Transparency

My husband and I were discussing finances and how we spend money the other day.  I realized during our discussion just how fortunate we are to have found each other and the fact that we have such similar views on finances.  Not everyone is so fortunate.  Conversations with friends and acquaintances have brought to light that not everyone is great with money and moreover, they aren't effectively spending it (or saving it).   So it got me thinking that maybe I would lay out what we as a family deem worthy to spend money on or, perhaps, what we don't spend money on:

Cars

I will never buy a brand new car again.  Crazy, right?  The usual rationale behind buying a new car is reliability and the fact that it is covered by a warranty.  While this is great, we find that the depreciation we end up paying for in the car is not worth it.  We recently purchased a 2000 Honda Odyssey EX from a not so close family member.  It was in near perfect condition inside and out and only had 68,000 miles on it.  We paid $7000.  It came with all the records and has been maintained with all milestone maintenance performed and my husband knows enough about cars to know that the car was in amazing condition.  It was a no-brainer.  We're not worried about needing a warranty.   My husband can fix just about anything that would go wrong with it.  Honda engines last forever and even if small things like windows stop going down or whatever eventually stop working, it doesn't affect the driveability of the car.  Why pay for all that depreciation when we'll get several years use out of it at a much smaller price tag?  It definitely serves the same purpose as a new car.  If you can knowingly spot a quality, well-maintained vehicle, and you can do your own maintenance, then buy a used car and save some money.

Groceries
I don't buy much that isn't around the perimeter of the grocery store (all the major food groups).  As a result, we avoid the high priced processed stuff in the middle of the store.  I only buy pasta sauce and pasta on sale (less than $1 with or without coupons).  I only buy crackers and cereal on sale or with coupons.  I make most of my own baked goods so I only require some flour and a few things down the baking aisle every once in a while and they are all less than $2 a bag.  Stocking up is a must when stuff is on sale.

Red meat is almost always expensive so I don't buy any of that.  I only buy ground beef on sale or when they offer it for reduced for quick sale.  I buy chicken breast only when it's less than $2 a pound.  As a result, I save money on meat and we still eat very healthy at home.

I definitely shop the bread thrift store and I buy reduced items at the grocery store and the farmer's market.  The bread I throw in the freezer and pull it out when I need it.  The reduced produce I use in meals for the week or freeze what I can't use in time (if possible).

Clothes
I don't have to have the latest and greatest fashions.  I'm a mom so I wear what's comfortable and classic so I don't have to keep up with trends.  I haven't bought myself new clothes since last Fall.  (Sorry if this is sacrilege to some, but everything in my closet fits and I can't justify new stuff).  My husband only gets new stuff when what he has is so faded that I can't take it anymore.

For the kids, I shop the off-season and guesstimate what size they'll be.  I'm currently done shopping through next spring.  And I never buy my children anything on the full price rack.  I also don't buy designer because let's face it, they're boys and they tend to ruin clothes quickly.  Why spend more money on clothes that I will feel terrible about them ruining?

Entertainment
I'm all about spending money for memberships to museums!  My kids love them!  They're educational! I'm giving to a non-profit that uses the money to upkeep their collections.  A lot of times you get access to special events (many at no extra cost to you).  You can't go wrong!

I don't typically see movies in a theatre.  Only on Moms Night Out (and we hit up the $5 wednesdays) or if there is something I have to see (Dark Knight Rising...yes, please).  I never get refreshments while I'm there.  I eat before or after I go (no sneaking in snacks for me...healthier to boot!)

We don't rent movies.  I get anything I want to see at the library.  Or there is an array of stuff on Amazon Prime (which we have at a discount because my husband's a student).  I don't have to see the latest and greatest movie to be entertained.

I don't have cable.  We used to before we had kids and found ourselves not watching most of the channels.  Frankly, I like that we don't watch tv that much since most of it tends to be mindless anyway.  Anything I want to watch on cable I can usually watch online anyway.

We get outside as much as we can.  And guess what?  That's almost always free.  Stroll around the park trails, hit up a state park (nominal fee), or hit up an arboretum or conservatory and you get to enjoy nature at its finest.

Vacations are great but you don't have to spend a ton of money to get a break from your routine.  I don't have to fly to Tahiti to hang out at the beach.  There are great vacation options that don't require you buy airfare or spend a ton of money on hotels.

If you are going to travel farther away, research and find your best deal.  It's possible to do a big trip on a budget.  Research restaurants and food before you go.  You can find stuff that's in your price range and already know where it is so you aren't starving and just grabbing food at the closest place.  Cutting costs is easy when you don't need to bring home really expensive gifts or souvenirs.

