Sharing money saving ideas..

1. Using Coupons When I Can Especially On Sale Items

2.go To Your Local Dollar Store And Stock Up On Products Like Paper Towels Etc. They May Not Be Your Regular Brand But I Find Their Products Just As Good. (50 Cents For A Roll Of Paper Towels)

3.if You Have A Specialty Discount Store Like Aldis, Stock Up On Your Can Goods Etc. There.

4. Watch For Weekly Sales On Meat Etc. And Products You Use Regularly Like Spaghetti Sauce Etc. And Stock Up. I Found My Reg. Shampoo For 69 Cents A Bottle And I Got 3 Bottles.

4. Go To Stores That Double And Triple Coupons. If That Store Is Too Pricey, Just Buy The Coupon Items.

5. Go To A Search Engine And Type In Grocery Coupons. You Can Print Off Free Coupons For The Products You Need For Free. There Are Also On Those Sites Links For Getting Free Products Like Cat Food Etc. I Got Two $2 Coupons Off Of Chicken This Week, Coupons For 2 Bags Of Free Chips, And I Signed Up For Free Cat Food Etc. This Takes Time But It Is Worth It.

6. Try To Do All Your Shopping In One Trip To Save Gas. Plan Out Your Shopping The Night Before.

7. Because There Are Just The Two Of Us, I Usually Make Something We Will Have For Two Days. Such As A Big Pot Of Soup, Stuffed Peppers Etc. You Can Always Add A Salad The Next Day Etc. For Something Additional.

8. I Don't Know If You Know You Can Freeze Cake Mixes,. Before Using Them, Just Let Them Come Up To Room Temp Before Baking. They Are Still Great. I Buy Them When On Sale And Put Them In My Freezer. Also Check Out The Day Old Bake Goods At Walmart. They Have Some Great Stuff At Really Good Prices, Which Includes Day Old Bread, Great For Stuffing Or Making Croutons. Ours Are On A Rack Near The Cookie Aisle.

9.. As For Gas, Our Local Station Gives So Much Off A Gallon On Sundays. See If That's Available In Your Area

Thanks for the helpful hints.

Great tips Apple

I also use coupons, in the mail I do those product surveys and they mail out good coupon amounts
where I buy my gas I get money off grocery coupons
I try to buy only what is onsale and stock up on those items especially canned goods and meat
if pork loins are onsale I will buy two large ones cut one into chops and the other into roasts and freeze
same for the big beef sirloins, cut into steaks, stewmeat and roasts
my dh contracts his transport out to a grocery chain so delivers groceries to the stores in the city and brings me home the flyers and we sit and look at them and make a list of what we want he usually looks after getting the laundry soap, paper products and at the moment we are well stocked
also when the canned goods are cheap we will buy a case
Apple I do the same thing as you will make something like spaghetti one night then the next I will bake it with shredded cheese on top and have a salad with it, make it into a whole different meal
I always check the clearance bread rack they usualy have stuff that has one more day to go and well if its muffins or buns etc they are gone in my house in one day anyways
I also have a few people I trade my coupons for we know what each other uses so save them for each other
If you get to know your flyers, items rotate if its not on sale this week most likely it will be again within 3 to 5 weeks. For example Ketchup is on sale about every 6 weeks so I would buy enough to get me through to the next sale. If you watch you get to know how the sale flyers work.

Apple and Meg, you have both shared some wonderful tips! Thank you!

I usually just check the sales papers, clip coupons, and make food in big batches so I have one to freeze for later. I also buy in family packs and repackage them when I get home. This saves time and money because I don't have to thaw a whole package of meat when I need it, I just take out a small package that I made. I also buy the big bags of purple hull peas and baby butterbeans and put them in smaller packages at home. I try to stock up on canned goods when they're on sale. I also stock up on prepackaged items when they're on sale. I've found that I can make some of them cheaper than I can buy the boxed goods so I do that too. Bread is my biggest problem, with a loaf of bread being $2.42 here, we use a lot of bread and it gets terribly expensive.

