Cutting costs

[Csara]

What is one way you have learned to cut costs?

Mine would have to be meal planning. When I figure out what to cook for the week, make a list, then I shop for those ingredients only and end up saving on food b/c I don't have to go out at the last minute to buy something else and we eat at home more often.

[Mel-icious]

Same here C., with the meal planning! I take advantage of what is on sale, if the grocery store has chicken on sale, then we have chicken, if it has pork on sale, I plan a pork meal. I also try to have a few "double duty" meals during the week, one night I will roast a huge 7lb chicken, then two nights later we will have chicken enchiladas, or chicken croquettes, or maybe parm chicken shells. I try to make extra then freeze the rest for an extra meal down the road, say a huge pot of sauce with meat, the following week we could have meatball subs. You get the idea, I also am a big coupon clipper! In PA they have double and triple coupon days, here in Florida they don't, so I am happy about that. But I only buy what I would normally, not because I have a coupon for it. I make a list when going to store and if Tommy isn't with me, I stick to it. I budget all my food out before I get there so I know how much I am spending......sounds like I have a lot of time on my hands huh! LOL! :biglaugh:

[Deana]

Sam's Club! I stock up on paper towels, tp, cleaning supplies... everything! That has made a huge difference. And coupons! I love to clip coupons!
I don't like the taste of our water, so I was buying bottled water - which got expensive... David got a water filter for the kitch sink... so now I don't buy bottled.
We do "double duty" meals like Melissa too - I am leftover queen.
Some other 'house' stuff to save $$$ - we only water our lawn about 2x/week... We turn our air conditioner way down during the day...
I have a mr. fixit on hand, so David does all the oil changes and minor car repairs.

[Cheatara]

Where do you guys get coupons to clip? My mom always clipped coupons, but I have to admit I have no clue where they came from.

[Deana]

Originally posted by Cheatara
Where do you guys get coupons to clip?
Our Sunday paper has a big section with coupons. Also some of our grocery stores have them at the check out (but it's for their store only).

[brandis77]

Deana - Do you know the details on becoming a Sam's Club member? Is there more than one in Austin?

[Mel-icious]

Cheatara, you can also get them online for some of your favorite grocery stores.........

Coupons Online (http://www.valupage.com)

BTW........if anyone is interested in Free Samples, here is a site, that is a good one, my aunt sent this page to me a while back, only problem is you can only get one sample a day, and they run out fast. But its free and they have some cool samples once and a while. :run:

Start Sampling (http://www.startsampling.com)

[Deana]

Originally posted by brandis77
Deana - Do you know the details on becoming a Sam's Club member? Is there more than one in Austin?
Yep - here's the deal: it's $35.00 a year to join. There's one on I35 & Stassney, one up north off 183/360 and they are building another one... where Brodie meets 290 near southwest parkway.
I LOVE Sam's! One word of advice... bring your own bags. They don't have shopping bags. And they only take checks or Discover card.:cool:

[andrea]

Thanks melissa for the good websites!!!

We dont really have a budget, i use coupons when i can. but i really need to get some kind of budget together:(

[Christmas Bride]

Definitely eating in instead of going out to eat so much!

[suzieq728]

I am a sale shopper.. If it's on sale I buy it. If not oh well. And we have down here something like a Sams club, its called Costco, I shop there for paper goods and stock up when I can.
The meal planning I learned here, :) and I have been doing it for about 3 weeks now. It does really work. Also for grocies I am a coupon clipper..

[Deana]

one other thing...
packing our lunches for work. Big time savings!

[suzieq728]

I agree D. I just started doing that too.... no more buying lunch at work. It was costing me like $6 a day just for lunch, and a cup of coffee in the morning.. It's crazy...

[meliz]

I agree... brownbagging lunches is a great way to save $. And coffee... I used to spend a mint on coffee. I'm trying to cut down to 1 store-bought coffee a day. I also find that have to buy groceries when I am not hungry. Otherwise I come home with all sorts of junk that is not only really bad for me, but way too expensive.

But ya know, I am not sure about these Costco-type places. I guess they work best when you have a large family or when buy things you know you'll use alot of. And they have neat gifty type things around the holidays. I find though, that I just end up buying way way too much of something. I get carried away. I once bought a 5 pack of soya sauce. It was a steal! Except that this was 4 years ago, and I still have 4 bottles of SS sitting unopened in my cupboard.

Also, I have become a big time thrift store shopper. I love Value Village. I have bought about 5 pairs of jeans in the past year, all from V V. They are all great-- Pepe, Request, Levis... great names. And they were 5-10 bucks a pair! Just last week I got a very funky fun fur type winter coat, for $15. I've seen them in stores for like $200. Sa-weet. Only problem is, its going to cost me $50 to get the damned thing cleaned... oh well.