Other Stuff
I research, research, research before I buy any big ticket items.  I want to ensure that I get the best quality for the price and something that will last for a long time.  If you have to replace something of lesser quality that is cheaper, then you almost always end up dishing out more money than if you have spent your money on the quality piece in the first place.

I'm a big believer in DIY.  If you can make it yourself, exactly the way you want it, for less money--it's a no brainer!  Yes, there is a time investment you have to consider but if you were going to spend that time watching YouTube or the television, then aren't you spending your time more wisely anyway?

Well, that's it.  That's how we spend our money for the most part.  In the past it's served us well because my husband's salary was more than enough for us to live on with extra left over each month which I squirreled away in a small savings account or our retirement accounts.  Now that we make much less than my husband did in the military, there's just less money to put in savings accounts and retirement.  Our way of living really didn't change much.  Hope this was helpful.

Deli Meat for Less!

I don't know if every Meijer does this but the one on Carpenter Rd. on occasion has deli meat that they must have over sliced for the day sitting in half pound packets in the cases with the gourmet cheeses and meats.  What's so great about this other than you don't have to wait to get it sliced?  Well, it's usually much cheaper per pound than the stuff you would have sliced at the counter.

I've gotten turkey for $1.99 a pound and today I got ham for $2.99 a pound.  Not only is it cheaper but it's definitely less processed than the packaged lunchmeat so we eat healthier at the same time.  Two for one!

The moral of this story is keep a lookout at your local grocery store or even ask the deli counter if they ever pre-slice meat for the day and have leftovers.  Might save yourself some dough.

I Won't Ever Buy Bread at the Grocery Store Again!

We've lived in SE Michigan for about 6 months now and I pass by an Aunt Millie's Bakery Outlet all the time. I kept meaning to stop and check it out but I kept forgetting/the children were not cooperating etc. Well I finally made a trip the other day. All I can say is awesome! I got 2 loaves of bread (brand name wheat and a five grain) and a ream of 5 bagels for $2.87! Way cheaper than even the sale price on bread at the grocery store! The bread was $.89 a loaf! What! Crazy! They had a ton of different stuff in there from sweet treats to rolls, etc.

Check and see if there is a bakery outlet or thrift store near you. The prices can't be beat on bakery items and its the same quality stuff you'd buy at the grocery store. I throw most of the bread I buy in the freezer anyway so I don't worry about sell by dates anyway. Happy Shopping!

Save Money, Reduce Waste

Great post on ways to prevent food waste at home here. Save money and waste less!

5 Tips for Saving on Groceries

Found this blog post today and thought it might be helpful for helping to save some money on groceries (especially if you eat non-coupon things...).

Great Deals at Food Lion

Being military, I don't shop at the commercial supermarkets as much since I have access to the Commissary. However, there are some great deals to be had at Food Lion if you do your shopping right! I always scan my MVP card at the coupon kiosk when I go in to the store, just to see what coupons it spits out for me. Today when I went, I got a coupon for a free item (no other purchases necessary!) Definitely worth taking the time to scan your card when you walk in. And if you don't need any of the coupons, leave them there for the next patron who may be able to use them. Good karma all around.

I've also found that you can find closeout items on their shelves. I've gotten tide pens, m&m's and baby food all super cheap. The best is when you can couple it with a coupon and sometimes you end up getting the items for free or "less than free" (the amount the coupon took off was more than the purchase of that particular item). I've done this with baby food and it definitely helps to keep some money in your pocket! Keep your eyes open the next time you go shopping at Food Lion.

Produce Savings

Want to save some money on the produce you buy at the grocery store? Grow your own! If you've got some soil somewhere around your yard (or even if you just have a window box), you can plant your own garden. Choose fruits and vegetables that can grow in your area to ensure that you will be successful (growing mangos in New England is probably not a good idea...). I'm relatively new to the gardening thing but the fruits and vegetable seeds I planted a few weeks ago are starting to sprout in my kitchen. I'll be planting them outside after April 10 (the date recommended to plant plants in my area to avoid frost killing my sprouts).


Got any other gardening tips? Comment on this post! Us budding gardeners could reap the rewards from your advice!

Thin Your Grocery Bill and Your Waistline

I know that this post may be a bit controversial but hear me out...I've recently come to the realization that I'm tired of eating over processed and overpriced food! When you go to the grocery store, all of the major food groups (i.e. all of those essentials mentioned in the food pyramid) are located along the walls of the super market. All of the stuff in the middle (i.e. down the aisles) is stuff that we don't need to survive (or eat healthy for that matter)! The only exceptions are the cleaners, toiletries, laundry, baby stuff located down these aisles.

