Back to the Basics: Stick to a Few Stores

This is the second post in a series about the basics of couponing and saving money.  I've decided to title the series Back to the Basics.  

I hear from people often that they do not have time to shop for sales because they will have to go to way too many stores.  Here is a little secret I have for you...I rarely shop at more than 1-2 stores a week.

The best grocery store for sales in my area is Dillons (part of the Kroger family).  I've noticed that most of their sales run at least two weeks.  In the past few months, I've been hitting that sale on the first week.  The next week, I do a quick run to Price Cutter as it is just up the street.  I get the basics and any great sales they have.  I've cut my grocery budget by about 25% simply by switching to this method instead of shopping Dillons every single week.

As for other stores, I rarely look at the sales unless I know my stockpile is getting low.  I usually wind up going to Walgreens or Target one to two times a month for great deals on toothpaste, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc but I do not hit every sale at every store each week.  It would be exhausting to do this.

When you are just starting out, start with one store and get the hang of it before adding another.

My favorite blogs to read to get the great deal matchups are:

Money Saving Mom - features matchups for most national stores
I Heart Coupon Deals - local blogger with Dillons matchups