Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half! with Stephanie Nelson, The Coupon Mom

These items don’t go bad (easily) so you can build your stockpile and not worry about whether or not they’ll go bad in just a few months (or even years!). Make sure to use our printable coupon list for maximum savings on these items. Check out our list of the top food items to stock up on below:

1. Bottled Water

• According to the FDA, bottled water does not go bad even when in long-term storage. Bottled water company have to put an expiration date on the labels, however that is for quality and not safety. Plus it’s always good to have extra water kept around the house in case of an emergency.

2. Dried Beans

• Dried beans can last for years if they are sealed and kept away from moisture. These are also great to keep a stock pile of because they pair well with most meals and beans are a great source of protein.

4. Sugar

• Sugar can have a shelf life that lasts forever because it doesn’t support bacterial growth. You just need to keep it in an airtight container and dry.

3. Honey

• Honey can last almost indefinitely because of the high sugar content.

5. Rice

• Rice can last for years as long as it is kept in an airtight container so that contaminants can’t get in. If stored in the fridge, it lasts even longer. Brown rice is the exception, while it lasts a long time, it does not last as long as white rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice and a few others because of the high oil content.

6. Powdered Milk

• Powered milk is another good item so have in case of emergency (like if your power goes out and you are unable to keep refrigerated milk). It may not taste quite as good as regular milk but it lasts for a long time (even up to 10 years if kept dry and sealed).

 

Shoppers Win in Grocery Price Wars

April 21, 2017

The fierce competition between the major grocery players has reduced average grocery prices significantly as compared to a year ago.  Today the Wall Street Journal reported that Walmart is investing heavily in having the lowest grocery prices in its markets, which has resulted in average price declines of 3 to 6% as compared to one year ago, depending on the market.  Wolfe Research compared a basket of typical grocery items and found they were 5.8% less expensive than a year ago in Philadelphia, 4.9% less in Atlanta, and 2.7% less in Southern California.  According to the USDA, a family of four spends an average of $881 on groceries per month ranging from $653 to $1300, depending on the family’s spending habits.  A 5% decrease in grocery prices translates to an annual savings of $392 to $780 per year for a family of four.

Across all stores and all markets, the Labor Department’s consumer price index showed a 1.3% decline in grocery prices in 2016, which is the first decline since 1959.  Annual grocery price increases have been the norm, increasing from 1 to 17% annually since 1959.

CouponMom.com makes it easy for shoppers to find the best deals and coupons at Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Target and dozens of major stores by providing store lists of the best deals, updated weekly. The free service has over seven million members who take advantage of the site’s coupons and store research to save time and money.  “Even the busiest shoppers can save dramatically by using the information and coupons provided by CouponMom.com” said Coupon Mom Stephanie Nelson.  “Our members report saving 25% to 50% off their groceries by using the website every week.”

It’s realistic for a family of four to cut their annual grocery spending by $3000 or more, without compromising quality standards.  When shoppers combine sale prices with coupons,  digital coupons in store apps, automatic rebates and promotions, they can buy brand name items 50% or more off the retail prices.  Being able to cut grocery spending by a conservative 25% translates into an annual savings of $3,000 for the average household, and as much as $4,000 for the highest-spending households.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. With more than 7 million members, Coupon Mom gives members access to thousands of printable coupons for groceries, restaurants and more. As the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country, Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 16 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

Traveling on a budget can be tough but here we have some of the best travel hacks to make it easier. Check out our list below:

1. Make sure to let your bank and credit card companies know you will be traveling

• Avoid having your account blocked and give your bank and credit card company a heads up on where you will be traveling so they do not put a hold on your account for suspicious activity.

2. Roll your clothing to make more room in your suitcase

• This technique is great because it allows you to fit more into your suitcase. When clothing is rolled compactly and not thrown into a bag you will end up having a lot more space. This works especially well for bulky items like jeans and tshirts.

3. Plan a trip and start saving right away

• It will be easier to save when you have motivation and a goal to work towards. Planning a trip can be fun, every time you have loose change or saved money on your weekly grocery/drugstore trips, take that money and move it into your travel budget. Using coupons can help you save a ton! You can print coupons from home here and check out our store deals lists to see other ways you can save on your weekly shopping trips. Then every time you get your receipt check the bottom to see how much you saved during that trip to the store and put that money aside for travel.

4. Set a budget for your trip and stick to it

• Before you leave on your trip, set a budget to help make sure you don’t overspend on your trip. By planning ahead, you’ll avoid overspending.

5. Do you research

• Most likely other people have gone on a similar trip before so make sure to read reviews so that you know the best sights to see, places to avoid, and how to get the overall bang for your buck.

Happy Travels!

Decluttering our homes can be so stressful and time consuming. We always start it but can never seem to finish it. So check out these 3 things that should help us finish up the process:

1. Don’t Buy Storage

Although it would be simple to go buy containers and bins to help declutter and organize your things, it won’t do you any good if it doesn’t fit your space. The best thing to do is to clean first and then assess what bins you may need that will fit your belongings.

2. Be Realistic with Time

Sometimes we tell ourselves that we will spend all day cleaning and organizing but majority of us don’t have the patience and focus for that. Rather than spend an entire day decluttering, set a few hours aside each day focused on a particular part of the house. Doing so, it’ll keep you motivated and you won’t get tired out and lose focus.

3. COMPLETE each Task 

When you finally organize everything into categories (trash, recycle, donate, etc), you’re not done just yet. After deciding on where these things will be going, TAKE THEM THERE. You’ve already come a long way to organize your items so make it complete by bringing it where it needs to go. Your donation bag? Bring it to the car and head to your nearest Goodwill, don’t let these bags sit in the house to wait for another day to bring because we all know it won’t ever happen.

 

Keep these 3 things in mind when you start to declutter and you should be good to go. It’s never an easy process but it will definitely make things a bit easier.

There are many ways to declutter–visit couponmom.com to print coupons and to find deals on your favorite items!

 

Have you ever wondered how you can make money while shopping? Well, here we have a list of 3 apps that are best to go shopping with:

1. Ibotta

This app offers instant rebates on a variety of items from groceries, clothing, beer & so much more. Their offers are available at numerous retailers which is why it’s such a popularity. Redeeming rebates on Ibotta is super simple. Buy the product, scan the receipt and bar code and the money is yours.  One of the best perks with using this app is if you are uncertain if the product qualifies, you have the option to scan the bar code beforehand to see if the rebate will work. Cashing out is super simple too, reach $20 and you can move it into your PayPal or Venmo account OR you can cash out in gift cards! New offers come out every Wednesday.

2. Checkout 51

Again, there are numerous categories and offers to choose from that work at various stores. Buy your product, take a picture of the receipt and the money is yours. Redeeming Checkout 51 offers are easy and you can redeem some of these rebates up to 5x depending on the product. Just check the details of the rebate before heading to the store. When you redeem a minimum of $20, you can choose to cash out and they will mail you a check. New offers come out every Thursday.

3. RetailMeNot

There are many categories to choose from which makes savings endless when using this app. Find the discounts you want and the cashier can scan the code right from your phone.

 

On your next trip to the grocery store or to the mall, try using these apps and you won’t want to go without them again. These apps can save you a lot and are easy to use. Combine these cash back offers with coupons and you will definitely maximize your savings. Couponmom.com matches printable coupons daily to your local grocery stores.