Saving Money on Groceries

This post may be super boring to y'all. But just in case someone could benefit from it, I thought I'd share. Because I love it when someone explains something so simple to me that seemed so overwhelming.

On Tuesday mornings, I attend a MOMS ("Making Our Mothering Significant") Bible study class. It's just a  group of moms, mostly of toddlers, that get together to make new friends, get in the Word, and talk (um... a lot...). :) It works out, because Noah gets to go to his little class and make friends at the same time. It's structured with teachers, snacks, story time, play time, etc. And I also get some ME time.

Anyway, this morning we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about couponing (and no, not the Extreme Couponing type... from what I hear, they kind of cheat because the retailers waive some of their normal coupon policies).
The majority of us are just real people who crack up at the thought of being that organized and efficient. We're doing good to get there on time, fully dressed, and our kid in something besides pajamas. Or maybe that's just me. Sorry, I'm rambling.

So I admit, I kind of had a closed-minded approach when first listening. I don't like to buy too much processed food (because really, it leaves you just feeling hungry again an hour later anyway) and we buy a lot of produce. I just figured none of this was going to apply to me. But man has my perception changed. These women are amazing with how much money they're able to save!

Here are a few tips I learned this morning.

(This list was authored and put together by Terri Cendejas. She's overcome a lot in life, and she had no choice but to figure out a way to make $50 provide meals for a family of 4 for the month. If you're local and really want to find her so she can speak at an event/function, she goes to my church, and I've got her email and phone number).

via



1. Attitude is everything!
Seek the Lord and have thankfulness for His provision and wisdom. I call it "Groceries from God" when I am getting such great deals.

2. When I go grocery shopping, I am "going to work".
 I hear a lot that clipping coupons and tracking sales seems like a lot of work. But if I spend an hour and save $20 or more, I am making a pretty good wage for my efforts, and being a good steward of the funds with which the Lord has blessed us. Since I am going to work, I need to be properly outfitted for my task and have the needed tools:

• Calculator
• Organized coupons
• Shopping list
• Budget or spending goal
• Adequate time
• No children with me

3. Cook from scratch.
Packaged foods, as well as meals out, cost more and are usually less nutritious. Strategize ways to make cooking from scratch more convenient! I pre-cook meats bought on sale and freeze them into dinner-sized portions. I make spaghetti sauce in bulk in the crockpot and freeze it. When making a casserole, make two or more and freeze the extras. You can also cook something one day and incorporate it into an entirely different meal that week.
Batches of cookies, breads, and brownies can be multiplied and frozen for school lunches, too.

4. Pick one grocery store to frequent - preferably one that doubles coupons.
I like to have one store and really know that store. It saves me time and makes it much easier on my aging brain! (seriously, she was only like 35-40. lol) I don't have to look at multiple ads, and I don't have to run all over the place to different stores for the deals. Each store has its own policies and practices. I like only having to keep track of those for one store. I also tend to shop in the nicer grocery store, rather than the "bargain" retailers. Guess what? Their normal, everyday prices might be higher, but I don't plan to pay full price. But their sales are usually awesome.
Sales tend to run in cycles, so if something is a great deal this week at a different chain, it will probably be on sale in my store soon too. Find out if your preferred store takes other store's coupons.

5. Know your prices.
How are you going to know if something is a good deal, unless you know what it normally costs? And if something is on "sale", is it really the best price at which you can get it? You can make a master grocery list (or find one online to print), and then start noting the lowest unit costs for your items. Have that with you when you shop, and you will be armed with valuable information that will make you a wiser shopper!

