Not into using coupons? No problem.
There a lots of other ways to save. Ever heard of sale cycles? I write about it in my book ‘I Don’t Have Time To Save Money‘.
Basically, think of this way, you know how with the stock market it’s “buy low, sell high”, well it’s the same idea with groceries and other things you buy. When items you buy go on sale, don’t just buy one. Buy as many as you need until it goes on sale again. Usually, it’s about a one month supply. Taking a few minutes to look at your local sales ad can save you a lot of money. If you don’t feel like it, then just pick 3-5 items or so that you typically buy a regular basis (cereal, coffee, diapers, etc.) and take notice of the shelf-price. If you see it considerably below it’s retail price or the price you normally buy it, I suggest you stock up.
Open to using coupons but just not at the grocery store?
There’s tons of online promos and retail store coupons.
Heading to a store?
Sign up for their news letters or look for their coupons on their website. Many stores will either have a coupons/promotions page.
When at the register, ask the Sales Associate if there are any coupons or promotions you can take advantage of. (Note: do not sign up for store credit cards as they often aren’t worth it.)
If you’re shopping at a department store like Macy’s, ask if you can “pre-sale” (that’s where you can take advantage of a sale ahead of time)
Shopping online?
Make sure to use a cash-back website. (They get paid a commission for providing a sale lead and they share part of their commission with you.) They will often have store promo codes on their website, too. Personally, I use and recommend Rakuten (formerly Ebates).
