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Archive for August, 2011

Now, I like a good adventure as much as the next person, but grocery shopping has gotten to be a drudge over the past several years, especially with prices going up on a daily basis. I’ve decided I wish I could live in one of those metropolitan areas again where I could go on a grocery store web site , order groceries and have them delivered that afternoon.

I had to go grocery shopping yesterday. When I say I had to, I mean I HAD to. The last time I went grocery shopping was about three weeks ago, so all we had left in the house was a box of macaroni, a half bottle of ketchup, a stick of butter, some flour, sugar and a green, furry thing in the back of the fridge that might have had leaves on it at one time. After some dawdling, I finally got started out about 11:30. The Frontiersman decided to go with me because he wanted to look for some things at Wal-Mart. Ok. At least I would have someone to talk to along the way…riiight. The drive from our house to Pinestump Junction, the nearest town with a Wal-Mart and a major grocery store is about thirty miles from here. On the way, I began telling The Frontiersman about something I’d heard on a talk radio program the other day. After talking to him for about ten minutes, I heard some very deep breathing coming from my right side. I glanced over and noticed The Frontiersman was fast asleep; how rude! I thought about waking him up, but decided against it. As I was pulling into the Wal-Mart parking lot, The Frontiersman began waking up. “So, what’s your opinion?” I asked. “Huh?” “What are your thoughts about what was said on that radio talk program?” I asked, knowing he didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. “What radio talk program?” “Never mind”, I made my point. “Ok.” After spending about forty-five minutes and at least $100.00 in Wal-Mart, we got something to eat and went on to the grocery store. I’m convinced that some evil sick-o designed those darn shopping carts to lock together and then let go when you finally give up fighting with them. I really didn’t appreciate the humor when that eighty something year old, ninety pound lady walked up behind me and very casually pulled out the cart I had been struggling with and then she had the nerve to smile very sweetly at me, as only little old ladies can do. I know I loosened up that cart for her. I decided to ignore the incident in spite of the sarcasm, and do my shopping. I navigated my way through the aisles without too many strange experiences, except for when I was in the produce section and couldn’t reach the last two bags of baby spinach. Who ever thought of putting high shelves in the produce department anyway? I knew there was a logical reason why I took my whole steno pad with me to the grocery store; it makes a good swatter when things are on high shelves and you’re short. The two older ladies in the meat department arguing over the last package of on-sale spareribs was kind of entertaining. The Frontiersman was on good behavior and only had to be reprimanded once for throwing some less-than-healthy odds and ends in the cart. Since it was mid-afternoon, the checkout lines weren’t too long. That was a plus, and watching the mom ahead of me wrestle the candy bar away from the three or four old boy in her shopping cart, whose face and hands were covered in chocolate was entertaining and helped to pass the time. On second thought, maybe I would miss the free entertainment if I didn’t make the trek to the grocery store. I guess I just need to go more often. Don’t tell anyone how entertaining the grocery store can be or they’ll start serving coffee and cookies and charge us an ‘entertainment fee’.

Times are hard right now, and everybody wants what is best for them. We all know that money is not everything, but it does help. Lets face it, working for the man only gets you but so far in life. Eventually, we start to think on another level beginning with the questionCan I work for myself? Once that question is asked the search for home based opportunities comes into view. The only problem is legitimacy because there are a lot of scams out there. However, there is one great program that can set you free from the man and eliminate your grocery bill. This great opportunity is called MPB Today. [MPB Today] is a legitimate company that you dont need to worry about scams with. As a matter of fact, you can visit their corporate office in Pensacola, FL. I dont know about you, but knowing there is a real office gives me security.

