After going through the "new" budget and finding quite a large deficit, I made a quick brainstorm list of some things we might try to ease the large gap a little.
I know we have some returns to make and a few rebates that are still being processed so there's a little help coming. My main focus last week was saving the money we have, but this week I was looking into increasing the actual bottom line a little.
I've had a pile of clothes to be sold to a consignment store in the area, set aside for over 6 months. I had intended to do so before we moved so there would be less to take over to the new house. Eric added a few items since, and it's been sitting in the living room for way too long.
Additionally, there were a few items that we got as handmedowns from my friend for the new baby that are either the wrong size and season, or just not my style that were ALSO sitting in a box in the living room.
Yesterday was the day. We took them over (the stores are right next to each other) and I got $17.40 for just a handful of items. I'll keep the rest in the garage because
1) some are fall/winter that they aren't interested in stocking right now
2) the toys she said they just have a lot of currently but when the inventory runs low they would be interested
3) We can have a garage sale later in the year with more baby stuff she's done with, more of Eric's clothes and some things in the garage we aren't going to use in this house (a microwave stand and a chair, and possibly some other things).
So I'm limiting what I donate, which was always my go-to de-clutter method, and trying to exhaust any possible selling options first. I had a roommate in VA who sold her clothes and stuff online when she moved across the country. I thought it was a little presumptuous on her part initially, but really, why not try, right? I know she made quite a bit at the yard sale we had and she didn't stop there. So don't give up, and don't give it away quite yet.
This is an opportunity cost we can currently afford due to the extra storage space we have in the garage. Last year this wouldn't have been possible because we had nowhere to put it all.
And the best part of this story is that we walked into the paint store to get our pricing and make sure the color we want is actually still available, and were sold 4 paint rollers for less than the price of ONE at the usual price, and the total came to EXACTLY the amount I had gotten for my clothes at the women's consignment shop. To the penny. Crazy.
We have a 15$ off coupon, they are doing 30% off the kind of paint we want right now, and we have allotted some of our tax return for this project so whether I believe it or not, we might actually get this house painted this year! Again, it's all about waiting it out until the timing is optimal.
Showing posts with label Wear it out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wear it out. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Saving on Groceries
*** I chose the "wear it out" label for this post because I was wearing out all the available options and resources to come to these conclusions. And me. It wore me out, too!***
Coupons have long been a source guilt and anxiety for me, so to cope I just avoided them and shopped at stores that had low prices. Now that I have more time, I've taken serious consideration and done quite a bit of research on where to buy at the best price. It was a very fulfilling project for me this week.
First, I scanned the available circulars (weekly ads), many of which are available online and in one case, even before the prices went into effect. I compared the basics- what I know we shop for on a regular basis- to see who really has the best price.
If I had known I was going to be able to gather so much information, I would have set it up on a larger sheet with better spacing, but here's a look at my note taking.
After determining the across the board winner, I looked at specific offers, deals, and coupons and made a shopping list. This is where it gets complicated and time consuming. I had two versions of the list. First, I categorized the items by department to see if I had a well rounded pantry by the end of it. I made a quick outline of things we have on hand and then finalized the list with a few "wish list" items that I would have wanted even if they weren't on special. After determining exactly what I wanted to make for the coming week, I made the second version of the list which was by store. The final product was two scrap paper pages long, 2 to 3 columns each, and paper clipped together with the coupons I'd need to use. I did this all yesterday. Today I hit the stores one by one. And here's the result!
A word about buying produce in bulk, especially for smaller families. Of course it seems to work out cheaper, but if you end up throwing half of it away before it can be eaten, you're not saving anything. I have found that the trick is prepping the produce, cut and even portioned in bags for easy access. We have one orange left in what was a 4 lb bag I thought we'd never finish. The key was slicing them up and putting them in the fridge. We've had them as dessert, in lunches taken to work, as snacks and tonight, I had an entire orange with my dinner. Another idea I have about fruit is that it freezes well so with the two containers of strawberries I got today, one will go to immediate use this week in desserts and breakfast, but the other will get cooked into a sauce that I'll use for waffles and freeze the rest. They can be sliced and frozen for smoothies. But again, the key is doing this ahead of time, not after it's too late and they are mushy! It takes time and effort but that's what I"m spending my time on right now instead of being at work, so it's worth it!
The result has been an uncluttered refrigerator. The top shelf is where we put left overs, and usually the bottom two are stuffed to over flowing with food we want to eat, but just aren't organized about. This week there are a few containers with a little bit of food, and actually one of those is the soup prep for tomorrow and another is the rice that will go in it. In other words, I have plans for everything you are looking at in the fridge. There was plenty of room for the new stuff and it is visible enough to not be forgotten. I'm very much looking forward to what we'll be having next week, both cooking and eating it!
