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 So, what can we do? We can figure out the best
ways to make our dollars go further and/or spend less without
starving.
To that end, let us suggest a few DON’Ts, a few DO’s and
DO-but-DON’T tips.
DON’T go shopping every day
Many people now a days leave work in the evening and run to the
grocery store and pick up whatever they need to prepare dinner for
the family. To save money, it would be helpful if that were not a
common practice. Going daily opens us up to buying without a list
and purchasing ingredients you already have at home, because you
didn’t have that opportunity to check the pantry and freezer and
make a list.
You want to make spaghetti quick and simple. You need pasta,
spaghetti sauce, meat, parmesan, a loaf of crusty bread, butter,
fresh garlic or garlic powder, salad fixings, and dressing. You get
to the store, you know what you need for one meal, but do you
remember what you already have at home? Do you end up buying a new
container of parmesan because you aren’t sure if you have any in the
fridge? Then you get home and find you almost a full jar. Maybe
you’ll use it all eventually, but for this moment in time, you spent
money unnecessarily.
So, how do you remedy this?
DO plan ahead for your meals perhaps a week
at a time.
DO make of list of what ingredients you need for each meal you have
planned.
DO check your freezer, pantry and spice rack and see what you have
in stock, what you must have to complete your week’s menu plan, then
DO add those specific items to your list.
DON’T go shopping hungry
Another good reason to not go grocery shopping after work is that
you may be hungry. It is a proven fact that we tend to buy more, and
do more impulse shopping when we are hungry.
So DO go shopping after you’ve had a good meal. After lunch or after
breakfast in the morning, grab your shopping list and head off to
the store.
DO NOT fall prey to impulse shopping
It is so hard to do, but to stay on budget one must train him or
herself to only buy what is on the list. There are enticements
everywhere, from the feature items placed in the entrance of the
store with big BUY NOW SAVE NOW signs. Stop and think. If you’ve not
bought it before, and it isn’t on your list, are you really saving
anything, or are you spending money you did not intend to spend.
On the other hand, it might be something you are really interested
in trying. There are a couple of DO’s for this instance. DO see how
long the big promotion is going to last. DO note the price and how
much you have to buy in order to get that price. Make a note of all
this and later when you are not being influenced by that big
colorful sign, think about whether or not you want or need to invest
your money in that product. If it comes up YES, then add that item
to your next shopping excursion.
And of course, if the item is on your list, or something you use
consistently and you have the money in the grocery budget to grab up
a few extras, then do so. The point is, don’t be enticed into buying
what you don’t need or don’t use.
DON’T take people shopping with you that
may push you to make impulse purchases
Spending quality time with the children or spouse is not achieved in
the grocery store. If the kids are going to see colorful boxes or
enticements of “free toys inside” and push you to make an unplanned
purchase, that is not quality time, it is stress time. If your
spouse is a cookie monster that wants to try something new every
time you go to the grocery, that is not quality time, that is stress
time.
The best case scenario, leave the kiddos at home with the spouse, or
drop them off for a play date or some spoiling from the grandparents
and let the spouse stay home for some quality 'Me' time.
Here is a DO but DON’T
DO try less expensive store brands, but
DON’T tell the family.
Buying a name brand product is a physiological and a behavioral
experience. We have been trained through product marketing that a
certain name brand is better or even the best. But that is not
necessarily true. If the kids know that the bread they are eating is
not some well marketed wonderful white bread, they are conditioned
to believe it won’t be good. But, chances are, if you take it out of
the wrapper and put it on the table, they will eat it without
knowing the difference.
DO check labels on those store brand
products
You will be surprised if you’ve never done this before. Two boxes of
cereal are on the shelf, one is a popular name brand, one is the
store brand. The boxes appear similar and you could easily confuse
one for the other. Pick up both boxes and find the where each was
manufactured. You may be surprised to find the two boxes share the
same factory address. They are made in the same place, with the same
ingredients, and with the same quality control standards. So why
then is the name brand higher? Marketing. You are paying for the
commercial you see that entices you to purchase that product in the
first place. Millions of dollars are spent annually to market that
cute little honey bee or leprechaun, and you pay for that when you
buy the product.