6. Look for the lowest unit cost.
Wherever you shop, whether it is Costco or the grocery store, or even a drugstore, break the cost down to the cost per item, per pound, per ounce. You have to be able to compare different quantities and different prices. It used to be that the biggest box was the best price... that may or may not be true. You can compare the shelf tags, and often, you will have the information there that you need to make wise decisions. But, if you are also using coupons, or the unit price is missing, you have to do a little math! (don't let the math scare you! it's not that hard) This is one reason to have a calculator with you. Many items are measured in pounds and ounces. Remember that 16 ounces are in a pound. Here is how to calculate unit prices:

PRICE divided by QUANTITY = UNIT COST

So, a 12 oz box of cereal that costs $2.99 would be:

$2.99/12 ounces = $.25 per ounce

[PRICE less TOTAL COUPON SAVINGS] divided by QUANTITY = UNIT COST

But if I had a coupon worth $.75 and the store doubled it, it's worth $1.50; I would get that box of cereal for $1.49. My unit cost would then be ($2.99 - $1.50)/12 ounces = $.12 per ounce.

Twelve cents an ounce is much better than twenty-five cents per ounce!

7. Buy only what is on sale.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, I am only buying items from the grocery store that are on sale. Exceptions would be if I absolutely had to have a particular ingredient for a special recipe, or we were out of a staple item that we could not do without. This means I need to do some planning. I need to check the sale ad - they come out on Wednesdays, and are available online. I make my shopping list baed on what is on sale. I make it my goal to never, ever pay full price!

8. Match coupons to sale items.

Besides only buying items on sale, I also try to match coupons up with those sale items. If pasta is on sale for $1 a box that might seem like a good deal. But if I have a $.50 coupon... once my store doubles my coupon, I will get that pasta for free!

Don't use a coupon if an item is not on sale. Just because I have a coupon, doesn't mean I have to use it! If I have a coupon for something and it is not on sale, I save the coupon and WAIT until the item is on sale. Unless, it is an ingredient or staple I have to have now.

9. Stock up on items at lowest possible price - Stockpile!

When things are on sale and you know it is a rock-bottom price, buy as much as you can! As you practice these tips, you will start to see cycles. Last winter, frozen veggies were constantly on sale, and coupons were abundant. I was able to fill my freezer with them. Throughout the summer, that wasn't the case. As school started, breakfast and granola bars have been on sale. In the summer, barbeque sauce was on sale. I take advantage of those cycles, and get as many of a particular product as I can, and store it. Keep in mind the expiration date and only buy as much as you can store and use before that date.

10. Coupon Facts

•  Coupons are advertisements from companies that want you to buy their products.
• Look at the numbers under the bar code... if the first number is "9", it won't double; if it is a "5" it will, even if the coupon has "do not double" printed on it! (the computer reads the barcode, not the text!)
• If it scans, it's good - you don't always have to buy the exact product pictured (remember, they are advertising!) (she used the example of using Nature Valley granola coupon on General Mills cereal... it still worked!)
• Don't try to use expired coupons.
• Only one coupon per item... if something is "buy one, get one free (BOGO)", then you should be able to use 2 coupons, one for each item you buy.

11. How I Shop.
When I am going through the grocery store, I have my list and coupons ready. I have a spending goal in mind. As something goes in my cart, I write the amount it will cost on a tally on my shopping list. When I hit my spending limit, I stop shopping. If I am out of money, but still need something from my list, then I can decide what in my cart needs to go back on the shelf.
My store allows me 20 coupons per day. As I put something in my cart for which I will be using a coupon, I use a binder clip to attach the coupon to the front of my coupon binder, ready to hand over at checkout. When I have selected 20 coupons, I stop shopping. If it is a triple coupon event at the store, I may come back on another day to use more of my coupons.

12. Giving is Good.
Share the "Groceries from God"! I clip some coupons for things my family won't use. I regularly stock up on boxed rice, cake mixes, cereals, and pasta sauce that I donate to our church food pantry. Toiletries can be donated to shelters.

 



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So there ya have it.

She also said she shops at Costco for bulk items such as TP and stuff, but she still has to do the math to make sure it's a better deal than the grocery store. She also practically has to put blinders on so she doesn't get suckered into walking out with a new laptop and playset. :)

She stressed that you have to take these tips and make them work for your family. Obviously, like for our family, we buy several items that don't have coupons, such as produce. And if you have kids, they're going to have their preferences with food. I love that Noah eats blueberries like candy, but they aren't always cheap or on sale. But I make room for them in our budget. Grocery shopping is kind of a personal thing... we all buy different items and prefer certain stores. But even if you take a few of these tips and use them, it could really save some money.

A couple of my own tips...

Buy meat that's on clearance. Check the date on the package, then immediately cook or freeze it when you get home. I still have steaks in my freezer right now that I bought for $2.17 each.

I learned today that you can freeze milk. She told us to pour out a cup (not sure why, I didn't ask that), then freeze the rest. You can also freeze certain produce, including grapes.

Anyway, just thought this might help somebody as some point. :)

Homemade Compost Bin

I have to admit, I don't consider myself all that granola-like. I do recycle and try to eat clean, but we also use disposable diapers, too many paper towels, and drive a small SUV. So yeah, can't really call myself a hippie quite yet. BUT...

I've been wanting to make my own compost for awhile now, actually since this past summer. I don't like the idea of using chemical fertilizer on our garden. Plus, it's just so darn expensive to feed our garden every year. Also, my boy is obsessed with bananas right now. Every time he's hungry, all I hear is "Nana! Nana!". When we're in the grocery store, he knows where they keep them and as we're walking along, I'll hear a very small, "Nana" coming from the cart. :) He also loves apples and grapes, which leaves peels and vines. I knew it was so wasteful to just throw those in the trash, when I could be converting them into plant food.

My problem? We just couldn't justify spending so much money on those fancy compost bins/tumblers. I've searched and searched, but it just seemed so silly to spend that much on something that's just going to be storing dirt. So I googled "homemade compost bins" and found a video on about.com. The girl is definitely crunchier than me, but she makes a good, cheap compost bin. :) Brad helped me put mine together last weekend, and so far so good.

(don't forget to hit the pause button on the music, if you really want to watch the video...)




Homemade Compost Bin Supplies

Here is what you'll need:

•an old garbage can
•a watering can or hose
•nails
•hammer
•2 bricks

*I'm pretty sure you could just use a screwdriver as well, and it'd probably be a lot faster. I think that's what Brad did (I don't know, because he got up at 6am that day to do it, and needless to say, I was still out. I'll have to ask him when he gets home from work.

Directions

Poke Holes in the Garbage Can

We will want to begin by puncturing holes into the old garbage can. Organic material needs oxygen in order to break down into rich fertile compost so you want to make sure there is air circulating in the container. To do this I am simple taking a nail and hammering it into the side of the container. Continue making holes until you have covered the entire can. My bin looks like this.

Position the Compost Bin

Now we are going to take our bricks, lay them on the ground and place our bin on top of the bricks. This step is especially important for anyone using a metal garbage can as they have the tendency to rust if they are placed directly on the ground.

Compost Bin Materials

For our compost bin we are going to want to use two types of materials, green material and brown materials.
Brown includes:
•cardboard
•junk mail
•newspaper
•wood shavings

Green materials include:
•grass
•raw vegetable peelings
•tea bags or coffee grinds
•weeds

Add Contents to the Compost Bin

Begin by filling the can in alternating layers of green and brown material. You will want to aim for an equal serving of both. Don't worry about filling the bin all at once. You can simply add items through the week.

Compost Bin Moisture

You will want the contents of your bin to be a moist as a wrung out sponge so, if your material looks a little dry go ahead and water it. Put on the lid and give it a good roll.

For the best results you will want to roll your bin at least once a week and water it if it becomes too dry. Do this, and your compost should be ready in 4-8 weeks.

See? Easy peasy. :)

Laundry Soap

Well, just stick a flower in my hair and call me Sunshine. I embraced my inner hippie again and made my own laundry soap.

