By Tracy Achen, Divorce Coach 

Having to adjust to a smaller budget is a reality for many divorced women. Housing expenses, child care, and utilities can take up a big chunk of your monthly income. These are more or less fixed expenses, but you can still save money on other things, like groceries and household items. 

That’s where saving money with grocery coupons can make a huge difference. Couponing doesn’t have to be extreme or complicated. Even small, consistent savings can help ease your financial stress and give you some breathing room in your budget. 

Table of Contents:

Types of Coupons and Where to Get Them

If you’re new to couponing, don’t worry. Today’s couponing is far easier than clipping endless paper coupons. Here are the different types of coupons and where to find them:

Paper Coupons

Check out your Sunday newspaper for the ad insert. If you find discounts or rebates for products that you might possibly use in the near future, clip them out. You can also find discounts in many women’s magazines.

Some stores also print out coupons related to your purchases when you check out. Just be sure to hold on to them to use the next time you go shopping or when you need the product.

Also, when you are in the store, keep an eye out for coupons posted right next to certain products. Manufactures post these to entice people to buy their product. Some products also have cents-off offers stuck right on the product itself. All you have to do is peel it off and hand it to the checker to get the discount.

Printable Coupons

Many websites offer printable grocery coupons that can be used in the different stores. You can go to Coupons.com to get started printing out coupons for the brands you use before your next shopping trip. Other websites where you can find even more offers are the Krazy Coupon Lady and the Coupon Surfer. 

With printed coupons, it’s a good idea to organize everything for ease of use when you get ready to go shopping. You can use a shoe box or index box to get started, or use the various organizers available at most discount stores. Next, you will need to file them into different categories such as: health and beauty aids, condiments, breakfast foods, beverages, baking needs, snacks and soups, fast food, frozen food, dairy, cleaning needs, and paper goods.

As you organize the various offers, pay attention to the expiration dates. One handy tip is to pull out all expired offers when you put the new batch in. After you have everything organized, you can use these handy shopping tips to save even more money.

Store Loyalty Programs

Most grocery chains like Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and Publix have free apps that make couponing simple. You load digital coupons directly to your loyalty account, so discounts apply automatically when you checkout. Many stores also release exclusive digital-only deals each week, giving you extra savings without the hassle of paper coupons. 

All-in-One Coupon Apps

Platforms like Flipp gather the best weekly deals and coupons in one place. Honey (a browser extension and app) automatically finds coupon codes when you shop online for groceries or household items. These tools can also help you compare prices more strategically.

Cashback and Rebate Apps

Apps like Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Rakuten let you earn cashback or points just for buying everyday items. For example, you scan your receipt after shopping for groceries, and the app credits your account with real savings. These add up quickly and come in really handy when you need to stretch every dollar.

Making ends meet on just one income requires careful planning. Here’s how to keep grocery costs down without sacrificing nutrition:

• Plan your meals in advance: Create a weekly meal plan using coupons for the ingredients you already know are on sale that week. If you have the store app, you can review the weekly sales ad there. You can also go directly to the website for your favorite grocery store to view the weekly sales ad online.

  When making out your grocery list, it’s important to take into consideration whether the item in question is something that your family will really eat or use. If your family won’t touch it, don’t buy it, no matter how much you can save. 

• Make a list and stick to it: Impulse buys will kill your budget faster than anything else, so make a list before you ever go to the grocery store. Go over the sales ad, matching sale items to the coupons you have on hand or clipped to your account. The deal can be even better if the sale features a “buy one- get one free” offer. 
• Use coupons to stock up on necessities: It makes sense to stock up on non-perishable food like pasta, rice, and canned goods when they go on sale, especially if you have coupons for those items. Where this method really saves money is on toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo, and household items like cleaning supplies and laundry detergent. 
• Time your shopping to the sales: By only shopping the sales at two or three stores on a weekly basis, armed with your shopping list, you can prevent a lot of impulse buys. Speaking of impulse buying, sometimes it’s best to leave your kids at home, unless they are good at resisting temptation. 
• Go where the sales are: You can shop warehouse stores for bulk items, grocery stores that offer double coupon days, and discount grocers for the basics. 

These strategies may sound small, but together they can lead to savings of hundreds per year.

Family-Friendly Grocery Savings Tips

Couponing can make feeding your family more affordable and also teach your kids valuable money lessons. They can learn about budgeting when you let them help clip or add digital coupons to your account. You can show them how much you are budgeting for groceries and just how much they can save by couponing.  

And just like the meal-planning mentioned above, you can get your kids in on the act. Let the kids help decide on meals they want to eat and use coupons to save on the items needed to make those meals. If you take your kids shopping with you, show them how to buy seasonal produce, shop the clearance section, and combine the sales with coupons to make the most of your money.

How to Maximize Saving Money with Grocery Coupons

It’s a good idea to start small and not buy things just because you have a coupon for it. Maybe use one or two coupons per trip for items you usually buy. As you get more comfortable with the process, you can layer strategies for bigger savings.

Here’s a good video that outlines the basics of making the most of your coupons:

Once you’ve got the basics down, now it’s time to multiply your savings:

• Look for double coupon days: Some grocery stores will double the value of coupons on certain days. If they don’t list their double-coupon day in their ad, you can always ask store personnel about it. 
• Stack coupons: Some stores will let you use a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on the same item. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the store’s policy about stacking before shopping to make sure it’s allowed. 
• Match coupons with sale items: When you combine coupons with weekly store promotions, you can get big discounts, especially if you’re able to stack manufacturer and store coupons on the same item. 
• Stay organized: Keep coupons in an organizer dividing into sections, a wallet-sized folder with expanding pockets, or use a coupon app to track expiration dates.

FAQs about Using Coupons

Final Thoughts

When money is tight, saving a dollar here and there can make a real difference in your budget. Even saving $20–$50 a month can add up to hundreds per year. By combining couponing with smart grocery shopping habits, you’ll reduce your financial stress, stretch your budget further, and create a more stable foundation for yourself and your family.

For more tips on getting the most for your money, keep reading: