anyone have any money saving advice?
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anyone have any money saving advice?
| Fri, 05-07-2004 - 12:44pm |
I am currently working 3 different part time jobs as a teacher. Only one of them continues over the summer, and one of them ends entirely in June - so money is going to be much tighter than usual for a while (possibly permanently, I don't know!). I've eliminated the non-essentials, such as cable tv, and I'm paring down what expenses I can. Our biggie is always our mortgage payment, which is just covered by my husband's monthly pay, so I have to cover pretty much everything else, and I'm trying to still swing a few recreational activities for the kids this summer. Any other ideas, especially in terms of whittling down the grocery budget? There is a Costco an hour from here, and I'm wondering if the savings would pay for the membership fee and gas - I've never been a Costco member before. In our small town, "healthy" foods - like fresh produce and lean cuts of meat, are pretty expensive and not always the highest quality!

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Meal planning, and then grocery planning on a list instead of just going into the store. I always spend more when I just "pop in" for groceries. Also plan your menu in a way that stretches one meal into three completely different ones. My mom use to do that all the time: say, ham on Sunday, casserole with ham on Monday, soup by Wednesday.
>>There is a Costco an hour from here, and I'm wondering if the savings would pay for the membership fee and gas - I've never been a Costco member before.<<
Ask the service desk for a one-day pass (Costco should have those as most warehouse stores do) and then decide for yourself from there.
>>In our small town, "healthy" foods - like fresh produce and lean cuts of meat, are pretty expensive and not always the highest quality!<<
Do you have room for a garden, even a small one? Seeds are cheap, and it's fun for the kids to help grow your own, better tasting too. Even a couple planters, a few tomato plants etc. Also check your newspaper for "pick your own" places this summer. A good excursion, and you can't beat the prices or the quality, fresh off the plants!
I belong to Sam's Club, and I do think we save money. It's true that it's an investment up front. Sometimes it feels odd to pay nine dollars for a multi-pack of toothpaste, but then it lasts 4 months. You could buy fresh foods at Costco, prepare meals at home and then freeze half of them, that would make it so that you don't have to drive out there so much.
I'm also all about coupons and sales. If you get ads in the paper or mail from your grocery store you could plan meals around what is on sale. I'm not this organized, but I've heard of people saving lots of money by doing this.
Good luck!
Mom
We are Sam's Club members and I love it, but I will say this.......you have to pay very close attention to the pricing.
I'm with you on preparing two meals at a time, but I personally can't do it because my freezer is **seriously** challenged right now. Too much stuff, too little room.
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