Stephanie says one of the big keys is preparation. "Spending about 30 minutes at home planning your list and using the store's circiular can save you so much money," she says.
So armed with our list, we hit the aisles. "Gotta get the turkey," said Stephanie.
Stephanie buys the store brand, which is cheaper than name brands. Her big money saver trick is combining sales she finds in the store circular with coupons for additional savings.
"These pies are ususally $3.19. They're on sale for $1.99. I have a coupon. I can't even make a pie for that money," Says Stephanie.
And believe it or not, this is a great time of year for coupons. "For the few weeks in November and December prior to the holidays, we see twice as many grocery coupons in the newspaper as we do other weeks of the year," says Stephanie.
But Stephanie says discipline is important to savings. "Stick with the basics, the traditional favorites. Save money on those and keep the blinders on with the expensive fancy displays.
When we reached the checkout it was the moment of truth. We rang everything up: the turkey, potatoes, yams, green beans, crescent rolls, cranberry sauce, pies and whipped cream, even paper products and a roaster pan. The total? A little over eighty dollars. But, then came the coupons and the price began to drop.
In the end, we only paid $35.27. That's less than half. Stephanie says anyone can do it, just take advantage of the store sales and don't fall prey to impulse buying. "As a smart shopper, if you just stay focused on your list you can get out of her for 35 dollars."
In West Orange, New Jersey, Tappy Phillips Channel Seven Eyewitness News.
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Printable coupons from the Coupon Mom: http://couponmom.com/index.php?cid=99
more coupons for Thanksgiving meals: http://shortcuts.com/?promo=0201179&ncid=aolsht00050000000007 Story by: Tappy Phillips
Produced by: Steve Livingstone
