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WFMW: The Backwards Edition
This week over at Rocks in my Dryer, Shannon has organized another “Backwards Week.” This means that I get to pose a question for YOU to answer. So here are my questions:
- What do you do to save money?
- If you clip coupons, where do you usually shop to redeem them?
- What are your favorite “cheap knock-off” products?
- What is your favorite easy-peasy frugal recipe?
- What are your favorite frugal websites?
- Any other tips or tricks?
When you’re done here, head on over to Rocks in my Dryer to find out what is working (or not working, in this case) for other folks!
Oh yeah…I almost forgot! The Bloggy Giveaways “It’s Your Turn” Giveaway Carnival is coming up. I’m taking suggestions on things to offer for a giveaway! What would you like to see being given away here?
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i don’t clip coupons because i buy almost always store brands if i can get them. even dominick’s now has a store-brand organics. hooray!
plus i try to avoid the starb*cks whenever possible. really. i do.
phyllis’s last blog post..A great existential problem…
Oh boy, you asked a lot of questions!
To save money… I scour the grocery ads that come out on Wednesdays, circle the things that are super cheap, then stock up, going from store to store. I also match coupons to the sales. I always cut the coupons from the Sunday paper. CVS is also a great place for using coupons, especially if you’re part of their Extra Care program. I’ve gotten a lot of free stuff doing that.
I tend to avoid most of the ads that come in the Sunday paper. If I don’t want to spend money on clothes or shoes or whatever, then I don’t look at ads that will make me suddenly feel like I need to go buy things.
This may sound weird, but having a daily subscription to the newspaper saves me money. I find out about all sorts of things going on around town, such as the free lecture series my husband and I attended at a local synagogue tonight. There are coupons galore, recipes, community event listings… all sorts of stuff! And that’s just in addition to the news and comics!
My biggest money saver is that shopping isn’t a hobby. I know so many women who LOVE to shop, and that’s what they for fun. I usually only shop when I want/need something, so I avoid a lot of temptation to spend.
Favorite frugal recipe… well, I have lots. But I’ll just direct you to a great cookbook for inexpensive meals: The More with Less Cookbook. I first checked this out from the library, then because I kept checking it out, I finally bought my own copy. The whole philosophy of the book is using what you have and not wasting anything. Most recipes are extremely frugal, and it’s where I get my favorite bread recipes.
My favorite frugal website is http://likemerchantships.blogspot.com.
Best tip: Eat at home as much as you can. And cook a lot so that you can freeze some of it for those days you don’t feel like cooking. If I’d done that years ago, we’d have saved a TON of money on takeout when I was terribly sick for months. Live and learn.
Ewokgirl’s last blog post..Goodwill
If you have a CVS learn to shop there! They have fabulous deals! Also take advantage of rebates like at Walgreens or whatever stores are in your area!
Jamie’s last blog post..Ideas for Cheap Entertainment?
Check out moneysavingmom.com. She can answer many many of your questions.
Coupons, where to redeem them and actual sales at various stores.
Linda
Cook at home, don’t eat fast foods and don’t nickel and dime yourself into the poorhouse by buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks, or a Coke at 7-eleven, etc.
Infinity Goods’s last blog post..How Do You Organize Your Home?
I do coupons for things that it makes a good deal. But store brands are the best. My stores don’t double or triple so I just use them at walmart and albertsons and winco. I don’t blow money eating out very often. I don’t buy coffee or smoothies or sodas at hte store. The best thing I do to save money is plan how I’m spending my money and then I know where it is going to. We’re also big refried bean people, my kids love it. So we constantly have beans going in the crock pot with season salt and then mash it into bean dip. Its plain but serve with rice or chips or whatever and you’ve got dinner. And its cheap!I do a lot of online shopping and ebates is amazing. If you’re interested they have a referral program and we both get rewarded. But its basically percentage cash back on purchases. And they have lists of coupons for stores and cash back sales. Its fabulous. We made around $100 last year with it. Another friend who shops more has made around $400 last year.