I conclude this post by saying this is by no means an exhaustive list of options for saving money on food. It is only what I've gotten through in the very first week. I'll be exploring other opportunities as I work through them. For example, we have a couple of smart phone apps that allow you to download additional digital coupons, one that you earn points towards gift cards for going in certain stores and scanning items, and a couple of bizarre things I've read about taking pictures of your receipts and sending them in for reimbursement of certain items. As I said, there is much more to discover.
Coupons have long been a source guilt and anxiety for me, so to cope I just avoided them and shopped at stores that had low prices. Now that I have more time, I've taken serious consideration and done quite a bit of research on where to buy at the best price. It was a very fulfilling project for me this week.First, I scanned the available circulars (weekly ads), many of which are available online and in one case, even before the prices went into effect. I compared the basics- what I know we shop for on a regular basis- to see who really has the best price.
If I had known I was going to be able to gather so much information, I would have set it up on a larger sheet with better spacing, but here's a look at my note taking.
After determining the across the board winner, I looked at specific offers, deals, and coupons and made a shopping list. This is where it gets complicated and time consuming. I had two versions of the list. First, I categorized the items by department to see if I had a well rounded pantry by the end of it. I made a quick outline of things we have on hand and then finalized the list with a few "wish list" items that I would have wanted even if they weren't on special. After determining exactly what I wanted to make for the coming week, I made the second version of the list which was by store. The final product was two scrap paper pages long, 2 to 3 columns each, and paper clipped together with the coupons I'd need to use. I did this all yesterday. Today I hit the stores one by one. And here's the result!
As you can see, not only did I get everything at the best possible price in town (which was confirmed as I walked through stores and scanned the prices of items I had marked as better priced elsewhere) but I also walked away with three FREE items. Two were buy one get one free, and the other was a deal if you buy the strawberries at the sale price you get a free bottle of whipped cream.
The total price of everything on the table in front of you was $47.50. What is important to note is that it includes staple food items for everyday consumption like milk, oranges, yogurt, and grapes, as well as recipe specific items that were featured on my meal plan like the colored peppers, red potatoes, and pork. But I ALSO was able to find special items like a pound of steak and the strawberries and cream which will be part of our Valentine's day dinner- all on sale, all cheaper than I would have paid just to grab something that looked good without planning ahead. Additionally, a couple of things fall under the "stock your shelves" category. Shredded cheese was on sale at Kroger so I got 4 to put in the freezer. The bag of onions was 3 lbs for .69 for at Aldi! That's cheaper than ONE ONION at most grocery stores. At that price, even if we don't get through all of them, it's still a significant savings.
A word about buying produce in bulk, especially for smaller families. Of course it seems to work out cheaper, but if you end up throwing half of it away before it can be eaten, you're not saving anything. I have found that the trick is prepping the produce, cut and even portioned in bags for easy access. We have one orange left in what was a 4 lb bag I thought we'd never finish. The key was slicing them up and putting them in the fridge. We've had them as dessert, in lunches taken to work, as snacks and tonight, I had an entire orange with my dinner. Another idea I have about fruit is that it freezes well so with the two containers of strawberries I got today, one will go to immediate use this week in desserts and breakfast, but the other will get cooked into a sauce that I'll use for waffles and freeze the rest. They can be sliced and frozen for smoothies. But again, the key is doing this ahead of time, not after it's too late and they are mushy! It takes time and effort but that's what I"m spending my time on right now instead of being at work, so it's worth it! The result has been an uncluttered refrigerator. The top shelf is where we put left overs, and usually the bottom two are stuffed to over flowing with food we want to eat, but just aren't organized about. This week there are a few containers with a little bit of food, and actually one of those is the soup prep for tomorrow and another is the rice that will go in it. In other words, I have plans for everything you are looking at in the fridge. There was plenty of room for the new stuff and it is visible enough to not be forgotten. I'm very much looking forward to what we'll be having next week, both cooking and eating it! I conclude this post by saying this is by no means an exhaustive list of options for saving money on food. It is only what I've gotten through in the very first week. I'll be exploring other opportunities as I work through them. For example, we have a couple of smart phone apps that allow you to download additional digital coupons, one that you earn points towards gift cards for going in certain stores and scanning items, and a couple of bizarre things I've read about taking pictures of your receipts and sending them in for reimbursement of certain items. As I said, there is much more to discover.
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