Saving Money on Groceries #2 - Couponing
Probably the biggest way to save the most money on groceries is using and utilizing coupons. 
You can get coupons in the Sunday paper, online, and sometimes by contacting the product manufacturer and asking for them.
This site will tell you what coupons will be in the Sunday paper, so you can decide how many papers you want to buy. [Also, by clicking on the 2008 Coupon Schedule, you can see which weeks there will be No Coupons.]
If there's a lot of coupons that are really good for my family, I buy 2-3 papers. If the coupons are just good, I usually just buy one paper. You have to remember that you're paying $1.50 per paper, so don't buy more than you need.
Some good sites for printing coupons online are: Boodle, SmartSource, CouponBug, and CouponsInc.
Now that you have your coupons, put them to good use. Sometimes you have to sit on them until a good sale comes along. Other coupons can be used right away. Like the $3.00 Planters coupons that's been circulating lately.
I never buy a product just because I have a coupon. If it's a product that I'm not going to use, I don't buy it, unless the coupon makes it totally free, then I will give the product a try. Some people even give the free products to charity.
I normally save $15-20 dollars per week, at least.
You do need to know your store's coupon policy, in case any cashier fights you on a coupon. Especially printed coupons. It hasn't happen to me yet, but it has to a lot of my blogging buddies. You can usually find your store's coupon policy by going to their website. Print it and keep it with your coupons.
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As for rebates, which usually make the product free, I am very picky on the ones I choose to use. If it's not a product I've been wanting to try, or that I normally buy, I will not use them or buy the product. It's money out of my pocket now, even though I will eventually get it back.
If the product is going to go to waste, it's not worth the time.
Also, if you can find a good coupon for a product that you are buying to send in a rebate for, you can essentially make money off of the product.
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Some stores double coupons, up to a certain amount. Find out when your store does and use this to your advantage!!
Daphne
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