Hey y’all! Today we start our week of saving at specific stores with a look at saving at drug stores/pharmacies. There is a wealth of information out there about each of the stores I’ve chosen to highlight so I’ve provided links for you to dig deeper if you’re so inclined. I’ll be taking time to hit the high points and introduce you to saving at what I consider the Big 3 – CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid.I’ve also provided links to each store’s coupon policy. You should print a copy of the store coupon policy for every store you shop at and keep it with you when shopping. Not every store employee knows the proper policy (though they should) and if there’s a problem at check out you can whip out your copy and politely correct them. Key word: politely. Make sure you’ve read and understand it as well. Remember -…

Today, because it’s Saturday, because I love ya and because I know you want more savings secrets, I have a free gift – a printable just for you!I have created a month by month list of when to buy specific products. Each month I highlight what will most likely be on discount. Keep in mind that this list is not all encompassing, but hits all of the most common sales each month. A few notes:We will cover seasonal produce and fresh items in more depth later this month.Some categories, such as baking supplies, may overlap several months depending on your store.Some items, like BBQ supplies will likely be on sale throughout the summer, rather than during a specific month – so you may see it listed more than once on the printable. This is just a guideline to help you be more aware of when sales occur and to help you keep…

Today’s post is a quickie – but a good lesson nonetheless. Let’s talk about where I buy all the things that I buy. I’d also like to preface this by telling you that it is a guideline and there are exceptions to every rule. Once you learn your store’s prices and sale cycles, you’ll know where the best deals are. The following information is true for me most of the time.What to buy at:The Grocery Store – Food The Discount Store (Target/Walmart) – Toiletries/personal care items, feminine products, paper goods (napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates/utensils), household and laundry cleaning items, cosmeticsI fully attribute the way I shop to my mother. She never, ever bought paper products at the grocery store. She always had two lists – one for Publix or Winn Dixie (the grocery stores where I grew up) and one for Kmart/Walmart (there wasn’t a Target when I was growing…

Alright guys and dolls, today’s lesson is easy.Stores run sales on a cycle system. Those cycles typically run in the following ways:Every 3 monthsEvery 6 monthsSeasonallyIn the beginning, while you’re still figuring all of this out, you might not know what your store’s cycles tend to be so you’ll need to make a concerted effort to find out. Using some notebook paper you can start tracking sales quickly:Be patient. It’ll take you at least 6 months to get it down pat – but keep it simple. This shouldn’t be more than you jotting down a date here and there.Seasonal sales don’t just apply to the holidays, either. I’m dedicating an entire post to what to by when, so be ready to print. ;)One last note on sale cycles: It’s important to know your local store’s sale week as well. Next time you get the sales flyer, look for the fine print…

OK. So now that we’ve gotten all of that nasty math taken care of, let’s talk about how you can create even more savings by changing how you shop.First, picture your typical trip to the store. I’m guessing (because I’ve been there) that you have a long list of all the things you’re out of – and have probably been muddling through without – scribbled on a piece of scrap paper. You gather up the few coupons you can find, along with one or two reuseable shopping bags and head off to the store. When you get there, you grab what you need, but oops you forgot you needed milk and eggs so you add that too, and oh look! pasta is on sale, so you grab some of that before realizing you haven’t taken anything out for dinner yet so you grab something you can nuke or reheat from…

Hey y’all! Today is a fairly quick post on how to calculate that all enticing percent saved. Here’s the equation (I bet you never thought you’d need to use that as a grown up…):Now let’s do an example:Remember this receipt? At Target, they don’t put the “regular” price in line with the sale price up at the top. Instead, you get this at the bottom:Basically, they take the markdown amount and your coupon savings and lump it all together at the bottom. Some stores (my grocery store is one) list the store card discount in line with the item on the receipt and then have a summary at the bottom. Some even go ahead and give you the percent saved. (I love it when they do that!) Let’s calculate percent saved for this trip using my equation up there: $3.36/$3.36+.07$3.36/3.43 = 98%Easy peasy! BUT (You knew there was a catch right?):Here’s the deal. I routinely only hit…

Today we’re going to talk about Unit Price. It’ll start us off on the math you’ll need to be a successful and sensible saver. This is also a great opportunity for you to get your hubby involved – especially if he’s a human calculator like mine. ;)So, what is unit price?Simply put, it’s the price you’re paying per serving, per diaper, per can of soda (or 12 pack), etc.Why is unit price so important? This goes back to knowing when a sale is a sale. Sometimes a product that’s on sale may not be the best deal. I can (and do) calculate unit price quickly in my head and determine whether or not that sale price is good enough to warrant my purchase. My husband is very good at this. As a matter of fact, he’s better at it than I am at this point. He can spot a good unit price faster…