Money Saving Tips :: Stretch Your Budget Today

Save Money TODAY!

Quick Tips:

#1 Drive the speed limit or lower. After 60 mph you can assume that it is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gasoline.

#2 Go to the library for all of your books, magazines and DVDs. This saves you on money and space!

Money Saving Tips You Can Use NOW!!

Everyone can use a little extra room in their budget. You may be concerned with rising gas prices and its effect on the price of your groceries. Here are some things that you can do today to help you save.

On this site you will find lots of money saving tips and receipes. Remember to check back frequently for new tips and recipes.

Any of the recipes you find here are easy to make and cost effective. Try out our dog food recipe, laundry soap recipe or toothpaste recipe.

If your budget doesn’t balance and you are having financial problems there are really only two options that you have to get out of trouble. You can either increase your income or decrease your out-go (or a combination of the two).

Here are a few money saving tips to help you with the out-go side of the equation. Food happens to be a good-sized portion of most family’s budget and it is also quite variable. The grocery store is one area that you can see savings TODAY if you are willing to change the way you shop. Here are some money saving tips.

• Shop with a list and then STICK TO THE LIST! This one tip alone can save you a lot!! Impulse purchases tend to be expensive as well as unnecessary.

• If at all possible, go grocery shopping alone. Statistics reveal that you spend more with children and even your husband (sorry guys) in tow.

• Stay away from pre-packaged convenience foods. If you shred your own cheese, chop your own lettuce and make your own “frozen dinner” you WILL save money…today!! (These are great tasks for kids old enough to use a knife etc.)

• ONLY use coupons for things you would already purchase and only if it is cheaper than other brands (including generic).

• Figure out what things are by the ounce. Bulk is sometimes cheaper but not always. You should keep a calculator with you.

• Shop generic. Many times the quality is just the same (or even better) and sometimes it is even made in the same actory as the name brand product.

• Look for meat that has been marked down by the butcher because it is nearing its use/freeze by date. This is also done with bakery items as well.

• Did you know that most groceries (including paper products) go through an approximate 12 week cycle for sales? That means if you can stock up on items when they are on sale and get you through the next 12 weeks, you can schedule purchasing only while they items are on sale!

• Most people don’t know that stores prices vary by location. This means what you pay for diapers at one Wal-mart (or any store) may be different than what you pay at another store different city. If you find this to be true, buy at the cheaper Wal-mart ONCE, then save your receipt and bring it in each time to the store you shop at to get the cheaper price. This may sound like a pain, but for something that you use consistently like diapers or medicationand the price doesn’t change very often the savings can be well worth the effort.

• Avoid non-grocery items at a regular grocery store. Usually there is a high mark-up on diapers, paper products, laundry detergent etc at grocery stores. The exception to this is the “Super” stores such as Wal-mart and Target.

• If you are within close proximity to a warehouse club such as Sam’s Club or Costco it is usually beneficial to pay for a membership. Just be careful that you price check with your grocery store. Buying in bulk is not always cheaper!

Also, make sure you don’t walk out with more than you need or extra “great deals” (Did you really need 6 bottles of mustard??). If the extra 12 pounds of meat went bad then it wasn’t a good deal for your family.

• Finding stores with little overhead such as Aldi is also a money saver. Again, make sure it is in close proximity to your house because you have to factor in gas prices. At Aldi, you bring your own bags to put your food in and bag them yourself, but they don’t pay for the glitz, so neither do you.

If you utilize these tips you can save money at the grocery store today with no gimmicks or “special deals”.