MPB Today stands for My Premier Business and is affiliated with a grocery delivery service. As we all know, the grocery delivery business is a multi-million dollar business, and is expected to grow into a multi-billion dollar business in the next couple years. With MPB Today you can become a part of that huge financial growth. All you have to do is become an affiliate and promote your new business opportunity. As an affiliate of [MPB Today], you get a lot of perks. For starters, your business opportunity is built like a matrix, and you have to fill it with six people. (If you are not sure how you are going to find those people, dont worry, Ill show you how.) Once your matrix is filled, you will be mailed a $300 check and a $200 gift card from Wal-Mart. That is right; you get a real $300 check and $200 to spend at Wal-Mart or Sams Club. With your $300 check you can put it into the bank. With your $200 gift card for Wal-Mart or Sams, you can buy food, clothes, electronics, Christmas and birthday presents. And did I mention that you can use your gift card at Sams Club gas pump? That is right, get all your grocery needs and fill up your tank with Sams Club discounted gas prices.

This is a legitimate business in which you do not have to worry about being scammed. You have read all of the perks of being an affiliate and having your own business opportunity. To become an affiliate and take advantage of these great perks, it only cost $210. For $210 you get your own business and access to making big money, free groceries and gas, and a website. Your website is only $10 a year, and that is included in the $210 fee to join. If you want free gas and groceries, plus a fat bank account, go to http://mpbtodayriches.info today.

Learn How To Save Money By Reducing Your Grocery Bills

Following the economy downturn, many people lost their jobs and that trying to make ends meet can be very challenging or even frustrating. If you are the person in your family who does most of the cooking and grocery shopping, you can help ease the financial burden by knowing how to save money on grocery bills.

Make weekly meal plans and grocery list

Make it a habit to plan your meals on a weekly basis. When you plan out your meals and make a grocery list, you are less likely to go into impulsive buying when you go to the store. Furthermore, you save on gas by purchasing all you need for the week in a single trip.

Make comparison

A wise shopper will always compare before buying. Compare between brands for a particular item, eg canned tuna from brand A may be cheaper from brand B, so on and so forth.

If there are several grocery stores around the neighborhood, also compare prices among the stores. You probably will have to spend more time investigating the prices among stores to get the best deal for your purchase.

Buy during sales or special promotions

Stock up on items that are on sale and that can be kept for a relatively longer period of time, such as canned food and non-perishables that you use very frequently. It saves to buy extra when they are on sale. Avoid buying too much fresh produce even if they are on sales because you would have to discard them if they go bad. Thats a waste, and it really adds up in the long term. Remember, one of the most important ways to save money is actually not to waste.

Save money by using coupons

When used appropriately, coupons can help you save a lot. You can clip and gather coupons from newspapers and magazines. You can also find shopping coupons on the internet. Just keep in mind this: only gather coupons of the items you need, and not every single coupon you see. You may end up spending more and wasting money by trying new products that you dont need because you happen to have the coupons.

If you are able to stick to the money saving tips mentioned, you should be able to notice an apparent difference in your grocery bills soon.

Kraft grocery paper bags are the best carry out solutions for grocery stores. Grocery items such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products and more can be conveniently carried in them. As nowadays people mostly seek for environmental friendly solutions prior to making purchases, these grocery paper bags are among popularly opted ones.

Kraft Grocery Paper Bags in a Variety of Models

Today, Kraft grocery paper bags are available in a multitude of designs for a wide variety of purposes. You can find them primarily in bleached, heavy-duty and standard duty models. Their features and specifications vary depending on the products you choose. Every model is available in a variety of sizes, shapes and color combination. There are also special kraft grocery paper bags with attractive designs embossed on them.

As these bags would have to accommodate heavy grocery items, they are designed with heavy-duty kraft capable of carrying groceries of varying weights. Compared to other models, they are much stronger. These capacious bags can also carry groceries of varying sizes.

Paper Bags as Eco-Friendly Solutions

As nowadays people mostly focus on eco-friendly practices, grocery paper bags enjoy great demand in the commercial market. Being made from renewable resources, they are easily recyclable and biodegradable.

Browse the Web to Find the Dealer of Your Choice

Many retailers and distributors today offer different models of kraft grocery paper bags from a variety of manufacturers. But whenever you go for a purchase, it is important to find the right dealer for getting quality products.

