Couponing 102 Part 3: How Do I Read The Weekly Ads?

Couponing 102 Part 3

How Do I Read The Weekly Ads?

Ok, I want to admitt something to you.  Before I started couponing I never even looked at a sales flier.  I was the one who set down made out a menu for the week then went about creating a grocery list.  Crazy, but true.  Now I realize that it takes some understanding of how the marketing team creates a flier.  Many times an item is listed in the flier that isn't on sale. However, they most all follow the same rule in their ads.  You will find the best deals on the first and last pages of the flier.  Stores will also always have a loss leader on their fliers (a product that the store is willing to take a loss on in hopes that you will do all of your shopping with them).  Your attention should remain on the first and last pages as you create your list.

Whatever meat is listed on the front page is usually going to be your best deal of the week. Planning your meals according to those sales will help you  purchase your meat for the week at the lowest price out there. The other items on the front and last page will help you add to your weekly menu and also allow you to buy items for your stockpile at a lower cost. The back page of a sales flier will generally have produce on it. Plan your produce for the week based on what is on the best sales on the back page.  Remember that your freezer can be a wonderful tool for stock-up items, when buying at a low price, and repackaging when you get home.

The inside of the circulars have smaller pictures and smaller products. Make sure you read everything and look at the pictures closely. You can usually count on the items shown in the picture being the exact ones on sale, but not always, so be prepared for that reality when you get to the store. It is frustrating though when the ad says that Daisy sour cream is on sale and shows a picture of regular sour cream, light sour cream and fat free sour cream. Then you get to the store and only the regular is on sale. The ad will usually say something like assorted varieties or varieties vary. Meaning you don't know until you get to the store which ones are on sale.

Your sales ad will be divided up into sections; canned goods, refrigerated products, health and beauty, etc. This does make it easier to read. When I read store fliers I always have my stock-up price list beside me so I can check to see if the sale is really a good price for the item. Example: is the frozen pizza on sale 2 for $10 a good deal. I have noticed since I started reading the sales fliers each week my memory of previous sales alerts me to this. Don't buy items that you aren't on sale (and a coupon to match that sale) unless you absolutely need that item. You will find that it will be on a better sale again soon and you should just wait and stock up at that time.

Sales vary a ridiculous amount - from being listed on sale but actually still being full price - to being a loss leader, and of course everything in between. Reading the sales fliers carefully each week will get you familiar with the different sales offered on products, so you will know when a really good deal comes along. And when it comes along, you should stock up as much as possible to last until the next really good deal comes along. It won't be long; most sales run on 6 week cycles. Over time you will start to realize which items seem to always be on a great sale and which items seem to rarely go on sale.

One of the tricks a grocery store sales flier will try to play is instead of listing the item $1 each, they list it 10 for $10. They are trying to get you to believe that you need to buy 10 of them to get the sale price. (I do however shop at Gerbes and they often have sales where you are to buy 10 items within the sale to get them at a sale price. I have got to register and realized that I was 1 item short and was charged the full price of all the items.  So be diligent in your study of the store flier). This is almost always not the case and you can treat these sales as if they were $1 per item sales. The same goes when something is listed 2 for $5, the items are really just $2.50 each and you can buy however many you would like.

Buy one get one free (B1G1) sales can be so confusing. Sometimes the ad will state that you have to buy two to get the sale price. Many times though, you can purchase just one and get that item at half price. So, is the store selling the B1G1 product at half off or do you have to actually buy two products to get one free. Once again, study your flier. Know your options and if you aren't sure, just ask the clerk checking out your groceries.

Knowing and reading your coupons is so important. I try to shop at a store that doubles coupons or a store where you can print thier store coupons on line to stack with your manufacture coupons.  Target is one of those stores that have thier own coupons. Knowing how to read your coupons will help you to read your store sales flier better. All those products on the inside pages that are on sale, but not great deals can quickly become great deals when you have a coupon. A $.50 off coupon doubled, gives you $1 off of the item. This is why you should analyze your sales fliers carefully. I have my coupon binder by me while I go through the sales ad so that I can match the sales items I need with a coupon. 

Every couponer has thier own way of preparing thier couponbase.  I buy 1 sunday paper for every member in my family.  I correlate the inserts, putting like pages together, and cut my coupons out.  Then I have made index cards to match my categories.  As I cut out my coupons I place them on the index cards for easy filing into my binder. I then take my store fliers, my coupon binder, and the list I have prepared from www.couponmom.com , www.savingatthelake.com , or www.southernsavers.com to build my shopping lists.

I shop at varies stores each shopping trip.  I have 2 grocery stores that I pick up meat, produce, and dairy from depending on who has the best sale.  And then I hit the chain stores to pick up stock up items for the pantry.  Since I am retired now I make a day out of it.  I just throw a freezer bag I got from Sam's in the trunk and put perishable stuff in there while I run to the other stores.

I think that being willing to shop at more than one store and comparing the sales fliers to each other I  save the most money on my grocery bill. Try hard to read the sales fliers every week so that you are familiar with the great sales, the good sales and the not so good sales. Also get organized before you hit the store. There is nothing worse than standing in the middle of an aisle trying to read the sales flier and then trying to see if you have a coupon to match to it. Taking the time ahead of time will make your shopping experience easy and quick. Knowing how to read your sales flies will help you save the most money at the grocery store.