I was inspired by my fav TV family, the Duggars. I saw the episode where they explained how they could have 18 (now 19) kids and be debt free (fyi, they were debt free before the show... so nobody can say it's because they got famous). Anyways, one of their tricks is to make their own laundry detergent. I thought I'd give it a try.

I spent about $10 on supplies for 10 gallons worth of liquid. A dollar a gallon? You can't beat that.

So in case you're interested in giving it a try, here's the recipe:

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.


-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.


-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)


*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

channeling my inner hippie

As most of you already know, I've been making Noah's baby food myself. It's not that I think jarred baby food is evil or anything, but I do believe that doing it myself has saved us so much money. When you first introduce baby food, they typically don't eat much of it. If they're younger than 6 months, then they probably haven't totally lost that instinctive tongue reflex (which is a good thing), meaning that a lot of it ends up all over their mouth instead of in their tummy. They also more than likely won't eat an entire jar... which means it ends up getting thrown out. There's a good $.45 down the drain. This is, of course, if you decided not to go with the rice cereal route (btw, Earth's Best makes organic rice cereal, and it's not expensive). Fast forward to now, where Noah is eating anywhere between 4 and 6 ounces of food at each sitting. That's a lot of baby food. Even if I don't have to throw anything out, it's still more expensive in the long run than just making it myself.

I'm also a big fan of going organic when possible. I just like the idea of "less messed with" food and keeping it pure for my baby. And that just added a few more pennies to the baby food budget.

This leads to why I chose to do the homemade option. It saves money. I know who washed it, cooked it, prepared it, and stored it. I know what is in it. The only thing I add is water.

I was asked to do a "How To" blog on this, so here we go...

*Warning: I'm not a very good teacher, so if this is totally confusing, sorry. :)*

Most experts agree that "fresh is best" when it comes to fruits and veggies. So that's my first choice. Check the charts for what foods are appropriate for your baby's age and also check with your pediatrician to make sure it's accurate info.
Noah's favorites: apples, sweet potatoes, pears, blueberries, peas, butternut squash, carrots, and tofu (...yep).

If I can't go fresh, my next choice is frozen... and a lot of the time it's SO much easier and cost efficient. For example, with Noah's peas and green beans (who wants to shell fresh ones??), I always get frozen. I buy a couple of large bags (check for sales!), and we're good for awhile. I also like to buy a huge bag of blueberries frozen... mainly because I like to eat frozen blueberries. :)

For frozen veggies and fruits, cook as you would normally (as indicated on the back of the bag), but don't add butter or salt. Just water. For everything else, I typically bake or steam. Steaming is my favorite, because it holds the most nutrients. And when I go to puree, I can use the leftover steaming water (to add any nutients that were lost) to make a more smooth puree. However... and this is a big deal... when steaming carrots, DO NOT use the reserve water. It contains nitrates found naturally in carrots, and baby definitely doesn't need that.

Once it's cooked, I use my food processor (Brad got me one for Christmas, and I never really knew how much I'd come to love it). If you don't have one, a blender will work too. Just add the cooked food and start pureeing. Add water until you get a consistency that you (and baby) like. Fyi, peas and green beans are harder to get smooth. You can use a strainer, but I think it's a great way to start introducing different textures. (oh, and with tofu, you don't really need to cook it. Just mash and serve).

Obviously, your baby isn't going to eat everything you just made, so the next step is to store it.

At first, I just used ice cube trays, which is perfectly fine. Each cube is about 1 ounce, so it's an easy measurement. The problem I had was trying to get the cubes to pop out once frozen. Then I discovered the silicone versions. It's so much easier.

Anyways, just fill the tray with the puree, then cover with plastic wrap and stick in the freezer.

And that's it! Once frozen, I stick them in plastic ziploc freezer baggies. Frozen food should keep for 3 months in the freezer. If you thaw it, make sure you use it within 2 days.

I hope this made sense.

If you have any other questions, all of this and way more info is on this website. Plus, they have awesome baby food recipes.

Good luck!!