Today I thought I would give you a break from my daily writings and recruit an expert to tell you how to get the deals and save money. A dear friend of mine Christiana Maurer is the queen of saving in fact last year alone she saved $1600 on grocery shopping. Now you might think, that is crazy I can never do that - it may be crazy but if you can take just one of her tips and save $100 isn't it worth it. So I asked her if she would share some tips with you. And this is what she had to say.....
1. See the Big Picture
One of the easiest ways to save is to be aware of how much you are spending. A gallon of milk here and a loaf of bread there can really add up. Keep track of your purchases for a month to see how much of your money is actually being spent at the store. Then you can set a realistic goal for saving.
2. Planning
If you don’t purchase the Sunday newspaper, you will want to start. While it may seem that you are spending money to save money, it is a valuable tool to help you be an informed shopper.
Spend some quality time each week with the store circulars, coupon inserts, and your recipe collection. Plan your eating and shopping around what is on sale. If there is a coupon available to match with the sale – even better!
3. Tracking
If you are just getting started with your savings journey, keep track of the date and sale price for items you use often. If you do this long enough you will begin to see patterns develop for how often items are put on sale. You will also be able to differentiate between mediocre and rock-bottom sale prices.
What am I talking about? Maybe this will help! A current mediocre sale on cereal is 2 for $5 (or $2.50 a box). However, every few months, cereal goes on sale 3 for $5 (or $1.67 a box). Combine that with a coupon and you are on your way to some super savings.
When an item (that you know you will use AND that has a long shelf life) goes to its rock-bottom price – STOCK UP!!!
4. Highway Robbery
Just kidding – but that is what my husband calls playing the drugstore game.
I could explain how this works in detail, but that would make this tip r-e-a-l-l-y long! If you want to know how it works, check out moneysavingmom.com. She breaks it down for each of the major drug stores under her Store Deals section.
Just to illustrate how effective this can be, I haven’t paid more than $1 each for toothpaste, razors, shaving gel, or most hair care products in a very long time.
5. Bravery
Bent-n-dent stores – You can find some great deals here. (If you are in the central PA area think Surplus Outlet, Wengers, Whispering Pines, L&L) But… be careful! Watch those dates, and don’t assume that just because the product is in a store like this that it is cheaper that anywhere else. If you have been keeping track of those sale prices, you’ll be in great shape.
Store-Brands – If your family is brand-loyal then use those coupons and sale price combinations. But if you are willing to branch out, the store brand is often cheaper than the brand name, even with the sale and coupon. My husband and I have been very presently surprised by Aldi products. Most times their things are just as good, if not better, than the name brand grocery store products but at a fraction of the cost. (Let me give a shout out to their 5-Cheese
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