Comments on: Cutting Grocery Costs (without clipping coupons)

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:08:36 +0000

What??? I save hundreds of $$$$$ using coupons. Often, I get things free; sometimes I get overage that helps pay for other things.

Yesterday I went to the store and bought 4 tubes of Colgate toothpaste, 15 packs of Dentyne gum (think Halloween candy), three highlighters, and a pocket folder. After all my coupons, I paid only $3.91. Take that amount, subtract the $6.00 in coupons printed at the register and I came out $2.09 ahead! I will use those coupons in a week or two and save even more.

Using coupons is totally worth the effort. Anyone can learn how. There are web sites that tell you everything you need to know, including where the sales are and where to find coupons for those sales. Once you learn the basics, it doesn’t take much time, either.

By: Cutting Grocery Costs (without clipping coupons) | Coupon Dude

Cutting Grocery Costs (without clipping coupons) | Coupon Dude — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:05:06 +0000

[...] You can see the rest here. [...]

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:29:59 +0000

I only have a budget of 300 a month to feed myself and my 17 year old son and 3 year old daughter. I find it hard to have enough to eat at the end of the month. Any pointers on how to eat healthy and stay on a budget that will last with so little money?

By: Pam

Pam — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:14:10 +0000

“Isn’t the farmers and ethnic markets more expensive?”

Grocery stores have a lower mark up on stabples like milk or eggs. They GOUGE you on specialty items such as the tortillas and soy sauce mentioned. I buy soy sauce, tahini and other seasonings at a local Asian market much cheaper than the grocery store.

Even better, I control how much fat and salt are in my meals.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:39:37 +0000

I appreciate all your tips, Amy, and amen about not using coupons, I seldom do anymore. Because I got more serious about true frugality and saving money, I sat and thought and made lists and planned. I came up with meals that would actually be eaten because I asked for input. Then I head straight for the marked-down meat section first and fill the freezer with these because you base your meal on these, probably, if you have a family. You learn to shop the outside aisles mainly where the real food is. You own several crock pots (pick these up at thrift stores; I found several large and smaller ones, all for less than $5 each and they work great) and they’re great for desserts, read the recipe books, amazing what you already have at home or get them at the library or the net. Long story short, you can have great meals ready to be eaten when you walk in the door at night from a long hard day at work, dessert included. It smells great and everybody thinks you’re so smart and such a good cook, ha-ha. I love it even now that I’m single and even though I now work at home. I hate coupons though I’ll still use the occasional one. I don’t even take the local paper, (another frugal tip, I read local news on line). I use my PC to check the local Kroger and Cub ads ahead of time but almost always hit Aldi first. We don’t have many ethnic stores here but do have health food stores and Big Lots (spices, etc).

By: Festival of Frugality #71 Recap at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money

Festival of Frugality #71 Recap at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 03:27:25 +0000

[...] Finance Advice gives us some ways to cut grocery costs without clipping coupons. I agree that ethnic stores sell many groceries for much less than chain stores, but I don’t [...]

By: Money-saving tips: blog carnivals worth reading » The Bargain Queen blog

Money-saving tips: blog carnivals worth reading » The Bargain Queen blog — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:31:01 +0000

[...] Cutting Grocery Costs (without clipping coupons) [...]

By: Festival Of Frugality #71: Definitions Of Frugality Edition

Festival Of Frugality #71: Definitions Of Frugality Edition — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:25:28 +0000

[...] Cutting Grocery Costs (without clipping coupons) by Amy L. Fontinelle @ Personal Finance Advice. Amy presents six simple tips to save money on groceries without clipping coupons. [...]

By: sue

sue — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:11:07 +0000

Eat less and save money

By: Amy L. Fontinelle

Amy L. Fontinelle — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:40:29 +0000

Some farmers’ markets are more expensive than grocery store produce–it really depends on the particular farmers’ market, your geographic location (i.e. all produce sold in Alaska is going to be more expensive), the particular grocery store you shop at, what kind of produce you’re buying and whether it’s in season or not. Sometimes farmers’ markets will save you a bundle because you’re cutting out the middle man along with a lot of transportation costs.

I don’t know why, but ethnic markets are invariably cheap. My local farmers’ market sells dried persimmons at a price of one for $4. My local ethnic market sells dried persimmons at a price of ten for $2. Talk about a huge difference! Another example: many Asian markets sell containers of extremely fresh, already peeled garlic for less than a conventional grocery store charges for the same quantity of still peeled, so old that it’s sprouting and doesn’t taste good anymore garlic.