1. Cutting dryer sheets: Because I have super sensitive skin I only use Bounce Free and Clear sheets. After a few rashes from other brands, I won't switch because I know that this brand will not give me a nasty surprise. One way to save money is buy them when you have a good coupon and cut them up. Dryer sheets are to reduce the static in your clothes from the dryer. Using a whole sheet isn't necessary. I cut them into thirds, tripling the number of loads I can do. For my photos I used an 80 count box, so, instead of 80 loads I'll have 240 loads. Be aware that in the winter you may need to use 2 pieces because it's so dry, but even with this you'll still get extra bang for your buck.
2. Not being brand loyal. Now, I know just above I said I only used Bounce, well that is just about the only brand that I'm 100% loyal to. I can usually use an item as long as it is fragrance free for sensitive skin. I always compare prices to all the brands on a shelf for the product I want. I do not buy name brand unless its on a great sale. Most store brand items are just as good.
3. Shopping the Clearance racks! I know most people will skip right over these because they feel there is something wrong with the product, especially food. Well, in most cases that's absolutely false! Two weeks ago I found boxes of Rice A Roni for .85 per box. Why, because the boxes were banged up. It looks like they something fell on them but none of the boxes were open, so even though they were dented the food was still good. Keep in mind if you use coupons, bring them with you to the store. Most stores will allow you to still use coupons on clearance items, making it an incredible buy.
4. Asking yourself, why do I need this. When making a purchase I always ask myself this, even with food that's not on my grocery list. If you can't answer it with something like, I just remembered I'm out or it's something that my family uses a lot and its on a surprise sale, or on the clearance rack and I can stock up to save money in the future, then you probably shouldn't get it. Now, I'm not saying don't treat yourself or splurge occasionally, what I'm saying is don't buy lobster or steak at the highest price while wandering thru the store trying to find dinner. It will kill your budget.
5. Making a weekly meal plan and doing all your shopping at once. I've tried to keep up with this but fell off for a while during the last part of my pregnancy. I've recently got back into it and can already see the payoffs again. Meal planning isn't all that hard, look at what you have in your house, check the flyer for the local store and come up with meals you know you like. If you want to be adventurous pick 1 meal you haven't tried before, don't do all new meals with large ingredient lists that you have to buy all or most of. Once you have your menu, confirm what items you already have in your cupboards and refrigerator, put together a shopping list and stick to it. Make sure you take into account breakfast, lunch and some snacks too. To help with my menu, I purchased a small magnetic white board for my fridge. I found it on Amazon for $18.95. This menu is GREAT, it keeps me on track with what I'm cooking, helps me remember if I need to grab something out of the freezer and lets my husband know whats for dinner. If he knows whats for dinner, he's great about getting dinner started.
No comments:
Post a Comment