i'll add if you know which brands you are loyal to, keep an eye on the sales and budget to be able to buy a few of things you use regularly. i think i paid $12 the last time i bought toilet paper, haven't had to buy any since june and have at least ten rolls left. [helps to have the storage space]
and i'm pretty close to addicted to tabasco chipotle sauce but it's normally quite expensive. it keeps nearly forever so when i find it buy one get one free, i stock up.
then i never end up getting a craving for it and splurging on it full price. i can walk past that shelf in the store and never have the urge to blow the budget
congratulations on the freezer! so very useful.
someone in my friend's office building was getting rid of a small upright freezer that didn't work and i picked it up [free of course] and repaired the thermostat and now it's great for meat sales. i'd prefer a chest freezer for the efficiency but this one paid for its annual electrical cost in one seafood sale [$3 lb crab legs] and it was free. had the thermostat not been repairable, a new thermostat was only $60 anyway and i expect to get a few more years of use out of it.
Sonja,
Had you thought of putting all your gluten free articles into a little e-book? You have lots of first hand experience and great ideas for this life-style. Thanks for the posts!
Robin
I put 15% down on a new home in 2006....from a builder who lowered prices on the same home, in the same subdivision, by over $250,000.00 within 6 months? I'm now underwater and there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it. The builders are protected - the banks are protected - the homebuyers are not. Go figure. Shouldn't people in this situation be able to recoup? I won't even get into the numerous problems that I've had and continue to have with the home.
Hey, don't forget about my blog- http://www.401kmaximum.org.
Lots of free advice on how to contribute and manage your 401K.
Fern Alix LaRocca CFP® EA
Wealth Coach
i know this reply is 3 years after you wrote this article, but I can say it inspires someone like me, in a little town, dwelling on mistakes and regrets, to push forward and not to take the easier road. Simple reading this, has made my life that much easier today, and reinstated in my over-analytical/chaotic mind of mine, what I am meant to do.
We have access to a free 24 hr nurse phone line via our health insurance plan. I'd use that in these situations. I've used them before and they are generally knowledgeable and helpful, perfect for minor health problems or simple questions. If anything is really concerning the'll suggest you go to a local doctor or emergency room.
"Some local doctors say the only cure is to stay drunk for three days." Now thats my kind of doctor!
I think the once-per-week shopping plan is the best idea here. If you didn't get the item during your weekly run, you probably didn't need it anyways. Extra trips waste gas and make it more likely that you will buy items you don't need.
Allstate has a some great tools comparing whole vs term life insurance policies. They have a calculator to figure out which is better for you, and your returns.
I tried it several times, and always that I've done my grocery shopping being hungry I've bought more things I don't need and spent about 40% more than I planned to.
I haven't filled out any type of applications for anything in over 2 years. There would be no one that could have referred my information to this company. I'm not worried about them being able to steal any money, I would be more worried about them using it for check scams. Where the person would take stolen checks and deposit it into your netspend account only to pull it right back out. This is a federal crime and you could get up to 25 years in prison in most states. I hate to see some of y'all on the news for something you didn't do. The first person the FBI and State Police would contact is the account holder. The last thing you want is the FED's watching your every move. EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU NEED TO BE MORE AWARE ABOUT WHAT SCAMS PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DO. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON IT'S NOT AS EASY TO FILE CLAIMS AT YOUR BANKS FOR FRAUDULENT CHARGES ANYMORE. THEY WANT TO DO FULL INVESTIGATIONS OR THEY WANT YOU TO SIMPLY CALL THE MERCHANT. I use to be able to just call up the bank and I had the money back in my account that same day. Everyone is so worried about them stealing money they can't even get from you, but you don't even think about what crimes you could potentially be linked to just from this card being in someone else's procession.
Wow! Erin sounds like we approach shopping about the same way. The only thing I do any different is my version of meal planning. I have a pretty extensive foodservice background so I don't really plan a menu (I have deep well in my head) but I do do a meal count as I go along. Magic number being 7. Ex. 1 roasting chicken 3 meals(not all this week but the soup will count for next week:>)). Two lb pack ground turkey 2 meals. Etc. Etc. get to six and toss in the pasta sauce on sale this week and bingo dinners covered,budget maintained. The real key is to think of the package you are about to buy in terms of how many times it will make it to the table.
Erin, I LOVE that you got a freezer for Christmas! Someone knows what mama likes.
