Don’t be pressured by sale purchase amounts: When an item says 10 for $5 you usually don’t half to buy all 10. You can buy 4 or 7 or however many you like and still get the deal.

Ignore customer limits: Along the lines above don’t let stores trick you into thinking an item is rare or in high demand. For example – when people see a sign that says, “Only 8 per customer” they often think OMG I better get all 8! Nope. Stores do this on purpose to create a need, but if you don’t actually need 8 of an item, it’s no bargain.

But my cart’s not full yet!: Carts at grocery stores have steadily grown larger over the years which gives most people a sense of ease because it feels like you’re saving money if your cart is only half full. BUT with larger carts a half full cart is still pretty darn full. Don’t get into a comfort zone.

Don’t be average: Studies show that when offered three items customers will pick the mid-range price. For example, three shampoos priced $12, $7, and $2 – most will pick the $7 shampoo. With this in mind, stores often place mid-priced items at eye level which has also been shown to entice people to buy. However, it may not be the best deal in size or worth (i.e. how well it works). Always research items you buy to make sure it’s the best deal for you.

Look beyond eye level: Correlated with the tip above, always look where you can’t see to gain the best deals. Stores place mid and high priced items at eye level and cheaper versions high, low, and in other odd spaces. Chances are the items you can’t see right away are the best deal.

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• Save your fresh herbs in the freezer. You can do this in bunches or cubes and either whole or chopped. They won’t have the same picked fresh flavor but they will last longer than they would in your fridge.Save empty butter wrappers folded (messy side inside) in the fridge – when you need to grease a pan, take one out and grease away. Cheaper than spray for sure.
• Leftover baked or mashed potatoes can be made easily into potato cakes. You can add whatever fixings you like to the cakes like veggies or turkey sausage and top with gravy, sour cream, or other goodies (salsa is fun).
• To keep homemade cookies fresh place a small piece of sliced apple in with them at the bottom of the jar. This should keep them moist for as long as you have them – good for homes like mine because my son is only a semi treat muncher. Our cookies always get dry before we eat them unless we do this trick.
• ALWAYS make all your pancakes or waffles right away. Every time I leave batter in the fridge I forget about it. A better option is to use all your batter at once then freeze the extra waffles or cakes, which heat well in a toaster oven or microwave. NOTE: The first time I froze pancakes I did it wrong. Do not place them in a container and allow them to freeze, you’ll never be able to get them apart one-by-one. Instead, place extras on a cookie sheet, place in the freezer for 30 mins til mostly frozen, then put them into a container or wrap them together.
• Dried out cheese is gross in slices but still works in wet dishes like lasagna or a casserole. Grate it finely and add it to your dishes.

What other ideas do you have?

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Go homemade: It costs less to cook from scratch AND you get the added benefit of less food wasted. Whenever anyone I know buys one of those precooked holiday meals there’s a ton leftovers because those precooked meals just don’t taste that great. Why buy food if you’re going to toss it? It is more time consuming to cook homemade, but if you gather everyone together to help it makes it faster (and more fun).

Buy frozen holiday food: Normally I say go fresh and organic, however with the sheer bulk of holiday food that most families buy, frozen foods are almost just as healthy and costs less. Go fresh with your salad fixings but buy side veggies like broccoli and corn frozen. Fresh fruit is expensive this time of year, so look for frozen strawberries, raspberries, and other fruits in frozen form for tarts, cookies, pies, and sauces. Most frozen fruits and veggies are available in organic too.

Think cans: On the same note as the above canned fruits for pies can save you cash. I never suggest canned veggies because I think they taste terrible PLUS unless you want a side of BPA for the holidays it’s safer to skip the canned veggies.

Know when to go cheap and when to splurge: You should splurge on an organic turkey and fresh veggies for a raw veggie tray, but empty calorie foods like chips, soda, and so on taste pretty much the same if you buy name brand or store brand. Going cheap on the less meaningful food saves you cash to splurge on nicer foods – i.e. fruit and cheese.

Stretch and compost leftovers: If you bought too much food, the best thing is to make yummy leftovers with it. We have some great holiday leftover ideas here at Thrifty Mommy. You can also compost which is a great way to get an early start on healthy soil for spring.