Angela’s last blog post..WFMW Backwards Day: What is in your family binder?
I cut coupons. We eat organic and much of our food from scratch. It can save on the grocery bill (which is usually one of the biggest expenses in a household) but organic isn’t cheap. We just use them at our regular grocery store. Be careful with coupons though, only cut and buy what you normally would not just because it’s on sale.
Food is the biggest culprit. Make as much of your own as you can. Eat out very very little.
My favorite frugal recipe? You know I haven’t categorized my meals as such so I couldn’t tell you. Ground turkey is nice to use and not too expensive. Actually turkey period is inexpensive.
Q&Q’s last blog post..Self Fitness DVD Pack Giveaway
I usually buy store brands for food, especially canned goods. For frugal recipes, I like http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ . I also like to sub ground turkey in the rolls in recipes that call for ground beef. The ground turkey is cheaper than beef, and tastier than the turkey in the flat packages.
Wifey’s last blog post..Backwards Works for Me Wednesday
These are things I am constantly working on. Here is what I am currently doing:
What do you do to save money?
Delegate a dollar amount every week and save it an account that you cannot easily get to. Also any budget areas that I do not meet I plan on adding the overage to saving.
If you clip coupons, where do you usually shop to redeem them?
Mostly Walgreens and CVS, and some at the grocery store.
What are your favorite “cheap knock-off” products?
Hmmm….not sure
What is your favorite easy-peasy frugal recipe?
Anything meatless that has to do with beans!
What are your favorite frugal websites?
Frugal Hacks, Like Merchant Ships, Sense to Save and Money Saving Mom, oh and my own of course
Any other tips or tricks?
Read Tightwad Gazette, Miserly Moms and Total Money Makeover!
Save Money? Don’t “Spave”–spending justified by how much you’re saving.
Coupons? Pretty much just diaper and cleaning supply coupons I get through Huggies and brand name cleaners mailing lists. In my area Sunday paper coupons are usually 35 cents or less off and there’s no doubling.
Knockoffs? Target brand antibacterial body wash–the blue one–it’s a knockoff of the Dial body wash and actually works better. Target brand nighttime baby wash. It smells fantastic, makes great bubbles, and doesn’t irritate my kiddos’ skin.
Bonus: it doesn’t leave a ring in the tub!
Easy Frugal Recipe? Pork butt–cook in the crockpot until it shreds easily then use it to make burritos, sandwiches, pasta…pork is cheap and versatile.
Frugal site? mommysavers.com message boards
Tips/Tricks? Use Cash!
SAHMmy Says’s last blog post..Get Baby to Sleep Through the Night
We do our grocery shopping at Aldi food stores.
They offer only store brands, customers pack their own groceries, and they don’t advertise, so they are able to keep their prices low.
You can find a local store at their website:
http://www.aldifoods.com/index_ENU_HTML.htm
That’s what works for me!
Dawn @ Baby Addiction’s last blog post..Sleeping Beauty
Don’t worry about store brand products - You can actually get the “real” thing for cheaper or free. The only store brand products I’ve been getting lately are CVS just because they are free though.
Also, I think you have to pay for the grocery game. I don’t think it’s worth it to have to pay for any coupon advice. that doesn’t make sense to me - why pay in order to learn how to save? Hot Coupon world is the best!
Allison’s last blog post..WFMW: Baby questions!
As soon as a paycheck is deposited into our account we immediately transfer a set percentage into our savings account. That way the money isn’t sitting in there ready to be spent.
I plan my meals on what types of meat are on sale at the grocery store that week. We don’t use coupons but we do buy mostly store brand for most items.
I love dollar stores. I don’t buy food there, but they have coloring books and crayons and hair accessories and storage containers and a lot of other stuff for way cheap. Normally I buy party supplies at a party supply store, but the last party we had I bought stuff at the dollar store and spent about 1/50th of what I normally spend.
