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I can't count how much money I save every year 'cause we're not afraid of foods past their sell by date but it's a lot!
Grocery stores can't sell foods once past the sell by date (some do with a deep discount) so I look for markdowns that are just past sell by date then either freeze the dated food or promptly refrigerate the dated food.
That said, we use the rule......oldest first....when we consume these dated foods.
This frugal forum really gets to me sometimes. All this time people waste savings a few bucks here and there can really be used more effectively making more money.
The only thing I do when it comes to expiration dates is grab the milk from the back of the shelf where it has later expiration dates.
NJBest, a penny saved is BETTER than a penny earned. A penny earned requires taxes to be paid, federal, state, city. A penny saved is 4 pennies not needing to be earned. It takes less time to save a penny than to earn a penny, thus increasing a saved penny's spending power even more. So a penny saved is AT LEAST a nickel earned. Now multiply. Ten dollars saved is $50 earned. So continue upward but figure out how long it takes you to earn $1,000. A good saver/frugal person can save that in 10% or less time.
I'm happy to be the saver in our family. I saved enough for 3 cruises this past year. How many vacations did you go on? Fully paid before you went, no interest paid on CC charges and cash for miscellaneous expenses. Unless you're earning $50/hour, I've got you beat: no high commuting costs, no business lunches/parties/group-gifts. When I put away the groceries, they go in reverse order, so just take the one from the front. Some weeks I don't even shop - more time saved.
But please, keep paying full price, not on sale, for everything you've worked so hard to be able to buy because you help fund my coupons and my discount purchases of name brands. At the end of the month, when you've paid into your 401K, your savings account, all bills are paid in full, and we then compare time spent for leftover, discretionary spending, I bet I have more cash and more free hours.
How about not purchasing more than you can use before any period of time?
If you use on average 1/2 gallon of milk a week you do not buy 3 gallons just because it is on sale.
If you use 6 eggs a week you don't buy a 1-1/2 dozen carton of them.
Things in cans or jars are good for a year or more UNOPENED, their life drops down significantly after opening, sometimes down to a few weeks.
Throw away a $3 product or risk getting sick? This is a no brainer.
NJBest, a penny saved is BETTER than a penny earned. A penny earned requires taxes to be paid, federal, state, city. A penny saved is 4 pennies not needing to be earned. It takes less time to save a penny than to earn a penny, thus increasing a saved penny's spending power even more. So a penny saved is AT LEAST a nickel earned. Now multiply. Ten dollars saved is $50 earned. So continue upward but figure out how long it takes you to earn $1,000. A good saver/frugal person can save that in 10% or less time.
I'm happy to be the saver in our family. I saved enough for 3 cruises this past year. How many vacations did you go on? Fully paid before you went, no interest paid on CC charges and cash for miscellaneous expenses. Unless you're earning $50/hour, I've got you beat: no high commuting costs, no business lunches/parties/group-gifts. When I put away the groceries, they go in reverse order, so just take the one from the front. Some weeks I don't even shop - more time saved.
But please, keep paying full price, not on sale, for everything you've worked so hard to be able to buy because you help fund my coupons and my discount purchases of name brands. At the end of the month, when you've paid into your 401K, your savings account, all bills are paid in full, and we then compare time spent for leftover, discretionary spending, I bet I have more cash and more free hours.
I don't necessarily buy at full price, but I don't shop around expiration dates and manager's specials. Heck, I even use coupons at restaurants. It just seems like it's not worth my time to worry about expiration dates when food is cheap.
It's hard to determine how much I make per an hour because most of my income is in profits. I own two private preschools, a software business, and a staffing company. My income is significantly higher than if I were to take a job making $50/hr or even twice that. But that's not the point.
I, probably just like you, max out my 401k to the $49,000 max every year, have my homes and cars paid off and with the exception of a business loan for my second preschool, have all my bills paid in full. I go on 2 or 3 international vacations a year, and then I go to Florida every other weekend to golf if the weather allows it. I don't go on cruises, though. I wouldn't mind trying it out if you want to guide me in the right direction.
I'd take you on that "more cash and more free hours" bet if you really want. I don't see the purpose of it though. My point is that I figure the time can be better used calculating derivatives or discrepancies in options... or even how to employ more people.
However, to each their own; let's allow the expiration-date myth discussion to continue.
How about not purchasing more than you can use before any period of time?
If you use on average 1/2 gallon of milk a week you do not buy 3 gallons just because it is on sale.
If you use 6 eggs a week you don't buy a 1-1/2 dozen carton of them.
Things in cans or jars are good for a year or more UNOPENED, their life drops down significantly after opening, sometimes down to a few weeks.
Throw away a $3 product or risk getting sick? This is a no brainer.
Makes sense for the most part. I always buy 1/2 gallon of milk since I'm never home to drink it anyways.
This frugal forum really gets to me sometimes. All this time people waste savings a few bucks here and there can really be used more effectively making more money.
The only thing I do when it comes to expiration dates is grab the milk from the back of the shelf where it has later expiration dates.
Agreed.. we need more tips on how to save the big expenses in life like housing, cars, vacation, etc. and less on whether Walmart or Target has the cheaper bread..
I saved enough for 3 cruises this past year. How many vacations did you go on?
Irrelevant.. except to brag.
Some people don't like cruises.
Some people don't need or want three cruises.
And one European (or wherever) vacation can be better than your 3 cruises.
This frugal forum really gets to me sometimes. All this time people waste savings a few bucks here and there can really be used more effectively making more money.
What frugal people do is refuse to waste their life always selling it for ever more money!
The better any person does conserving ,and rightly, using what resources they have the more of their life they can enjoy in ways other than working themselves to death.
There is a lot of truth in the old saying........Waste not, want not.
How about not purchasing more than you can use before any period of time?
If you use on average 1/2 gallon of milk a week you do not buy 3 gallons just because it is on sale.
If you use 6 eggs a week you don't buy a 1-1/2 dozen carton of them.
Things in cans or jars are good for a year or more UNOPENED, their life drops down significantly after opening, sometimes down to a few weeks.
Throw away a $3 product or risk getting sick? This is a no brainer.
What you have described is very poor planning that causes waste. No one in their right mind will buy anything on sale just because it's "on sale".
They know their need so they match the sales to those needs to save money. Now that's planning...........
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