I used our chest freezer to enable me to feed my family better meat -- feedlot-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free -- at a decent price. I split a half cow with my parents and just ordered a half pig as well. This not only locks in prices far better than what I was paying for this kind of "high-end" meat, it also frees me from having to even glance at meat prices or look for markdowns.
My top tip for cutting grocery costs without clipping coupons is to simply set a budget and stick to it. I was surprised by how powerful simply setting a budget was for me -- it drove me to choose lower-cost-but-still-nutritious items, use up what I had and plan more vegetarian meals, for instance.
Angel Food Ministries was started by a pastor and his wife, when a large employer left many in their community unemployed. They approached wholesale grocers and arranged to distribute low-cost boxes of food to feed a family of 4.
It's come a long way since then. We're essentially getting our groceries at wholesale prices. We get their specialty meat box, seafood box and fruit/vegetable box every month.) Try the fajita box!) I'm sure we're saving $200+/month.
Visit their site and see where the closest location is to you. We moved last May and we're now starting up an Angel Food Ministry in our town.
Learn to identify when an individual food's price is at its low. I used to think getting ground beef for $3 a pound was a good deal! But keeping my eyes open, I can easily purchase ground beef at $1.50 a pound by buying at the right time.
Just considering ground beef and boneless chicken breasts, if I buy in bulk and buy at the right time, I save $50/month. That's pretty substantial considering our monthly grocery budget used to be $300.
If you're a Kroger shopper, I would also recommend cellfire.com & shortcuts.com. You're basically having electronic coupons attached to your Kroger card. You just make sure to hand over your Kroger card at the start of checking out & the amounts get taken off automatically. I combine these with regular clipped coupons, but you don't have to. Easy savings.
i'll add if you know which brands you are loyal to, keep an eye on the sales and budget to be able to buy a few of things you use regularly. i think i paid $12 the last time i bought toilet paper, haven't had to buy any since june and have at least ten rolls left. [helps to have the storage space]
and i'm pretty close to addicted to tabasco chipotle sauce but it's normally quite expensive. it keeps nearly forever so when i find it buy one get one free, i stock up.
then i never end up getting a craving for it and splurging on it full price. i can walk past that shelf in the store and never have the urge to blow the budget
congratulations on the freezer! so very useful.
someone in my friend's office building was getting rid of a small upright freezer that didn't work and i picked it up [free of course] and repaired the thermostat and now it's great for meat sales. i'd prefer a chest freezer for the efficiency but this one paid for its annual electrical cost in one seafood sale [$3 lb crab legs] and it was free. had the thermostat not been repairable, a new thermostat was only $60 anyway and i expect to get a few more years of use out of it.
Ignore the container prices;
only compare prices per ounce.
Buy dry and frozen veggies-
fresh when they're cheaper.
Use meat like a spice-
just for flavor.
Each carton, bag, or box you buy
should have *one* ingredient on the label.
Sonja,
Had you thought of putting all your gluten free articles into a little e-book? You have lots of first hand experience and great ideas for this life-style. Thanks for the posts!
Robin
I put 15% down on a new home in 2006....from a builder who lowered prices on the same home, in the same subdivision, by over $250,000.00 within 6 months? I'm now underwater and there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it. The builders are protected - the banks are protected - the homebuyers are not. Go figure. Shouldn't people in this situation be able to recoup? I won't even get into the numerous problems that I've had and continue to have with the home.
Why would you be swilling a liter a day even w/o this knowledge? The fact that pop is bad for you is common knowledge....
Hey, don't forget about my blog- http://www.401kmaximum.org.
Lots of free advice on how to contribute and manage your 401K.
Fern Alix LaRocca CFP® EA
Wealth Coach
I have been using
http://www.onewayshopping.com/coupons/ to clip coupons from several merchants.
i know this reply is 3 years after you wrote this article, but I can say it inspires someone like me, in a little town, dwelling on mistakes and regrets, to push forward and not to take the easier road. Simple reading this, has made my life that much easier today, and reinstated in my over-analytical/chaotic mind of mine, what I am meant to do.
Thanks for the tips...we just got my little car out of DEEP mud, using this kitty litter trick!! Yea!!!!!!!!!
We have access to a free 24 hr nurse phone line via our health insurance plan. I'd use that in these situations. I've used them before and they are generally knowledgeable and helpful, perfect for minor health problems or simple questions. If anything is really concerning the'll suggest you go to a local doctor or emergency room.