Couponing 102 Part 3

How Do I Read The Weekly Ads?

Ok, I want to admitt something to you.  Before I started couponing I never even looked at a sales flier.  I was the one who set down made out a menu for the week then went about creating a grocery list.  Crazy, but true.  Now I realize that it takes some understanding of how the marketing team creates a flier.  Many times an item is listed in the flier that isn't on sale. However, they most all follow the same rule in their ads.  You will find the best deals on the first and last pages of the flier.  Stores will also always have a loss leader on their fliers (a product that the store is willing to take a loss on in hopes that you will do all of your shopping with them).  Your attention should remain on the first and last pages as you create your list.

Whatever meat is listed on the front page is usually going to be your best deal of the week. Planning your meals according to those sales will help you  purchase your meat for the week at the lowest price out there. The other items on the front and last page will help you add to your weekly menu and also allow you to buy items for your stockpile at a lower cost. The back page of a sales flier will generally have produce on it. Plan your produce for the week based on what is on the best sales on the back page.  Remember that your freezer can be a wonderful tool for stock-up items, when buying at a low price, and repackaging when you get home.

The inside of the circulars have smaller pictures and smaller products. Make sure you read everything and look at the pictures closely. You can usually count on the items shown in the picture being the exact ones on sale, but not always, so be prepared for that reality when you get to the store. It is frustrating though when the ad says that Daisy sour cream is on sale and shows a picture of regular sour cream, light sour cream and fat free sour cream. Then you get to the store and only the regular is on sale. The ad will usually say something like assorted varieties or varieties vary. Meaning you don't know until you get to the store which ones are on sale.

Your sales ad will be divided up into sections; canned goods, refrigerated products, health and beauty, etc. This does make it easier to read. When I read store fliers I always have my stock-up price list beside me so I can check to see if the sale is really a good price for the item. Example: is the frozen pizza on sale 2 for $10 a good deal. I have noticed since I started reading the sales fliers each week my memory of previous sales alerts me to this. Don't buy items that you aren't on sale (and a coupon to match that sale) unless you absolutely need that item. You will find that it will be on a better sale again soon and you should just wait and stock up at that time.

Sales vary a ridiculous amount - from being listed on sale but actually still being full price - to being a loss leader, and of course everything in between. Reading the sales fliers carefully each week will get you familiar with the different sales offered on products, so you will know when a really good deal comes along. And when it comes along, you should stock up as much as possible to last until the next really good deal comes along. It won't be long; most sales run on 6 week cycles. Over time you will start to realize which items seem to always be on a great sale and which items seem to rarely go on sale.

One of the tricks a grocery store sales flier will try to play is instead of listing the item $1 each, they list it 10 for $10. They are trying to get you to believe that you need to buy 10 of them to get the sale price. (I do however shop at Gerbes and they often have sales where you are to buy 10 items within the sale to get them at a sale price. I have got to register and realized that I was 1 item short and was charged the full price of all the items.  So be diligent in your study of the store flier). This is almost always not the case and you can treat these sales as if they were $1 per item sales. The same goes when something is listed 2 for $5, the items are really just $2.50 each and you can buy however many you would like.

Buy one get one free (B1G1) sales can be so confusing. Sometimes the ad will state that you have to buy two to get the sale price. Many times though, you can purchase just one and get that item at half price. So, is the store selling the B1G1 product at half off or do you have to actually buy two products to get one free. Once again, study your flier. Know your options and if you aren't sure, just ask the clerk checking out your groceries.

Knowing and reading your coupons is so important. I try to shop at a store that doubles coupons or a store where you can print thier store coupons on line to stack with your manufacture coupons.  Target is one of those stores that have thier own coupons. Knowing how to read your coupons will help you to read your store sales flier better. All those products on the inside pages that are on sale, but not great deals can quickly become great deals when you have a coupon. A $.50 off coupon doubled, gives you $1 off of the item. This is why you should analyze your sales fliers carefully. I have my coupon binder by me while I go through the sales ad so that I can match the sales items I need with a coupon. 

Every couponer has thier own way of preparing thier couponbase.  I buy 1 sunday paper for every member in my family.  I correlate the inserts, putting like pages together, and cut my coupons out.  Then I have made index cards to match my categories.  As I cut out my coupons I place them on the index cards for easy filing into my binder. I then take my store fliers, my coupon binder, and the list I have prepared from www.couponmom.com , www.savingatthelake.com , or www.southernsavers.com to build my shopping lists.

I shop at varies stores each shopping trip.  I have 2 grocery stores that I pick up meat, produce, and dairy from depending on who has the best sale.  And then I hit the chain stores to pick up stock up items for the pantry.  Since I am retired now I make a day out of it.  I just throw a freezer bag I got from Sam's in the trunk and put perishable stuff in there while I run to the other stores.

I think that being willing to shop at more than one store and comparing the sales fliers to each other I  save the most money on my grocery bill. Try hard to read the sales fliers every week so that you are familiar with the great sales, the good sales and the not so good sales. Also get organized before you hit the store. There is nothing worse than standing in the middle of an aisle trying to read the sales flier and then trying to see if you have a coupon to match to it. Taking the time ahead of time will make your shopping experience easy and quick. Knowing how to read your sales flies will help you save the most money at the grocery store.