Last December I moved to a small town.  There were a few stores around, but not the wide variety from which I have become accustomed.  The transition to this lifestyle was very difficult because I shop around for the best bargains on our groceries. 
With only one grocery store in town, I was left with the option of shopping there or driving 30 minutes each way.  My grocery bill had jumped 30% and something needed to be done.  It took me a few months to develop a system for saving money, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.

Here are some tips for saving …read more

Just this week, I visited our local thrift store/Christian ministry.  I was looking for jeans for my children.  I just can’t find it in myself to pay $10-15 (or more) for a pair of pants when I know I can get several almost new pairs for that price.  I did pretty well during my shopping trip.  I was able to get 12 pairs of pants (mostly jeans) for only 12! 

I was pretty pleased with the jeans and so were my kids.  Here are some reasons that I like thrift stores.
6)  I don’t have the guilt.  I can’t force myself to pay …read more

This week, I visited our local thrift store/Christian ministry.  They sell donated items and use the money to help those in the community.  Since it is time to begin swapping out the children’s summer clothing, I decided to shop for pants.  No matter how much buying ahead I do, we never seem to have enough jeans.  I just can’t justify paying $10-15 for a pair of pants. 
You never know what you’ll find at a thrift store.  This week, I was blessed with some bargains.  I found 12 pairs of pants for my kids for only $12!  That’s $1 per pair.

I enjoy …read more

I had become used to purchasing large eggs from the grocery store.  This came from months of seeing that large eggs were the best bargain on the shelves.  I had compared the sizes of the large eggs with the extra large eggs and decided to change my normal purchasing routine.  Large eggs it was.

Little did I realize that I had become patterned in my buying again and was no longer conscientious of egg prices.  Finally, this week when the price of large eggs went up once again, I looked around the shelves.  To my surprise, I noticed that extra large eggs were …read more

One way to save on your grocery bill is to check the dates on the food products before you buy them.  Just tonight I was shopping and found shredded cheese and flour tortilla shells that were several weeks out of date.  The cheese was moldy and I’m sure it won’t be long before the tortilla shells taste badly. 

While many items are still good for a while past their best by date, it’s important to get fresh products so that they’ll last longer and taste better.  If you like to stockpile groceries while they’re at rock bottom prices (or buy ahead), …read more

Restocking fees can happen in online or retail stores and they can pack a big wallop for an item you’re returning. Basically, a restock fee is when a company charges you 15-20% (typically although sometimes a lot more; like 50%) on an item you’re returning that you already opened.

The fee allegedly covers issues like the time it takes to check the box for missing parts, missing instructions, or for making replacements. With the holidays coming up, it’s wise to pay close attention to restock fees because they can up the price of your holiday purchases.
You can avoid these restocking fees …read more

The North Carolina tax free weekend is this weekend, August 7-9.  Shop in North Carolina this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and you won’t have to pay sales tax on clothing and school supply purchases of $100 per item, instructional materials up to $300 per item, computer purchases up to $3500 per item, other computer supplies up to $250 per item,  and sport equipment up to $50 per item.  

Clothing accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, protective equipment, wallets, furniture, items used in a trade or business, and rentals are not covered by the exemption and will be subject to the applicable tax.  For more information on exempt …read more

If you’ve been reading Thrifty Mommy for a while, then you know that I enjoy buying birthday presents for my kids when they are on clearance.  I try to shop around for things I know my children will like, except I don’t have the guilt of paying outrageous prices for their toys and I don’t feel too much of a loss if the item becomes forgotten and ends up in the yard sale.
Alligator Girl’s birthday is July 4th and here’s a look at the cool stuff she got, thanks to her Thrifty Mommy! 

MagNext magnet set – This was …read more

If you like to save money, then you’ll want to check out SavvyDollar.  SavvyDollar is an online forum where others come to share couponing tips, sale and coupon match-ups, sales and bargains they have found, plan coupon swaps, and more.

Although SavvyDollar has information specific to North Carolina, it can still be a source of saving information for those in other states.  I signed up for the website’s newsletter and this week I was emailed a huge list of triple coupon match-ups for Harris Teeter.  The list was compiled by Smart Spending Resources. 
Here’s a sample of the email I received:
Breyers Ice Cream BOGO …read more

Last year, I wrote numerous articles about grocery shopping, saving money with coupons, stockpiling, The Grocery Game, and getting groceries for next to nothing.  This year, I’m really struggling.

In December, our family moved to a very rural area.  It’s beautiful out here.  The neighbors have llamas, donkeys, horses, and cows.  It’s nice and quiet.  There’s just one problem . . . the only grocery store around is Food Lion. 
Food Lion does have some nice weekly specials that I like to stockpile, but I am really missing my Lowe’s Foods.  Each week, I would print out The Grocery Game list for …read more