Menu Challenge

I'm so thankful for coupons. Over the years my stockpile has grown. I love "shopping" in it when I run out of something in my pantry. This week I am challenging my self to only live off of $100 till the 16th. I really feel I can do this thanks to my stockpile. I know I have a ton of meals that I can plan out. I'm excited for the challenge but know it's going to take a lot of self-control. Hey I might just get creative in the kitchen and whip up something great!

Okay folks I'm extending the challenge to you all as well. Go through your pantry and stockpile, freezer and fridge and start menu planning for the week. I think you'll be surprised at how many meals you have on hand.

I would love to hear how it's coming along!

Kimmy Tips on Case Lot Shopping

There are a lot of case lot sales right now. There great deals too. Remember to look closely at expiration dates. The Kroger peanut butter at Smith's expires in July of this year. Think "will we go through all this peanut butter by then?". Happy shopping.

Kimmy tips On Grocery Bargins.

Learn the secrets to help you uncover the best grocery bargains.

1) Think beyond circulars

• Many supermarkets feature twice as many sale items as they advertise in fliers. Search for specials on websites and blogs, gee like KimmyClips! :)

2) Keep an eye out for group deals

• Some companies offer specials that allow you to, for example, buy any 10 selected items in one shopping trip and save $5 at the register. Cut costs even more by combining these deals with manufacturer coupons.

3) Search high and low

• Although you can find specials at eye level and at the ends of aisles, reduced items don't always get placed at eye level on the shelves; the highest paying manufacturer might get those spots. look for sales at the top and bottom, as well.

4) Request a rain check

• If an on sale item is sold out, ask customer service for a rain check. They are usually good for 30 days. Ask if the store will honor your coupon if it's about to expire with in the 30 days.

5) check the store brand

• If you don't have a coupon for a favorite item, go generic or store brand. These items are as just as good as big manufactures. In fact these manufactures make food for these store brands.

Help From my Utah Viewers

We all hate loosing something precious and wish it would find it way back to us. My husband found a journal in the parking lot at the conference center in SLC yesterday. It belongs to a Nicole Ellis. We think she might attend BYU. If any of my Utah viewers know anything that might help us get her journal back to her would be wonderful!!! Email me @ kimmyclips@gmail.com

Celebrate National Coupon Month!

September is National Coupon Month which means grocery stores across the country will be having extra-big savings. Before you start shopping, hone your supermarket savvy with our grocery saving tricks.

True or False? To get the freshest milk and other products out of the refrigerated dairy case, reach towards the back because that’s where they put the newest (aka freshest) items.

True. Whether they stock from the front or back of the case, the best way to tell if something’s fresh is to check the expiration date. But, if all of the dates are the same, the items in the back will be “freshest” because they’re furthest from the door – which is always being open and shut by customers.

True or False? To get extra savings wait to buy products the day they expire.

False. Unless you plan on using them within hours, you’re taking a pretty big risk buying soon-to-expire food. If the grocery's rot before you have a chance to eat them, you’ve wasted the entire cost of your purchase.

True or False? The “end cap” items at the end of supermarket aisles are always the best buys.

False. Sometimes, those items are on sale, but sometimes, they’re just the ones the store managers want you to buy. Look carefully to make sure they’re really on sale before adding those items to your cart.

True or False? The cheapest items are usually on the lowest shelves.

True. This is a supermarket tactic is tried and true, and even if your store doesn’t use it, it’s used often enough for us to suggest that you don’t ignore those bottom shelves! You never know what you’d find down there…

True or False? Even though they’re on sale , dented cans should be avoided.

True. It’s tempting to look at a dented can of tuna that’s over half off and think, “What harm could a little dent do?” The truth is, a little dent could do a lot of harm, potentially letting air into your food and causing food-borne botulism. So, to be on the safe side, steer clear of dented cans and find your bargins elsewhere.

True or False? It’s always cheaper to buy in bulk.

True. Of course, this is definitely true when buying non-perishable items, and particularly if your family includes more than one person. But don’t buy perishables in bulk or you could be wasting – not savings.

Visit Coupon.com to see some great printable coupons.

Kimmy's Savings So Far This Year.

Okay I was curious on how much we have saved so far this year on our grocery bill so I added it all up and poof here it is. I have a great excel program that has been keeping track for me. I only plug in my grocery savings. I have no clue what I have been saving on non food, but I'm sure it's great! The savings on my last two shopping trips do have some non food items in them. It was a great double coupon week. so give and take a little on the numbers. Here are the results so far for this yr. OOP= out of pocket.

Value= $3977
OOP=$1839.00
Savings $2137.00

That's about $300 a month & $60 bucks a week! Pretty cool.

