Free Groceries

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get your groceries for free? Well, you can. Here’s how:

Coupon

Creative couponing is the key to receiving a lot of grocery freebies. You just have to know where and how to use them. Consider the following strategies:

• New products- Keep an eye out for new product coupons. Often these can be matched with a sales price to get completely free items. This works well for food items, but also for beauty care and hygiene products like shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant.
• Clearance- Marked down items are still eligible for coupon deductions, so check to see if you have any coupons for clearance items. You may just find that that low-cost item becomes a free item with the right coupon.
• Loss leaders- Grocery stores love to attract customers with blow out prices on a select group of products. As the term “loss leader” suggests, these are items that the store is selling at a loss. To turn these cheapies into freebies, be ready to match your coupons to the deals. For the most savings, clip coupons from multiple newspapers, and use loss leader sales to load up your pantry with freebies.
• Double coupons- Most towns have at least one grocery store that doubles coupons. While the offer varies from store to store, doubling coupons up to 50-cents in value is generally the standard. Search your store’s ad for items that you can get free with a doubled coupon, and you’ll be amazed at how many items you can get. Scrubbing sponges, rice, jelly, mustard, relish and iced tea are just a few of the many items you can hope to get for free with this strategy.

Rebate

It’s nice to walk out of the store with instant freebies, but freebies obtained through rebates are also nice. To increase your grocery freebies, look for free after rebate offers on new products. These offers will allow you to try new products like shampoo, toothpaste and foods for free.

To maximize rebate savings, also look for offers that offer a certain dollar amount back for purchasing participating items. When combined with in store savings, these can also be used to obtain freebies. Soda is just one of the many items that can be obtained free this way.

Sample

Surf the Internet and your stores for free samples of grocery items. Some samples are for full size products, while more are for single servings of the product being promoted. Either way, free samples are a great way to try new products and to stretch your grocery budget.

The bottom line: Just because most shoppers pay for their groceries doesn’t mean you have to. Plan your shopping carefully, and you’re sure to walk out with a cartload of freebies.

-Erin Huffstetler

Erin Huffstetler is a freelance writer specializing in frugal living tips and tricks. Her work has appeared in numerous print and electronic publications including Family Circle, Guideposts For Kids and Pregnancy. As the stay-at-home mom of two young kids, Erin is always looking for new ways to live better for less. For fun decorating and craft project ideas check out Erin's "Trash to Treasures" and "Bead Making Basics" courses at Suite101.com.