Deals and Steals

[irishsharon]

I care for kids during the school year but in two weeks I will not have this income until September.I am just looking for ways to cut back on the food and cleaning supplies budget.I have watched extreme couponing and wonder how they get those great deals Any tricks,tips and advice would be great

 

[bearloch]

U buy items only when on sale and if you have a cooupon tht helps ten you stock pile as much as you can.

go to free days at museums, and early movies

Lol good luck

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

My tips is don't believe what you see on TV

I am and avid Q users, but that show is called EXTREME for a reason. Many of them state that this is the largest transaction they have ever made, and that they've never made such large orders before.

Look at your weekly circuilar for the stores you shop at most, mark what is on sale for items that you use and then try and match up as many Q's as possible to save more on those items.

I have purchase Q's on Ebay before in lots. But that was mainly when the boys were in diapers and I could combine a sale and a coupon for better savings.

The biggest thing is have a menu and a list when you go shopping. Don't go in the store having no idea what you're going to make with your groceries or an idea of what you're going to be getting. A lot of times, you have the groceries for X meal, but you don't "see" them, because you didn't plan.

 

[gert]

The single best thing to get your grocery bill down is what the PP suggested, having a menu. Use the weekly circular and and make your meals combining what's on sale with what you already have in the house. Make a list and stick with it. Only buy what's on that list.

 

[kaytieeldr]

For cleaning, search for homemade cleaning solutions or vinegar uses in your search engine. You can also try the dollar store stuff (but I have no idea how well they work...or don't ).

 

[hsmamato2]

get a sunday paper, read the circulars, use only coupons on items you NEED and match them to weekly sales.
stay out of stores unless you really need things
make out a grocery list,and stick to it
go online,and find some great homemade cleaners,foods,recipes,etc.
get your crockpot out and dusted off (see above)
remember,spending is spending, so don't buy it unless you need it.
menu plan for a week

 

[irishsharon]

Thanks everyone I am planning to use up everything in the freezer and pantry the next 2 weeks.I am going to try hard to set up a meal plan which will be easier when the kids dont have school,boy scouts and soccer.I just want to cut back on impulse buys and picking up fast food.Any money that I save on the food budget can go towards some summer fun activites.I have already set aside $1000 for a trip to Williamsburg VA.the end of August(a family friend shared their time share points, so we have a two bedroom condo for a week for free!)Any other tips would be great! Does anyone do well at cvs?What would be a realistic food budget for a family of 4? Thanks everyone Just wanted to add my big weakness is costco,those free samples get me everytime

 

[kaytieeldr]

Cutting back on impulse buys: (a) is there a supermarket that offers delivery around you, or a local service that does the same thing?; or (b) is there someone else to whom you can give your shopping list? It's really hard to impulse-shop if you're not the one in the store

 

[PrincessTDQ]

CVS has an excellent program that helps. ExtraBuxs helps A LOT with health and beauty items. Wisebread is one of my favorite websites for frugal living. Frugal coupon living is good, too for giving realistic coupon ideas. Making your own household cleaners is easy and cheap. They often work better than store bought ones. Same with making soap, shampoo, body spray, etc.