Good deals/bargains/$$$$ saving tips thread

[winneythepooh7]

Thought this could be fun, and a good way to spread "the wealth".

Today Old Navy has women's ribbed-knit tanks for $2.00 each (limit 5) from 9AM-noon.

Add yours, or any other good $$$$-saving tips.

[winneythepooh7]

I also posted this on the train wreck thread:

http://thethriftychicks.blogspot.com/

Really gets you to think too ;).

[ebrillblaiddes]

My sister found a place to order glasses cheap: http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php

I haven't tried it myself, but I'm strongly considering it as soon as I can get a scrip, because I'm starting to have that "wow, really shouldn't be doing this too much" feeling when I drive at night.

[ricotta]

My wife is crazy with the deals...

Some places she frequents to find them:

http://www.slickdeals.net
http://www.swagbucks.com
http://www.thethriftymama.com/

#1 tip: coupon. Target takes MFG and theirs at the same time!

[steph78]

#1 tip: coupon. Target takes MFG and theirs at the same time!

I LOVE this deal - use it for diapers all the time, and can generally get like $3 off each box this way.

Also, many grocery stores will double coupons up to 50 cents every single day of the week (in my area both Publix and Kroger do this). So if you have a 50 cent coupon you get a dollar off. If you make use of this plus buy the item on sale, things start getting seriously cheap.

My new favorite trick (which I like because it supports local schools too) is buying the big coupon books that schools sell for fundraisers. The one they sell around here costs $20 and includes 12 coupons for $5 off a purchase of $30 or more at the grocery store where I shop and another 12 of these coupons for a competing store (my store accepts competitor's coupons). So I pay $20 and I get $120 worth of coupons for my grocery store! That's a pretty great return on investment! The coupons are good for a whole year so I always use them up. Plus there are hundreds of other coupons in there for restaurants and stores where I shop.

[analogman]

I like buying gas at Costco because it's much cheaper than elsewhere. I was told by an attendant that Costco looks at prices within a certain distance of the warehouse and beats the lowest. I usually save at least 20 cents a gallon versus the other places so that add up pretty quickly even considering the membership fee. This hasn't been too helpful lately since I buy gas once a month now.

We also have the executive membership where we can earn 2% back on most purchases. We usually make a profit on the exec membership since we make at least one big-ish purchases a year (furniture roadshow, electronics, glasses/contacts/solutions).

Finally, we have the Costco American Express credit card. 3% back on gas and restaurant purchases, 2% on travel, and 1% on everything else (not that great of a deal). Since we eat out a lot, this is very helpful. Free with Costco membership.

Yeah, I am a real Costco fan :0

[Tayl405]

I sign up for rewards cards everywhere I can. DSW has a great rewards program - I get $10 gift certificates every few months. Also, the rewards programs at movie theaters are great if you go often. I'm constantly getting free popcorn, soda, and movie tickets.

Also, if you have a Macys card, you get coupons all the time. I've saved a ton of money that way.

[steph78]

Also, if you have a Macys card, you get coupons all the time. I've saved a ton of money that way.
I don't know if this happens anywhere besides the Macys stores in Atlanta, but it has always been my experience that if you are polite to the salespeople, they will give you a discount even if you don't have any coupons in hand. I always used to just ask them if there was any current coupon and they generally have them behind the counter and will scan them for you if you're nice. I did this for years, I have rarely ever paid the actual price on the tag for anything at Macy's. I miss living near Macy's!

[pisces2473]

Steph, do you get Macy's emails? They are always having deals and sales online...

[wordsmith]

I shaved fully HALF the bill off my weekly groceries today just through coupon use. Awesome.

[steph78]

Steph, do you get Macy's emails? They are always having deals and sales online...
No! But I am going to go sign up online right now! I also could go shopping in Nashville if I really wanted, it's only an hour and a half from here...just hard with the kiddos to pack them up for an all day shopping road trip so I've only done it once since moving here.

