Week 4/8 $aving Money
Finding surprise deals are exciting! I love getting a great deal that I didn’t expect. Do you know where to find the deals in the store you shop in most?
Assignment for week #4:
1) Find out where the clearance bins are at the store you shop. For me I rarely go anywhere other than Dominicks and Target.
At Target the clearance items are all of the store. That makes it sort of tricky to stay on a budget. I always check out the meat department–they often have $2.00 coupons on Laura’s Beef and the Bare Chicken products.
At Dominicks the refrigerated items are in the middle cooler in front of the milk case. There are also items at the endcaps between eggs and cookie dough. The items for health and beauty are on the shelf. Often times organic milk, eggs, cheese and yogurt are 50% off. We eat a lot of eggs! When you can combine a coupon with these items it like hitting a mini jackpot–but it all adds up.
2) Plan ahead: So many things come up in regards to school and I like to plan ahead for those items as much as possible. The schools send home a list of school supplies for the beginning of the year and I like to get more wipes and tissues when they go on sale so I can be sure to have some on hand.
I also think about what the kids might need for the school year–a red shirt for Valentines day, Shamrock shirt, Halloween . . . I want my kids to look cute, celebrate the season and have fun but I don’t want to pay full price for such an unnecessary item.
If you aren’t sure about what might be coming up ask another parent in the grade above to see if they have any words of wisdom on what might be needed.
3) There are trends in finding deals. This is one of many websites that offer information on when to save http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/07/the-best-time-to-buy-almost-everything/.
There will always be a deal. I need to keep reminding myself that the deal on wrapping paper will be there next year. My Mom never gave away a gift bag and 10 years after she has died I’m joyfully using those gift bags. I’ve promised myself that I will keep my shopping in check!
As you think about these ideas to help plan ahead be mindful of when you have spent too much and how you might avoid falling into that scenario again.
I keep a shopping list on the fridge to keep track of items that we absolutely need for the next week and I have a list of what we are getting low on–that system along helps me not pay full price this is not foolproof–I still run out of milk, toilet paper and other necessities. Life happens even when you do plan.
My next post in this series will be how seasonal produce and your freezer can help you plan ahead and save.
