“Come Shopping With Me” Super-Couponing Tips syndicated column extra

One of my Super-Couponing Tips syndicated columns deals with a reader who believes couponing is “smoke and mirrors,” and said that people “never show what was bought and the coupons used.”

In my column, I walked through some of the sales I’d enjoyed at Meijer that week, sharing the pre- and post-coupon prices for what I bought. At the end of the column, I direct readers to this page on my site for more detail about exactly what coupons were used and where they came from.

Many of these deals were outlined in the Meijer section of Deals for January 14th, 2013 writeup on my blog. I shopped at the Algonquin, Illinois Meijer location. Below is the list of items I shared in my column, along with details about where each coupon came from.

Due to lead time and differences in publishing schedules with different newspapers, you may be reading this weeks or months after the date of this sale. The date isn’t as important as understanding that matching coupons to sales happens every week! It just happens to be the sale that I shopped the week I wrote that particular column.

I also outlined some of these deals on Chicago’s WGN News the same week of these sales. That video clip of the news segment is at the bottom of this post.

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Gallon jug of store-brand milk: $2.19
I used an ecoupon from Meijer’s website Mperks.Meijer.com for a free gallon of milk and paid $0.

6.4-ounce Colgate toothpaste: $1
I used a .75 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 SmartSource newspaper inserts and paid .25.

Colgate Wave toothbrush: $1
I used a .75 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 SmartSource newspaper inserts and paid .25.

Snapware food storage container: $2.39
I used a $2 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 SmartSource newspaper inserts and paid .39.

20-pack of Finish dishwasher detergent tablets: $2.69
I used a $2.15 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 SmartSource newspaper inserts and paid .54.

Three 16-ounce boxes of Barilla pasta: $3
I used a $1-off-3 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 SmartSource newspaper inserts and paid $2.

Three 16-ounce cans of Old El Paso refried beans: $3
I used a .60-off-3 coupon that I printed from Coupons.com and paid $2.40.

15.5-ounce box of Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey cereal: $1.99
I used a $1 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 SmartSource newspaper inserts and paid .99.

16oz. Tennessee Pride roll sausage: $2.50
I used a $1 coupon from the Holiday 2012 issue of All You (a coupon magazine) and paid $1.50.

72-ounce bottle of Purex laundry detergent: $2.99
I used a $1 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 RedPlum newspaper inserts and paid $1.99.

Two bottles of 59-ounce Trop50 orange juice: $5
I used a $1-off-2 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 RedPlum newspaper inserts and paid $4.

16oz. box of Purina One Beyond cat food: $2.99
I used a coupon for a free box from the January 13, 2013 RedPlum coupon insert and paid $0.

12 double roll package of Angel Soft bath tissue: $4.99
I used a .45 coupon from the January 6th, 2013 RedPlum newspaper inserts and paid $4.54.

Before coupons, my total for all of these items was $35.73. After coupons? Just $18.85! I cut my bill almost by half with coupons. No smoke, no mirrors, and certainly no magic involved.

However, think about this. Only one of the coupons I used came out of the newspaper the same week I shopped. Most came from the previous week’s paper. Had I run right to the store with those January 6th coupons as soon as they arrived, I would have missed out on most of these deals. The best sale prices don’t always line up with the week you receive your coupons. Holding on to them and waiting for the lowest sale prices is key to maximizing your grocery savings.

Something else to consider too: These deals were great because I shopped at Meijer. Had I taken the same coupons to a different store in town, it’s likely that I wouldn’t have reached the same savings, as different stores will have different items on sale at different times. I always look at each store’s ad and determine which store has the best sales on the items I want for that particular week. Next week, it could be a different store. I follow the sales and shop where prices are best.

P.S. – The Dawn dish detergent on the desk? It was on sale for .99 at CVS/pharmacy. I used a .50 coupon from the December 30th, 2012 Procter & Gamble newspaper insert and paid .49. And the beat goes on…