Not only do I avoid going down aisles for things that I don't necessarily need (Hmmm, Chips Ahoy cookies...yes, please.) but I save money on buying things that are overpriced, already cooked meals. I have realized this week that it doesn't take that long to whip something together that is tasty and nutritious and costs me pennies on the dollar. I even find the time with a 15 month old running around my house, a dog that needs constant supervision so he doesn't eat anything valuable and a husband who is constantly out to sea (if I can find the time to cook a home cooked meal, so can you...). I don't give in to my junk food monster...If I do need something like spaghetti sauce, rice, pasta, those can easily be picked up in one aisle so I don't stray from my budget or my stomach's junk food wants...

Perhaps I'll add some of my whip up in a snap recipes here if demand is high... :)

Battle of the Warehouse Clubs

Here in Virginia Beach there is both a BJ's Wholesale Club and a Sam's Club. They are maybe a mile away from one another, if that. I have a membership to Sam's but last year activated a 3 month free trial membership to BJ's to try it out. I ended up keeping my Sam's membership, but lately I have been having second thoughts.

There is really no need for me to have memberships to both and since it costs to have memberships to both it isn't practical for me to pay for both. However, after a recent trip to BJ's where I shopped on my mother's membership, I realized that it might benefit me more to shop there as opposed to Sam's.

First perk to shopping at BJ's is the ability to use coupons. They have some in-store and manufacturer's coupons are always accepted. I was able to get some yogurt that I could not buy at Sam's much cheaper than I would have paid at a regular grocery store or even the commissary with a coupon they had in-store. After a quick evaluation of the prices on things I normally buy anyway (I remember numbers so it was really easy to just recall from my brain what I paid at Sam's vs. BJ's for things), the prices were comparable with some things being cheaper at Sam's and some things cheaper at BJ's. The addition of a coupon for the things I normally buy (especially diapers) makes them cheaper at BJ's by several dollars.

A perk for shopping at Sam's Club is the fact that they have photo services in-store. I can't remember the last time I used the photo services there since we got an IPod that allows us to put photos on it for David to take underway with him so it makes this less of a perk, in my mind. However, if you do a lot of photo printing this would be a reason to keep a Sam's membership.

The second perk for shopping at BJ's is the availability of 100% no sugar added juice. I can't find anything at Sam's that isn't a juice cocktail or fake juice. Bj's has several options and with juice guzzlers like my son and my husband, it makes sense to save a few cents and buy in bulk to minimize trips to the grocery store.

Another perk for Sam's is their meat department. I really like the meat department at Sam's especially when they have "reduced for quick sale" items. They are almost always half price and I'm going to freeze them anyway so they will keep. I haven't really delved into the meat department at BJ's however, I've been told by people who have bought meat there that they were not impressed with the taste and quality. So the moral here is, I guess, is the intention to buy meat in bulk or can a trip to the commissary or grocery store suffice for this purpose?

I'm now at the end of my comparisons. I can't think of anymore...Anybody got anything else? Hopefully, someone benefitted from my brain explosion above...

Costco Shopping without a membership?

Thanks SH for this story.

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/shop-costco-without-membership?puc=outbrain&cm_ven=outbrain&obref=obnetwork

Apparently, you can shop at Costco without having a membership as long as you have a giftcard. Just get someone you know that has a membership to purchase you a giftcard and shop until your heart's content :) (Hey it saves $50 on a membership...)

Planned Grocery Shopping

I thought I would post since I'm sitting here about to do the following. I always plan out my grocery shops the night before I go. It only takes a couple of minutes. First, I make a list of everything I need. I look through the coupons that I have randomly clipped out of the circulars and pull out relevant ones. Then I look at my list to see if there is any item that I could possibly search for a coupon for on the internet (Juicy Juice, Quaker oatmeal, etc.). I do my search and print stuff out. I put my list and coupons together and put it in my bag so I don't forget it the next day. The End :) I know it sounds rather involved but it's really not. I think its worth saving a few dollars on stuff you need anyway.

The day of my grocery shop I stick to my list. I save money by not going down any unnecessary aisles this way and picking out things I don't need. Sometimes I get lucky and an item I was going to pick up anyway has a coupon on the package. (Sometimes its better than the one I found, if I found one for that item).

Here's just some other random tips:
-look online and see if your grocery store allows you to attach electronic coupons to your frequent shopper card and do so before you go grocery shopping.
-some stores like Harris Teeter double coupons (sometimes they have weeks where they triple them) up to 99 cents.
-check the circular for the store you are going to to see if they have any deals on things you are planning on buying. This way you know which brands are on sale and which ones are the best price to buy.