[steph78]

Oh, speaking of kids, another favorite money-saving tactic of mine is consignment sales. They have a couple major consignments sales here twice a year (spring and fall) where people sell used children's clothing. I have gotten INCREDIBLE deals at these consignment sales. It is kind of hit or miss (there are a lot of well-used clothes that you have to look through to find the good stuff) but I have generally been able to score some pretty awesome deals - lots of quality brand-name clothes with tags still on for as little as $2. Last year I got my daughter an absolutely beautiful microsuede winter jacket with fur lining that had never been worn for $5. I got her a cable knit white cashmere dress that looked like it was brand new...TOTALLY impractical for an active 2-year old, but when it only costs $5 it is fantastic for the family holiday portrait and then I won't be upset if she spills something on it later. And now that we have our two kids and I'm pretty sure we won't be having any more, I am making a little money by selling all our outgrown baby clothes at these same consignment sales.

[winneythepooh7]

Or trade things back and forth for FREE with friends who have kids.

My friend has a son who is 2, so she has already loaned me some winter coats for my son for this fall. Name brand stuff, too. I think they are both Ralph Lauren.

She also has loaned me all the baby floats and such for the pool this summer so I don't have to go out and buy them myself. All those little things add up, especially if you are only using them a handful of times, which definitely is the way it is with young children.

I have so many outfits that my son only wore once, or not at all. I am planning to look for my baby gates and super play yard on Craigslist or a local mommy board I am part of. Why shell out $100.00 or more each for this stuff when I can get it for $20.00 or less?

In the beginning, with a new child, I could see wanting "all new" stuff, but now that he's been here for 8 months, and I see how FAST he goes through stuff.............it's just not worth it to buy everything brand-new.

I've also been pretty lucky because my son took to the Target brand formula and their brand diapers work well for him too. I save SO much that way, it's awesome.

[pisces2473]

I shaved fully HALF the bill off my weekly groceries today just through coupon use. Awesome.

HOW!?!? What do you buy/use? I am always amazed by people who can save this much with coupons, because I hardly use coupons for food. I would seriously love to have some tips.

DH and I eat very little foods that come with coupons--meat/fish/poultry, produce, ie, very little processed stuff. What we buy processed (canned tomatoes, rice cakes, etc) is usually store brand.

OTOH, I am verrrrry good with saving a lot of money on health & beauty aids. I love CVS's extra care coupons and manufacturer's coupons and matching up those with the sales. (Not just CVS, Target too)

[pisces2473]

No! But I am going to go sign up online right now! I also could go shopping in Nashville if I really wanted, it's only an hour and a half from here...just hard with the kiddos to pack them up for an all day shopping road trip so I've only done it once since moving here.
Wow, I thought it was bad living a 1/2 hr from the mall!

[winneythepooh7]

I went to a Farmer's Market this weekend near my parents house. I was so surprised how cheap the produce is there since I am used to buying it in the grocery store since there are no Farmer's Markets near me (at least ones that are not geared to tourists and super expensive). I got a bunch of things there for under $5.00.

I also got a whole basket of tomatoes from my mom's garden that I am going to make a huge batch of sauce with this weekend and then freeze for future meals.

Our tomatoes didn't really take this season. Something in this area, no one really did too well.

In terms of grocery shopping, I have starting really sticking to a list, using what we have on hand and not buying anything more than what we really need to get through one week at a time.

While I do use coupons from time to time, I notice that the ones that come in the Sunday paper are not usually for a lot of products we use often, or the items are still more expensive then store brands, even AFTER the coupon, or they are like "buy 2 or 3 and get $1.00 off" which many times is really not a bargain, at all.

[steph78]

Wow, I thought it was bad living a 1/2 hr from the mall!

Oh, we are only 15 minutes from 2 malls here...but it is a smaller town and the malls here only have Belk and Dillards. I miss my Atlanta shopping, if only I could have that shopping selection without the hellacious traffic...but overall it is really nicer living here.

