Reducing expenses

[Denim Deb]

Don't think anyone suggested this already, but if normally buy lunch meat, don't! Instead, use leftovers like roast beef, meatloaf, meatballs, etc for making lunch.

Instead of buying meat that's already cut up for stews, stir fry, etc, buy either a roast or London broil when it's on sale, and cut it up yourself.

If you can find a whole pork loin on sale, buy it and cut your own chops and pork roast.

Don't plan your shopping around your menu, but plan your menu around the sales circular.

 

[tortoise]

Don't plan your shopping around your menu, but plan your menu around the sales circular.

Good advice! Thank you!

ETA: That helps me put a routine day for errand - saving on gas too. I can make my shopping list (when the ads/circular comes) and clean out the fridge on Saturday. Then go shopping on Sunday. That should keep me from needing an extra trip.

I should ask my fiance to pick up just one or two things in between shopping trips. He drives past IGA on his way to/from work. Prices are a bit higher, but better than driving 30 miles.

Going shopping late night when I had a lot of time to think things over and make notes on prices was nice. I'll have to repeat that. And remember to bring my calculator! ... going to go put my calculator in my binder before I forget ...

 

[tortoise]

Do you think it is worth it to enter surveys and promos? I have gotten a lot of receipts with the WalMart survey to win a $1000 gift card. Heck, that would go a long way! So I'm gonna start doing that. I'm online anyway, who cares if they know my address? We already get the WalMart ads... So what if they can track my purchases? They might carry more SS/green/healthy products.

 

[savingdogs]

I seem to get tons of spam after I enter any contest or promotional stuff.

 

[tortoise]

Separate spam email dear.

I don't do the online ones that are spammy. I didn't get any spam from the WalMart one I tried, so I did 2 more tonight. They do take a minute, but I'm just holding down the couch watching TV so it doesn't matter to me. I was thinking about saving soda caps with reward codes and those sorts of things. (Not that I buy soda.... lol)

 

[Denim Deb]

Another thing to keep an eye out for are items reduced for quick sale. I've gotten some good deals on meat and produce this way.

 

[maf8009]

If your family eats beef.... go in "halves" with a family member or neighbor and buy a 1/2 side beef (or 1/4) and share meat... the price will skyrocket soon unless you can find loss leaders.

Buy loss leaders as much as possible and get out of the store fast.. that will save money too.. get up on sale get whole chickens on sale (.69 cents per pound? ) go thru line again get 3 more... go thru line again get 3 more.... and stock up

We purchase our 10 most used items in bulk, 50 lbs beans, rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, flour, pasta... etc... re package (with a food saver) and freeze the food 24 hours.. should stay fresh for at least a year....

purchase large # 10 cans (6/7 lbs each) only $3 per can!!!! still a great bargin. for sauces, veggies and canned fruits) open one can and for one example "green beans"

1) green beans for dinner
2) green bean cassarole
3) potato/ green bean cassarole
4) veg soup
5) bean soup (ad different beans)

so you can pay $18 for same amount of beans in smaller cans OR get the large cans of fruits veggies...for $3!!!! the prices have not gone up as much YET

Great for sauces, spaghetti, and soups too FREEZE ahead.. I cook by the month and always have something frozen to eat.

DO NOT eat out.. ( for a treat for the kids get the $1 burgers and bring a small toy to avoid the "happy meal fees"

For fun start a "cook by the week club" and you and other moms can make cassaroles and freeze for your whole family ..

(one mom makes/ cooks meats, one mom brings cooked noodles, one mom brings sauces, red and white... one mom brings veggies... you all "share" and make your own creations! NEAT fun.

Hope this helps

 

[elijahboy]

right now hams and turkeys are on sale and that will help about tons if you use lots of lunch meat

i know i use 4 packs a weeks at 3.00 a pop for 10 oz

go get one of those sale hams (ours is .89 a lb) take it to the meat dept and have them slice it up thin same goes with the turkeys

 

[tortoise]

Thanks for the deli meat tips. I could get it crazy-cheap and freeze it in 1-lb packs. Deli meat is like $5/lb! It should be REALLY on sale now after the holidays.

I'm noticing that as I value my money more, I am being fussy about returning and exchanging products - even if it is a $1 item. I'm saving receipts, stapling to warranty info and tucking into my binder.

I think this is a good habit for me. I'm always one to say it's "good enough" or to not keep track of those things. A passive push-over personality. Nope, my $1 is worth getting the quality of product that I paid for.

An example, my son got a crayola product for Christmas. They have a website with some pretty cool stuff - personalize and create your own coloring book, for example. But you need the access code which is supposed to be in the box. It wasn't. So I looked up Crayola's phone number to get them to give me an access code!

Most of our stove use is baking pizzas. We are thinking about getting a pizza oven to save electricity. It should make a significant difference, particularly because we bake pizza during the day when electricity is 4x more expensive.

I realized I get so many WalMart surverys because I pay for different items out of different accounts. I might get 4 receipts in one shopping trip. At least 1 survery slip. I'm going to keep doing these. $1000 is a pretty big prize. Lots of shoppers won't have internet, will be too lazy, don't care etc. I wonder how big the pool is? There are 5 chosen every 3 months.

 

[lorihadams]

My food bill is probably the highest bill in our house. I don't buy processed food and shop more often but buy less cause I'm getting enough fresh food for us to eat in 5-7 days at a time. I only shop once a week and tend to do a marathon shopping trip. The rest of the week we are home. I'm working on restocking my pantry with GF stuff so that is another reason my bill is higher but if you look at us as a nation, we spend less on food than a lot of other countries but have much higher medical costs. I can justify spending more on food and less on stupid extras if it means we are healthier.

It seems that the first thing we want to cut out of the budget is food. That just seems backwards to me....cell phone, cable, eating out, going to movies, new clothes, new car, nope....can't cut that out but I can eat cheapy cardboard fake food so I can keep my entertainment stuff.

I will get down off my soapbox now.........