The following post is a guest post by Ruth. Enjoy!
I love saving money, using coupons and getting freebies. My husband Mark and I have always lived a frugal life since we’ve been married while we were both in university. We have always cooked mostly from scratch, since my husband cannot have artificial colours, flavors or salicylic acids (these are found in tomatoes and in varying amounts in many fruits.) Mark has followed the Feingold Diet since he was fourteen and found out about these food sensitivities. Consuming foods with these ingredients do not cause an allergic reaction, they cause a metabolic reaction. He becomes hyperactive!
Our lives became a bit more complicated when I began following a gluten free, dairy free, no refined sugars diet that was necessary to manage a chronic health problem. This diet has done wonders for my health. But it has not been easy on the check book. Many of the items I need are only available at Organic Markets.
However, I have picked up some tips and tricks since I started following this diet in July 2011. If you also follow a special diet, maybe these tips can help you!
Check the Supermarkets for Organic Products
Many major supermarkets have started carrying organic products. You may be getting a better deal, but make sure to do your homework, because often you aren’t. This really surprised me until I realized that the Organic Markets buy many items in bulk, therefore they can offer a better price. Also, the Organic Markets always have month long specials going on. I use unsweetened Vanilla Blue Diamond Almond Milk as an alternative to Cow’s milk. This is a very popular brand. I can find some sort of special on this milk (usually buy 2 for a reduced price) every month.
Shop at Bulk Barn
If there is a Bulk Barn in your city, go there first! They have a great selection of gluten free pasta, flours, crackers, and packaged food.
Buy in Bulk
Buy in bulk whenever possible, regardless of where you’re buying.
Visit Costco
Costco has started carrying things like Organic Agave Nectar (A sweetener I use in baking) and Amy’s Organic Soups (The Lentil Soups are a great source of protein and don’t contain sugar). I am on the lookout every time we do a Costco run because I believe they will continue to offer more organic and specialty items
Make as much from Scratch as Possible
If you have a special diet that requires you to spend more on groceries, make as much from scratch as possible. This may involve taking a cooking class. In my case I learned by trial and error and eventually discovered some good blogs, where I get many of my recipes. The best blogs I found are Hope for Healing, Chocolate covered Katie and Oh She Glows. I have also become more adept at adapting regular recipes, but that takes time and depends on how comfortable you are experimenting in the kitchen.
Look for Coupons for Organic products
There are actually some coupons to be found for organic products. Go to the website The Healthy Shopper Canada. You just need to register and you will be able to print out e-coupons and use them again and again. They don’t expire until March 2014. You can also find their coupon book in stores at around February each year. Last year I only discovered about their coupon book in May. They also give you the option of paying $4.50 (through pay pal) to have their coupon book mailed to you. I did this last year, but found I didn’t make my money back in terms of money saved. This year, you can actually flip through the coupon book on the website, and if you look through the coupon book, it is almost identical to the e-coupons, you just save a little bit more with the coupon book. On their website you can click on a link to find out where to find their coupon book in your city. In 2013 I plan to contact them and find out exactly when their coupon book is coming out, so I have a better chance of finding one in Edmonton.
For those of you that follow a special diet, what are some of your money saving tips?
Using coupons is a great way to save some money on your grocery bill. But, like with all aspects of our lives, there's also a level of etiquette that we must adhere to, making couponing a positive experience for everyone.
Here are 5 coupon etiquette tips that apply to the beginner couponer and the seasoned couponer.
Be kind to your cashier
With the popularity of coupon use growing in Canada, many stores are still working out their coupon policies and training their staff on the ins and outs of coupons. There are a ton of different coupons out there so be understanding if the cashier doesn't know as much about coupons as you do.
If you feel as though your cashier is misunderstanding a particular coupon, and you feel as though it should work, then politely ask for the manager. If a cashier doesn’t know about the coupon policies it could be a lack of training on the store’s part.
The better you treat the staff at the stores you frequent, the happier they'll be to accommodate you and your coupons in the future!
Know the stores' coupon policies and follow them
Coupon policies can vary greatly from one store to the next. It's a good idea to look up the coupon policies for the stores you frequent most often. You'll probably have the best chance of getting the coupon policies by emailing customer service. The email address or contact form is usually very easy to find on all store websites.