[pisces2473]

Winney, I could have written everything in your post. Expensive farmers markets in my area, tomatoes that didn't take really, and yes, I think the coupons that come in the paper suck for the most part.

We plan our meals for the week ahead of time, then buy what we need and use a list, but still, I find grocery shopping to be so expensive.

For example, we went shopping last week at a store that we don't go to often since it is a little higher priced than the other ones in our area. We spent $115 on cold cuts (turkey only), salad stuff, strawberries (buy 1 get 1 free), 4 yogurts, 4 ears of corn, 1/2 gal of milk, sour cream, and a few other things. Granted, we did buy a brick of Reggiano cheese but it takes us a long time to use that up. We also bought some beef short ribs to freeze for later and a pre-cooked whole chicken (that was dinner that night).

[winneythepooh7]

I've stopped buying cold-cuts at the deli for the most part because they are so freakin' expensive. My husband is the only one who tends to eat them anyways, so I get the 2/$4.00 pre-packaged ones in the meat case near the hot dogs, and I always buy the store brand cheese "singles".

In terms of meat, I tend to always luck out with that because I grocery shop either later in the day or on Sundays when they are trying to get rid of everything before the expiration date. The store will often take $2.00-$3.00 of a package of meat so I can get steaks and chicken for around $1.00-$3.00 per package. I often freeze meat too so it doesn't go bad.

I never buy ground beef because that's also super expensive. I go with ground turkey instead, which is around $3.00 per package and much healthier, vs. the $7.00-$9.00 package of beef. I never buy the store-made hamburgers either, but get the big package of frozen ones that are usually always on sale. I also then can keep them on hand in my freezer for a last minute BBQ if friends stop by unexpectedly. Make a salt and pepper mixture, throw that on them on the grill, and they taste the same to me!

I also tend to buy bread and hot dog/hamburger rolls at Target. It's a lot cheaper there then the grocery store for some reason.

I make pizza at least once a week because my husband loves it. In the frozen case, they sell 5 dough balls for around $3.00 a bag. The "fresh dough" they sell in the deli is around $2.00 for one. I stopped buying the Boboli crusts too because they are like $4.00 each.

I try to make enough food for dinner, so it will double for me for lunch the next day.

[pisces2473]

Yeah, cold cuts are expensive, but I'm kinda snobby about what I'll eat. I don't buy the pre-packaged ones, that just skeeves me out. lol

I totally buy stuff when it's on sale to freeze--even bread when it's buy 1 get 1 free. Actually most of our meat goes right into the freezer after shopping. In fact, when we buy a house, we're buying an extra freezer to really stock up on things like meat, bread, frozen veggies, etc. My grocery store doesn't do that mark down thing on the meat, though...which is too bad! Also, we live about 20 mins from Target and rarely go, so that's another drawback to where we live. In that case, we're at the mercy of the grocery store.

We also buy the frozen burgers (got a huge sleeve at Costco) that we keep on hand for a quick last minute dinner or make them ourselves from ground meat that we have on hand. This might weird some people out, but DH and my FIL are deer hunters, and we often supplement our meals with venison. Ground venison with a little ground beef makes a delicious burger. And cheap!

[winneythepooh7]

I hear ya on the cold-cuts. But when I was spending $20.00 for a couple packages of meat, that would sometimes go to waste, I decided I wasn't going to throw the $$$$$ away anymore. My husband will sometimes take PB&J or tuna which can also be cheap for lunch.

[pisces2473]

Oh yeah (re: price/wasted $$$)...we try to buy what's on sale, and only a pound or two at most. Not a lot of different types of stuff, nothing too "out there." It's not worth it!

Has anyone tried freezing cold cuts? I don't know....seems a little "ehh" to me, lol.

[Tayl405]

I belong to a local food co-op and save a ton of money through it. I don't go often enough because of where it's located, but I love it!

