If there's a product you buy and use regularly, keep checking the prices on Amazon! Both subscribe and save, coupons [and sometimes these can be combined] and the warehouse often have great deals on things I use often enough to be willing to give storage space to multiples.
I did a research paper in college on grocery shopping. What an eye opener! Afterwards I have saved a bundle. When companies stock the shelves many times the higher priced items are at eye level as well as the products they need to push due to expiration dates. During the 80's there was a shortage of canning lids and supplies. Research revealed the owners of those products were also the canning companies who needed their items sold. So they artificially created a shortage to force people to buy their products. But people got smart and began to freeze and created jelly in the freezer. Watch for per unit pricing. Buying the large size is not always the better bargain. Many times the store brand is as good as or better than the name brands and healthier!
Try alternative sources. Every locale has it's own options.
In the midwest, we belonged to a food coop. We sent our bulk orders in to a coordinator early in the month and worked at assigned jobs when the truck came in. If any of us wanted to split an order, we worked it out among ourselves.
Currently, we have farms nearby and buy eggs directly at $1 a flat. In season produce is available at pick your own farms, produce stands, and farmer's markets. If you can and freeze, buying by the bushel at the end of the day, is very cost effective.
Do a little raised bed or container garden.
A local potato farmer made their already machine harvested field open to gleaners.
Salvage grocers are a big thing around here. Overruns, discontinued products and sizes, buy outs. They don't take coupons but there is quite a variety and usually very good prices.
My favorite grocery shopping tip is to use your store's salad bar, ( if they have one ) for loose salad greens. Fill up your plastic container with fluffy romaine, spinach, spring mix, etc. Make sure it is DRY. Salad Bar items are sold by weight, so you end up spending only a small fraction of the price for the salad greens compared to buying prepackaged salad mix! Dry salad greens hardly weigh anything! I can get a whole plastic salad bar container filled with greens for about .50! Compare this to 3.99 for the same amount in a prepacked container!
sounds simple but having a list keeps me focused. it really helps me. i have a system too, where i circle the things i must get and then things less important i'll write on list but consider as a maybe
I buy things on sale and then freeze them! Ground turkey, veggies, sour cream, coconut water, cheese--I've bought and frozen all of them in the past week. I dream of the day I can have a separate deep freezer...swoon.
I woke from my sleep one night due to the smell of smoke. There was a fire on top of my bedroom dresser. A candle holder I had purchased from the Dollar Store was on fire, even though I had blown out the candle prior to going to bed. The paint was flammable and ignited from the heat after I fell asleep. It was an eye opener for me. BTW, it happened the night before Christmas Eve and my dad was a firefighter who was working that night, it was soooooo close to a tragedy. I woke up just in time to put out the fire. BEWARE OF CANDLE HOLDERS!!!! I wouldn't really trust any candles from there actually, you don't know what chemicals you are burning with the wax.
I do love the stores for many other things, especially cards, gift bags and party supplies, but there are some things they shouldn't be allowed to sell, like candle holders.
Do not shop when you are hungry! You will buy way more than usual and end up buying things that you might normally be able to resist. Stick to your list. You do have your list with you, don't you?
Try to buy at the best price (on sale or clearance, with stacked store & manufacturer coupons, using your store card, too) and stockpile so you never have to buy at regular prices.
Do not shop when you're hungry! If I do this then I end up making poor decisions, buying lots of junk food I devour as soon as I get home, rather than getting healthier food to make affordable meals for the week. And use coupons whenever possible.
You calculate the odds of what they can do. If you rent and are unemployed what can they take? If you just live on social security income they can't touch that. You'll find more and more retired folks running into debt they just can't pay back and our government seldom raises the SS income being they don't think the cost of living ever goes up, yet congress get their raises. It's a grey power revolt against the banks after years of ripping us off. Paybacks a bitch!
waste more time, reading more tips, instead of getting my job done
If there's a product you buy and use regularly, keep checking the prices on Amazon! Both subscribe and save, coupons [and sometimes these can be combined] and the warehouse often have great deals on things I use often enough to be willing to give storage space to multiples.
