Saturday Supermarket Savings

There was money spent at the grocery store yesterday. Since supper was to be on my own thee was a great deal of conflict as to where or what to have: Should I visit on of my favorite fast food places?...Nah. I knew that the bill would easily run anywhere from $6-$10.

And that was for one meal for one.

I went to the grocery store instead and got $25.59 worth of groceries. You may think to yourself, "what good was that financially to spend $25.59 as opposed to $6-$10?" Simple. there was enough food purchased for approximately 12-15 meals. That is closer to $2 a meal. If you are keeping track, our tab now runs to $150.68, and there is enough food to last until the end of the month (and perhaps even beyond).

Some advocate going to the grocery store only once a month except for the perishables like milk, meat, eggs and cheese. I largely agree. But your can always freeze meat for a short while, so you could get your basic hamburger and chicken and freeze it. Just be sure to use it before your meat develops freezer burn. Keep your eyes open for bargains. When the supermarket was visited last night after work, a noticed that there was a special on the frozen pizza that I like at 4 for $5. Not bad considering that the pizzas are usually $1.89 apiece.

You can save money by always being vigilant for savings like that: savings can quickly add up to give you extra money with which to pay do your credit card debt. Tomorrow we will look at skyrocketing interest rates.

Have a GREAT day!

Savings Continued, Now Completing The Third Day

In quest to see how much money was spent in day-to-day activities, we have begun keeping track of some of the non-fixed items to see if there are any ways in which money can be saved. Of course, this is just to take those same savings and apply them toward the debt elimination at hand.

Day three there was money spent. Occasionally one has to replenish the perishable items in the food reserve, and yesterday was no exception. We needed milk, bread, and (hangs head in shame at a vice) Diet Coke. I had stopped by Wal-Mart on the way to work (it isn't out of the way, so no "special trip" was made), but the $4.98 for a case of soda was replaced by $7.13 for the same case of 24. I was not happy about that, so I went to my local grocery store and got it instead (for the same price...). I did find and stock up on the cheese that I liked which is normally $3.28 for $1.00. I walked away feeling more like a winner on that one. All told, there was $42.35 spent on food, but that will last a while.

You have to be ready to take advantage of sale prices when you see them. There was $2.15 that was spent unnecessarily. Since we regularly buy the soda by the can, there is a renewed effort to keep the eyes peeled for the opportunity. So, the total now stands at $47.85 spent thus far since Sunday.

Have a GREAT day!

Grocery Savings

Saving money is one of the reasons behind this blog and the reason for saving money has been to have more money in order to more quickly pay off your credit card debt. I must apologize because an assumption was made that everyone must be in credit card debt since I was (yes, that is a bit of egocentric behavior there). In these trying economic times, it has been difficult for many to get by or save money. It has been noticed in the way that stores advertise, how people are striving for bargains more than ever.

I used to be somewhat of a snob when it came to grocery store choices. There are three large local grocery store chains in the region in which I live. One was known for its customer service, but the prices were a little elevated. Another had grown on its strength for having a little less in the quality department, but was more middle-of-the-road price--wise. Then there was the third which was more value driven and you had to bag your own groceries. It was the latter one that I rarely, if ever, frequented.

Now I shop there almost exclusively.

Here's why: they have improved the quality of their selection, but most Thursdays they offer a $1o off, no coupon day. Basically, if you spend $50 and more there on Thursday, they will knock $10 off your bill. If you spend $50, you will save 20%. If you spend $100, it is 10%. I shop with a list (a strategy that is recommended as a way to control spending) and do my best to keep my total as near $50 as possible. Of course, things like milk, eggs, and alcohol are excluded. They give you a receipt that shows how much you saved by posting the suggested retail price and show you how much you saved over all.

When I sat down this morning to enter the money into my check register, I saw how much I had saved. I spent (after $10 off) $51.33 for groceries for about two, maybe three weeks. My savings were $33.42 or around 40%. That's not too bad a deal. After all, food is just fuel for he body.

Becoming thrifty does change how you will view things and train your eyes to look for the bargains. After all, it is your hard-earned money that you are spending and you might as well get the most bang for your buck.

Have a GREAT day!

We Have Arrived!

We made it! Celebration is now in order. The official total is $178.10 that has been saved by not buying food (besides perishables) at the grocery store for the past 30 days. Instead, meals have been made by what was already in the pantry, but was passed over because we wanted something else. The surprising thing is that there is probably another month's worth out there in "pantry-land", but the updates will just be occassional. The funny thing is that one of our local grocery stores has a "no coupon" day today in which you get $10 off $50 purchase. That works out to be 20%. Of course the saving percent goes down as your bill grows.

That's why I shop with a list (and do the math as I go along) and keep it as close to $50 as I can. If there is ever an occassion to need more than $100, I will make two trips, one in the morning and one in the evening (it is a 24 hour store). Some people don't shop there because you bag the groceries yourself. I will bag my own to save a few cents on every item. Remember that pennies add up, especially when you are saving money to eliminate your credit card debt. Buckled with the interest that most people pay on their credit cards, it makes a HUGE difference in the bottom line.