If you browse the internet, you will find a number of dealers offering these kraft grocery bags. You can compare the various prices and services and find a dealer who can meet your requirements.

Kraft bags are great packaging solutions for grocery stores. Apart from grocery stores, many of the supermarkets and shopping centers have switched over to these products. This is due to the convenience and economical benefits they offer in packaging things.

Kraft Bags as Perfect Carry Away Solutions for All Grocery Items

Kraft bags are convenient bagging solutions. When not in use, they can be conveniently folded and kept. They take up only minimal space for storage. These shopping bags are great choices for multiple and large item purchases. You can find them in large, medium and small sizes. Both heavy and lightweight materials can be easily carried in them. Diary products, fruits, vegetables, or whatever grocery items you have to carry – there are special models specifically designed for every purpose.

Kraft Paper Bags as a Useful and Environment Friendly Solution

In todays world, people are becoming choosier about the products they purchase. They look for more natural products which create lesser environmental hazards. Kraft bags are made of biodegradable materials and are considered eco friendly ones; they will easily degrade even if you litter them. Rather than throwing them away after the first use, there are many creative ways to reuse them. You can use them for different craft works, as book covers, trash car liners, and for many more creative works.

Approach Wholesale Dealers and Cut Down Your Additional Shopping Expenses

As excellent take away solutions, kraft bags are of great use in grocery stores. A large variety of paper kraft bags are available with many dealers and distributors. Getting them from wholesale dealers would ensure lesser prices.

If you are looking for ways to reduce your grocery expenditure, this might just be the thing you are looking for. This is an extremely simple technique but it does require effort and dedication. If you look at your monthly grocery shopping list over some time, you will notice something peculiar.

You will find that there are quite a few items which you buy over and over again. It could be your favourite soft drink, frozen pizza or a particular brand of tea.

Now, you can’t get coupons for these regular items every single time and frankly speaking, it is too time consuming to look through the newspaper and collect these coupons on a regular basis.

Here’s where this method works very well.

In summary, you need to establish a system for emailing companies to request for coupons. The task of emailing each company may seem daunting but if you break it down to small steps done on a scheduled basis, it becomes very doable.

Follow these steps:

1. Identify grocery items that you buy constantly. Keep a list of it.

2. Locate the company that manufactures each grocery item.

3. Do a search in google and find the company’s official website.

4. Visit the manufacturer’s website and locate its contact email address.

5. Draft a brief email to the company. Keep it brief, warm and clearly state the following things:

- If you have or have not tried the product.
- How regular you purchase the product.
- The name of the store you frequent.
- How you use the product. This is also a good time to commend on the product.
- Your full name and mailing address.
- Lastly, include your email address.

Example:

Our family of four always enjoys a big Sunday morning breakfast together and it always includes a healthy portion of Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancakes. The pancakes are delicious, quick and always come out perfectly.

I would enjoy receiving product information including recipe ideas, new products coming out and coupons which may be available in the future. Please add me to your company’s mailing list.

Thank you,
Your full name
Street Address
City, Town Zip code
Email address

Now you may or may not receive any response. These companies receive a lot of emails from customers so it might take some time before you get any response from them.

It’s very important not to get discouraged by it. If you send enough emails, the effort will pay off and you will soon see your email inbox filled with coupons. All you need is a little dedication and soon, you will see a steady flow of coupons coming to you without you lifting a finger.

Good luck and god bless!

“Before kids I used to happily peruse the supermarket aisles, slowly selecting interesting new items, scrutinizing labels and creating a few evening meals in my head as I shopped. Now I have two small kids and my creative shopping days are over. I run through the store and I am lucky if I get half of the essentials that I need to get through the week,” writes a frustrated mom when asked about her biggest daily stressors.

