In the interest of the hectic pace of back-to-school month, this week's tips are short and sweet. Just some basic reminders of what you can do to save some cash and have a little extra to spend on the more fun things in life.
Grocery Shopping
Always shop with a list, and after you’ve had a good meal. Hungry, list-less shoppers tend to buy more than they need and items that just look good. Like those Double Stuff Peanut Butter Oreos…oh yeah…
Shop with coupons. Take those few minutes to grab the coupons from the Sunday paper, print them from the internet, and search out store coupons. You could be saving hundreds a year for just a few minutes a week. And no, you don’t need to do the “extreme” couponing. Spreadsheets are not a necessity. Just clip, put in a cheap (got mine for $1 at Target) expanding organizer by categories, and pull them out when you need them. Match the manufacturers coupons with store coupons and the savings really add up.
Hit the outside aisles and end caps first. Fresh foods and loss-leaders are usually positioned here. Use coupons for the loss-leaders and you will get them heavily discounted.
Buy store brands. Much less expensive, and usually decent quality. If you insist on name brand (and in some cases, it really is better) try to use coupons.
Look for the markdown rack. Most stores have a rack of pastry and bread items marked off 50 percent or more, and it’s likely other clearance items will be in the same area. The meat department also marks down cuts that are close to the expiration date. Target has markdowns on the aisle end caps. Look for the red tags.
Bring a calculator and figure out cost per ounce or per item. Larger does not always mean less per unit. Many grocery stores also post the price per ounce on shelf price tags.
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| Reusable Bags |
Bring your own bags. Many stores offer a discount. In some cities, you have to pay for plastic bags, so bringing your own bags will avoid the charge. If you put your reuseables in the car, you won’t forget them. Toss cloth bags in with the laundry once a week to keep them fresh, and wash out freezer bags or bags used for meat with a bleach solution.
Coupon swap. Clip out ones you know your friends use, and swap them for ones you need. Or, you can pull a “Mr. Mom” and have a poker game with them.
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| Store brands = less expensive |
Take advantage of farmers markets or local growers and neighbors. Farmers markets may sometimes be a little higher in price, but the produce is much fresher and more nutritious that what you’ll find in store. And many times neighbors have more produce than they can eat. One year, we grew 40 pounds of zucchini. It was not intentional. Zucchini breeds like rabbits. I was so happy to give it away I almost cried. Trade for items as well- maybe you have extra tomatoes, maybe they have extra squash.
Use your freezer…a lot. You can freeze almost any food item, so if you find a great deal, buy in bulk and wrap it up carefully to preserve flavor (or use a food sealer) and toss them in the freezer. Do some individual portions for ease and fill containers with complete meals that can be microwaved from frozen.
Don’t bring the kids shopping if you can avoid it. There will be lots of “can we get this? Please please please please…” and you might wind up buying that $5 box of cereal just for a moment of silence…and to avoid beating your head on the cart handle.
Cooking and meals
Use leftovers. Seriously. I know people that don’t. You’re just throwing away money if they go in the trash. Today’s roast chicken could be tomorrows soup.
Cook from scratch and be creative with what is on hand. Some of my best meals come from pantry picking. Of course, some of them are…um…interesting.
Again, buy in bulk. One more time- buy in bulk. Last time- buy in bulk. Did I mention to buy in bulk?
Eat in. Dinners out are a nice treat, but they do add up. That $13.99 bowl of restaurant pasta is about 36 cents when made at home.
Menu plan. Figure out what you need for the week by putting together meal ideas for each night in advance. Shop for those items, preferably with coupons.
Cook a bunch of meals at the beginning of the week and refrigerate or freeze them. That way, they are on hand and you’re not tempted to get take-out, plus less kitchen-handy family members can easily reheat them.
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Bring your breakfast or lunch- or both- plus snacks with you to work. And then remember eat them.
Feeling snacky? Head to your nearest Costco for really cheap hot dogs, pizza, yogurt, or free samples. The little sample tables are normally out around early afternoon and evening. My son and I hit the sample tables occasionally during the week, and, admittedly, we usually wind up buying something, but we get fed in the process.
For eating out, save up mailed or emailed coupons. A wallet-size organizer that you can toss in your purse works great. Sign up for emails and club cards at restaurants you eat at often. For example, Red Robin has a great Red Royalty programs with freebies and club specials, and T.G.I.Fridays offers a points program that gets you freebies and coupons as well.
If you eat out a lot, particularly in “better” dining establishments, buy an Entertainment Book. It will pay for itself within a few meals, and the rest is just gravy. It also offers theme park, vacation, and other discounts that are not food-related.
We’ll be back next week with some frugal – and possibly (*gasp*) shocking – around the household tips. Every little bit counts, after all. How else will we get to Disneyland?
Find of the week:
Golden Gate Vintners Wine for $1.79 (after 10% discount for buying 6) at Alberstons. It’s not fine wine (not even close), but great for making sangria, mixed cooler-type fruity drinks (I mixed mine with different types of juice), and cooking.
About Justine
Justine is a biological anthropologist, deal seeker, and stay-at-home
parent to a
rambunctious 4-year-old boy. She digs bones. And donuts. You can follow
Justine for more frugal fun and other anthropology tidbits on Twitter:
@JustineBurgess1.
This is not a sponsored post.
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