I did a research paper in college on grocery shopping. What an eye opener! Afterwards I have saved a bundle. When companies stock the shelves many times the higher priced items are at eye level as well as the products they need to push due to expiration dates. During the 80's there was a shortage of canning lids and supplies. Research revealed the owners of those products were also the canning companies who needed their items sold. So they artificially created a shortage to force people to buy their products. But people got smart and began to freeze and created jelly in the freezer. Watch for per unit pricing. Buying the large size is not always the better bargain. Many times the store brand is as good as or better than the name brands and healthier!
Agree totally.
Try alternative sources. Every locale has it's own options.
In the midwest, we belonged to a food coop. We sent our bulk orders in to a coordinator early in the month and worked at assigned jobs when the truck came in. If any of us wanted to split an order, we worked it out among ourselves.
Currently, we have farms nearby and buy eggs directly at $1 a flat. In season produce is available at pick your own farms, produce stands, and farmer's markets. If you can and freeze, buying by the bushel at the end of the day, is very cost effective.
Do a little raised bed or container garden.
A local potato farmer made their already machine harvested field open to gleaners.
Salvage grocers are a big thing around here. Overruns, discontinued products and sizes, buy outs. They don't take coupons but there is quite a variety and usually very good prices.
My favorite grocery shopping tip is to use your store's salad bar, ( if they have one ) for loose salad greens. Fill up your plastic container with fluffy romaine, spinach, spring mix, etc. Make sure it is DRY. Salad Bar items are sold by weight, so you end up spending only a small fraction of the price for the salad greens compared to buying prepackaged salad mix! Dry salad greens hardly weigh anything! I can get a whole plastic salad bar container filled with greens for about .50! Compare this to 3.99 for the same amount in a prepacked container!
sounds simple but having a list keeps me focused. it really helps me. i have a system too, where i circle the things i must get and then things less important i'll write on list but consider as a maybe
I never shop when I am hungry!
I load coupons right to my card
I buy things on sale and then freeze them! Ground turkey, veggies, sour cream, coconut water, cheese--I've bought and frozen all of them in the past week. I dream of the day I can have a separate deep freezer...swoon.
Have a list so you do not forget any items while shopping
I make a list throughout the week and before I leave the house make sure I put it near my keys so I don't forget it!
Was reading through this and was looking for credible sources to further research and found what I feel to be a good source for the general consumer like me. http://coloradoboulevard.net/horizon-vs-organic-valley/
Hope this helps! Happy reading
I woke from my sleep one night due to the smell of smoke. There was a fire on top of my bedroom dresser. A candle holder I had purchased from the Dollar Store was on fire, even though I had blown out the candle prior to going to bed. The paint was flammable and ignited from the heat after I fell asleep. It was an eye opener for me. BTW, it happened the night before Christmas Eve and my dad was a firefighter who was working that night, it was soooooo close to a tragedy. I woke up just in time to put out the fire. BEWARE OF CANDLE HOLDERS!!!! I wouldn't really trust any candles from there actually, you don't know what chemicals you are burning with the wax.
I do love the stores for many other things, especially cards, gift bags and party supplies, but there are some things they shouldn't be allowed to sell, like candle holders.
Use coupons! I shop at Kroger (Ralph's) and they have an online version that is awesome!
use a grocery store app to keep shopping list and for coupons
Do not shop when you are hungry! You will buy way more than usual and end up buying things that you might normally be able to resist. Stick to your list. You do have your list with you, don't you?
Look at what you have and make a list of what you need.
Go through the sale paper, make a list, and find coupons. Stick to your list no matter what!
Try to buy at the best price (on sale or clearance, with stacked store & manufacturer coupons, using your store card, too) and stockpile so you never have to buy at regular prices.
I make out my list at the same time I plan my meals for the weeks and match what I need from the store with what coupons I have and what's on sale.
Sales! Sales! Sales!
Claims adjuster. No doubt.
Do not shop when you're hungry! If I do this then I end up making poor decisions, buying lots of junk food I devour as soon as I get home, rather than getting healthier food to make affordable meals for the week. And use coupons whenever possible.
You calculate the odds of what they can do. If you rent and are unemployed what can they take? If you just live on social security income they can't touch that. You'll find more and more retired folks running into debt they just can't pay back and our government seldom raises the SS income being they don't think the cost of living ever goes up, yet congress get their raises. It's a grey power revolt against the banks after years of ripping us off. Paybacks a bitch!