Grocery saving tip # 1: Less is more

Are you playing the coupon game? How much time do you put into it and how much money do you save? Some people immediately shout that "Hey! I save 500 bucks this month. That is 50% savings." But wait! Do you have that 500 dollars in the bank account? Oh~ it is in your pantry and freezer. I see. If everything goes well as planned, eventually you will receive that 500 dollars in a year or two.

Using coupon is a well-known technique to save money. Manufacturers surely know about it. They use coupon to promote new products, and compete with others. But that does not mean you have to play their coupon games. Coupon is not a reason to buy things. Every coupon is another chance to overspending.

If you use GrocerySurf shopping list and unload the items into pantry room for few times, you would have a list of brand name items that are "the regular" in your shopping list. In other words, those items are the ones that you cannot live without. And those should be your target for coupon clipping. Based on the auto-reminder, you would know the "exact" quantity you actually use in a period of time. So you get the quantity plus the target. The only thing you will need is to compare the price between the stores for the best buy by reading the weekly ads.

Less work = Better approach. Our life is fully packed with the duty, the wanted, and the dreamed of. We should always be cautious to try any method that promises the return in the future. The uncertainty may not be a benefit for life but another add-on liability.