[Deana]

Meliz - I'm with you on Sam's/Costco, about going over board... I do love Sam's and I make my monthly trek out, BUT I absolutely make a list and set 'X' # of $$'s I'll spend there. Otherwise, I would come home with 5 gallon jugs of bubble bath, new garden hoses, and "look honey! a crate of spam! It was only $3.99!!!" Plus, if we didn't have the space to store the 15 pack of assorted paper towels, it wouldn't be worth the savings either....:D

[joyful]

Ok, I probably need to learn about meal planning. But I always like to eat what Im in the mood for at the time.
Say on tuesday, you plan to have lasagne on saturday night. How is that different that planning on saturday morning to have it that night. How can planning something 4 days early save you $?
I dont see the logic in it.

[Csara]

Originally posted by joyful
How can planning something 4 days early save you $?
I dont see the logic in it.

Because you make a shopping list of what you'll need for the week and that way you don't just go and buy everything at the grocery store. Also, you will have meals set to go so that you don't have to go out to dinner at the last minute b/c you have nothing at home. You don't necessarily have to say "ok Monday I'm having this, Tuesday I'm having this, and so forth and so on..." You can make a list of things you are going to make that week and do it whatever night you are in the mood for that particular meal.

[Deana]

Originally posted by Csara
Because you make a shopping list of what you'll need for the week and that way you don't just go and buy everything at the grocery store.
And I used to buy things (produce, meat, milk etc) with no specific intention to use it (i.e. - no 'meal plan'). We wouldn't eat it, then it would go bad, and I'd have to toss it (wasting $$$).
It's also not only cost saving, but it's made things so much more simple! I know I've got all the ingredients to make meals for the week!

[Csara]

yes, that is a really good point, D. I totally forgot to mention that. Before I started meal planning, I would buy so much food without having any idea what I'd actually do with it and a lot of it would end up going to waste.

[joyful]

Both of you are describing me!
I just got back from going out to eat. I usually cant think of what to make or have nothing in the house. Also, I have a bad habit of letting things go to waste.
I can cook but I never know what to cook.

[Mel-icious]

Originally posted by Deana
I do love Sam's and I make my monthly trek out, BUT I absolutely make a list and set 'X' # of $$'s I'll spend there. Otherwise, I would come home with 5 gallon jugs of bubble bath, new garden hoses, and "look honey! a crate of spam! It was only $3.99!!!" Plus, if we didn't have the space to store the 15 pack of assorted paper towels, it wouldn't be worth the savings either....:D

:biglaugh: D., I am the same exact way in Costco's! If its a deal, its coming home with me! :biglaugh: When I first moved out on my own, I moved in with a roomate who had a Costco membership and unlimited spending budget, we would go and spend $400 a month :eek: half the bill was mine, and we still went to the grocery store for little odds and ends. But we had a years supply of powdered ice tea, finesse, paper towels, and frozen food! LOL! They had the best cheese bread too, yum-mee! :lick:

[Mel-icious]

Another point on the meal planning, when you meal plan, you can even plan your meals by what is on sale that week. Here in Florida they run boneless skinless chicken on their bulk packs, so we can get two meals out of that, so I plan two chicken meals, you get the idea. When you go in with a plan, you spend less and you know you have it on hand, like C., already said. Just because you meal plan doesn't mean you can't deviate from the plan, all meal planning helps with is the "what should I make for dinner", or "oh I can't make that I don't have....." As far as the not knowing what to make, start buying magazines with recipes in it and trying them out, goto recipe sites and get recipes and ideas, swap with us here in the cooking thread. Once you really get into you'll enjoy it (if you enjoy cooking, if not then maybe its not for you.) :run:

[Csara]

Joy.....are you still around??? Have you started meal planning yet?

[Trixie]

i will have to start that meal planning. i waste so much money at the grocery store.

[andrea]

:bump:

oh i am so going to get a membership to costco like on my next check i hope LOL i know i cant believe i have put it off for so long lol:eek:

[OBEDIAH SPITTLE]

I DO COMPETITOR'S AD'S AT WALMART. I USUALLY GET THE LOCAL PAPER MIDWEEK AND ALL THE GROCERY STORES AND FREDS USALLY HAVE A SALES PAPER IN IT. I BUY MEAT ONLY IF IT IS .99 PER #, THAT GOES FOR CHICKEN ALSO.

RIGHT NOW IN MY PANTRY I HAVE 6 OZ CANOLA OIL THAT I PAID $.99 INSTEAD OF 2.49 ANGEL SOFT TOILET PAPER FOR $.79 INSTEAD OF 1.49, I HAVE ABOUT 15 PKS. STORED UNDER THE KIDS BED. FLOUR ALSO ABOUT 40 LBS IN THE FREEZER PAID $.69 INSTEAD OF 1.50+.

I FEED A FAMILY OF 4 FOR ABOUT $200 A MONTH.

I HAVE RECIPES FOR MOST OF THE THINGS THAT I USE TO BUY PREPACKAGED...TACO SEASONING, HAMBURGER HELPER, SALAD DRESSINGS, I MAKE MY OWN PANCAKE SYRUP, INTERNATIONAL COFFEE'S (JUST FOR ME).

