When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch

[The Straight Story]

When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch

Save Money Grocery Shopping

Including tips from Diana, Emily, FrugalWannabe, LJ, Allison, JenMarie, and several more.

* Shop for produce at a local farm stand.
* Never buy coffee, soda, or other drinks or snacks out.
* Always grocery shop with a list.
* Take advantage of sales on items that you would normally buy.
* Only shop once a month.
* Keep a price book and track prices by unit cost.
* Stockpile staples when prices are low.
* Buy generic items.
* Use the Grocery Game.
* Plan meals according to what is on sale that week.
* Take advantage of rainchecks if the store doesn’t have a sale item that you need.
* Take advantage of rebates at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid…but only if you’ll use the item and will follow through on the rebate.
* Buy enough of a sale item to last 12 weeks. That’s about how long sales take to cycle.

The rest are here:
http://beingfrugal.net/2008/04/03/frugal-tips-to-survive-a-recession/

[RB TexLa]

1. A couple I know

Use stackable coupons, many stores will let you use their store coupon plus a manufacturers coupon on the same item.

The list says buy what's on sale. The internet can provide you with many different recipes and things you can do with whatever items are on sale.

Using stackable coupons, I bought 10 jars of spaghetti sauce at Super Target for 19 cents, amazing what all you can do with spaghetti sauce.

[El Pinko]

2. Only shop once a month?

Umm...fresh vegetables and fruits - CRUCIAL to good health?

If you eat nothing but food that lasts for weeks and weeks, you are eating CRAP.

This seems like a recipe for obesity and poor health. I'd rather eat fresh whole foods and less of them than eat a bunch of canned, frozen, and vacuum-packed junk.

I appreciate the other tips, though - but some of these would totally ruin any attempt at good nutrition.

[The Straight Story]

3. Well, out of 168 there are bound to be a few we don't like

:) And I think maybe they mean major shopping.

[glowing]

4. meats, canned goods, frozen stuff.. otherwise, hit the farmer's market.

In the winter.. they aren't open..

[drmeow]

7. actually they have shown that

frozen vegetables are often times more healthy as they are picked when ripe and flash frozen so all the nutrients develop whereas fresh vegetables are picked before they are ripe and do not develop all the nutrients.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. How about...

...shop by car once a month for dry goods, and once a week on foot for perishables?

[Ilsa]

17. ITA. I don't have enough room in my freezer for a dozen loaves of bread. nt

[Art_from_Ark]

21. What's junk about frozen foods?

As far as I know, unless they come from China or other origin of dubious repute, they are frozen in their prime with minimal chemical processing, and can retain their nutritional value for months if not years. As can juices. On the other hand, by the time fresh produce makes the trip from producer to distributor to store to refrigerator to consumption, how much of its nutritional value has it lost?

[El Pinko]

23. I'm not totally opposed to frozen veggies-

-but I primarily use fresh - I go to the store at least 3 times a week - usually by bicycle.

Most people who "stock up" on this kind of dry stuff tend to get a lot more processed white flour products, forzen shit like those caramel-injected frozen chicken breasts, Hot Pockets, TV dinners, etc. I really only keep a few bags of frozen veg on hand in case we are out of fresh and don't have the time to go get it.

The produce at my market seems fresh enough - and I just think it tastes much better than something that's been sitting in a freezer forever. Besides, you can't freeze salads and we have one before every lunch and dinner.

[shraby]

5. I shop more often, in fact sometimes

several times a week. That way if coffee or other things I use is on sale with a limit per purchase..like limit one on the coffee, I can go in every day and buy one at the sale price and save about 4 dollars at a shot, depending on the sale price. Same with limit 3 on canned veggies, etc.

[riderinthestorm]

8. I wish I could shop once/month

space issues are a problem (my kitchen is tiny and I don't have any other place for storing a month's worth of groceries?!)

More than that, even though I go with a list, it's as though I have grocery-store-dementia. I simply cannot seem to remember everything I need, or my kids blind-side me with some weird thing they need for some school project recipe, or whatever. I hate going to the store cause I go so often.

[shraby]

16. I have the room, but when I moved

into this house I didn't have food storage room, I had a blank wall in the laundry room, took cement blocks and boards and built shelves up just above my head from wall to wall and that's where I store extra groceries and stuff I can.

[riderinthestorm]

20. You done good!

I will say, I'm moving at the end of May and my new kitchen is a lot bigger than the one I'm in now (7 x 10 moving up to 11 x 14 - yay!) so I'm really anticipating having more space.

I'm even going to have a basement for the first time in 25 years which means I've already got a freezer picked out to help store more stuff. And yes, lots of shelves are getting built down there!

[Rosemary2205]

6. Coupons

Shop once a month
shop sale items every week

funny contradiction there. :)

[Longtooth]

10. I typically shop every two weeks. It simply fits my budget that way.

[sushi]

9. Only shop once a month?

That must be a joke! I'm in the supermarket just about every other day. Sometimes twice in a day, when we have company for dinner and I've forgotten something. There's always something you need.

[asthmaticeog]

11. Only eat from the dollar menu when you eat out?

Wrong, wrong, wrong! The extra money smart shoppers spend on real food now saves big bucks on angioplasties and insulin down the road.

[The Straight Story]

12. I don't think much off the dollar menu is any better for you

:)

[jmm]

13. After reading this list all I need is advice on

how to get my friends to come over for dinner when I only flush my toilet every 2-3 uses and use candles to heat the place.

added on edit
I agree with the sentiment of this article even if I don't agree with many of the ideas.

[The Straight Story]

15. I just pee outside, saves me a lot on water bill

And heck, the dogs would drink anything... :rofl:

[jmm]

18. If you really want to save money

all of my utilities are included in my rent so next time you're in the Boston area we can work out a deal so you can fill up empty water bottles at my place. Buy ten gallons you get a free cell phone charge :D!

[The Straight Story]

19. That reminds me

I once had a hand crank radio with attachments for cell phones - I could charge em by hand (damn hand crank broke on it though...have had 3 radios that has happened to - Guess I crank em like I crank me....)

[uppityperson]

22. "Stockpile staples when prices are low." I hear rice is cheap right now.

[NNN0LHI]

24. And never go shopping while hungary

Thats should be number one.

Don

[spinbaby]

25. Why shouldn't I shop with Hungarians?

Are they known for overspending?

:evilgrin:

[NNN0LHI]

27. Now wait a gosh darn minute

Can't the same be said of Sumatrans?

Don

[Thothmes]

26. Here is an way to cut into your electric bill

Instead of your range and oven, try using an electric frying pan, toaster oven and a microwave to cook with when you can. I started doing this and reduced my electric bill by $40.00 a month on the avereage.