[CoolAZN]

Truly, you can save a lot by combining the coupons and what is on sale during the week. Some stores here tend to offer up to one dollar match per coupons (ex. 99 cent + 99 cent). I used to save half my grocery bill as well. Some older cashiers are astonished when they ring me up and see what I pay for ALL the food I get :p

Recently though, I have not been buying too much with coupons.
If I see something really dirt cheap, I also freeze them or stock them away for future use.
I will buy the main staple items such as 2% 1/2 gallon of milk for $1.57; dozen eggs 94 cents; actually 100% whole wheat bread (no HFCS, no enrich stuff) for $1.50 a loaf...etc.
I just bought some cold cuts in those tubs in dairy section, the Hillshire Farm brand, they were on sale for 2 for $5.

I have been going to the produce market more frequently (about twice a week) and they are open yearly. I love it that I can get tons of stuff for under 5 dollars. From head of Romaine lettuce (prefer red leaf), scallion (3 for a $1), mushrooms, peppers, carrots, cucumber, broccoli (they had them for 69 cents a pound)...etc..

And for those internet shoppers, I like these sites:

http://www.retailmenot.com/ (they list coupon codes and discounts for most stores online)

http://www.mypoints.com (you can use them as a gateway to other stores and will off you points per dollar just going through them. Redeem points for movie certificates, store certificates, etc. Plus, you can get 5 pts (mostly) every email you open up from them too. Just have a separate email acct for it. I have been using them since college).

http://mybargainbuddy.com/ (they list things on sale and the forum lets you see what is out (good buys) there from other users).

And if you like to travel:

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch (login as a guest. I believe some or most of the travel agencies us this software to find the flights and all).

http://www.travelpapa.com/ (I like papa).

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/ (me like this a lot)

And for those craigslist peeps. Instead of searching one city/town, you can multiple search different place at the same time (NE, SE, Mid, etc).

http://crazedlist.org/index.cgi (you do need to follow the pop up window instruction to change a setting on your browser window. It is not that hard, just remember what you did by writing it down, so that you can change it back once you are done using the site. ENJOY !)

[ebrillblaiddes]

I went shopping on Saturday (tax-free weekend here in Texas) and got two interview or work outfits (shirt and pants)...the most expensive piece was $20, so call it $75 for the lot...and about $2 worth of buttons and ribbon to fix up a skirt that had metal buttons and had not been stored in a cool dry place, so the buttons rusted. A replacement price on the skirt would have been $20, estimating conservatively, and because I added a little bit of decoration as I fixed it it's actually better than new now. Money-saving tip from this: sewing skills are your friend.

I also went, today, to Goodwill and got a couple shirts in good condition (total price $5+tax because the one that would've been $5 on its own was tagged with the 99 cent color tag of the day) and a perfect condition glass butter dish with its cover (no more ripping the bread with straight-out-of-the-fridge butter). Total cost: $8 after tax. Money-saving tip from this: why pay retail when you can find gently-used that costs almost nothing?

[CoolAZN]

Would California (http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topstocks/archive/2009/08/26/california-unloads-on-ebay.aspx) be a good bargain now, since it's on eBay...?....lol...:D

[CoolAZN]

Do we really need all that wanted stuff...?
If we don't need it, then we can and start to want to save, right...?

Or just shop either at the second hand stores....
Or just get things for free (most things).
or locally....

All that said, here is a cool awareness video, Story of Stuff (http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html).
(maybe you have seen it before).

*I still buy wanted things, cannot help myself :rolleyes:

[PenforPrez]

I also went, today, to Goodwill and got a couple shirts in good condition (total price $5+tax because the one that would've been $5 on its own was tagged with the 99 cent color tag of the day) and a perfect condition glass butter dish with its cover (no more ripping the bread with straight-out-of-the-fridge butter). Total cost: $8 after tax. Money-saving tip from this: why pay retail when you can find gently-used that costs almost nothing?

