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Right now my routine is thrown off, but until recently my shopping was pretty set: big supermarket and Trader Joe's each once a week (which were neighbors, so it was easy!), produce store, farmer's market.
Sabride -- Trader Joe's isn't expensive. It actually got its start targeting the demographic of people who wanted the "foodie" foods, yet had a tight budget. It's not a regular store because it's just their own store brands, and not everything is going to be the cheapest, but overall it offers really good value.
Generally, unless there is a doctor or chiropractor appointment, we only shop if there is a really big sale on something we can stock up on. Being under the weather with the flu, I've only shopped twice this month for a few small things and we have lived comfortably off our stocks. Before Thanksgiving, I bought a small frozen turkey on sale for 70 cents/lb. The cashier commented on it being a nice bird for the holidays, and I smiled and told her that it would probably be cooked between March and June.
When I make an error in our par levels, it can cost. Normally I get our bread and whole wheat flours for $2 for a 5lb. bag and buy 50 lbs at a time. I had to do a pick-up of one this week and had to pay $4 for the same size bag. OTOH, the next three months will be slim shopping, as I need to be using up older stock of other foods so that they don't go past date, and I can make room in the freezers.
I go to Aldi's once a week and buy the bulk of my groceries there, then go to either Stop and Shop or Shaw's (depending on which is having better sales) to fill in the gaps. I also check the Whole Foods flyer every week because they occasionally have good deals on organic, hormone free meats. Meat is the one item I really focus on quality, so while I occasionally have to resort to Aldi's or other grocery store to fill in the gaps, I can normally last awhile on my stock-ups because I only eat meat a few times a week - even with an apartment style fridge/freezer shared with 2 other roommates! I do think I would be able to save a lot more money if I had the space for a chest freezer... or even a standard sized refrigerator!
The big thing for me is to minimize in between runs to the store. For instance, my boyfriend asked me to pick up some tortillas and salsa for quesadillas - I ended up walking out with the requested goods PLUS some junk that didn't cost much, but adds up.
For clothes, I always hit Salvation Army and Goodwill first. Then I ask my mom and grandmother if they have coupons - they typically have way more coupons for Kohl's than they ever need! I also keep an eye on Old Navy's sales to for PJ pants, camisols, and other cheaper basics. I buy new clothes *maybe* once every 4 months and try to make it last, so I don't really think much about my clothes shopping besides hitting the best deal.
I do my shopping at Target and Walmart, but that doesn't include meat. For my meat shopping, I'll go to Costco, and watch the specials at the grocery stores. I use lots of coupons at Target (mostly Target), and Walmart, and save quite a bit.
I make a menu for the month and then I make one trip to Sam's and one to HEB (our local grocery store). I'm feeding a family of four. My Sam's trip is usually $150 for the month and the HEB trip is $200. I could do it cheaper, but I like cooking with real butter, buying very lean hamburger meat, and making sure the kids have milk, juices and yogurt.
Halfway through the month, I go back to HEB or I go to Walmart and I buy whatever toiletry item someone has run out of, and fruit and veggies.
For clothes, I usually go to Goodwill twice a month. I really like my kids to have a lot of nice clothes, and the chances of finding nice clothes increases when you go on a weekday, during daytime hours, when they're bringing the racks out from the back.
I make a menu for the month and then I make one trip to Sam's and one to HEB (our local grocery store). I'm feeding a family of four. My Sam's trip is usually $150 for the month and the HEB trip is $200. I could do it cheaper, but I like cooking with real butter, buying very lean hamburger meat, and making sure the kids have milk, juices and yogurt.
Halfway through the month, I go back to HEB or I go to Walmart and I buy whatever toiletry item someone has run out of, and fruit and veggies.
For clothes, I usually go to Goodwill twice a month. I really like my kids to have a lot of nice clothes, and the chances of finding nice clothes increases when you go on a weekday, during daytime hours, when they're bringing the racks out from the back.
If you have the patience, check out the Family Thrift outlet on Vance Jackson. Lots of digging is necessary because they sort badly, but it's only clothes (and purses/shoes) and a different price every day with the most expensive day being $1.75 an item if I recall. Just don't go on the cheapest day where everything is a quarter because it is insane. They often have a good selection of kid clothes. Same with the Texas Thrift chain which also seems to have a bigger kid's selection IMO than Goodwill.
Also, Thrift Town on Thousand Oaks is another fave of mine.
Okay, back to the thread topic, sorry!
I thrift shop for clothes fairly often, but I buy super cheap and give it away frequently because I like to have constant variety of "new" things to wear.
I go to one grocery store nearby every week, and a few times a month to Sam's Club. I decide what to buy for the week according to what is on sale. I do not use coupons much, and I do not impulse buy, buy convenience foods, or snack food.
Today, I went to my store, Publix, and noticed two women, obviously couponers, with a cart full of junk which I would never buy. I don't get why they do this. To me, it wastes money, not saves money.
I have two other grocery stores nearby, and I read their ads, just in case they have a very good deal on something I can use.
Hahaha....gentlearts, I've seen the same thing, with couponers! That's the trouble with coupons, I RARELY use anything I see coupons for. Oh well....for some people, just knowing they saved $5.00 on something they don't even need, is enough of a thrill for them.
I use lots of coupons, and I don't eat junk. I don't eat out, I cook for myself, and from scratch. I just bought a small freezer, and it already has a turkey breast and spiral ham in it that I got on sale, plus 6lbs of butter that I got with coupons. Now I'll be looking for a small turkey to freeze for later.
For Thanksgiving and XMAS, I cooked turkeys with all the trimmings, and most of it when into the freezer. The turkey was frozen as separate dinners in plastic storage containers. I have also separate dinners of spaghetti and meatballs. I buy orange juice on sale, and freeze it in empty water bottles, so that I don't have the large jug in the refrigerator. I don't call this junk.
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