Savings Makeover: Multiply your savings with coupons
Editor’s note: Each day this week, KATU Problem Solver Shellie Bailey-Shah will bring you a new story in her “Savings Makeover” series. She worked with a family to help cut their costs and is sharing the tips with you. Check the KATU.com Problem Solvers page for the latest stories.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Debi Betts tries to manage her family’s finances as best she can, but like many people in the Pacific Northwest, the slow economy is working against her.
“Everything seems to be going up except for our paychecks,” she said.
That’s why Debi, her husband and two sons turned to the KATU Problem Solvers for a “savings makeover.”
The first step in cutting Debi’s expenses is cutting her grocery bill down to size. Stockpiling when you find a good deal is a great idea, experts say.
But Debi won’t be using coupons to buy cartloads of groceries for under a buck, like they do on some reality TV shows. Rather, KATU taught her to focus on more practical coupon strategies, including having someone else do most of the work.
That someone is Angela Davis, founder of the website FrugalLivingNW.com.
Angela recommends doing your regular grocery shopping at the least expensive store you can find. Here in the Northwest, she said that’s WinCo.
She said start by asking yourself some simple questions.
“What are the items that my family typically uses a lot and what costs my family a lot of money? Stockpile these items,” Angela said.
To find the best deals, Debi is going to need coupons. Angela recommended starting with the Sunday and Tuesday newspapers.
After that, head online in search of coupons.
“Manufacturers are going more and more to Facebook to release high-value manufacturer coupons,” Angela said. Simply “like” your favorite products that offer coupons to access the deals.
If it all gets a little intimidating, check out Angela’s website for help.
“If you go to my website, I will tell you what coupons are great,” she said.
Angela said you’ll find the best deals when you combine in-store sales with both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. On her website, she finds those coupons and writes out the deal for you.
We went shopping with Debi and her son Jeremy to see how the coupon strategy plays out.
At Fred Meyer, Wheat Thins crackers are regularly $2.75. This day, they’re on sale for $1.99.
When we use the store coupon we found, they went down to $1.67 a box. Add on the Facebook coupon, and they cost just $0.67 a box, a whopping 76 percent savings.
With such a great deal, Angela recommends stocking up. Debi bought four boxes.
She also found similar deals on ice cream toppings and bratwurst, which she can load in the freezer and use throughout the year. Then next summer when brats go on sale again, Debi can restock at a discount.
With this strategy, Debi will free up money in her budget to spend on perishable items that her family needs right away.
Check out these links to get the most savings from coupons:
Watch upcoming “Shellie’s Savings Makeover” stories each day this week on KATU News at 6 p.m. or here on KATU.com
How to save on meats and produce
How to save on your water bill