Maximizing coupon potential

Today I'm brushing up on my coupon skills as this step of my journey to become a stay at home mom. I recently stumbled upon a penny pinchers section of my favorite online community and have spent the morning learning a ton of new ideas! I already have a Kroger card, so I signed up with Kroger's website and you can load coupons straight onto your card. They also link to a few other companies who will also load them directly to the Kroger card. So much easier than printing coupons off the computer or clipping the old fashioned way! I have done this before with a few items, and it really did come off the total at the register. I match my shopping list with the sale flyer found either in the Sunday newspaper, or on their website.

Another discount card I'm checking out is the CVS card. I had one a few years ago when I lived right by a CVS and used it from time to time. I do remember when I did that it saved a lot of money. With CVS Extra Care Bucks coupled with coupon use and sale prices, the potential for savings is astronomical! Think of the ECB is a bonus or rebate, you get them for the next trip, so that first trip is almost like an investment. After that, it's like they pay you to shop there. I love this idea! Checking their weekly sale flyer can easily be done online, as with most stores, and it even shows what items are eligible for Extra Care Bucks and how many you get for each purchase. Match these with the coupons you have available and use your card and watch the savings really start adding up.

This is a huge step in my journey to become a stay at home mom. My grocery budget was out of control, and I cringe when I think of how much money I wasted throughout the years by not shopping wisely. I've already reduced my grocery budget by about half, and haven't even implemented the more aggressive approaches at saving money just yet. I'm so excited about the possibilities with this!