Money and time saving tips!
Whether you must save money when shopping for essentials or whether you’re just a tightwad (like yours truly) here are some really great tricks for saving a buck or two when cooking and shopping.
Get a good selection of tupperware-like containers. All sizes. Not only can you save time by cooking more than you need and freezing the left overs, but you can also use them to store customized spice mixtures and marinades and such.
Go to http://www.couponmom.com and sign up. No spyware or spam or anything like that. Check your state and your local stores for deals. Subscribe to the Sunday paper and keep those coupons. It’s the easiest, most effecient way to use coupons to save a load on your grocery bill. Seriously, I regularly save over 50% using her generous database.
Buy meat that’s about to expire. Yep, the stuff that’s expiring that day or in the next couple of days. Often meat department managers will mark down meats whose ’sell-by’ date is coming due. The savings are drastic and you can freeze the meat when you get home. It’s fine! Keep in mind it’s a ’sell-by’ date, not an expiration date! There’s a big difference in price and no difference in quality, taste or safety.
Buy a good food sealer. I can’t recommend Tilia products enough. I get nothing for this recommendation. I just adore their products. They are well worth the price. Store your meat deals in vacuum sealed bags. They’ll be just as fresh as they were when they went in.
Busy? Plan weekly, or even monthly, menus and spend an entire day cooking enough food for the week/month. Freeze individual portions for quick, easy, home cooked meals.
Crockpot! These things rock and are an essential appliance in my humble opinion. A time saver in several ways.
Find a good sale on something you use? Stock up! Savings aren’t just about the immediate, there’s also the long term to consider. Spend another 5.00 to save 10.00. Every little bit adds up.
Make a list and stick to it. You’ll save more, spend less and get out of the store quicker.
Eat before you go and bring something to drink. Often stores are kept rather dry and this can make you thirsty, which will tempt you to spend money you don’t need to. Going to the store hungry has the same effect. You’ll smell every little foodstuff a thousand times more sharply if you’re hungry and you’ll be tempted to spend more.
Educate yourself on common marketing tactics. The more you know about how marketers use psychology and data about buying habits the more you’re going to save when, once you spot them, you are no longer taken in by them.
