My Blog

My blog has morphed over the years into different things. It is a place to learn about saving money, product reviews, cooking, gardening, and homesteading. It can take you to whatever has my attention at the moment and then back to the day to day. I hope you will learn something here and come back often.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Grocery Savings?

Is there any such thing as grocery savings anymore?  I originally started this blog because so many people asked me to help them save money using coupons.  After all, I was saving anywhere from 50-65% off my grocery bill each month.  I loved the days that I could walk into a store and save 90% off my purchases!  Where have those days gone?  Will they ever come back??  I don't think so.... :(

I believe the glory days of couponing are behind us, thanks to a popular tv show that I will not name, but it has to do with using coupons in an "extreme" way. Once this show gained popularity, the stores quickly began to change their rules regarding coupons and the manufacturers began changing the coupons.  We no longer have stores that double or triple the coupon values and the value of the coupons themselves have come down.  That's not to say that you can't ever find a good deal!  I'm just saying they are fewer are far between now.  So much so, that I do not even get the paper anymore.  The coupons no longer make it worthwhile.

So, can you save money?  Yes! As time permits, I'm going to do a small series blogs on how we save money on groceries and other things.  I know that our way of life is not for everyone but I'm hoping someone can glean a little help from it.

The first thing you need to do is evaluate your time and the foods you, or your family, eat.  Do you have time to cook meals from scratch?  Would you be better served with meals that require just a little effort? Or, do you need meals that you just heat and eat?  If you can carve out a little time to cook, you will save a lot of money.  After all, 1 bag of dry beans and a stack of flour tortillas are going to cost about $3 but if you buy that frozen pack of burritos you are looking at $8+.  That's a savings of $5!  Plus, odds are, you can make more than one meal out of that bag of beans and tortillas (depending on the size and appetite of your family).

Let's stop there for today.  Give yourself a few minutes to sit down and really evaluate your time.  Can you make time for the kitchen?  If so, how much time?  Maybe it's only 1 meal this week from scratch but that's a start.  You will save money and eat healthier food if you make it yourself.  There is also a lot of personal satisfaction in a job well done.

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