With the cost of our economy skyrocketing, every cent plays an important part of our budget. The techniques that countered overspending in the past no longer helps to cover the basic monthly necessities. However, besides taking part in frugal tips such as coupon clipping or even shopping where
prices are at its lowest, there are better ways you can benefit on keeping every cent earned stacked comfortably.
Most recently food and gas has risen up a pretty penny or, shall we say, major bucks. You can't even buy eggs or bread for under a dollar anymore. And how is it I can fill up a basket worth of junk food ranging between 1 -2 bucks each (Debbie cakes, gum, chips, candy bars, mints, gummy worms, beef jerky, need I go on) but I can't get a decent amount of fruits and vegetables for under 5 dollars. If I go shopping for my family and buy a good amount of bananas, grapes, oranges, and apples that's at least 30 bucks; and that's just fruits. The USDA Food Guide recommends 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This information alone is very discouraging for those desiring to eat healthy and lose weight much less wanting to save. Though, there are still reasons to perk up because even the average Joe or Jane such as yourself can learn to cut big costs with some small hints like the following:
Food / Shopping
1. Try to go to the grocery store without the kids. If there is nothing harder, it's screaming children because most of the time, they get their way; talk about cutting a trip short.
2. Stick to a list. It is very difficult to commit everything you "need" to memory especially when your confronted with a lot of "wants."
3. Eat before you go grocery shopping. It amazes me the decisions I can make on an empty stomach or what I call a serious case of the "munchies."
4. If you have a friend that will partner up with you, one can get a Sam's membership and take advantage of the savings while splitting the bulk and the cost.
5. It's a good idea to portion out meals to plan for the week. This can help cut the overages on unwanted leftovers.
6. Take time to make lunch for work. Think of how much money is spent daily on food whether it be a cappuccino or your favorite subway sandwich. Multiply this on a monthly basis to see what you are giving away. What about yearly? You might as well walk up to everyone you see and hand each of them some of your money because that's exactly what you are doing.
7. Have you ever considered Angel Food Ministries (www.angelfoodministries.com)? Most average working adults do not qualify for Food Stamps even when faced with a hardship. But this organization is a God-send. There are no requirements for signing up. They work with local organizations and charities across the US to provide food units totaling 60 dollars and up. All you pay is $30 per unit. We're talking meat, pasta, beans, dessert, and more.
8. If you ever need ideas for feeding your family big or small check out Hill Billy Housewife (www.hillbillyhousewife.com). She lists recipes for feeding a family and shopping with $45 dollars for the week. This site is very resourceful.
9. Online coupon communities have become a major trend. Although, it is best to educate yourself on which stores accept online coupons; not all do, a great site for coupons is Coupon Mom (www.couponmom.com). She lets out her secret system (recognized by Action News Extra) for getting the most out of saving on groceries. I was jealous when I found this out. In one of her store visits, her items totaled up to $137.00. She only paid $25.00. Amazing!
10. Do you shop at Wal-mart? Did you know that Wal-mart will match any price for you as long as you have the competitor's ad with you.
11. Have you ever considered checking out Dollar Tree. While I do not suggest purchasing food items, there are many other household items you can purchase for only a dollar. They of course may not be name brand but some of the "knock offs" work just fine if not better than the name brands we swear by.
Miscellaneous
12. Organize yourself. Stop giving away your money! When you rent a video and it's late, you're giving away your money. When you are late on paying your bills and there is a fee, you are giving money away. Paying attention to things such as this can keep you from shelling out excess funds.
13. Utilize the library whenever possible. Every book I want before checking at Borders, on Ebay or Amazon, I check my local library first. You can even check for movies and cd's. You can borrow them for weeks and even download them to your computer all free.
14. You can also water down everything so it can last longer: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, dish soap, laundry soap etc.
There are tons more ideas you can conjure up to help you save. With a little work and creativity, the money you save won't just increase, it'll soar.
(June 2008) (