Goodwill is a great place to find clothes. A friend of mine took me on a shopping trip there a couple of years ago, and I got a whole wardrobe for $20. Then I lost 35 pounds and none of it fits anymore. :(

The local newspaper here has a blog with bargains, discounts, interesting offers, etc.

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/steals-and-deals/

Paul

[PenforPrez]

Would California (http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topstocks/archive/2009/08/26/california-unloads-on-ebay.aspx) be a good bargain now, since it's on eBay...?....lol...:D

Well, like the old song says, all the gold in California is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills. In somebody else's name. :p Might find some hidden treasure that way. ;)

Paul

[hoodie]

[QUOTE]I never buy ground beef because that's also super expensive. I go with ground turkey instead, which is around $3.00 per package and much healthier, vs. the $7.00-$9.00 package of beef. I never buy the store-made hamburgers either, but get the big package of frozen ones that are usually always on sale. QUOTE]

I have a meat grinder. That saves me a ton of money, but it does tack a lot of time onto food prep. It's neat though; I make my own sausage, ground beef, and ground chicken/turkey.

I also buy the generic brand of almost everything. Those huge bags of cereal for half the price of a smaller box? Awesome.

[pisces2473]

Oooh hoodie, I need to ask for a grinder to go on my KitchenAid for Christmas!!! lol

I just watched this: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/08/27/mcguire.no.shopping.for.month.kusa

Interesting! Now, I don't know how much extra food y'all have on hand...probably not as much as this chick...but it would be cool to try and see how long you could go w/out grocery shopping!

[winneythepooh7]

Does anyone know of any good websites for coupons that you can print out? (i.e. for groceries and household items).

The ones I have found are either for the same crap posted in the Sunday paper that's not really a bargain, or, you have to pay to join. (i.e. The grocery game). I am very, very hesitant to join a site that's supposed to save $$$$, but I need to "pay" to join.

TIA!

[wordsmith]

Honestly, most of my really good deal coupons come out of "homemaker" or "mom"- type magazines like Better Homes and Gardens and Woman's Day and cooking magazines like "Taste of Home." Although we just must have good newspaper circulars locally, because I get a lot of decent coupons from the Wednesday and Sunday papers.

[CoolAZN]

Does anyone know of any good websites for coupons that you can print out? (i.e. for groceries and household items).

The ones I have found are either for the same crap posted in the Sunday paper that's not really a bargain, or, you have to pay to join. (i.e. The grocery game). I am very, very hesitant to join a site that's supposed to save $$$$, but I need to "pay" to join.

TIA!
You can check out this site:

http://www.mypoints.com/emp/u/centers/couponCenter.vm

It should be free to join the site.
I have used couple of the coupons here before.
Plus, you can put other zip codes to find out what type of deals they have as well in other states in the US.

The face value of the coupons are different throughout the country do to it's regional locations. Think about the COL in certain areas. In most parts, the circulation is by NE, SE, mid, NW, SW, etc. Except for bigger city area, less value for it or need to buy more of the items to save (nYc, Boston, DC, etc).

Here is another site I have used previously that is clientele base:

http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp

I think you can just print out the coupons directly from your printer.

*All in all, not sure if they are the same as the ones found in the newspaper.

Hope, this helps a little.

[steph78]

I have signed up at couponmom.com. They have coupons you can print out, but the great thing about this site is that you can put in your zip code and it will automatically search through the week's sales at your grocery/Target/Walmart/drugstores etc. and list the products that are on sale PLUS have a coupon. So for nonperishable things when you see that the sale+coupon is getting you like a 90% discount, you can really stock up on the cheap and then not have to buy it again for a long time. Most of the things on the list are things that I don't buy, but every now and then I spot an incredible deal on something I do use. It's nice to at least have the website do the work for you so all you have to do is scan down the list to see if there's anything you can take advantage of that week.

