KDKA.com Consumer Web Extras
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May 8, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern
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Feeding A Family Of 5 For Less Than $100 A Week
(KDKA)
With groceries so expensive lately, facing the grocery store check out counter these days can be frightening.
But 'Coupon Mom' Stephanie Nelson says with a little planning, consumers can easily feed a family of five for under $100 a week.
"My advice for people who want to save money is be flexible on the brands we buy and be flexible on the stores where we shop," says Nelson.
She says the first step is the planning.
"Sit down with the store ads for two or three grocery stores that are near you or go to their websites," Nelson adds.
Nelson picked Kuhn's and Giant Eagle ads to find their best buys.
She says zero in on the front page of those weekly featured sale items, the store's loss leaders.
According to Nelson, some stores will actually sell items at about what they cost them - just to get consumers to come into the store.
"Whenever I see chicken that is buy one get one free, I hone in on that," she says.
On her website
CouponMom.com, Nelson says be sure to match up coupons to weekly specials for super savings, like a cereal deal she found at Kuhn's.
"This is a great deal," she says. "First of all, it's $5 for $10. You don't have to buy five. You can get one box for $2."
Nelson added her 50 cent coupon and the store doubled it. That means, Nelson bought a box of Cheerios for $1. She also adds a family treat for a real store steal.
"This popcorn is two for $2.98. So it's a $1.49 apiece and I have a coupon for $1 - that will be 59 cents for an item that is usually $3."
But Nelson is not talking about just coupons. For example, when buying lettuce, Nelson says she weighs the product.
Also, she says doing a little math at the meat counter pays off, too. During a trip to Kuhn's, Nelson says she found a pound of chipped ham for a $1.79, which is compared to five ounces of packaged lunch meat ham.
"Almost any deli item is less, so it's important to check the cost per pound," says Nelson.
She says to also watch out for convenience items. For example, buy whole carrots instead of pre-cut and you save a bundle. And reach for store brands when you can, and buy concentrated juice instead of fresh.
Nelson's trip to Kuhn's rang up to $29.26 followed by a trip to Giant Eagle that rang up to $47.74. That's a week's worth of groceries for a family of five for about $80.
"If you put a little planning in the front end, you can save a lot of money," Nelson adds.
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