Keeping Food Costs Down

Food costs continue to rise. It is winter time, and Farmers’ Markets will not open again until May. Extreme weather has damaged crops in warmer climates in the U. S., yet I still strive to purchase products grown in America. The HH has worked from home for three months (normally he is only home 2 1/2 days a week), and we are eating in a more healthy way.  All of these factors have caused our food spending to rise dramatically lately.

In the past, I have prided myself on my ability to keep food costs at a level well below the average for households of a similar size, despite the fact that we do not have the ability to have a garden at present.  As I’ve reviewed our recent food spending, it is apparent that I must knuckle down and watch spending. If not, I may blow our food budget in 2014, which would be the first time since the hubby and I have been married.

While saving money, especially on food expenditures, is a common topic, here are some of the strategies I use.

• Digital coupons, clipped, coupons, or printed coupons (I use the different types of coupons in the order listed)
• Watching weekly sale adds
• Using mobile apps to find deals
• Using Ibotta to get cash back when purchases are made in brick and mortar stores
• Using ebates when ordering items online
• Looking for restaurant deals on sites such as Groupon or Living Social
• Purchase an annual Entertainment book (on sale and with free shipping ONLY)
• Purchase gift cards at stores that offer points to give as gifts or use for yourself when it is money you would spend anyway at the stores or restaurants
• Earning cash back from our credit card company if we use our card to pay for food
• Earning air miles when paying for food when dining out on cards associated with dining rewards accounts
• Earn points to reduce fuel cost

Using any of these strategies to save money will help, but it is when one is able to combine several of these tools in a single transaction that one will get the most bank for his or her buck.

Ibotta App Showing Some of My Rebates Earned

Today, I went to Kroger to pick up a few things I’d left off my list yesterday.  New sales went into effect today, so I had opportunities I did not have yesterday that worked in my favor. One of the things I failed to put on yesterday’s list was toilet tissue. Cottonelle, which is normally $7.49 for a 12-roll pack at Kroger, was on sale for $5.49.  On the package was a manufacturer’s coupon for $1.50 off two packages of Cottonelle. In addition, Kroger had a promotion where items marked and bought in mix or match groups of six received another 50 cents off each item. As I went through the store, it seemed that almost everything on my list was one of the items included in the extra discount offer.  More than that, four of the items I needed were included in Ibotta rebate offers.

How did I come out? (all prices are before sales tax)

• Each 12-roll package of Cottonelle (regularly $7.49) was purchased for $4.24.
• Jamba Juice smoothie mix (regularly $3.49) was purchased for $2.49, and I got a $1.00 rebate from Ibotta, so the net cost was $1.49.
• Bag of Ore Ida Simply Fries (regularly $3.99) was purchased for $2.49, and I got a $.75 rebate from Ibotta, so the net cost was $1.74.
• Two cans of Simple Truth beans (regularly $1.00 each) were purchased for $1.00 with an e-coupon of a $1.00 when purchasing two cans.

I could continue, but there is no need; you get the idea.

Now, consider that using my cash-back credit card, when the credit card balance is paid in full each month, I am being paid to shop and use our credit card.

Finally, Kroger gives me fuel points – 1 point for every dollar spent, and these points are used to reduce the price of gasoline in 10 cent increments.  The most I have ever used when filling my car is 1,000 points for $1.00 off each gallon of gas I pumped, but I had that many points because Kroger was offering 4x the usual fuel points when purchasing gift cards. At the moment, I could fill my car with gas and pay 30 cents less per gallon than the going rate.

How do you save money on food costs?  Hopefully, I’ve given you some ideas you have not read or heard before.

Bon Appetit!

Angela

Getting Your Financial House in Order

Keeping up with finances is always important, but as the HH and I get closer and closer to the retirement years, it is even more important to us.  This past fall we decided to choose a new software program to work for us. Quicken 2014, which is much different than when I used it in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was the program of choice. A learning curve had to be navigated, but now that we are feeling more comfortable with it, we really like it.

Most of our checking, savings, retirement, and credit card accounts allow a link between each of them and our Quicken program, so we are able to update Quicken daily to keep track of income, expenses, and investment returns. The program allows us to incorporate our budget and savings goals into the mix, so we get a very accurate and timely picture on a daily basis of our current financial situation, including our net worth and our tax situation.

This tool can be beneficial to anyone of any age. If the new year has inspired you to become more orderly and/or disciplined with your money, I highly recommend that you consider this, or a similar program, to get your financial house in order.

Have a happy and blessed day,

Angela

Giving Great Gifts without Breaking Budget

Hello World!

Gift giving is fun. It is even more fun if one is not worried about having spent the car payment money to buy the gifts or having run up a huge credit card expense while shopping. The holidays and other special occasions are more easily savored if one is not stressed about finding an affordable gift that is appropriate. A key to avoiding the expense and stress is to shop all year long, watching for mega sales on items that fit into your gift-giving plan, and then store them away like squirrels do nuts for winter.

I’ve almost finished my gift shopping for the year, and this includes gifts for Christmas. With us having six children, five of whom are married, seven grandchildren, our siblings, and our parents/step-parents for whom to shop, not counting any other people, or wedding or baby showers that come up during the year, buying birthday, anniversary, Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, and Christmas gifts can get rather exhausting and expensive.  Thankfully, genetics (a lot of Scottish in this girl’s lineage) and life’s circumstances have taught me how to be frugal rather than cheap.

Before moving, I had a storage area where I would store my frugal-shopping gift stash; since moving these-not-yet-given-away gifts are stored in boxes in our closet.  This past week, while our bed was stripped, I “dumped” all of my frugal shopping-treasures onto our bed to sort and re-pack by person and occasion.  Please note that the box at top left is filled with Bath and Body shower gels, lotions, and soaps (though you can’t see all), yet I did not pay more than $3 for any one item in the box; all were purchased at Bath and Body. The toys at bottom left are Melissa & Doug toys, not cheap discount store baubles. The pink insulated vest was $3 at Old Navy.

Gift Stash – Photo:
livingandlovinglifeafter50

After taking inventory and sorting gifts, I made a mental list of people for whom I needed to shop and for what occasion.  The next step was bargain shopping, stacking sales with coupon codes and free shipping when possible.

Not being a big fan of wasting gas running around town to see who might have what I’d like on clearance or whether or not the size I need is still available at Mega Store A’s one-day sale, I prefer to shop online.  With my trusty laptop in my lap and several tabs open to compare and also look for coupon codes available, I began shopping.

Below is the savings and actual cost of my last three online shopping ventures.

Percent Discount:	301.59%
Discount Amount:	$90.90
Shipping:	$6.95
Tax:	$0.64
Total:	$7.69
Percent Discount:	135.43%
Discount Amount:	$98.20
Shipping:	$0.00
Tax:	$3.05
Total:	$53.80
Percent Discount:	128.9%
Discount Amount:	$250.12
Shipping:	$0.00
Tax:	$12.56
Total:	$148.38

Shopping Deals – Photo: livingandlovinglifeafter50

While not all of the items have arrived at this time, here is a picture of what came in yesterday. There are actually a total of four of the Nordic pans like the one shown on the far left. Everything pictured, and those yet to come (about 3 more boxes to arrive due to split shipments), were purchased from either Kohl’s or Amazon. I’m pretty much done with shopping for the year!

How do you give nice gifts without spending more than budget allows?

Have a blessed and happy day!

Angela