What are some other ways to save money on Christmas dinner?

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Know your food costs: Track food costs for about a month so you get a fair idea of where your money is going. Divide the costs into necessary foods (bread, milk, eggs) and unnecessary food costs (cookies, soda, dips). You should also keep track of how often you eat out and those costs too.

Set a target: Do you want to cut $50, $100, more? Set a target then start thinking about how you can manage to meet that goal.

Make some decisions: After looking at your food bill costs, decide what’s necessary to keep and what can be tossed. For example, hummus is not a totally necessary food, but lots of people like it, and it’s healthier than say chips if you use it as a dip for whole wheat crackers or veggies. Soda or energy drinks or candy would all be better to cut. Don’t cut in access though which can lead to splurging.

Have a solid plan: Get a decent cookbook with low cost healthy meals and browse through. See what’s manageable and what’s not. Make your grocery list accordingly. Don’t buy stuff you won’t cook – you’re overshooting. Once you know some meals you will cook, make your grocery list, and when you go shopping don’t get other items – unless you see a killer sale on a healthy item, say black beans or veggies stick to that list.

Make the plan stick: Easy ways to make sure you stick to the plan include cooking in bulk and freezing meals – you’ll be less likely to impulse buy if you know you have dinner ready to go in the freezer. Eat dinner as a family. You can also shop while NOT hungry, and shop without the rest of the family, if that’s possible.

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1)  Grow your own.  Growing your own can help to drastically cut your food bill.  As an added bonus, you get to control the use of fertilizers and pesticides. 

2)  Can and freeze for the winter months.  Many people plan a large garden so that they will have enough to can and freeze for future months.  These come in handy for soups, casseroles and crock pot meals.

3)  Buy in-season produce.  I am more likely to buy cucumbers, tomatoes, and other produce when they’re at seasonal low prices.  When tomatoes are $.99/lb I’ll plan to make pico de gallo, tomato casserole, and other dishes that use tomatoes.  When they’re $3.99, I find something else to make that’s less expensive.

4)  Buy locally.  Last week I was thrilled when I stopped at the farmer’s market and found squash and zucchini for $.19/lb and sweet potatoes for $.29/lb.  I walked out with two large bags of produce for only $2.97.

5)  Properly store the vegetables.  Some vegetables like to be stored in air tight containers.  Storing vegetables the proper ways lengthens their lifespan. 

You might also like 10 ways to eat more fruits and vegetables.

What ways do you save money on vegetables?

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Track regular buys: I used to track all my grocery store buys, but that was EXTREME. It took a lot of time, although it did save me money. Instead make a list of the 20 or 30 items you buy most often and just track those. I.e. track bread costs at various markets you frequent so you know when you’re getting the best deal.

Locate bargain rack days: Most stores stock new goods on a regular schedule which means older goods hit the discount shelves on specific days as well. Ask around to find out which days your fave store slash prices on meat, muffins, and other perishable goods. Then hit the stores on those days.

Wear high heels or flip-flops: Well, not really but making yourself taller or shorter than average is smart. Stores place the most expensive products at eye level with lower cost versions of the same item (just different brands) higher and lower. Try not to buy anything that’s too easy to see.

Don’t go so extreme that you lose money: Dried beans rock when you consider price and health benefits, but did you know you have to soak those suckers for a good few hours (or even overnight) before cooking? Yes, if you buy goods like dried beans, non-instant rice, and cans of tomato paste for homemade sauce and use them correctly you’ll save lots BUT if you buy the cheapest option and then end up getting take out because those cheaper options take too long, you’ll lose much more. A smarter move is to be realistic and buy a ready made jar of sauce or cooked beans.

What extreme grocery tips do you have?

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1)  Shop at day old bread stores and close out stores. Sometimes you can find great deals at Merita stores, Big Lots, and Dollar Tree has even had some Nature’s Own bread.

2)  Look for coupons.  Just last week I was at Food Lion and found a great coupon.  It was to get a free bag of Sara Lee bagels with the purchase of a loaf of bread.  The bread was only $1.99 and the bagels were $3.69.  I got two free bags of bagels. 