With small children in tow, visits to the supermarket can be unproductive and filled with anxiety. An extra twenty minutes of indecision, waiting at the deli, or traveling unneeded aisles, is just enough time for kids to lose their marbles and cause the parent to flee the store, shopping incomplete.

Supermarket shopping must get done, and bringing the children, for the majority of parents, is the only viable option.

Survival Tips

Create a weekly menu.

On Sunday, find 7 simple dinner recipes made with basic, healthy ingredients. Include an easy lunch menu for 7 days and then decide breakfast choices for the week. The Food Network website yields hundreds of tasty, easy to prepare meal ideas like beef stroganoff and tacos. Writing a weekly menu will relieve the stress that families feel each evening when deciding what’s for dinner, leaving more time and energy for family time.

Make a list.

Using the weekly menu, make a shopping list on the front of a plain envelope (reason for envelope in next tip) of all of the items needed to prepare the week’s breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. The food list complete, go through the house and add to the list, beverages, paper, cleaning, and bath and beauty products running low. A pad of paper and pen in an accessible area lets family members jot down items they need.

Study the floor plan of the grocery store.

It is really helpful to know the layout of the grocery store when creating a grocery list because the list can be made to correlate to the store. For example, if the deli is the first place passed and the dairy is next and then meat, deli items should be grouped at the top of the list followed by all of the dairy items and then meat. Although seemingly obsessive-compulsive, correlating the list to the store layout eliminates doubling back and can save enormous amounts of time.

Clip coupons.

After the list is created, find coupons that match items on the list. Only use coupons for those items regularly used, or those items the family might enjoy trying. Put the coupons needed for the current shopping list into the envelope with the grocery list printed on it. Place a check next to those items on the list that have a coupon. Don’t add extra items to the list just to use a coupon. Compare prices, sometimes another brand might be cheaper than the brand with the coupon.

Do be creative with the weekly menu to incorporate coupons, for example make chicken instead of pork chops if there is a chicken coupon. Don’t compromise on health to use a coupon; don’t buy a 10% juice beverage with a coupon instead of 100% juice without a coupon or settle for high sugar cereal with a coupon in place of a healthy cereal without.

Choose off-peak hours.

It is much more efficient and pleasant to schedule supermarket visits when the store is empty. Mornings, after people are at work and older children are in school, are quiet in grocery stores and lines are short or non-existent. Later evening for working parents, or early mornings on weekends are typically light. Take note when visiting or just call and ask a store manager, “When is the store is at its most quiet?” Schedule visits during off-peak hours. Workers are much more pleasant and helpful on a whole when not facing hoards of impatient customers.

Hug the perimeter.

The healthiest items in the supermarket are found along the perimeter of the store. Fresh produce, meats and seafood, and the dairy cases all sit along the outer edges. The majority of cart time should be spent along the perimeter. Fresh foods are, more often than not, healthier than the ready-to-eat foods found in the middle aisles. The amount of sodium and fat added to fresh foods while cooking is up to the cook, not the manufacturer.

Ask for help and bring a pen.

Supermarket workers are knowledgeable and generally willing to help. Instead of wandering the aisles in search of a product, ask. Staff will often go out of their way to locate a hard to find item. The butcher can slice cuts of meat and chicken exactly as recipes call for, saving prep time at home. It is perfectly reasonable and a good use of time to alert the butcher or deli clerk, and shop while they are preparing the order.

Bring a pen and cross items off of the list as you put them in the cart, or you will waste time checking and rechecking your list.

Finally, accept the bagger’s offer to bring bundles to the car. Let the bagger push the cart, load the groceries into the car, and return the cart. The parent can keep the kids safe in the parking lot and buckle car seats and seat belts. Safer and a time saver – and baggers often like to get out of the store.

