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Saving on Groceries
By Little House
http://www.littlehouseinthevalley.com/
Living on an erratic income has made me budget conscious. So, every few months my husband and I sit down and budget accordingly trying to find places where we can live frugally, but not miserly. We recently reviewed our budget and found a few places to save money. One category where we decided to reduce our spending was on groceries. I always shop the sales and use my store rewards card, but I'm not much of a coupon clipper. Therefore, my husband and I decided to search for alternatives. This is what we came up with:
Shop the 99 cent store for the following items:
For dry and canned goods we can shop at the 99 cent store. Most dry and canned goods last a long time and our local 99 cent store has most of the major brands. It's silly to purchase black beans for $1.00 when I can get 2 or 3 cans for the same price. Also, some 99 cent stores have decent seasonal produce in good condition; it's worth browsing for deals.
Soda and Kool-Aid. Huge 3 liter bottles of soda taste just as good as the 2-liter name brands. For a $1.00, you can't beat that.
Some HBA items. Soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, and bleach are the same no matter what brand you purchase. If you look at the ingredients on mouthwash and toothpaste, they are mostly the same across the board. There's no reason to spend $3.00 on toothpaste when $1.00 tube is just as good.
Some paper goods. Paper towel is one of those items I try not to use too much of. I usually opt for a clean cloth, but when I need to use paper towel, it's silly to spend more than $1.00 for a large roll. Usually, the 99 cent store rolls are larger than the store-bought $1.00 item.
Shop a local Korean market for the following items:
My husband recently did some research on purchasing quality meats for less. His findings suggest we shop our local Korean supermarket for meats. We should find high quality meats, like hamburger and steak, for less than our local brand-name grocery store.
Shop Wal-Mart for the following:
HBA items like deodorant, shampoo, lip-gloss, lotion, hair products, and just about any high dollar item that is overpriced at local grocery stores.
Continue to shop our local brand-name grocery store for the following:
Cheese, milk, and dairy will still be purchased at our local Ralphs. I don't like the selections offered at the 99 cent store and am a bit squeamish about purchasing it at an unknown store.
Frozen meals. I always shop the sale items and there is always a decent variety.
Fresh fruit and veggies that can't be found at discount grocery stores. Sometimes, the best produce is purchased at either chain grocery stores, or a farmers market.
By sticking to this plan, we intend to knock off about $100 a month on our grocery bill. That $100 will be deposited into our savings. I hope that others can use these tips as well.
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