One thing that I notice living in a strong union town is that people are unwilling to use a self check out for a small purchase. Their argument is that they don't want to put anybody out of a job. I usually keep my mouth shut because 1) the use of the self checker saves the store enough money to keep the prices as low as they are 2) a job is created to supervise the self checkouts and 3) if someone plans on making cashiering to be their career, perhaps some career counseling is in order. 'Nuff said.

Have a great day, and here is to YOUR success in eliminating your credit card debt.

Eighteen and Counting

Hard to believe that the journey has crested the halfway hill and is gaining momentum. While I did make a brief stop at the grocery store ($2.10 for animal crackers for a snack for our weekend ritual of a drink and popcorn, except I have been expressly forbidden from having popcorn due to the cracked tooth that I now possess and our dog prefers animal crackers). Running total is $87.63 and a large credit card debt payment of well in excess of $125 dollars is looking more and more like a reality. A new month is underway and the adjustment to the budget is already in place.

Credit card debt is the issue here and now that it has only been 19 days, a habit has started to ingrain itself into a way of life. This was evident when we stopped at the store and instead of blindly grabbing the "best" or name brand snack (that would have cost easily twice as much), the prices were quickly computed and the choice was made not on the short term pleasure that would have been from the more expensive cookies or snack cracker, the choice was made on cost per serving. It is amazing at how easily the choice was made. One of the contributing factors was one of the important grocery savings tips (pointed out at Dolans):

Don't Shop on an Empty Stomach!!!

I am sure that you have heard this at some point in your life, but it is true. You tend to end up with more items than you originally intended in your cart, You spend more, and you end up further from your goal of having more money in your account. The grocery store counts on the extra income (they strategically place items where you will be most apt to purchase them, like the checkout line) that they will get from you for purchasing impulse items. These have a higher profit margin, but you don't think about it because they are usually a dollar or two (or less), but THOSE DOLLARS ADD UP!!

Unfortunately we don't always plan our spending so we fall victim to marketing and impulse. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Harsh, but true. If you are to get control of finances, pay off your credit cards, and begin to enjoy the relief of pressure of ever-mounting bills, you should plan a budget, but also plan your expenses, including when to shop for things.

Have a great weekend and here is to eliminating your credit card debt.

Cheaper By the Dozen

It's the name of a popular 2003 remake of a movie. As the name implies, things may be cheaper by the dozen. That is true, but you have to watch and make sure. When saving money for elimating your credit card debt, it may be best to purchase some things in bulk (I will explain shortly). I am attempting to show some simple ways that you can save money so that your hard-earned money will go further and that you can make smart decisions so that you can help eliminate credit card debt from your life.

First, an update: No groceries were purchased yesterday so the twelve day savings now stands at $55.14 (and we have not even reached the halfway point). There will more than likely be an adjustment to the budget for food expenses (a decrease) an a corresponding increase to the budget for eliminating credit card debt!

Now, on to the explanation promised earlier. Let's imagine that you need to buy eggs (eggs are a low-cost food item and are also used in a variety of recipes). The grocery store has three selections: a six-pack for $0.79, a dozen for $1.29, and 18 for $1.67. You hover in the decision because you do go to the grocery store often, so it isn't like they aren't accessible or seasonal. Doing the serious math you can break the cost per egg down to (figures are rounded) to $0.13 (six), $0.11 (12), or $0.09 (18). The cost between each egg is fairly insignificant, but remember that EVERY PENNY COUNTS!! In the world of money, one must be penny-wise. Retailers cound on us to not worry about a few cents. If they have 1,000 customers a day, four cents per customer is $40.00 a day. That means $14,600 a year. And that is just one item.

So, be wise, take the time to do some math (most cell phones have a calculator feature on them) and watch every cent so that it will add up to dollars in savings and you can use those dollars to help eliminate your credit card debt. (Please visit my website)

Lucky Number Seven

Day 7 of the challenge and a trip was made to the grocery store. So it was for a gallon of milk ($2.98 including tax). That leaves the balance now remaining of money saved so far as $55.35. Not bad for one week. It used to be that a stop would be made for something like a Taco Bell combo meal for around $5.00 when I would get off work from my second job. Not only is it financially healthier to fix something at home, but it is far healthier for the body than a daily meal at a fast food joint.

I have to admit that my parents were right. They raised me to be frugal and we didn't needlessly consume any extras. Money was probably not tight, but we had a budget for everything and unnecessary expenses were nipped in the bud if possible. One point in particular was that groceries were expertly planned and purchased. My brother loved juice, but we were allotted one small glass a day. One of the first things he purchased after he got a high school job at Ken's Pizza, now known as Mazzio's, was a container of orange juice. He poured himself a big glass of that juice and drank it in front of my parents, much to their chagrin.

The case in point is that my parents were brought up to save money where you could, buy only what you needed, sort of a waste not, want not mindset. They tried in vain to instill that in me, and 25 years later, I finally get it. It is better to spend less than you make and I am trying to instill that virtue in those that I come in contact with. Credit card debt can ruin your life both financially and emotionally.

We shall overcome. Please visit my website.