Living On a Budget, Part 1 (of 3)

I know many people are living on a strict budget these days due to all sorts of circumstances- those chosen and others not so much.  It's tough to live on a budget, but here I am going to share with you my personal tips and tricks.  I'm not a professional, but I certainly hope to help.

Some of these ideas may seem obvious to some, and not to others, so I'm sharing what I can think of to help everyone.

I would like to share that I lost my job a month before my son was born as our company was being acquired by another.  It seemed getting another job wasn't meant to be at that time, so I became a stay at home mom.  I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity, but it sure makes things challenging when we used to have two incomes!



*Buy in bulk.  I know many of you know this, but really.  If you go through two boxes of pasta a week, then stock up when it's on sale and make sure you get 16+ boxes.  That way you have two months or more supply.  It doesn't make sense to pay $2/box when you know it goes on sale for $1/box and you use it so often.  Stock up when items are on sale.

*There are local and non-local options for ordering food items in bulk.  Combine orders with your friends to save or even get free shipping.

*Amazon's grocery deals vary each month and obviously may or may not be a deal for you depending on where you live.  Often there are cereals, teas, coffee, and peanut butter.  Please remember prices fluctuate CONSTANTLY!

*Organic grains and sugars can be purchased through Natural Way Mills.  I get in on a huge order with friends/ family and pay very little for shipping.  You can get free 5 gallon containers to store your dry goods by calling your local grocery store and asking for their empty frosting containers with lids.  You may have to clean them out (and die from sugar shock in the process), but they're free!

*Vitamins, natural toothpastes, etc. I like to purchase through Swanson Vitamins.  They have a 4.99 flat shipping rate and you can often get free shipping or other discounts too.  Fan them on facebook for even more discounts.

*Cheese & butter: These items are usually cheapest at your local cheese factory.  Stock up so you don't have to go often- especially if you don't live very close to one!  Cheese freezes well when bought fresh from the factory!  Butter freezes too! I can find butter often at 2.50 here when it's 3.50 or more in the store.  The only difference you'll notice is that some cheeses such as cheddar aren't as smooth to cut when thawed.  You'll never notice a difference when used for cooking and you'll get used to it if you eat it sliced.

*Kwik Trip.  I know it sounds weird, but really.  If you have a Kwik Trip gas station they often have deals on milk, butter (1.99), and eggs(.99).  Sometimes produce items might be good prices too.  Don't buy other items as they often have high mark-ups.

*Don't forget to purchase meats in bulk too!  Again- I mean in LARGE quantities when on sale such as 50lbs or more depending on your usage.  Purchase a part of a cow, a chicken, etc. or watch for good sales on the cuts you use most at home.  Then repackage and freeze.  Your cost savings on meat alone should more than pay for the electricity it costs to run your freezer.

*Join your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  You pay a flat fee and receive fresh organic vegetables and other produce (based on your area) weekly.  We recently joined Sunny Sky Farm and I can't wait for our first box.  It's our first year doing a CSA.  In many cases this is a cost savings versus buying non-organic produce at your local stores.  Plus you're helping out a local farm!  In my case I'm hoping this encourages me to use more of what I have and what is in season, thus going to the store less and spending even less than normal, while eating more vegetables!

*Join a shopping club such as Sams club or Costco.  Membership costs vary, but are usually in the $40/year range.  This is only a cost savings if this type of store offers products you use and you don't cave to purchasing more than you will really use or other add-on products.  They offer much more than just food, so it can help you save in other areas too.

*If you have an Aldi- go there!  Now, I must say I'm not a fan of their style of shopping (go and you'll understand what I mean), but I sure do save a lot of money, so I'm willing to come back.  They have great milk prices, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, sauces, frozen goods, snacks, candies, and best of all GREAT prices on produce.  I often come across 99cent strawberries, 1.49 for two lbs of grapes, 1-3 dollar large bags of oranges, and a lot more.  Check them out!

*Compare costs.  No really, make a list of every product you use(or as many as you can) - whether it's name brand or generic.  Think of food items, toiletries, etc.  Go through your pantry and closets if it helps you get started.  Then, make time to go to all of your local stores and compare costs.  Write down how many ounces the bottle is or how many items come in each package and the total cost.  When you get home make a spread sheet and do the math on the cost per ounce/ item.  You might think you're getting a better deal at one store, but find you're really better off getting it somewhere else.  Now, yes, I realize that prices fluctuate frequently and sales are off and on.  However, this will give you a starting point.  It will be a great base and a physical paper that you can bring to the store to find out that maybe an item is cheaper at another store even if it's on sale where you usually buy it.  This is also a useful tool when looking at sale fliers- before going to the store.  Don't forget to comparison shop when shopping online too!  Example: When shopping at swansonvitamins.com I often compare prices with drugstore.com.  Sometimes I might have a coupon that makes it better at one store.

*Make cheap meals and consider going meatless for a couple of those meals.  Meat is probably the most expensive item on your list, so if you can cut it out or reduce it you will see savings.  Our grocery bills aren't too bad considering we probably only make one- two meals with meat a week.  Protein can be found in many other products from tofu, to eggs, cheese, beans, and quinoa (a grain that's also full of protein- perfect for carb lovers such as myself).

Next time, I'll cover some of my favorite ways and websites to acquire coupons.