Every Sunday, my mom cannot wait to open the newspaper. No, she’s not waiting to learn about events around the world, she is more interested in getting her hands on the grocery coupons that come with them. Yes, I have a ‘Crazy Coupon Lady’ mother that cannot and will not shop without her precious coupons. She gets her beloved grocery coupons by mail and she loves to shop with them. And I don’t blame her either. She gets really good deals on food items and I get to make demands as to what I would like for her to purchase for me. Now that was all about my mother. This is true for many women (and men) who do their grocery shopping smartly. But there are few of those who are skeptical about the power of coupons or don’t know how to save with grocery coupons. So this article is dedicated those who want to learn how to save money with grocery coupons and also for those, who would like to refresh or learn some new tactics as well.

Why Should We Use Grocery Coupons?

What are grocery coupons? I know that almost everyone, who has shopped on their own in supermarkets and grocery stores, know about these coupons. But what are they actually? If you are getting confused with the question here, let me take the confusion away. Coupons are cash; plain and simple. Don’t agree with me? Let me explain. When you visit a supermarket or a grocery store, you undoubtedly pay the MRP on food items, unless it is already on discounted rate. Now generally we shop for groceries in bulk and the total amount will reflect the shopping. So if you are running your home on a tight budget, which many women (and sometimes men) do, the grocery coupons of that particular store can decrease your total expense considerably.

Purchasing grocery with discount coupons is one of the best ways to save money. So all in all, if you had to calculate your expenses over a period of one month (or 2 to 6 months), you will see that the grocery coupons actually can make a huge difference. You will have extra cash to spend on other necessary items; or if you wish to save money for a rainy day, it won’t be such a bad idea, right? So, what did we learn right now? Grocery coupons – GOOD. And now, we go over the tips on how to reduce your grocery shopping bill in detail.

How to Shop With Grocery Coupons?

To understand the question on how to save with grocery coupons, we need to know how to shop smartly. Those ‘Coupon ladies’ that you see in the stores aren’t roaming around with tons of coupons in their hands for no reason. It’s a vital factor while shopping for groceries; and trust me, you won’t regret it.
If you don’t receive regular coupons by mail, sign up for them. You will receive them in your Sunday newspaper.
Every time you get the coupons, check their expiry date. Separate the coupons which you are interested in using.
Grocery shopping on a budget can be possible. For that, you need to plan your grocery shopping according to the coupons’ expiry date. If the coupons are getting expired before you are supposed to go to the supermarket, then prepone your shopping.
Make a detailed grocery list. Have two columns – coupon items and regular items. This way, when you’re at the store, you don’t have to shuffle through a lot of coupons.
When at the store, put the food items that you need to purchase with the coupons in your cart first. If there are more shoppers who are using coupons just like you, there are chances that those items may get out of stock.
Let’s say that you went to the store, with your coupons, and found out that a particular item is out of stock. In that case, you can get a rain check and use it later on once the item is back in stock. This way, you can save money on groceries. Your coupon won’t go to waste.
If you can’t find time to personally visit the store(s) and shop, you can opt to make the purchases online. Some grocery stores offer this facility.
There are some websites and grocery stores which offer online grocery coupons for you to avail. This is another great way to save money on groceries.
Many a times, you can end up with 2 or more coupons of the same item. Don’t throw them away. You can easily avail them at different shopping trips (if the purchase limit is low on the item you want to buy).
And that folks, were some helpful tips on how to save with grocery coupons. If you wanted to learn more about shopping for food while you’re on a budget, then here’s a Buzzle article on saving money on groceries you can read. I hope that you found this information helpful and will be able to get more good deals on your next purchase.

You must always have money to spend on grocery shopping but is there a way to save some? In this article we will discuss this possibility. So what do you do when your budget is low? You start saving money from here and there. How about saving from grocery? I know that food for your family is important but there are ways to avoid paying increased amounts of money.

First of all when you do your programming, know exactly how much you are willing to spend for grocery. That way you will know your limit is and you won’t have to worry whether you can afford to buy that delicious fruit or not.

Then start to look for bargains. Depending on the number of grocery stores in your area, prices will vary. Visit them and compare prices. Quality is an issue since cheap stores might not always offer good quality.