3)  Look for promotional offers.  Sometimes Sara Lee and Ball Park will offer a promotion in which you get free hotdog buns with the purchase of the hotdogs.  If the hotdogs are buy 1 get 1 free or if you have a coupon, you can really get a deal.

4)  Use your reward points.  Stores such as Lowe’s Foods offer points to their customers for each dollar they spend.  You can use your points to get free bread.

5)  Make your own.  Some specialty breads can be really expensive, but making your own can save quite a bit of money.

6)  Don’t let it go to waste.  If you have some bread that’s going to waste, try to find a use for it.  I’m thinking french toast, cinnamon toast, cheese toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter toast, croutons.  There’s a lot of different items that can be made with bread.

7)  Look for buy 1 get 1 free sales.  Sometimes it’s easy to grab the same bread each time.  If you’re not name brand loyal, you can save 50% on your bread.  I have seen several buy 1 get 1 free offers lately.  It also provides a good opportunity to try something different.

How do you save on your bread purchases?

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Three days sale items:

Edy’s ice cream (reg $5.39) $1.99, limit 4
Scott or Cottonelle 12 roll bath tissue (reg $9.79-$9.99) $4.99, limit 4
Gain laundry detergent, 100 oz liquid or powder (reg $13.29) $7.99, limit 2
Bounty paper towels, 8=12 giant rolls (reg $14.59) $7.99, limit 2
Kraft shredded or chunk cheese, 8 oz (reg $2.79) bogo, limit 2 free
–These were supposed to be 2/$2.79 but they were ringing up 2/$2 at my Food Lion because they are also on sale for $2 the rest of the week.

Other sales until Tuesday:

boneless chicken breast fillets or tender $1.79/lb
10 lb bag Russet potatoes $1.99
Smithfield smoked bacon bogo, limit 2 free
General Mills cereal, select ones bogo, limit 2 free
50% off Smithfield center cut ham slices
Alpo prime cuts bogo, limit 2 free
Porterhouse or t-bone steaks $4.98/lb
boneless shoulder steak or roast $2.99/lb
Pillsbury Halloween ckae mix $.99
Pillsbury Halloween frosting $1.29
Barilla pasta 5/$5
Clorox bleach $1.75
Progresso soups 3/$4
Betty Crocker cake mix 10/$10
Campbell’s chicken noodle or tomato soup $.59
Keebler Chips Deluxe cookes bogo, limit 2 free
3 lb bag yellow onions $1.99
Food Lion chicken breasts or tenders, individually quick frozen, bogo limit 2 free
whole pork tenderloin $2.99/lb
Perdue Perfect Portions boneless chicken breasts $5.99
Contessa meals, bogo, limit 2 free
Freschetta pizza, $3.99 (There should be a $1 coupon at coupons.com.)
Gorton’s value pack fish, bogo, limit 2 free
Ore-Ida fries and potatoes 4/$10
Jif peanut butter 18 oz, 2/$4
Food Lion jumbo biscuits 5/$5
Thomas English muffins bogo, limit 2 free

Other:  My local Food Lion also had Luck’s beans for $.59/can and Food Lion beans 2/$.89. Now would be a good time to stock up on canned beans for the winter months.  Red Baron pizza was $3.99 and I had a $1 coupon.  I did not see these sales advertised in their paper. Also, if an item is 2/$4 you do not have to buy 2 of the item to get the sale price.  As always, you can combine a coupon with the sale for more savings.  Check your local store or online ad for specials in your area.

Do you shop at Food Lion?

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Additional savings were earned from a $1 catalina that I received after my last purchase on Friday.  General Mills and Harris Teeter have a rebate savings going on right now.  I think if you purchase 3 Pillsbury products you get a $1 coupon/Catalina at the end of your purchase good on your next order.  I got one Wednesday after buying 3 Pillsbury Grand biscuits and then again Friday after the same purchase was made.  Then today I got a $5 rebate off my purchase for buying 15 General Mills products.  I didn’t realize I had purchased that many GM products this week, but I was glad for the extra savings.

