Here's more than 2 cents worth of advice for using coupons, store cards and BOGOS (buy one get ones). With these hints, you should be able to save money on most grocery trips without being obsessive about it.

Using Manufacturer's Coupons

I sometimes clip coupons from the Sunday newspaper inserts, put them in my coupon wallet sorted into the proper category and then hopefully remember to use them before they expire. This is not always possible, but that's OK, because clipping coupons, sorting them and throwing away expired coupons is the kind of mindless, relaxing task that is soothing for me.

I don't like to bother with coupons that are worth much less than $1 or require you to buy 2 of the product. Here are the caveats:

hint - A 35 cent coupon is OK if your store will Double or Triple the value of the coupon.

You can buy 2 of an item if you will really use it AND you have a place to put it. I rarely have room in the freezer for 2 gallons of ice cream.

Using Store Cards

If you are like me and most folks these days, you have a store card from at least one grocery chain. These cards get you the weekly store specials without having to clip a coupon from the store circular in the Wednesday paper. They also put you on a relatively safe mailing list to send you even better coupons by mail. For example, I've gotten a few coupons for $10 on my next grocery order.

hint - Many stores allow the shopper to just key in his home phone number at the checkout, avoiding the necessity of carrying a store card or miniature keychain card. This is great for the guy that rarely does the shopping or forgets the card when he does.

Gotta Do This Combo Deal

Use your manufacturer's coupon for a product at the same time that the product is on a store card special, at the store where coupons are doubled or tripled, and the store where you can use that $$-off-on-your-next-order coupon that you have been saving in your wallet.

Buying One of a BOGO

While some grocery stores require you to buy two items that are advertised as a BOGO, many stores will allow you to buy one item at half price, but you have to tell them at the checkout (i.e. the computer at the register will not divide the price in half so don't use the self-check.)

If you are shopping at the latter type of store where they will give you half price for one BOGO item, try these ideas:

hint - Separate your single BOGOS while shopping.

hint - Use the child's seat of the shopping cart to separate out your single BOGOS while you shop.

hint - When you get to the check out, just let the checker know where the single BOGOs have been separated, and the checker can figure what the ½ price is for each of them before handling the remainder of your items.

hint - If you place stuff on the checkout conveyor belt yourself, use the conveyor separator bar and divide out your single BOGOS into one section and put the other groceries in the next section. Let the checker know that the first set is single BOGOS from the same grocery order as in the next section. The checker should be able to work with this.