Money Problems? Have A Plan. (dollars, average, buy, house)

[cpg35223]

I'm writing this because I notice a lot of threads from people complaining about not having enough money. Yet I wonder how many people really take corrective measures in their daily lives to change matters.

An example? To feed our family of five, my wife and I were running up a monthly grocery bill of $1,100-$1,200. We realized that the high food costs were the result of our not thinking ahead. We'd decide what we wanted for dinner that night, buy it at the store, then make it. Sure, we'd buy some stuff in our weekly shopping, but we really never looked at the costs.

So we decided to really start looking at how we purchased groceries. And we realized that if we did the pedestrian things like clip coupons, plan ahead with our menus, and were opportunistic by buying things on sale, we could really save money. After all, EVERYTHING goes on sale in a grocery store if you just wait a month.

The result, our grocery bill went from $1,100-$1,200 a month to about $700 a month, without really having to cut out anything.

So that's my example. In what ways have you found that using your noggin really helped make ends meet?

[nnyl]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

I'm writing this because I notice a lot of threads from people complaining about not having enough money. Yet I wonder how many people really take corrective measures in their daily lives to change matters.

An example? To feed our family of five, my wife and I were running up a monthly grocery bill of $1,100-$1,200. We realized that the high food costs were the result of our not thinking ahead. We'd decide what we wanted for dinner that night, buy it at the store, then make it. Sure, we'd buy some stuff in our weekly shopping, but we really never looked at the costs.

So we decided to really start looking at how we purchased groceries. And we realized that if we did the pedestrian things like clip coupons, plan ahead with our menus, and were opportunistic by buying things on sale, we could really save money. After all, EVERYTHING goes on sale in a grocery store if you just wait a month.

The result, our grocery bill went from $1,100-$1,200 a month to about $700 a month, without really having to cut out anything.

So that's my example. In what ways have you found that using your noggin really helped make ends meet?

I do the same thing. I watch for the sales, and I have a deep freezer. If ground beef is on sale, I stock up. Chicken, same thing. When it's on sale. Don't buy any meats, in particular, that aren't on sale. Do the same thing w/frozen veggies.

I am also considering cutting our home phone line, to save a few bucks. But haven't pulled the trigger on it yet, only because so many of the places you have to call for customer assistance, you wait on line forever. On a cell phone (which is all we have), those mins. wrack up.

Have, as of just a few weeks ago, begun hanging up clothes to dry, like in the old days. W/an electric bill that is running right at $500, monthly. I have to do something.

The last time we took any kind of family vacation it was to an amusement park nearby, and that was as a result of saving change, in a big crock that I have as decoration. Everyday's loose pocket change got tossed in there. When I saved and saved and saved, all the change, counted it up, it was probably a year or more. There was $300 some odd in it. That paid for our hotel and tickets to the amusement park.

[jamesandveybe]

Read and use "Total Money Makeover."

[HappyTexan]

I only go shopping once per week.
I do not buy anything in the freezer aisles except for ice cream.
I frequent farmer's markets on Sat morning before food shopping.
I found a local farm and buy bulk meat to freeze.
I buy store brand for most things.
I cook more "from scratch" and make big meals on the weekend to heat up during the week.

[Fnix]

Wow I didnt know people could spend that much on food per month. I am single but only spend about $200

[HappyTexan]

Family of 2 here and I spend about $300 per month average.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Fnix

Wow I didnt know people could spend that much on food per month. I am single but only spend about $200

Have two boys. You'll be amazed.

[CouponJack]

One of the ways we save is the wife will make a BIG pot of sauce (gravy) w/meatballs, sausage, etc.....

We'll have a meal and freeze about 4 or 5 meals in tupperware containers.....

You'll kill two birds w/one stone...you'll have a great future meal that's quick, and overall you'll be saving money to boot....

There's no shame by doing that either.....if your serious about your food bill, things like this you have to do..


Also...if the husband and wife get home late, you HAVE to have meals prepared at the beginning of the week or plan ahead of time.....eating out is such a drain on expenses....

[Humanoid]

I have tried the whole "planning ahead" thing but it never seems to work, we get lazy and never want to make the things we bought earlier in the week. We have cut our food bill almost in half by buying in bulk and stocking up on the grocery stores sale items (The ones that are highly discounted, usually on the front page of their ads). The key with this strategy is to never purchase more than what you can eat before the stuff expires. You also have to be flexible enough to primarily eat what is on sale at the moment.

Last week we were rather happy to find all stauffers frozen meals (even the family sized ones) on sale for $1.50 each. We bought 30 of them...the freeze is packed with red boxes now.

Also, you can save a lot by simply purchasing generic items. Grocery stores usually have 3-4 different price levels on items used as a tool for price discrimination (The idea, of course is to get people to spend different amounts on the same product based on how much they can afford). Anyhow, at Ralphs I have noticed the following price structure (Form highest to lowest):

- Standard brands
- Ralph's private label brands (Such as Van De Kamp, First choise)
- Ralph's brand
- Ralph's value brand.

The packaging on the last item is very unattractive, usually plain white label that says "Green Beans" etc and thats it. Where as the standard Ralph's brand has fairly attractive packaging. Regardless, in most cases all four are the same quality item. Interestingly its very easy to fool yourself into thinking the value brand doesn't taste as good. The psychology is really strong here hence why they are able to sell the same products right next to each other for such different prices.

W/an electric bill that is running right at $500, monthly.

How do you manage that? Our average bill is around $48/month.

[nnyl]

How do you manage that? Our average bill is around $48/month.[/quote]



I can't *manage that*. The two mos. prior it had been $449 each month and that was enough to blow me over. I took to turning up the thermostat here in the house (we live in FL, that is not easy - in the summer), turning off lights. Both, items we never really paid a whole lot of attention to.

We just always knew, summer=high electric bills, a fact of life. But for the bill to go from $449, and after all our efforts, to $499!!!!!!

Now we have turned off the pool pump and only use it every-other-day, as opposed to 24/7.

We have begun hanging up clothes to dry.

Unplugged the camper. The camper we can't afford to use anymore. We kept it plugged in only because periodically we'd go out and kick on the a/c in the thing, just to keep it from getting that dank smell in it. Only because we've been told by RV folks, that it's best to keep the thing juiced, for it's refrigerator. The gas that they run on, (they will run on electricity also), the gas, leaving the thing unplugged and not running, is not good for the fridge. So, we had a cold fridge in a camper that we never use (can't afford to anymore). So that had to be adding to the bill also.

We also have an 82 gallon water heater in this household. That .......... once we can get a few hundred dollars ahead, will be downsized to a 40 gallon.

So you ask, how do I manage that bill. I can't. It's eating us alive.

Don't know where else to cut around here. We've cut out all recreation, going out to eat, travel/vacation, etc.

I only buy sale items at the store, and cook at home. Brown bag the lunches.

Am fixing to cut the home phone, and use only our cell phone.

I guess we could cut the cable tv, if we need to. That has already been cut frome xpanded to basic.