"Some local doctors say the only cure is to stay drunk for three days." Now thats my kind of doctor!
I think the once-per-week shopping plan is the best idea here. If you didn't get the item during your weekly run, you probably didn't need it anyways. Extra trips waste gas and make it more likely that you will buy items you don't need.
gv ikl. gv
weell yu fuckin suck it dont work bitch??
wow bitch
Allstate has a some great tools comparing whole vs term life insurance policies. They have a calculator to figure out which is better for you, and your returns.
Hope this helps
Kevin
Allstate Insurance Advocate
Elite Buildings has multiple container floorplans on their website along with RFQ for custo modifications.
I tried it several times, and always that I've done my grocery shopping being hungry I've bought more things I don't need and spent about 40% more than I planned to.
growingrich.net
I haven't filled out any type of applications for anything in over 2 years. There would be no one that could have referred my information to this company. I'm not worried about them being able to steal any money, I would be more worried about them using it for check scams. Where the person would take stolen checks and deposit it into your netspend account only to pull it right back out. This is a federal crime and you could get up to 25 years in prison in most states. I hate to see some of y'all on the news for something you didn't do. The first person the FBI and State Police would contact is the account holder. The last thing you want is the FED's watching your every move. EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU NEED TO BE MORE AWARE ABOUT WHAT SCAMS PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DO. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON IT'S NOT AS EASY TO FILE CLAIMS AT YOUR BANKS FOR FRAUDULENT CHARGES ANYMORE. THEY WANT TO DO FULL INVESTIGATIONS OR THEY WANT YOU TO SIMPLY CALL THE MERCHANT. I use to be able to just call up the bank and I had the money back in my account that same day. Everyone is so worried about them stealing money they can't even get from you, but you don't even think about what crimes you could potentially be linked to just from this card being in someone else's procession.
Wow! Erin sounds like we approach shopping about the same way. The only thing I do any different is my version of meal planning. I have a pretty extensive foodservice background so I don't really plan a menu (I have deep well in my head) but I do do a meal count as I go along. Magic number being 7. Ex. 1 roasting chicken 3 meals(not all this week but the soup will count for next week:>)). Two lb pack ground turkey 2 meals. Etc. Etc. get to six and toss in the pasta sauce on sale this week and bingo dinners covered,budget maintained. The real key is to think of the package you are about to buy in terms of how many times it will make it to the table.
Erin, I LOVE that you got a freezer for Christmas! Someone knows what mama likes.
I used our chest freezer to enable me to feed my family better meat -- feedlot-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free -- at a decent price. I split a half cow with my parents and just ordered a half pig as well. This not only locks in prices far better than what I was paying for this kind of "high-end" meat, it also frees me from having to even glance at meat prices or look for markdowns.
My top tip for cutting grocery costs without clipping coupons is to simply set a budget and stick to it. I was surprised by how powerful simply setting a budget was for me -- it drove me to choose lower-cost-but-still-nutritious items, use up what I had and plan more vegetarian meals, for instance.
My wife and 3 boys have been happy with Angel Food Ministies (www.angelfoodministries.org).
Angel Food Ministries was started by a pastor and his wife, when a large employer left many in their community unemployed. They approached wholesale grocers and arranged to distribute low-cost boxes of food to feed a family of 4.
It's come a long way since then. We're essentially getting our groceries at wholesale prices. We get their specialty meat box, seafood box and fruit/vegetable box every month.) Try the fajita box!) I'm sure we're saving $200+/month.
Visit their site and see where the closest location is to you. We moved last May and we're now starting up an Angel Food Ministry in our town.
All the best,
Ben
Learn to identify when an individual food's price is at its low. I used to think getting ground beef for $3 a pound was a good deal! But keeping my eyes open, I can easily purchase ground beef at $1.50 a pound by buying at the right time.
Just considering ground beef and boneless chicken breasts, if I buy in bulk and buy at the right time, I save $50/month. That's pretty substantial considering our monthly grocery budget used to be $300.
wow! great money management advices, i will keep in touch, thanks.
If you're a Kroger shopper, I would also recommend cellfire.com & shortcuts.com. You're basically having electronic coupons attached to your Kroger card. You just make sure to hand over your Kroger card at the start of checking out & the amounts get taken off automatically. I combine these with regular clipped coupons, but you don't have to. Easy savings.
I really like this website.. it has helped me alot on my project i am doing.