First, I need to say that I do not work for Walmart, and never have worked there. Nor does anyone in my family. Also, I have never been paid by Walmart to put or write anything on my blog.
O.K. that is out of the way. This past weekend my wife and I had the chance to speak to a lot of people at the Dallas Home and Garden show. We talked to TONS of people all day and gave 4 coupon classes on stage each day to the people at the show. I had a chance to many times explain why I shop at Walmart and how this blog came to be. But, it has been a while since I had the chance to tell you. If you are new, you might not know my story at all.
My wife started her blog in 2008 to help her friends and family save money. It was popular and she loved it. Tiffany used coupons and I would see what she brought home and liked the savings. I didn’t like using coupons when we were all together as a family, I guess I didn’t want people to think that we couldn’t afford to have as many kids as we do (we have 7). I supported her, but let her do it. Slowly I began to go with her and she made me check out with a specific list of what to hand over when. It was really easy and we saved so much money! But I didn’t like going to that many stores. I didn’t have time, and usually had a few kids hanging on my leg or screaming it was time to go home. One day Tiffany priced matched meat from Kroger at Walmart, I WAS HOOKED.
“YOU MEAN I CAN GET THE SAME PRICE WITHOUT GOING TO KROGER???”
I started taking all the ads that would come in the mail, looking at Tiffany’s menu plan, and buying the groceries all at Walmart, price matching each item to get it cheaper plus using coupons. I liked saving money, but I REALLY liked impressing my wife 🙂 I was in there all the time with 7 kids, and I got really familiar with all the prices and policies. I started handing out coupons to other customers and telling the people in front of me in line they should be price matching certain items and helping them in line check out and be comfortable price matching. One day my wife and her friend joked that I needed a Walmart blog.
Eighteen months later, this is where I am at. Teaching people how to coupon and shop at Walmart, plus making sure they have the best deals and opportunities to save money. I have the best readers out there!
I still do most of the grocery shopping (Tiff does the drug stores and specific deals) after reading her menu plan. This is how it works:
- Make a menu plan.
- Write down what ingredients we will need for the week.
- Collect the local store ads.
- Go through each one and circle the items I will need for the week based on the menu plan.
- Find the lowest priced offered for that item between the store ads I have.
- Collect and print the coupons to go with each item.
- Go to the store and shop. Look to see who has the lowest price on each item. Walmart or the other store. If Walmart does than obviously I don’t price match it.
- Check out. I place the price matched items last so that I can tell them I am price matching them before they ring them up. Hand over my coupons at the end.
This is how we spend $125 a week on food and toiletries for 9 people. Make ONE shopping trip weekly (more trips, will cost you MORE money!). PLUS, I only have to go to ONE STORE! This will be handy this summer when gas prices are high.
For me, Walmart is the best place to grocery shop. Overall they have the lowest prices, if they don’t, they price match. Sure there are problems and frustrations, I have even had some, and I have less then my wife. BUT as far as saving money, I am willing to work with it and continue shopping there.
Thanks for reading!
Great article!
Thanks for all you do!
paul thanks to both of you for helping all of us save money, time. it has always been the joke in my family if i am not home and walmart is open, guess where i am. lol.
Thank you for posting this great article Paul! I started couponing 15 months ago and in the beginning I was going to all of the stores in town to get the best deal(s); it wore me out and is HARD WORK! I now try and just go to Walgreens and Wal Mart weekly and that’s it, it has simplified things for me and I don’t feel as burnt out. One thing I have learned is you don’t have to go after every deal. I pay about $125 a week for a family of 3 with 2 dogs though, so I may not have the savings thing completely down just yet since you pay that much for a family of 9…… Thanks again for all that you do, love your humor! : )
Great article. I live in Virginia and love your site. The traffic is crazy around here, gas is high and it is way too much work to go to every store that has a deal. When I found out my walmart will price match Kroger that is 60 miles away, I was hooked. There are stores that double coupons around here, but sometimes the time and gas isn’t worth the 50 cants. Thanks, keep up the great work!
You do a great job Paul with all the posts.
I heard a rumor that Wal Mart was going to start double coupons. Have you heard anything????
Thanks Vicki! I don’t have anything confirmed. I hear lots of rumors, but I have been told I will know when or if anything changes.
Thanks for your article! You guys are the bomb! I love helping folks out in learning how to do this, too. Thanks in part to your motivation thru this site. ive been teaching folks in my community how to do it with local mexican grocers! every wed i type up a list with links to ads of pricematchiing deals for the mexican and main grocers. It is amazing at the savings! 8 oranges for a $1. One week there was 40 keylimes for $1.
I try to buy my bulk groceries monthly. I price match plus use my coupons.. I save a lot in doing so.. Only at wal-mart
I’ve been learning to price match lately and love it *except* for stores that double and triple coupons. I have two locally, so I don’t feel like I can give those up when they have great deals.
BTW, didn’t realize you had 7 kids! What a blessing! We have 8. I’m loving having a big family.
Although I find myself shopping less frequently at walmart (mainly due to the service I get there), I still enjoy visiting your blog!
Thanks for all that you do…
Thanks for this article! The idea of the menu plan is something I have to implement here. I love Walmart and unless there are great deals at Tops (our local supermarket), I buy everything at Walmart. I also have to start to price match, something I do only occasionally.
If I have an online ad for CVS, will Wal-Mart accept it? CVS has a great deal on Coke but I don’t get a CVS ad. I was wondering if I could print it from online and bring it in.
Yes they will match the 2.88 price……
Does the store that the lowest price is at, have to be in the same town as the Walmart you are shopping at?
It has to be in your stores “competitive area”. This is at your individual stores discretion.
Went to a coupon class in Selah Washington this week and your blog was highly recommended. I started couponing in the middle of January, started reading your blog in February and I am starting to see the savings and my shelves expand with great products. Thanks for the great info, sometimes I loose my patience with Wal-mart but you help restore it. Keep up the great work.
Great post! I agree that you should price match to avoid having to hop from store to store, but there are some things like I would not price match if I find the quality is not up to par.