8/1 Coupon Preview

Oh my!  Is it August already?  Where did July go? 

I want to point out that there are going to be 4...yes, 4 coupon inserts in this Sunday's newspapers.  There will be 1 P & G, 1 SmartSource and 2 RedPlum!  Surely a weekend to get out and buy extra newspapers.

You can see all the details of what is to be included right over on the sidebar. 

I am really hoping that with more coupons, this means that the deals will start to pick up too - I remember my first Catalina experience at Jewel almost exactly one year ago, and it was a good one...ahh, the fond memories!  As summer winds down and the kids get back to school the sales should start to improve.  Grab some extra inserts so you can rebuild your stockpile! 

And, since it's the end of the month, don't forget to check Coupons.com, Redplum.com and Smartsource.com for printables because some may no longer be available after the first of next month. 

Strawberry Freezer Jam

We picked fresh strawberries at the end of last week and had just enough to make one full batch of strawberry freezer jam.  This recipe is the BEST for strawberry jam.  It's extremely easy, tasty and cost effective.  Since we don't usually see many good deals or coupons on jellies or jams, I find it enjoyable to stock the freezer with this yummy treat while the berries are in season. 

Here's the pectin that I use:

It costs about $1.00 and some change at Wal-mart for the packets.  Here's how easy it is:

Wash fresh picked strawberries and cut off the stems and any soft/dark spots.  If you have some berries that aren't quite ripe yet you can still use them - the sugar added to the recipe will off set any tart berries you have. Rinse under cool water and let drain in a colander while getting the other ingredients ready. 

Mix together 1-1/2 cups sugar and the packet of pectin in a medium to large bowl.  Crush strawberries in blender/smoothie maker until you have 4 cups of crushed strawberries.  You can decide the consistency level you prefer.  I make mine with little to no chunks of strawberry left.  Mix the dry ingredients with the crushed strawberries for 3 minutes.   

Pour into freezer safe containers.  I use small Rubbermaid containers with screw on lids (that I got FREE @ K-mart double coupon sale!).  Let sit for 30 minutes and then freeze.  Soooo easy!  Use within 1 year for peak freshness, use within 6 weeks once defrosted. 

I will do this several times during the peak of strawberry season so that we have enough to last us the whole year.  I like to make extras so that I can share it with family, friends and neighbors.  You can also use other fruits and berries at their peak freshness.  Last year I found an awesome deal on peaches and mangoes at a local Hispanic market so I made peach-mango freezer jam and it was de-lish!  Get creative, the directions on the packaging will walk you though the recipe for different varieties. 

Let me know if you try it and how it goes...Enjoy!

Stockpiling and Expiration Dates

In our house we sometimes push the envelope on product expiration dates.  When you are a serious couponer, sometimes you over estimate how much your family will need and use before the item gets to it's rock bottom price again; sometimes those items in your pantry don't stay organized and product with an early expiration date gets pushed to the back of the stack.  I will admit, occassionally I make my husband the guinea pig before I will try something beyond it's expiration date myself.  Then again, some things just aren't worth a trip to the E.R. and we let it go.  If you have ever wondered about expiration dates and if you should chance it, this is a great article to read. 

Of course, keeping organized and being realistic about your estimates are ways to assure you don't have a lot of expired food laying around but this article really makes me feel better about some of the chances I have taken in eating items beyond their "sell by" date. 

Getting Started: Stockpiling

One of the main ideas behind couponing seriously and seeing a reduction in your family household budget for groceries and other consumble items is stockpiling.  The sales "lows" on items usually run at approximately 12 week cycles.  When you see an item that your family uses at it's lowest price (with a sale AND coupons), you want to stock up on enough at that price to last your family 12 weeks.  This is why I stress to accumulate as many coupons as possible by getting more than one insert per week - you will need multiple coupons when these items go low.  This way, you can shop out of your pantry/linen closet when you need more, rather than purchasing items at higher prices when the need arrises. 

You will want to keep your stockpile very organized so that you can see what you have easily to take an inventory for the next sale, and so that you use them in order of expiration date.  Some people get very creative in finding ways to store their stockpiles, and it makes sense to do so when you are saving so much money. 

You will quickly learn what the best prices are on items that you use regularly so that you know what the lowest price is when it comes around.  When you just start out, you will be elated to get certain things cheap, but then you may realize later, that even that "cheap" price is too high and if you have a good stockpile to draw from, you will be able to wait to get it at even greater savings or FREE! 

It will take you a good 6-9 months to build up a stockpile of items that you use regularly because you are using your stockpile as you are building it.  Don't get discouraged if you use items faster than you anticipated, there's always the next time around to stock up with more. 

I have always been a "stock-up" shopper and I loved shopping at Sam's Club.  When I first got started couponing like this I had my doubts that Sam's Club would be more expensive than shopping with coupons.  I thought for sure there would be no better way to shop than at Sam's Club - boy was I wrong!!  I went through the store and compiled a list of the most common things I was buying at Sam's Club and broke it down by price per ounce, pound, package, etc.  I put it all on a list and started to compare it when I was out couponing.  Couponing is much cheaper than Sam's Club shopping.  If you would like to see my list of items and the price break down, send me an e-mail and I would be happy to share it with you!

If you find that your estimates are too high and you purchased more than your family can use before it's expiration, please consider helping out family and friends, or donating to a needy family.   There are so many ways to donate, and there are so many people in need right now.