The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half: The Strategic Shopping Method Proven to Slash Food and Drugstore Costs

I am a mother of three trying to cope with cutbacks in our family income. I got wind of couponing from some of my friends and after browsing many coupon websites, decided I needed to read some books to learn more as quickly as possible! I read three books: The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half: The Strategic Shopping Method Proven to Slash Food and Drugstore Costs, Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey, & Shop Smart, Save More: Learn The Grocery Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month. Each book was very different, so I thought I'd share my opinions- I hope they can help you!
Let me first say what each book had in common: they all promoted their own coupon websites and they all taught about how to get coupons, organize them and shop with them to save on your grocery bill. The Coupon Mom gave a thorough analysis of couponing, but in my opinion the book's topic was more on frugal budgeting. It spent way too much time stating the obvious and talking to me like I was a five year old.

If you're looking for a basic review of how to grocery shop/a cookbook, this may be for you. The author do cover in depth about how to cook around your new budgeting system: suggests budget breakfasts like 1 cup oatmeal with 8 oz. milk ($0.20), 2 pieces wheat toast ($0.20), 8 oz. orange juice ($0.16). One whole chapter is devoted to saving on each of the following: meat, produce, dairy and treats.

The Best reason to buy this book: It is thorough and orderly. It covers the topic in depth. It also discusses organic products in depth and contains a valuable appendix with companies that mail coupons in response to an E-mail request via their website.

The best reason to pass on this book: It's dull and gives too much information for my taste. I mentioned a chapter devoted to produce, dairy, etc. The dairy chapter contained tips like "making your own yogurt or using nonfat dry milk." Ack! If I needed to do so, I would do it, but I prefer to buy my yogurt, hopefully cheaply with coupons. This book had the broadest approach to grocery shopping in general, which for some, may be appreciated. For a Mom in a hurry like me, I don't necessarily need to read obvious tips like, "don't shop when you're hungry".

In the past few months I've read seven books on saving money at the grocery store and have been able to save $20 to $40 on each shopping trip. While each book gave new ideas, "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills In Half" is probably the most comprehensive.

Stephanie Nelson begins her book by explaining various shopping styles and then makes a convincing case for shopping at wholesale clubs. She then explains how you can save when you buy meats, organic foods, dairy products and beauty products.

While a lot of this book is about clipping coupons, some of the information is more about a back-to-basics approach. Do you really want to wash your own lettuce, repackages bulk meats, make your own tortilla chips, make milk from powdered milk and shred your own cheese? I know I don't but I could be saving even more money if I was willing to give up some convenience foods. I also won't be giving up my Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract for the 16-ounce bottle at Costco. Yes it is cheaper but there is a great difference in flavor. Yes I've done some taste tests with the cheaper vanilla.

So while you read this book you can take all your personal preferences into consideration. Sometimes saving a few pennies just isn't worth the inconvenience. I will say however I use her advice about using baking soda to scrub pots and pans.

Some of the most valuable information in this book is the websites where you can find printable coupons. There is a list of websites in the back of the book. There is also some information on how to use the author's website which I found to be useful.

One of the things I think is amazing is how Stephanie Nelson can remember all the prices of all the foods she is buying. She saves even more money when she finds a price discrepancy.

While this book is helpful I'd encourage you to also buy the following books:

Cut it Out and Start Saving: A Guide to Effectively Using Coupons and Obtaining Money from Unexpected Resources

Better Groceries for Less Cash

Shop Smart, Save More: Learn The Grocery Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month

Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom

How to Receive Free Groceries

20 Grocery Store Savings Ideas: Grocery Coupon Savings Tips For Those Grocery Shopping On A Budget

~The Rebecca Review

I am a moderate coupon user, and the book did have new ideas for using coupons that I didn't realize. I like the idea of emailing companies to get free coupons, and the list of companies and the websites that will send coupons is really helpful. I also like the detailed chapters on other ways to save besides using coupons--like what the best deals really are at warehouse clubs and even how to save on organic food. The book was also really easy to read. Well worth the money in my opinion!

My wife received this book as a gift and is enjoying reading it and finding new areas to help with our budget. All of the personal stories, as well as great recipe ideas, and other ways to stretch your money including various strategies on how to shop the different types of stores are all quite informative. Her mother has also been looking at all the information available.

This book will help you find ways to trim your budget regardless of your family size, income level, or expertise in strategic shopping. Our family will be passing along this savings to help out with charities. We have many people who can benefit from any type of savings and know that the book price will more than pay for itself in one well planned shopping trip.

I have been couponing for years and I am very impressed with this book. I love that there are nutritious, low-cost recipes included among the many savings tips.

This is such timely information, especially in this economy when so many people are struggling to make ends meet. For anyone looking for a way to save money, the information Stephanie Nelson provides is invaluable!