Couponing Your Holiday Dinner

Creating a holiday dinner can be a wonderful experience that brings a family together. Many happy memories can be made in the kitchen, surrounded by the people you care about. It can also drain your wallet just in time for the biggest shopping season of the year.

An affordable feast doesn’t have to be daunting. Instead, of cutting back on the crowd, try cutting back on the costs and being a savvy shopper. When you arm yourself with these tips, couponing tricks, and knowledge, a holiday dinner with all the trimmings won’t break your bank.

Couponing Your Holiday Dinner

• Coupons

There are a growing number of websites where you can locate high value coupons. Online printable coupons can be found right here at AFM, including Coupons.com, Hopster, and Smart Source, while your Sunday newspaper usually has 2-3 inserts. Make sure you check out your favorite brands’ websites. They will often feature coupons or promotional discounts.

The trick to coupons isn’t knowing just where to find them, but how you can use them. Check with each of the retailers near you and examine their coupon policy. Did you know that Publix accepts competitor coupons in addition to manufacturer’s coupons? If you stack a sale price with a competitor coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon, you have tripled savings!

Target is another retailer that will let you “stack” discounts and promotions. Sign up for the Cartwheel discount program to save different percentages off select items, plus use a Target Printable Grocery Coupons and a manufacturer’s coupon along with a sale price, and you have rock bottom prices.

Other retailers will double and even triple coupons during certain days of the week or under special promotions. Every retailer, and sometimes different branches of the chain, has different incentives you might not be aware of. Take the time to ask about exclusions and limitations as well.

• Rebates

In addition to (or in lieu of couponing, you can find additonal savings. Utilize rebate smartphone apps like iBotta, Checkout 51, Shopkick, Berry Cart, Groupon Snap, and now Top CashBack. Each app works a little different, but the reward is the same. They all offer cash rebates for items you buy in store after you scan the corresponding product and take a picture of your receipt, all via the app. Stack with your couponing and sales, and you have the potential to make money purchasing food for your holiday meal.  Further, at this time of the year, many of these apps are offering “any brand” rebates on holiday food-related purchases.

• Price Points and Seasonal Food

Price points will fluctuate and differ from market-to-market. Do a bit of research by finding the average price for items, so you will know when stores drop the price by pennies and when it’s a rock-bottom price sale. You can predict what foods will cost you less by considering season.

Post-Halloween is the time to pick up candy, costumes and décor, but November is a prime time for picking up baking supplies, Chex cereal, canned pumpkin, turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. Don’t forget season produce like lemons, squash, kiwi, celery, along with potatoes and squash. This is also a great time to stock up your supply of foil for baking and storing leftovers.

SO, what’s for dinner for you and your family this holiday season?  Got any other tips or tricks to add for saving money for your holiday meals?  Please comment below with your best tips.  🙂