COUPON QUEEN: Readers ask about grocery store deals

Here are a couple of questions I've received from my readers. Have a money-saving question? Feel free to email me. Q: My kids are home from school and eating so much food. Our grocery budget is going huge. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep our costs down? Jenny S, Elyria A: It's easy to understand how grocery budgets can get out of control with kids being home from school. During the summer, kids often stay up later, invite more friends over, and snack much more often. On top of this, adults tend to host more backyard barbecues, which can raise their food costs even more. One thing that has helped our family's grocery budget is encouraging three full meals. I have found that if my boys don't eat three full meals, they are likelier to eat snacks throughout the day. To lower our food costs, I also make sure that I cook an extra portion or two at dinner. Since they are home during the day, regularly having leftovers allows them to make quick lunches. Lastly, I get my boys in the kitchen to help. Having them help me make snacks instead of just buying at the store keeps more money in our pockets. For instance, a package of brownies from the bakery area in the grocery store would cost about $5.99. If I grab a box of brownie mix and have my boys make their own, it will cost only about $1.00. Best of all, they get to do a little bit of cooking. Q: Are there any grocery stores that don't take manufacturer coupons? Amy R., North Ridgeville A: There are two stores that I know of that do not accept manufacturer coupons, Aldi and Big Lots. These stores have been known to send out their own coupons, though, from time to time. For instance, when a store has a grand opening, Aldi will often mail a flyer with a discount on it to the residents in the areas surrounding the store. While Big Lots doesn't accept manufacturer coupons, about every three months, it puts out a 20 percent code that is valid for a weekend. That is a great time to purchase those oversized items such as mattresses and furniture. This week's deal Here's a deal that you can grab this week at Walgreens. Buy 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts 12ct. $4.29 each Less buy 1, get 1 free sale = $4.29 total — just $2.14 each! Rachel Krych is passionate about helping others spend less and save more. In addition to her weekly column, she has a blog, Couponing With Rachel, which earns her compensation from Google for ads it places there and from entertainment marketers whose promotional codes she touts. She doesn't write about entertainment in her column. Email her at couponingwithrachel@hotmail.com.