We try to do vegetarian at least once or twice a week and we eat a lot of soup. We have chickens so eggs are a big help and organic/free range ones have lower cholesterol. These are all things that stretch your budget and tighten your belt around your waist. Reduce your cholesterol and high blood pressure with some of the recipes.
Remember my kids are lactose intolerant and I don't cook with salt because of my high blood pressure and cholesterol runs in my family. So there you have it, why I have a huge love of cooking and finding ways to do it in what I think are the right ways.
There are so many tips and I hope you follow this blog if you are looking for some more.
So today's shopping trip is what I wanted to share. I won't share where I live and therefore the exact stores, but I saved 57%. Remember, I live in the northeast so no crazy stores that allow those past date coupons and I buy products that I plan to use.
I purchased over $20 in chicken breasts which is where the average was brought down, along with fruits and veggies. So I spent $195.33. I saved: in coupons, sale flyer matching, online coupons and competitor coupons $111.65.
PERKS
I will still have a few more dollars from Upromise coming, but that is going towards my kids future education. Also I had 0.29 cents in gas savings at one store and 0.10 cents at another. Make sure you use these perks! Don't let them expire.
TIME
Now you are thinking "wow I really want to do this". You need to realize it takes time. I spent 2 hours making lists last night and I have a couple more places to go (Walmart, Target and BJ's). The thing about big places like Bj's is people go hog wild. I don't find a lot of things cheaper there. Dairy, paper products, bread, the deli, sometimes cat food and litter--that is if they have mine.
Time at the stores is another thing. I spent 2 hours at two separate stores. I have lists with the size/quanity and the coupons that will go along with it. This way if I don't plan to get it I can take the coupon out of the stack. I paperclip everything or use envelopes, but you need to be flexible. Get a Raincheck, it's not what the flyer said--don't get it. You need to think about the bottom line.
Also, I try to guesstimate the cost before I go and watch to see how I do. Now it's not going to be perfect. I have no idea what he cost will be for bananas, apples and chicken.
I always add up my coupons and check the receipt before I go. That's one quick check. How many times have you left and realized they mis-charged you. Well it's worse when you spend all this time and they don't apply a coupon...especially like they did to me one time and it was $12 dollars in coupons.
BENEFITS
I tracked my grocery spending last year I saved over 5 THOUSAND dollars and that was only tracking from May on. I guesstimate I save close to 6-7 thousand dollars a year in coupons/sale savings.
An example of how low things get in my grocery cart. My lunch today was one of those knorr sides a mac and cheese things. So they were 10/ $10. I bought 2. Coupon for $1 off 2. So total cost 1 dollar for 2 or 50 cents a piece. I ate half so my lunch cost 25 cents.
I also use these packets for quick meals for those crazy nights. Alfredo for example. I chop up a chicken breast saute until brown, make the pasta side right on top, add frozen peas and it serves 4 people. Cost ($1 for packet, $1 for chicken, 30 cents for peas/milk) 2.30/4= 58 cents per person. Despite my kids intolerance to milk a Lactaid tablet cures this one and my sanity is saved as well.
**Grocery for me includes: all paper, detergents, cat, vitamins, etc. Everything I purchase at the grocery store.**
There are so many more tips I can give than could be put into this one post. Perhaps I will put it into some sort of book one day. So frugal Suzy signing off for now.
Hope I have inspired some of you. Espeically if your resolution was to do better this year with money. Budgets and scrimping on things that are not necessary are my thing. I wish I could get paid to do these things I love. Perhaps one day I'll figure that out. ;)
Have a good one. xx Suzy