coupons for fresh produce, meats, cheeses and Kroger brand items. In the past, I have received coupons for everything from salad mix and apples to coupons for savings on fresh pork, beef and chicken.
While some of the coupons in the mailer are store coupons that can only be redeemed at Kroger stores, many of them are manufacturer coupons that can be used basically anywhere coupons are accepted. If you aren't currently receiving the Kroger home mailers, you can either go to Kroger.com and create an account or stop at the customer service counter and ask to be added to the mailing list.
Also, many digital coupons are available at Kroger.com which can be loaded to your loyalty card for clip-free savings on many of the same items. Right now, for instance, there are ecoupons available for baby carrots, fresh mushrooms, baby back ribs and brisket...all 'real' foods with real savings.
Another way to save on meats, produce and dairy products is by taking advantage of 'overages'. Overages are created when the savings on a product exceeds it's actual cost. While not all stores allow for overages, many do. Check with your favorite stores to see what their coupon overage policy is before counting on it. The Kroger I shop at does allow overages so, for example, on my most recent shopping trip, I bought two cakes mixes that were on sale for 99¢ each. I had two 35¢ coupons that were tripled (at the Fort Wayne Kroger) so I made 28¢ there. Then I had two $1 off coupons for Brawny. The Brawny was on sale for 84¢ each so I made another 32¢ there. With just those two things, I essentially gained 60¢ that I could use toward some other item I didn't have a coupon for such as meat, eggs, milk, etc.
Another way to save on items that rarely have coupons is to take advantage of deals that reward you with future savings. For instance, the last two weeks at Kroger they have been offering $2 off for every 10 items purchases from a specific group of products. This $2 off comes in the form of a coupon kicked out at the register during checkout. On my last shopping trip, I was able to redeem $8 worth of those coupons using them basically like cash off my total bill. By using coupons toward the original items I purchased to earn the checkout coupons, I stretched my savings even further. While this specific deal is not always available, there are other kinds of checkout rewards similar to that available throughout stores all the time. You can ask about these specials at your favorite store's service desk or check out couponnetwork.com to see some of the 'catalina' specials out there right now.
But for me, the biggest way to save on foods like fresh vegetables, meats and dairy products is to save on everything else. While fresh may be best, 'real' food does come frozen, canned and boxed. And these products are where you will net your biggest coupons savings....savings you can then use to buy your fresh items. On my most recent shopping trip, I was able to buy Starkist Selects tuna that normally sales for $1.65 a can for just 15¢ a can. I bought Wagon Train dog treats that were on clearance for $1.69 for just 19¢ using coupons. I bought two Bob Evans potatoes using a buy 1 get 1 free coupon making them just $1.50 a package. Velveeta Shells & Cheese that were regularly $2.09 a box, I paid just $1.09 for. My son's favorite Totino's Pizza rolls were just 35¢ a box when they were on sale for 95¢ each and I tripled a 40¢ off 2 coupon. The Van de Kamp's grilled tilapia that normally sales for $5.99 was on sale for $3.99. I used a coupon to get it down to $2.99, and then I added a coupon to get a free package of Birdseye Steamfresh vegetables with the purchase of the fish. These are all deals anyone can do and the savings really add up!!
Finally, a great way to save on meat in particular is to purchase it in bulk from a meat market or butcher. Using the money we save on a weekly basis, we are able to purchase our beef half a cow at a time. We pay far less for the beef this way than we would buying it small package by small package. While the up front cost is considerable, the overall savings are huge. Most recently, we paid $2.69 per pound for half a beef. $2.69 a pound is less than most places have their cheapest grade of hamburger, but when buying in bulk, that same per pound price includes everything from ground beef and cubed steak to roasts and t-bones and everything in between. You can purchase smaller packages of beef, pork and chicken from local meat markets such as Whites generally at a much better per pound price than the regular grocery store.
Do the comparisons...check the ads...call around. Clip your coupons and watch for the best the deals. You too can save a bundle on real food for your real family.
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