When I Get The Day Old Baked Goods, They Are Always Still Fresh And Delicious. When You Bake A Cake At Home You Dont Throw It Out The Next Day Because It Is A Day Old...but The Stores Aren't Allowed To Keep Them. You Can Get Packs Of Cookies For The Kids Lunches, Donuts Etc. I Pop Mine In The Freezer And Use Them When You Get Hungry For A Snack. Also Some Of The Bread Bakeries Have Days When They Have Half Price Sales... Check That Out. We Also Buy Pork Loins On Sale And Cut Them Up. If You Watch At Thanksgiving They Have Great Buys On Turkey. You Can Always Buy An Extra One And Pop It In The Freezer. For Some Reason Around Here In The Summer, They Have Great Sales On Turkey Or Turkey Breasts. I Guess No One Wants To Roast A Turkey In Summer. I Always Buy A Couple For The Freezer. You Can Do So Many Things With Turkey. Even Just Hot Turkey And Gravy Sandwiches With The Leftovers. Your Food Goes So Much Furthur When You Make Something For A Couple Meals. Weather It Be A Pot Of Soup, Stew, Pork And Saur Kraut Etc. It Also Saves You A Day From Cooking. I Don't Do As Much Canning Anymore But I Do Freeze Quarts Of Tomatoes, Green Peppers In Baggies, Parsley, And A Few Other Things From The Garden. We Just Used Up A Big Bag Of Onions From The Garden. If You Put Your Mind To It You Can Really Save Money On Your Grocery Bills.
We Don't Have A Cvs Pharmacy Near Us But My Daughter Goes There All The Time With Coupons And Gets Great Deals On Sale Items. They Have Some Kind Of Program Going Where You Save Dollars In An Account And Can Use Them To Buy Things. I Am Not Sure How It Works But I Think It Depends How Much You Spend And Then Your Account Adds Up. So Those Of You Who Have A Cvs, Check That Out Too.

I go over to the US to buy my turkey, our church even buys the turkeys over there to do our turkey pie fundraiser as for that we need 18 turkeys to do up the stew mixture. Around Thanksgiving they are as low as 26cents a pound, here turkeys are onsale for 1.49 a pound up to 2.99 depends on what grade it is. But we are only allowed to bring one turkey per person over so we usually go by the van load.

I love all the ideas. For bread, besides the markdown section at the grocers. We shop at bread outlets. Wonder and Enteman's each have one or two in town. You can get some awsome deals and freebies for every $5 you spend.;)

Wow!! The Cheapest I Have Seen Turkey Here Is 89 Cents A Pound. That's A Great Dea
I started typing in different name brand companies to see if they give free coupons. If you don't have coupon printer, some companies will mail them to you. Here are two I found:
Pillsbury.com
Welcome to BettyCrocker.com
Just click on coupons. Type in some of your favorites when you have time and see if they have anything. Some of them have things under the word...PROMOTIONS.

thank you all for sharing !!!!! I clip coupons also and try toget the most bang for my buck... but no one eats reruns (leftovers) which drives me crazy !!!! well actually husband will eat left over meaballs and gravy...but thats about it..... today I am making a turkey I had gotten free at christmas time it's 18 lbs but some time this week probaly wednesday I'll make sloppy turkey sandwich's leftover turkey, stuffing and gravy on a kaiser rolls and fries so hopefully they will eat that. this is the first time I tried it so I'll see how that goes over!!!!

Here are 20 ways to bring your food bill under control without sacrificing time, your family's health or your own sanity:

Eat your fruits and vegetables. "When you think about it, fruits and things like that are really fairly inexpensive compared to the packaged things," says Gary Foreman, publisher of The Dollar Stretcher, a Web site devoted to living better for less. And almost any time of year, stores have "a good selection no matter what you like," he says. "You're bound to find something year-round that's in season and, therefore, affordable."

Want to find the freshest and the cheapest? Investigate a local farmers market. With less middlemen involved, the produce tends to be "fresher, treated with less chemicals and cheaper," Foreman says.

Give those shelves the once-over. "The marketers aren't foolish," says Foreman. "They know that we're generally lazy." So they position the items they most want to sell on the shelves between knee- and shoulder-height. "The highest markup items are the ones at about chest level -- to make it really easy for you to grab it and toss it in the cart," says Foreman.
And that's where the most expensive name brands will be, says Jyl Steinback, author of "The Supermarket Gourmet." "You can save up to 40% by selecting house or generic brands."

Stick to the edges. For the most part, the healthy, less processed foods are at the edges of the grocery store: dairy, fruits and vegetables, meats, etc. Those are the most nutritious options, and they also go further in the kitchen. In addition, "the main areas where you're walking, the paths to milk and bread, are usually strewn with high-priced land mines," says Ellie Kay, author of "Shop, Save, and Share." "Avoiding those pricey areas will really help.



Shop early and alone. "Try to shop when you're alone," says Steinback. "Those little helpers can quickly boost your bill." And if you shop early in the day, you get through the store faster with your list and spend less, she says.

Set your shopping mood. Nearly everyone knows that if you shop for food when you're hungry, you'll buy more. But did you know that you're also more likely to reach for those expensive snack foods if you're tired or angry?