This week I spent approximately $94 but I saved about $220.  I did get lots of things that I normally wouldn’t purchase unless they were free or really cheap.  I was able to stock our pantry with rice, dessert mixes, and some easy items for the freezer.  I also stocked our pantry with lots of canned vegetables. They were buy 2 get 3 free.  The kids will be excited about the junk food in the cabinets.  I’ll have to ration it out over the next month. 

The point of me telling you all this today is to encourage you that you can save a lot of money on your grocery bill.  It does take time, but it is so worth the savings!  I’ll say it again . . . Time is money and money is time.

Do you use coupons when you shop?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

In case you plan on making a trip, check out these coupon match-ups.  You can find more coupon match-ups from my first shopping trip.

Martha White Muffin Mix
$1.19 reg, buy 1 get 1 free
$.55 q 8/9 RP = FREE

Betty Crocker frosting
$1.99 reg, $1.50 sale
$.50 q SS 8/9 = FREE

Duncan Hines muffin mix, $2.65
$.75 q = $.40

5 star pocket folder
$2.99 reg, $.94 clearance

2 kids’ metal golf sets (not pictured)
$6.49 each, $1.62 each clearance

Grands biscuits $1.99, buy 1 get 1 free
SS 8/9 $.40 q on 3 = $.60 each

Totinos pizza rolls $2.19, buy 2 get 3 free
SS 8/9 $.40 on 2 = $.64 each
or SS 9/13

Ortega (buy 2 products) – prices vary
refried beans $1.39, taco shells $2.29
$.75 off 2 = $1.43 for 2

10 cans Green Giant vegetables
$1.39 each reg, buy 2 get 3 free = $.56 each

2 Swanson canned chicken
$2.15 each reg, $1.79 sale
$.75 off 2 = $.67 each

Sweet Sue canned chicken (large can), $2.99
$.75 SS 9/13 = $.74

Bumble Bee Tuna
SS 9/13 $.55 = FREE

Mentos, $1.49
$.55 SS 9/13 or 8/16 = FREE

Blue Diamond Almonds (splurge item for hubby), $4.15
$.75 q = $1.90

Campbell’s condensed soups
$.50 off 2 = $1.24 for 2

Lysol cleaning wipes
$3.49 reg, buy 1 get 1 free
$1 SS 9/13 = $1.25 each

Ziploc storage containers
$3.29 reg, $3 sale
$.55 SS 9/13 = $1.35

Spray ‘N Wash (not pictured)
$3.25 reg, buy 1 get 1 free
$.50 SS 9/13 = $.13

HT marshmallows $1.19 reg

6 pk honey buns
$1.79 reg, $.79 sale

12 pk swiss rolls
$1.79 reg, $.79 sale

red seedless grapes
$2.99/lb reg, $.99/lb sale

Pepperidge Farm bread
$3.29 reg, buy 1 get 1 free = $1.65 each

Pillsbury Toaster Strudels
$2.99 reg, $2 sale
$.75? off 2 = $.88 each

Smuckers Uncrustables, $3.19
$.50 or $.75 q? = $1.69

Grands Biscuits
$1.99 reg, buy 1 get 1 free
$.40 q = $.60 each
or use $.75 blinkie coupon on shelf (does not triple)

Pillsbury cookies, $2.79
$.75? q = $.54

Pillsbury Savorings
$4.59 reg, $3 sale
$.55 q? =  $1.35

Pillsbury pizza crust
$2.55 reg, $2.19 sale
$.40 q = $.99

Welch’s juice, $2.79
$.75 q = $.54

HT milk, $2.59

HT 2.5 lb bag boneless breast chicken
$9.99 reg, buy 1 get 1 free, $4.99

Sorry, there were a few coupons that I could not remember the exact coupon amount. As you can see, with triple coupons, you can save a lot on your grocery bill by buying ahead/stockpiling items while they’re at their lowest prices.  I hope that I’ll have time to shop one more time before the triple coupon sale ends on Tuesday.

Did you shop at Harris Teeter this week? How’d you do?

images (c) Karen Weideman

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