I MAY PURCHASE SOME NEW ITEM ONCE OR TWICE AND IF IT IS TO BECOME A FAMILY FAVORITE...I TRY TO RECREATE IT.

[andrea]

oh wow that is so cool... no how did you do that again?

[SJTaylor]

I clip coupons. I also preplan meals so that I can buy everything at once. I also get bulk stuff at Costco.

[OBEDIAH SPITTLE]

how i have cut my grocery bill down is:
i make my own mixes, bisquick-
poptarts,
quaker microwave oatmeal packets
taco seasoning-
pizza's-sauce and dough
lazagna {hamburger helper}
-coffee mixes,
cleaning supplies- i use vinegar, baking soda, borax, lemon juice peroxide, bleach sometimes.
laundry detergent- ivory+borax +washing soda
dishsoap, ivory soap
showergel-
shampoo. conditioners-the best is cheap olive oil
cookie mixes that freeze well

we love the colonel's chicken so i have found arecipe that is just like his.
i make my own eggrolls, brocolli beef stirfry.
i also have just started to attempt to make bread...so far pita bread with success.

dh brown bags it, i shop at the local sav a lot grocerystore....example of savings green beans .33 ¢, tomatoes .29¢ per can i buy cases as i use them in lots of my meals.
meats on sale i usually buy the manger special at kroger (best time to go is early monday morning or ask your local butcher when do they put the meats on special).

my mother and i use to visit a process house and we always went to the "rotten meat" section...(well that's what i always called it) this was where they put meat that had changed from the bright red color to the dark -meat was still good just not attractive..imagine getting porterhouse steaks for $3.00 or tbones $1.50, ground beef chuck .29¢ per lb.....ahhhhhhh wishing for the good ole days.

[suzieq728]

I have to go back to meal planning.
Somebody posted that they spend $200 a month in food for a family of four, well I am a family of 3 and I spend about $200 a WEEK :eek: . And thats not including my trips to Costco :rolleyes: . Costco is my downfall. I go in there and I can spend at least $400 bucks, easy.

Must go back to meal planning!!!!

[OBEDIAH SPITTLE]

i plan ahead- i have my mastergrocerylist made out by the layout of my stores, kroger, walmart, savalot...this cuts my time down, i never go to the store hungry, only visit the isle's where the item is that i need....kroger is especially bad at setting endcap traps in the store.

i use to coupon- would spend $4 on sunday papers, to get the coupons---but then more often than not the paper wouldn't have them in it. so i got disgruntled on that money saver. (i also found myself buying things that i normally wouldn't buy. just cause i had a double coupon for said item)


i have a sam's club membership and vist every 3 mths, i have a list on my freezer with a list of items that i purchase there and how low i am on each.....it is sometimes cheaper for me to buy my paper products at my local walmart (comp ad'd of course;) here i get most of my chicken.

i bought a handheld adding machine (misprice by some eager to get home sales clerk at walmart. reg $ 19- i took it home for $4.98. i never leave for the grocery store with out it.
:D

i have a price book that i made for all the stores the i visit, [ie kroger, sav-a-lot, walmart, sams club] and when something goes on sale i stock up.....this drive my dh crazy , for instance, he complained that i was alway buying ketchup---sure when it is .69¢ for a 24 oz bottle reg price 1.24 -aso .55¢, and he eats ketchup on most every thing...so to prove my point to him i stopped buying it for about a month...when he used the last bottle up and started complaining aobut not having any i pointed out that i hadn't had to buy ketchup for 3 mths because i kept it stocked in our pantry. he doesnt complain about the tissue under our bed or the oil in the closet.:D

my family has about 15 different meals that we eat on a regular basis so my planning pretty much takes care of itself.

i buy storebrand on most things....and have only had one or two disappointments doing this.

well i have prattled on enough . JIC (just in case) this is one of my favorite topics......saving money.

obie :king: the frugal queen mommy of two.

[Csara]

Great tips Obie!! Thank you for sharing with us. ;)

[OBEDIAH SPITTLE]

:blush:

if anyone is interested in the recipes that i mentioned in my previous post. let me know and i'll post them or send them direct to your email. which ever you prefer.


obie

[Csara]

I'm actually interested in your "master grocery list". :) If possible, could you post that for us?? Either here or you can start a new thread in the miscellaneous food chat. TIA

[suzieq728]

:D OMG, I love it, yes Obie please post that "materlist" Oh yeah that would be great.
Now how do I remember to take it off the fridge and take it to the store with me???? LMAO.. I know I am laughing, but really, I make a list and never remember to take it with me :rolleyes:

[OBEDIAH SPITTLE]

JUST TRIED TO UPLOAD MY MGL FROM MY MSWORKS FILE
HAVE IT SAVED AS A TXT. BUT IT WONT ACCEPT IT SO IF THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MY MGL PLEASE SEND ME A PM WITH YOUR EMAIL I'LL GET IT RIGHT OUT TO YOU.
OBIE

[Jester]

You should be able to upload a .txt file.

Make sure there are no spaces in the file name...