There are many grocery stores offering great discount one day a week. Learn what that day is and go early to make your shopping. It would be a good idea to develop a friendly relationship with the shop owner so that they let know when they offer the best deals.

Always remember to buy only what you need and can afford. Grocery stores have a strategy to make you buy as much as possible. Beat them buy preparing a list with the items you need. Then when you go to the shop, only buy the items in the list.

When you are on the grocery store carefully examine the entire shelf. Grocery stores will likely put the expensive items on eye-level and the cheaper ones very high or very low. If price is the issue take the time to search well for the lowest price.

Grocery stores follow the same tactic. They suddenly change the price of their items making them more expensive. In order to know when this happens, you could make a list of the items you buy often and start keeping track of the prices for those items. If you write down the prices you will also know, when an item is on sale, if it is really a sale.

By following the advice above you can save money grocery shopping

Now you can learn how to save thousands of dollars grocery shopping. I am talking about a product that will literally blow you away. It is an information-packed e-book about saving money grocery shopping. Learn everything from how to find the best bargains to how to beat grocery store owners at their own game. Don’t fall for their tricks and strategies. Start saving money now!

I love going to the grocery store and looking at my receipt to see how much I saved. The best Ive personally done is 70% and Ive only been able to do that once. I really try to save between 30% and 40% when I visit the grocery store, if possible.

In addition to the tips below I also shop at a grocery store that gives me gasoline discounts. Each time I spend $50 in groceries, the store gives me 3 cents per gallon off on my gasoline. My car usually will take 13 gallons. At 3 cents per gallon off, its another 39 cents Im saving when I shop. I know that doesnt seem like a lot, but if I fill my car 26 times per year (every other week), in a year Ive saved $10.14. That ten dollars comes to me just for shopping at a store that has great prices to begin with.

Here are several of my tips for saving money at the grocery store:

1. Buy day old meat. If you freeze the meat it will hold for several months. Sometimes I can save 50% on the cost of the meat by buying day old meat. This applies to poultry also.

2. Buy bread at outlet stores if available. Again, I save 50% by buying the day old bread. I keep bread in my refrigerator, so it will last many days. If you dont have an outlet store, compare the price of store bought bread with the price of day old bakery bread.

3. Watch the store sales. I try very hard to not run out of items so that I only buy items when on sale. For example, we make spaghetti at least once a month. I use Prego sauce as a base. I buy it when its on sale, knowing Ill use it in the next month.

4. Use coupons. If I see a coupon for a product I use, I cut the coupon. If your store offers double coupons, shop on the days your coupons will be doubled. If you can buy an item on sale and use a coupon, youll save even more. Consider trying a different brand, if there is a coupon and it will cut your overall grocery bill.

5. Grocery stores tend to put the higher priced items at eye level. Check the top and bottom shelves to see if a different brand or different size might be a better price.

6. Compare brands. Dont be afraid to try store brand products. One of the major manufacturers is making the store brand product. I actually save quite a bit of money on mayonnaise by buying the store brand. We bought a small jar of the store brand and liked it. Now its all we use.

7. Shop with a list. Try not to impulse buy. Stick to your list. I try to only impulse buy if I find something on sale that was not in the circular and its an item we use.

8. Plan your shopping. We have one store in town that always sells eggs for a dollar a dozen. I seldom find them at the grocery store for that price. I make a plan to buy eggs while in the part of town where this store is. I plan ahead so I dont run out of eggs prior to going to this one store.

9. Buy in bulk if the price is right. We use real butter in my home. I buy 6 pounds at a time. I put it in the freezer and it keeps for months. I get the best price buying butter in bulk this way.

10. Always check price per unit, or price per ounce. Larger does not always mean a better price. Laundry detergent is a great example. Ive been able to buy 3 smaller containers for less than the cost of one larger container.

Once you begin seeing the savings, youll begin to look forward to shopping just to see how much you can save!

About the author:
Audrey Okaneko is mom to two girls. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com