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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.
I couldn't find turkey breast this year at all.... score for you on the turkey breast. For Thanksgiving I ended up with a little half breast....
Coupons are horrible out here. It's page after page of stuff I will never buy...
To save gas and not waste money, I try to limit grocery stores to once a week -- or longer. I'm not going to drive all over town and spend $30 on gas to save 5c on some item. Plus I don't have that kind of time. I try to stay away from clothes stores because I have enough clothes for what I need. Coupons tend to be for brand name items, it's usually cheaper to buy the store brand so that's usually what I do.
I'm limited on where I can grocery shop, because I'm not in a huge town- they do have Walmart, and a couple of other small grocery stores. I detest Walmart, but I have to admit that because they price match (and nobody else here does), I check all of the weekly ads at neighboring stores, even 60 or 70 miles away and buy it all at Walmart. Sigh. Funny thing is (and I didn't know this...), when we lived in Nebraska (ugh-lol), every time I went to Walmart for price matching, I had to drag in every sale paper with me and show them where in the paper whatever particular item was on sale. It was a serious pain, but they insisted on it- you would have thought each cashier had a personal stake in it, honestly- but where I am now (U.P. Michigan), all I have to do is write out my list, mark what is on sale where, and when I tell the cashier, they just change it. Of course, being honest is helpful, lol. I was also told by one of the cashiers that if Walmart doesn't carry the brand of whatever is on sale somewhere else, they sub the Great Value brand for it. As I said, I don't like Walmart for a lot of reasons, but for the sake of saving money, that's what I do. If I find brand items on sale at other places, I make a list from what's on sale and look for online coupons to add with it. I cook mostly from scratch, so most of the coupons I find aren't for things I will buy. I generally do this twice a month.
I buy household items once a month online only. Staple food is also bought once a month online.
Weekly, I visit my produce lady and the meat market. If we want bread, I make it. If we want fish, we go get it from our local waterways. Haven't been to a grocery store in 6 months!
I find that shopping this way has considerably cut back on the money spent (there are no more miscellaneous impulse buys!), and my time is cut back to almost nil. It makes my weekly produce and meat visits really fun - I can connect to the people who supply my family and get to know them and the fresh foods we consume.
I'm limited on where I can grocery shop, because I'm not in a huge town- they do have Walmart, and a couple of other small grocery stores. I detest Walmart,
Mostie,
Walmart's best and biggest gift is to the cheese eaters. We stock up on cheese once every 6 months between costco and walmart....
Since I dont do local trips by car, but use the bus and bike and on foot, my routine is pretty much dictated by bus schedule, distance to stores, and much I can carry. The real limiting factor is how much I can carry, so I tend to make multiple trips.
Sounds complicated but its not as one knows what to get at what store (since some stores are "better" in terms of price, selection, and quality in some things than others)..but does require planning. I cant just "get in the car and run out and get stuff".
One thing I do do is that if Im using the bus I try to combine trips for other things (like to the library, or going hiking, or something like that) with grocery to save time.
I also make a point of doing shopping very early at stores that are 24 hour or open early, since I hate crowds and lines.
I am going to be doing some experimenting on doing shopping off the bus on the way home from work on Fridays...not the optimal time, but there is enough headway between busses that I can jump off, get stuff, and jump back on.
This is for "bulk purchases" (as in a bag of grapefruit and a bag of apples)...but this would be a two-week trip since a bag of these can last me that long or longer.
For me I usually grocery shop (which is the only shopping I do a lot of) at the following:
WalMart (for milk, frozen stuff and staples like tuna and cheerios)
DLM (a local chain)(for meat, certain veggies, and specialty things)
Kroger (fruits & veggies)
...and Ive just added Aldi to the list since I found they have very good bus service (at least one of their stores here in Dayton does). Probably will be substituing Aldi for some of the above.
2nd Street Market (famers market downtown..but more in the summer)
Drug Mart (for stuff like a banana and orange, tuna, emergency stuff since I can walk here fairly quick)
...for sundries:...hmmm....there's a Big Lots down the highway and I could use mike bike to get there & back. But for toothpast and deodrant and stuff like that its usually Drug Mart.
Last edited by Dayton Sux; 02-01-2013 at 11:21 AM..
Since I dont do local trips by car, but use the bus and bike and on foot, my routine is pretty much dictated by bus schedule, distance to stores, and much I can carry. The real limiting factor is how much I can carry, so I tend to make multiple trips.
Sounds complicated but its not as one knows what to get at what store (since some stores are "better" in terms of price, selection, and quality in some things than others)..but does require planning. I cant just "get in the car and run out and get stuff".
One thing I do do is that if Im using the bus I try to combine trips for other things (like to the library, or going hiking, or something like that) with grocery to save time.
I also make a point of doing shopping very early at stores that are 24 hour or open early, since I hate crowds and lines.
I am going to be doing some experimenting on doing shopping off the bus on the way home from work on Fridays...not the optimal time, but there is enough headway between busses that I can jump off, get stuff, and jump back on.
This is for "bulk purchases" (as in a bag of grapefruit and a bag of apples)...but this would be a two-week trip since a bag of these can last me that long or longer.
But you have a car?
If so why even hassle with all of that. Go out get plenty of food and your done. If you don't have car then I understand. You said you don't do cars for local trips...why not? If it is that local were talking about mere dollars instead of getting on a bus and only carrying 3 bags at a time or not being able to buy frozen.
Just sounds like a lot of work....riding a bike I get. Taking the bus sucks...I've done it. Lol
..becuase I cant afford to run the car. I only use it to drive to Kentucky to visit kin. That takes up my gas budget for the month.
Quote:
Taking the bus sucks...I've done it. Lol
Here in Dayton..for where I live... the bus only works if you have to go across town or have a lot to carry
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