Dawn’s last blog post..Works For Me Wednesday: Backwards Edition
I get my coupons & ideas from moneysavingmom.com.
My fave frugal recipes are:
chili & rice - maybe melt some shredded cheese on top, and chili can be replaced with beans for even cheaper healthful deliciousness.
macaroni & tomato soup. It’s a family classic, but in-laws tend to not like it as much. I don’t know if you have to grow up with it to love it: just cook elbow macaroni noodles, drain, pour in tomato juice. Salt & pepper. For my husband’s sake, I add browned ground meat, cut up hotdogs, pepperoni slices, or just some cheese.
Emily R’s last blog post..What have YOU got? Huh??
My best frugal tips are to plan meals and stick to the shopping list! I use coupons but only for things I really need, usually personal care items (toothpaste, shampoo, etc.) and cleaning supplies. there are some great deals at walgreens and CVS for these type items. I also know the days that our grocery store (Monday) will put their meat items in the markdown bin because of the expiration date. Then I freeze immediately or cook them all in one night for the remainder of the week.
My other tip, is that I use white vinegar and baking soda to clean sinks, tubs, showers. It is cheap and works great without all the chemicals.
Hope this helps!
I am a big coupon clipper. We basically live off of items that are free. Even if you are trying to be organic, there are things like tooth brushes and shampoo that are very frequently free.
For clothes, I am a big fan of the “10 items for $5″ Goodwill day. It is very picked over by that point, but if you are diligent, it is worth it. It is a special deal where one color tags on shoes/clothes (ours is on Monday). It makes it cheaper there than at yard sales these days.
We are also big on yard sales, though. The main thing we look for is furniture, small appliances or whatever we need. I keep a list in my car, so that I don’t buy a bunch of junk I don’t need. It is very hit or miss, but lots of cheap fun! I have bought dressers for $5 and like new bikes for $3. You just never know what you will find.
Another thing I do is to barter, or trade services, with people. My DH is an auto tech, so we have traded his work (they paid for the parts) for new carpet, or even items like a new rifle. Everyone comes out better in the long run.
I, too, love the Tightwad Gazette books, and I bought my set used online (with free shipping!) for less than $10. A very good investment.
Good luck on your frugal ventures!
Gina’s last blog post..WMFW (Works for Me Wednesday in Reverse)
I have never seen that coupon clipping added up to as many savings as shopping at a discount store, such as ALDI or Save-a-lot. I don’t buy anything that isn’t generic, except for special occasions. We grow our own garden and process some meat which saves a consideral amount of money. Making a meal plan for the week with a specific grocery list also makes a big difference in money spent.
Right now, saving on gas by cutting down trips into town is a big way to cut your budget.
I could go on…but I will leave you with my favorite easy cheap recipe. I make chili with kidney beans, chili powder, ground meat, tomatoes and sauce. What makes it so great is that it is chili with cornbread one night and then taco salad the next. Nothing exciting, but definitely easy!
Heather@mommymonk’s last blog post..No Fear
If you do any internet shopping, I recommend checking http://www.retailmenot.com/ first for coupons and deals.
You can search for coupon codes for various online stores (Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com). And sometimes there are coupons you can print for actual physical stores.
Best of luck!
Tootie’s last blog post..Going Red
Check out http://www.thegrocerygame.com. It’s super easy and inexpensive… completely legit, even though it sounds too good to be true.
We’ve been Grocery Gaming for a year and a half, and it’s wonderful.
Rebecca’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen Edition 2
Check out this http://www.smartspendingresources dot com
I have a lot of friends who swear by her grocery saving tips.
Janel’s last blog post..Wordless Wendesday - Disney Memories
That’s hilarious. It’s no secret that I’m far more liberal than anyone else in my family. Justin’s only consolation was that I (in his words) “at least didn’t agree with huckabee… it could be so much worse!) Regardless of political affiliation at least we agreed on that one!