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DO read the information on
the shelf tags at the store
True story. For several months a store in Lincoln was selling small
bottles of Dawn dish soap at a price per ounce that was lower than
the jumbo economy-sized bottle. Look at the cost per ounce of each
size. We can’t say the how or why of this, but it was to the
shopper’s advantage to buy smaller bottles at that point in time.
And remember, the price on the shelf is the price you pay. If a
product shelf sticker says an item should be $3.49 and at the
checkout it rings up $3.99, you have a right to ask for a price
check at the shelf and hold the store to their “advertised price.”
DO comparison shop between
retailers
Do this with caution in Logan County. We know that we are limited on
the resources for groceries. But do comparison shop. You can
purchase food products at Aldi, Lincoln IGA, Wal-Mart, Dollar
General and even Dollar Tree. Use caution in doing so. Don’t assume
that it is cheaper because the price tag says it costs less. Look at
that shelf tag or at the product packaging. Are you comparing apples
to apples? Are you comparing packages with the same weight or
servings per package? If all are equal, then buy where it is less
expensive.
Where you want to use caution is the location distance the sale is
taking place. If you get a flier from a grocery in Springfield, do
the marked down prices in the flier save you more than the gas you
will spend to get there? Often times, buying local even at a
slightly higher price is still the smartest thing to do.
DO shop sales
Check out that weekly flyer from Lincoln IGA. What have they got on
sale that you can incorporate into your meal plans? Planning your
weekly menu utilizing sales is to your advantage.
DO take advantage of discount days
This is a tip for seniors. If you have acquired that “fine wine”
age, you deserve some breaks. If a store offers discounts for you if
you shop on Wednesday, then by all means…shop on Wednesday.
DO take advantage of cash back cards
We are a cashless society today. Many debit and credit cards offer
cash back scenarios at specific stores. If you can get those perks
while shopping locally that is also to your advantage.
DO shop with coupons but
DON’T buy something just because you have a
coupon
Many coupons are ‘two for’ deals or cents off when you buy
multiples. If it is a product that you use a lot of and you often
buy multiples then DO take advantage of those opportunities. If it
is not a product you use, then again, you are not saving more, you
are spending more.
Sometimes you need to SPEND money to MAKE money. Take a look at your
current food storage capacity. Do you have a freezer or do you rely
on the freezer space in your refrigerator? If the latter is true,
how much space do you actually have for long term food storage?
Probably not a lot. You might want to consider investing in a deep
freezer so you can save money at the grocery store.
How does that work? Multiple ways. A favorite idea is to take
advantage of some of the local food fundraisers, such as the annual
meat sale at Zion Lutheran School. You can place orders for locally
sourced pork products and the prices are less than you will pay at
the grocery store. Well packaged, pork will keep in the freezer for
up to a year.
In November, you will see sales on turkey and in December on ham.
Take advantage of those sales to stock up for the winter and save on
the grocery bill during a time of year when you are paying heating
costs.
Preserve vegetables from your garden or the items your family and
friends share with you. Many veggies are good straight from the
freezer. Green beans, lima beans, peppers, summer squash, broccoli,
and cauliflower are fine examples of this. The advantages are that
you can stock up for six months to a year and save money during the
winter months.
You can also preserve leftovers in the freezer. A favorite is make a
big pot of chili and freeze single-meal-sized containers for later
use. You save dollars with less food waste, and have a quick thaw
and fix on days you don’t have time to cook.
Finally, know that not every suggestion is going to work for you and
your family. Trial and error is the best way to decide which tips
saving you money.
And the bottom line is whatever you do, do so conscientiously. Don’t
buy without thinking, planning, and budgeting and always make a list
before heading out to the grocery.
Happy shopping!
[Nila Smith]
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