I know it can be a pain but try to keep track of your spending. You'll be surprised on how well your doing!

Kimmy's Tips

Making shopping trips go more smoothly.

I was at Walmart today and I was behind a sweet woman with her kids. She was being a smart shopper, price matching and then using her coupons. I noticed that it wasn't going so smoothly. (partially because the cashier wasn't that experienced) I noticed that this woman had groups of coupons in clear food storage bags in a box. The ones she wanted to use at the store she put in a bag separate from the rest. Smart...But when It came time to hand the cashier her coupons she had to dig out the ones she was going to use verses the ones she wasn't.

This Sweet lady kept apologizing to me. I told her not to worry. I understand completely! I wrote down my blog address on her notebook and asked her to check out this blog to help her. She seemed very thankful.

There are ways to help making shopping with coupons go smoothly.

The Binder

This method is my favorite. I can see every coupon I have and it makes things so much faster. I can also just take my binder with me to the store and have it laid out for me, very convenient.

If I find a good deal I won’t miss out because I have all my coupons with me. I have many sections in the binder:

•Beverages
•Cereals
•Desserts
•Snacks
•Canned/Other Foods
•Frozen Foods
•Drugs
•Toiletries
•Paper Goods
•Cleaning Products
Etc. you get the idea.

I use baseball card holders to slip the coupons into.

I also have a section for my rain checks.

The front of the binder I have a pouch for a pen,calculator and scissors. I also have in the front a section for the grocery adds.






When I do take my binder to the store with me I keep all the coupons I'm pulling out in an envelope that I can just hand to the cashier. If I'm not taking the binder I pull the one's I'm taking in an envelope to the store with me. If I end up not using some of those coupons that I brought I make sure I take them out before I get to the register. You want to make everything smooth for you, the cashier and the people behind you.

Check your expiration dates in your binder. I do this every Sunday when I am clipping and sorting them. Doesn't take up that much time. You will get faster with this method.

Well good luck and let me know if you have any questions I can answer.

Road Trip

Well my family and I are leaving soon for road trip across country. We have two family reunions. Were all excited to pile in the mini van and get moving. It will be fun but stressful too keeping the kids entertained. The one thing I know I don't have to stress about is snacks for us. Usually you spend a ton of money in that area for a trip. Well thanks for clipping coupons I have saved boodles!! I went shopping down in my food storage room. I stored up, crackers, Chex mix, fruit snacks, cookies, juice, juice boxes, granola bars etc. All I have to spend money is all the yummy fresh snacks.

If you know of an event that will be coming up for your family, take advantage of deals that are happening now that can help you save money! This sure helped us out. I know clipping can be a lot of work, but it has paid off big time for our family.

I would love to hear how clipping and having a stock pile (food storage) has helped your family!

Kimmy's Tips

Here is a kitchen tip I learned today while watching the Rachel Ray Show today.

Hulling Strawberries. It's on the first part of the video. This smart lady shows how to hull a strawberry using a straw! It's pretty clever.

Kimmy Tips

Clean Out Your Pantry

I spent half a day in my pantry over the weekend. I was surprised at what I found in there. Life happens and the pantry usually gets cluttered very quickly. Go through your pantry or your cupboards and pull everything out. Whip down your shelfs. Look at the expiration dates on everything. Put things back in in a more organized way. I decided to put the food one shelf higher than before to keep the kiddies out of reach. This way food last longer. (hehe)

Than you should see what you have and make an inventory. I would encourage you to do the same with your fridge and freezer. With your inventory you should make a meal plan for the month. You'll be surprised how many meals you have. This way your shopping list for the month will be small and your only going for what you need.

I hope this helps. It always feels better when things are clean an organized especially now that the kids are out of school, us moms can use a bit of control for the next couple months :)

Kimmy's Tips

Have A Price Point

Huh? A price point is the point at which a product is at a price you're willing to pay. Use coupons when items are in your point.

A great way to keep track is jotting down on your grocery list while at the store what the price normally is. Keep record of that store and you'll know what you will and won't pay for a product. You sort of do this already in your head.

This will make looking at your store adds easier. You will know what is a good deal and what is not.

Kimmy's Tips

Make dinner earlier in the day. This I learned a little while ago. It has been a lifesaver for me. When It's time to make dinner it's usually the craziest time in my house. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Kids are hungry and their trying to sneek into the pantry. The kids are also picking on each other or they have practice soon and trying to finish homework. It can be stressful.

I learned to cook dinner in your crock pot our cook in the lull part of your day. This has been awesome. I'll start dinner around 2 pm when all is calm. Than when the kids are ready for dinner I'll I have to do is warm it up. hallelujah!!