You may want to print off the coupon policies to have on hand when you're checking out, this way you have the information readily available if there's an issue. But as always, be polite when discussing issues with the cashier or manager.
No Shelf Clearing
It really is fun when a great coupon deal pops up, but is it really necessary for someone to take the entire shelf of items because it's free or really cheap? No! (Unless of course, there is only one left on the shelf :)) Take into consideration how many you actually need so you can leave more for others who also want that product. Chances are, there will always be another sale anyways!
Don't take the whole tear pad
Tear pads are placed in stores for everyone to enjoy. Take a few, but leave the rest for others.
Share the savings
A great way to clear out expiring coupons and coupons you won't use is to be a "coupon fairy". If you've got some extra time, the best thing to do is to actually place the coupon directly with the product it can be used for. That way, someone who is shopping for that product will have a nice surprise coupon waiting for them!
Have you got any other coupon etiquette lessons to add to the list? What are your pet peeves when it comes to couponing?
Here are the other posts in the How to Coupon in Canada Series:
Along with the fine print on a coupon, there are a few other things to look out for to ensure a coupon is valid.
Expiry date
Coupons are only valid up until the expiry date stated on the coupon. There’s nothing worse than getting excited about a sale you have a coupon only to find it’s already expired!
Redemption address
To know if a coupon is valid in Canada, look for a Canadian redemption address. Something like this: “For redemption, mail to Nestle…Saint John, New Brunswick…” You’ll find the redemption address in the “To the dealer” part of the coupon. Coupons that are redeemable in the US can also be used in Canada only if they state they are also redeemable in Canada.
Product Specifications
Quite often, coupons have restrictions written on them. Things to look for would be specific sizes (300ml or larger), specified products in a product line (Stayfree Ultra Thin, rather than any Stayfree product), or exclusions (not valid on travel/trial sizes).
Here are the other posts in the How to Coupon in Canada Series:
The fine print on coupons can be confusing, so here's a rundown of what that fine print means!
Limit one coupon per purchase
Many people assume that this statement means that you are only able to use one coupon per shopping trip (or transaction). It, in fact means, that you can't use more than one coupon per item purchased. So, if you are purchasing three of the same items and you have three of the same coupons, you can use one coupon per item, all in one transaction!
Limit one coupon per transaction
While a purchase means one single item, a transaction means an entire purchase. So if you have a coupon that states "limit one coupon per transaction" you can only use one of them in one transaction. If you wish to use multiple coupons with this wording, you can always make several transactions, or come back on another day. (But the frugal in me would say to do multiple transactions the same day so you're not using extra gas!)
Limit one coupon per customer/person/household
This one is pretty straight forward. A customer/person is referring to each individual person making a transaction. In order to use more than one of these coupons, bring someone with you who is able to make their own transaction, while you make your own transaction using the coupon. Or, come back another day. When a coupon states only one coupon per household, this means that only one coupon can be used once for all members of your household.
Void if copied
Do not photocopy coupons! It's against the law.
Use of more than one manufacturer's coupon per item is strictly prohibited
This coupon can't be stacked, even if you're shopping at a store that allows coupon stacking. Stores (and you) must abide by the manufacturer's rules.
May not be combined with any other offer
Although this seems to say you can't use it on a sale item, it actually means you can't use this coupon for stacking. It's still okay to use it on an item that is on sale!
Here are the other posts in the How to Coupon in Canada Series:
I’m trying to feed 2.5 people on $25 per week in groceries, per person – that’s $62.50/week. The group contains a 16-yo girl, a 35 yo man (he’s the .5- he’s gone 50% of the time) and me, a 33-yo woman. I live in Sudbury, ON. We also have 2 other children (11 & 8) to feed about 6 days per month. Any thoughts/comments?
If the idea of meal planning overwhelms you, set the timer for an hour on a a weekend day, and then try to get as much prep work done as you can, slicing and dicing vegetables and cooking meats, poultry and rice in bulk. It’s multitasking madness, but when the bell dings, you’ll be able to sock away the building blocks for several dinners. I sometimes can get eight meals out of that one hour!
