Any other "rural" budgeteers?

[Grumpy'sWife4Ever]

Just wondering if I am the only one trying to stretch my dollars in the middle of nowhere, LOL? Okay, that isn't exactly fair, but when it comes to shopping we have 2 grocery stores, one which is also a "super store" (clothing, furniture, etc) The closest Target, Walmart, Costco, you name it, is 2 hours away in any direction (except to the West, that way you get wet ) We do have a Walgreens 45 minutes away (love Walgreens) and factory outlets, etc. But we go to those places rarely, it has to be a full planned day of shopping including lunch and all. Hardly makes it worth it when you factor in gas and food.
I do what I can with the local stores - one is Safeway, we have their "Club card" and always use their "spend $50, get $10 off" coupons when they put them out. The other store is Fred Meyer (Kroger) and they have really good clearance prices that can usually be combined with coupons. I rarely pay their full retail prices, they are just too high. We do have a Costco membership, we go about every 3-4 months and stock up on Kirkland laundry detergent, automatic dishwasher detergent, etc. Probably a very good thing we can't just pop in whenever we want because we'd go broke with all the great things they have.....
Anyone else trying to stay on budget with little to no "discount" stores around??

 

[Colleen27]

I am. We have a full service grocer and a Save-a-lot, a Kmart, a CVS, and nothing else unless I'm driving the 45min into suburbia. It makes shopping sales and comparison shopping a little more challenging, but planning ahead and watching for free shipping codes for online retailers goes a long way.

 

[java]

I'm rural but not as nowhere as you are. I do have stop and shop and shoprite within about 15 miles. Another 15 away (so 30 total) and I have many more options. Generally I am shopping the one store though- using their circular and buying ONLY what is on sale. Eating meatless more often than not.
And I finally get how people go vegetarian because when you start eating less meat it does taste kind of gross when you do eat it.

In fact I do want to head out to Trader Joes- but I can't justify the drive just yet. I may try to talk my neighbor into going. At least it'll be company.

 

[annagirl]

Honestly the way I've found to budget for anything is just to have an automatic deduction taken from my paycheck into a special savings account. That's a no-touch account and I just make do with what's in my checking account for shopping.

 

[Dancemom03]

Count me in! We're not as rural as it sounds like OP is, but have a little drive to get pretty much anywhere.
We have one grocery store with two branches - one south of the town I'm just outside of and one north of it just before you get to the next town. We also have one of the smaller walmarts and CVS they just built in between the two towns. I can usually make it to either in 15 mins or so as long as it's not a busy time of day on the main road.

It's about a 30 min drive in any direction to find other stores. I used to do that all the time but with the price of gas increasing, we've been shopping local more. It does help with the temptation to spend though when you have to drive to do it...

 

[wshupnastar]

I, too, live in the "boonies".

In our town we have an IGA (which is like highway robbery, no way am I shopping there!) and a small, family owned grocery store (pricey, but good sales on meat, and we buy most of our meat there as it is good quality). I do most of my shopping at the Kroger in a different town. The Kroger I use most often is around 20 minutes away. If I am doing a lot of shopping, I will drive to the one 45 minutes away, as it is just nicer, bigger, and better selection! Between coupons and sales, I figure it's well worth the drive. I am trying to get on a schedule of only shopping every 2 weeks. I used to do it, but lately, I have been going about once a week.

We are at least 45 minutes from any malls, Targets, and most chain retailers. We still shop these stores, but we pretty much have to "make a day of it". I am trying to get better about not just running to Target for a few things. I grew up in this area, so I guess I've never really known much difference. I remember reading on these boards one time how some people won't drive 20 minutes for anything....I was so jealous! I have to drive 20 minutes for everything!

It does make saving on fast food easier....the only chains in town are Arby's, McDonalds, and Subway!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We have a super Walmart, Aldi, and Kmart that is more expensive than the other choices. There is another grocery store, it's family owned, but it's filthy, and the few things we've ever bought there have been bad within a day or two (milk, etc).

 

[MissNurse]

We have a WalMart Supercenter, Brookshires, Kroger, SaveALot, and just got a Walgreeens. The selections at the grocery stores are fairly minimal, but the sales can be worth the trip. So, that fairly limits me to wally world most of the time. I do have a Sam's Club membership, but the nearest one is an hour away. I guess I'm not as out of the way as I thought, but I wish we had some better choices too!

 

[kacaju]

I am so very spoiled. When I grew up it was a 20 minute trip to the store, when you went shopping there was no forgetting something and making a quick run to go get it. You did without!!

Where I live now within a 5 mile radius of my house I have too many stores. Shop rite, Stop and shop, Path MArk A&P, two Targets two Walmarts, lowes, two Home Depots. CVS , Walgreens and too many other store to count. Cracks me up, the Stop and Shop moved to a nearby Highway and people in my town are crying that we *NEED* another supermarket in town!! Oh yeah... 2 Malls as well. Costco and BJ's It really is overkill.

 

[daleswife]

I think I have the Op beat!!! I live an hour and a half from Walmart every direction, but the nearest grocery store to me is 30 minutes away. We have one gas station in my town, no stop lights or signs. If you forget it you do with out. heck, our nearest pharmacy is about 20 minutes away!!! I do live in the middle of no where....on the side of a mountain!!! So I save money by "forgetting" things.....LOL

 

[nunzia]

Over here! We have a Super Walmart and and a Lowes Pay and Save for groceries. We have a WalGreens and a Kmart. We do have alot of fast food, chain casual dining are Applebees and Chilis and Golden Corral. We used to have an Albertsons and Smiths, but Walmart drove them out. So..it is hard to play the coupon/double coupon/shop around deal.

 

[powellrj]

While I am not as rural as the OP, I did live in a really small town (think NO stop light and they still don't have any ATMs) for a few years. One of the best budget things was that there was no place to spend any money, so I was able to save more!

 

[lattemomof3]

Yep, in the boonies here! One cruddy small grocery store w/ bad produce. Any other grocery store or Walmart is 30 miles away. Target or k-mart or anything else is an hour away. We have 3 fast food rest's, and a Pamida- which is way more expensive than walmart.

 

[robin09]

Count us in! Have a little supermarket in town, but it is highway robbery! Closest Walmart is 40 minutes away. We do have a Price Chopper about 20 minutes. Albany is 2 hours away, and Binghamton is about 1 hour. There is where we find Target and all the other shops.

Coming from Brooklyn, and then Staten Island NY, This was a shock to my system. BUT this actually has cut down on my spending. NOt being able to do last minute, o00o0o a sale kind of shopping. We plan for it, and do it maybe one day every 2 or 3 months. HOWEVER my internet shopping has gone up quite a bit!

YOu are not alone!