Tips and Tricks

Buy Meat Wholesale

• If you are hosting seders (or your family just eats a lot of meat during the holiday)
• If a wholesale package is too much, split the pack with 1 of 2 people in the community (we’ve done that!)

Plan Your Meals/Don’t Over-Buy

• If you plan your meals, you are a lot less likely to overbuy
• Write down your meal ideas (with a couple alternative meal ideas) and bring that as well as your ingredient list to the supermarket
• Try to stick to “basics” when cooking – Matzo meal, potato starch, meat, dairy and veggies and cook with them

Do your own baking

• Rather than splurge on pre-packaged baked goods – they tend to start at $6-$8 per package! (If you are not much of a baker, use a cake/baking mix from one of the Kosher For Passover brands.)

Look for Kosher L’Pesach items outside of the Kosher section

• When shopping at supermarket chains, often you can find Dairy, Soda, Canned goods and other items that are labeled “Kosher For Passover” outside of the kosher section believe it or not. At Shoprite, I’ve even found store brand items (veggies and dairy) that are Kosher for Passover.

Buy items that are Kosher for Passover all year round/Non-food items that you need for Passover weeks before anything else

• I’m talking about food items like Maxwell House Coffee – both their regular coffee and instant coffee are Kosher For Passover all year round. The instant coffee in particular tends to go on sale at Walgreens and CVS. There are often coupons for these items on coupons.com and in the Sunday paper. (Note: If you sign up for CVS e-mails, you will likely start getting $4 off $20 and $5 of $15 coupons.)

• As far as paper goods: store brand should suffice for everyday eating -buy what’s cheapest. When buying disposable dishes for Seders, Chinet is a good way to go. Their clear hard plastics plates are sold both in supermarkets and wholesale clubs, plus they often have $1 off coupons on their website or when you sign up for their newsletter. Another option is buying nice disposable sets on Amazon. (You can get free shipping on many items with a free 30-day trial of Prime. You can sign up and then cancel right after, you still get 30 days).

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FOUND AT DOLLAR TREE!

Even though it is a smaller count, it is definitely by far the cheapest place I have seen these plates!

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• Shopping for these types of items ahead of time also helps with budgeting and the deals tend to be better a few weeks earlier.

Shop during Chol Hamoed (Intermediate days) and Shop Ahead For Next Year

• Usually around the 3rd day of Passover, Passover items will go on clearance. If there is anything you know you NEED, don’t wait to buy it when it’s on clearance! Stores used to overbuy and people could do that but last year, so many people waiting and stores were out of most items. (Note: Frozen items will generally run out first).

• Item’s you are likely to find leftover: Passover (gluten-free) pasta, cake mix, cereal, matzo farfel, matzo meal, potato starch and macaroons
• Use coupons (see below) on those clearance items to get them for next to nothing or even free.

Where to find Passover Coupons

HOW TO USE COUPONS: Before reading anything else, if you want to save the MOST money-possible, you need to know that you can stack 1 manufacturer’s coupon and 1 store coupon PER item you buy.

• Here’s an example of how I have stacked coupons in the past:
• I used a store coupon for FREE Matzah and an MFR coupon that said “Buy 5 pounds of Matzah, get a Free Matzah Ball Mix FREE”…so I got them both for free.

Where to find STORE coupons:

Check the store’s weekly ads, look for fliers, booklets or handouts at the courtesy counter or in the kosher section.

Note: Seeing a coupon in an ad does NOT make it a store coupon. It has to say “store coupon” at the top.

• The main store coupon to look for is the Free Matzah with purchase coupon. In the past, I’ve seen free with $50 and with $100. Be aware of the minimum.

In the past Shoprite has put out booklets in the past (near where they put the Haggadas). I am trying to find out if they are doing the same this year.

Where to find manufacturer’s coupons:

Sometimes you find coupons in the weirdest places.For example, I’ve seen manufacturer’s coupons (which can be used anywhere) for Manishewitz, Streit’s and Osem in the ad for stores that barely have a kosher section. (Most were found in the Pathmark ad).

Look for coupons in your local paper, inserts, store ads and on coupons.com (Remember, Manufacturer’s coupons (unlike store coupons) can be used anywhere – take coupons from one store’s at and use them at the store with the best sale.

Some of the coupons I’ve seen in the past that are usually Kosher For Passover:

• Tropicana orange juice (circulars)
• Maxwell House coffee –coupons.com
• Kraft (Breakstone’s sour cream, Temptee whipped cream cheese)
• Adirondack Seltzer (circulars)

Note: If you don’t get the Sunday paper: The coupon clippers is a coupon-clipping site where you pay a small handling fee to get pre-cut coupons so you don’t have to worry about the hassle yourself www.TheCouponClippers.com. You can just get the coupons you need. I personally use them which is why I am recommending them.

Passover Coupons Found So Far in Ads:

Passover Coupons Weeks 1 and 2

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Call companies for coupons – both the Jewish companies and the general brands that make Kosher For Passover Items. Please see the Companies You Can Call For Coupons Page.

When you call, simply give your name and say “Hi, I wanted to know if your company sends out coupons, I’m trying to help my family save money for Passover.” If you call, make sure to leave yourself 2-3 weeks before Pesach to make sure that the coupons arrive in enough time to use them. Also, not all kosher supermarkets accept manufacturer’s coupons (although that’s very rare) so please check with your local store.

Coke Products: Get coupons for $ off or FREE products with My Coke Rewards

• Not sure how many of Coke’s products are Kosher For Passover but at least regular coke is. (Look for specially-marked soda with the yellow cap.)
• Note: It takes several weeks for them to mail coupons so I would redeem points sooner than later in order to get them in time.

General Companies that make Kosher For Passover Products:

• Colgate-Palmolive- toothbrushes/toothpaste/soap – 1-800-468-6502
• Dannon – yogurt- (914) 872-8400 – Not sure if it will be KLP or not this year
• Tree Ripe (Johanna foods) – 1-800-727-6700 ext.420
• Domino Sugar – (800) 729-4840 or check SmartSource.com which sometimes has Domino coupons
• Chiquita –(FRESH EXPRESS Salad)- 513-784-8000
• Dole (Bagged Salad)- 1-800-356-3111

Kosher Companies To Call for Coupons:

• Manishewitz/Rokeach/Season (Rab foods group) – (201)-553-1100
• Streit’s – They ask that you e-mail them at [email protected] (you can put the subject as “coupon request”)
• Dr. Praegers/Ungars – 1-877-PRAEGER or (201)-703-1300
• A and B Gefilte Fish – 1-866-GEFILTE or (973)-523-4101

Post-Passover “Stock Up” Shopping

It’s not just passover that eats up your budget, often shopping afterward does to. Here are some easy items you can snag when you re-stock your Pantry

Companies to call for coupons:

• Johanna Foods (Tree-Ripe OJ, La Yogurt) – Can only call once so decide if you’re gonna use your OJ coupons for Passover or after
• Cento (Ask for coupons for Anna pasta, unless you want Cento coupons) – 856-853-5445
• Philly Swirl – Ice Pops…a staple in many homes 🙂 1-877-3SWIRLS (1-877-379-4757) Note: Only some of their products are kosher – please check the package
• Heinz –  1-800-255-5750
• Eden Organic – 888 424-EDEN
• Apple and Eve-1-800-969-8018
• Celestial Seasoning-1-800-434-4246 *Note: Celestial also does Garden of Eatin,  Terra Chips, Rice Dream and many other brands – When you call, specify what you want.

Sale Patterns/When to stock up