Saving Money: Basic Cable ($12), No long distance on home phone, no car payments, no credit cards unless emergency (like when your central heat dies… sigh), we rarely eat out, (and by rare.. I mean once every 6 mos or so.. including ordering pizza), reuse pasta water to water house plants; bath water for outdoor plants. I could go on and on.
I don’t clip coupons. We buy 99% of our products in generic form and those tend to be cheaper than the brand names WITH a coupon.
Easy Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs. With the left over meatballs, make meatballs subs the next night. With the extra spaghetti, make spaghetti calzones. No one will realize they ate the same meal 3 nights in a row.
Websites: LikeMerchantShips, FrugalHacks and MoneySavingMom.. all of which have been mentioned.
Other tips: Simply put.. live within your means. It will never look the same as another family.
To save money I do all sorts of things.
One of the big savers is using vinegar and washing up liquid for cleaning instead of expensive products.
I put it in a spray with water, and it works great.
Feel welcome to visit my entry for wfm at my blog
Laane on the World
Have a great week!!!
Laane’s last blog post..Sir Edmund Hillary has died
I’m really big on coupons, and I play the grocery game. I’ve been doing it a few years. I think one of the best tricks is to combine a sale with a coupon. The second best one is to stock up when your favorite things are on sale, as much as you can. If something is half price and we use it a lot, I’ll buy at least 2 of them. It isn’t frugal to say, “oh, that’s on sale but I don’t need it right now. I still have half a jar at home.” Yeah…and when the half jar of mayo runs out, and you want mayo, you end up spending a fortune on it. Isn’t it better to reach into your pantry for the jar that only cost you 99 cents?
One of the best investments we ever made is a small freezer. A great place to keep meat, vegetables and some other things when they go on sale. Ours cost less than $200, is very energy efficient, and surprisingly roomy for something that takes up so little space.
I’m willing to try store brands, and often use them. OTC meds come to mind. But I won’t buy an inferior product to save pennies. It doesn’t work out in the long run. I’ve yet to find a store towel as good as Bounty, and store toilet paper is about as nice as newspaper. (We use Angel Soft–not badly priced.)
Oh…back to coupons. A really good idea is to take the money you save at the grocery, round it up, and put it right into a savings account! That way, you’ll be encouraged to continue saving as you see your account grow each week. I transfer the money from checking to savings right on line.
Hope these help!
mom2fur’s last blog post..A question
A friend gave me a book that I absolutely love. I think the title is Miserly Mom, and the author gives a gazillion great tips. Like, homemade cleaning products (i’ve made everything from homemade window cleaner to homemade baby wipes!), cheap recipes (more homemade stuff), and how to save $$ on your bills and stuff in general.
My favorite thing that she suggests is having a soup night once a week. It’s been great, and usually I do it Thursday. Like last night we had onion soup. Bag of onions, stick of butter, a bit of garlic and beef broth…I toasted some stale bread for croutons and we had provolone cheese….yummy bummmy!! Not the healthiest, but still tasty and cheap!
Soup is usually cheap to make, and the family likes it.
I love thriftiness, and am a newbie when it comes to this stuff.
alli’s last blog post..whoa.
I have 3 posts on how I use coupons and grocery sales to save money. Specifically, I use the Coupon Mom site. You can read the first of the posts here: http://jenuinejen.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/works-for-me-wednesday-the-coupon-mom/.
I ususally redeem the coupons at local grocery stores, Target, and CVS. Sometimes I shop at Wal-Mart as well.
The main “knock-off products” we purchase are store brand OTC medicines. Since I use coupons in conjunction with store sales for so many of my other purchases, I am able to purchase brand names at the same prices as store brand products.
Websites that I like are: http://www.couponmom.com, slickdeals.net, moneysavingmom.com.
I like to cook Chicken in Cream Sauce with rice and green beans. The recipe is on my site but it is basically chicken wrapped in bacon topped with a mixture of cream of mushroom soup and sour cream baked at 325 for 2 hours.
Jen @ JenuineJen’s last blog post..Create Your Wish List: A List of Everything You Want to Be, Do, and Have
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