"When you're tired, you try to get more energy through food," says Steinback, who has many of her personal training clients keep food diaries. "And people will grab the wrong choices: more sweets, more high-carbohydrates. When you're angry you go for crunch food, the junk food. So if you just had a fight, that's not the time to go shopping."

Operate by the book. You really want to beat the stores at the pricing game? Start keeping a book, says Foreman, who has a background in purchasing. His theory: most families prepare the same 10 to 20 recipes again and again.

His advice: Start a notebook, with one page for each item your family buys regularly. Note what you usually pay. If you see an especially good price, make a note of where and what it is. Without a book, "I can't remember what I paid (for something) six weeks ago," says Foreman.

But if you have a crib sheet, you know if a store sale or special is hype or a good buy. When you find a real bargain, stock up.

The trick is "to buy on the markdowns," he says. "It's not at all uncommon for people to save 15% to 20% on groceries. You don't have to change your habits. Just buy when (items) are at low cost."

If you want to win the savings game, learn the rules. Read that weekly food section and check the Sunday paper to see what's on sale.

And don't forget the fine print in those offers. For example, at some stores "buy one, get one free" items ring up at half price, which means you can use a coupon on each one and double your savings, says Kay.

But other stores mark one item full-price and give you the other for free, allowing you to use only one coupon.

In addition, some retailers guarantee that if the item doesn't ring up at the correct price, you get it for free or at a discount. "Be sure you pay attention to the details," Kay says.

Know when to use a list. For staples, stick to what you'd already planned to buy before you walked into the store. "The only time to go off list is if you can combine savings factors (store sales, double coupons, etc.) and get a good buy," says Kay.

Know when not to use a list. When it comes to produce, take the farmer's market approach: Buy what's fresh, inexpensive and in season. Then adapt your menus accordingly. That way, you get good buys and your family gets the freshest food.

Grocery stores are for groceries. "Avoid purchasing nongrocery items at a grocery store," says Steinback, who advises consumers to weigh convenience vs. cost when they pick up supplies like painkillers, contact lens solution, mouthwash or toothpaste at the grocery store. "I know it's convenient," she says. "But, you double your cost."

Take a rain check. If you know that your store is offering a great price on something you use, but it's all gone when you arrive, get a rain check, says Kay.

Know the system. When does your store mark down goods that expire, like meat or bread?

"You can get significant markdowns on meats if you buy things that are about to expire that day," Foreman says. The deal: Use them that night or freeze them, he says.

Your store might also have a small section where they discount products that aren't as popular as the manufacturer had hoped. This area can be a gold mine for bargain hunters, Foreman says.

Realize that more isn't always cheaper. "It's not uncommon for readers to say they found things in lots of 24 where the unit price was higher than if they bought one," says Foreman. "The days that you could take one big package and know you were saving money are over."

His credo: "Unless you're better at math than most people, shop with a calculator."

Request price matching. Want to get the best prices on everything without driving all over town? "Find a store in your area that will honor all competitors' ads," says Kay. You'll save money, time and gas.

This is also a good way to get bargains on things like meat or vegetables, where coupons are rarely an option.

Look for double coupons. "In most places, what you will find is that a coupon will let you buy the nationally advertised brand at the same price as the generic or house brand," says Foreman. Instead, if you favor coupons, look for stores that offer double coupons, which "can be a real saver," he says.

Weigh before you pay. All 10-pound bags of potatoes "are not created equal," says Kay. "There could be a pound's difference." Weigh the pre-packed bags and get the most for your money.

Beware of "discount store syndrome." Just because you're in a bargain store doesn't mean you're getting the best price on every item. "You have to consider whether it's a good bargain or not, and not mindlessly buy because it's a thrifty store," says Kay.

Her example: A warehouse club sells paper towels for 89 cents a roll that you normally see in your grocery store for 99 cents. Good buy? Not necessarily. If you have a 40-cents-off coupon that the grocery store will double, the grocery store cost is 19 cents. So do your homework before you shop.

Realize that sometimes the best bargain isn't the lowest price. There are times when you want to spend a little more on things that are important to you. For instance, a good-quality ground chuck with a little less fat or a loaf of really good whole-grain bread. Saving is great, but beware of buys that could be "penny-wise and pound-foolish," says Foreman.

"Your health is worth that," he says. "Medical bills are tough, even if you do have a good health plan."

Check your receipts. No matter how careful you or the store staff might be, mistakes happen. "I can't say it's widespread, but I do get reports of people saying they check grocery bills, and very often they find mistakes," says Foreman. "And, 4 to 1, they are in favor of the store."

Put your savings to work. Whether it's a trip, a car or a savings account, have some specific goals for the money you're not spending on food. Says Kay, "What good does it do to save all this money in the grocery store if you don't have a plan (for) what to do with that money?