I just wish someone would start making coupons for produce, because that's a big chunk of my grocery bill. We like fresh fruit in my house. We have checked out local farmers markets for in-season fruit but the ones around here unfortunately have a very limited selection and are more expensive than the grocery store. Not like the farmer's market where I grew up that was extensive and had great prices. Grrr.

[wordsmith]

Probably the best idea as I've found it is to build my menus as exclusively as possible specifically around what's on sale/what I have coupons for. It can be fun, and a challenge to be creative.

I cook using a lot of unprocessed staples,which, as others have noted, don't ordinarily get included in coupons. But my local groceries DO have sales on various produce and meats, which are often better deals than coupons. It's the same premise...instead of wishing x cut of meat were on sale, make a recipe using a cut of meat that is on sale. The weekend grocery store circulars make this easy. Say I wanna make chicken tacos...the easy option is using boneless, skinless chicken breasts...problem is, they're rarely on sale at my local grocer, and are ordinarily always the most expensive of the poultry options, with the exception of a whole turkey or something. But if I roast a whole chicken, which is a much, much, much better buy, and shred the meat with a fork before cooking it with my taco seasonings, I'm off a lot cheaper, and I have more meat to use for future meals. And it doesn't take any longer than using the boneless skinless, which I'd have to shred with forks anyway. Plus, I then have bones to use...which make a soup stock, and throwing in egg noodles and veggies is another cheap meal. Multitasking ingredients save you a lot of money.

Produce goes on sale, too...I don't eat much fruit, but I see various specials. I definitely do with veggies, and like with the fresh meat, I plan my menus accordingly. Sometimes I plan in advance, with the Sunday circular in front of me, and make a list, other times, I'm in the store after work and flying by the seat of my pants, but I can pretty easily put together a menu in my head based on what's cheap. Plus, this is the heartland, so farmer's markets are typically more affordable, and very, very local.

[pisces2473]

I just wish someone would start making coupons for produce, because that's a big chunk of my grocery bill. We like fresh fruit in my house. We have checked out local farmers markets for in-season fruit but the ones around here unfortunately have a very limited selection and are more expensive than the grocery store. Not like the farmer's market where I grew up that was extensive and had great prices. Grrr.
Seriously. It's really annoying when one wants to eat healthy and "natural" but it's obnoxiously expensive.

[winneythepooh7]

There's been a lot of talk about that in the news and such over the past few years, especially geared to people who are disabled and on a limited income, who often have serious medical-related issues, so MUST eat healthy food.....................yet, cannot afford to do so. A person with diabetes CAN'T eat pasta and rice for each and every meal. There aren't a lot of big grocery stores either in certain neighborhoods where healthy items tend to be cheaper or on sale more often. It's often difficult to get to these stores outside of your neighborhood if you are disabled and having to rely on public transportation or access-a-ride.

I've encouraged a lot of people I work with to check out food co-ops, but there's a limited amount in the NYC area, and from what I have seen, even they are quite expensive since they are in the "trendy" areas (i.e. the East Village of Manhattan, Park Slope Brooklyn).

And for one or two people, they can still be quite expensive in general, or "too much" food that can end up going to waste.

Anyways, in terms of veggies and eating healthy for me, I like making salads with whatever is on sale, or what I have on hand. For example, we have had a huge cucumber crop from our garden this year. Lettuce didn't do too well. So I will chop up the cucumbers in little pieces and use that instead, and throw in various topings (i.e. crasins, walnuts and rice vinegar is always tasty). It also lasts a couple days in the fridge.

You can often buy the pre-mixed salad greens for around $2.00 at my grocery store and they can last 2 meals. I also have become a huge fan of broccoli slaw.

Frozen veggies are ALWAYS 10 packages/$10.00 or sometimes less than that around me when you buy the store brand.

[wordsmith]

There's been a lot of talk about that in the news and such over the past few years, especially geared to people who are disabled and on a limited income, who often have serious medical-related issues, so MUST eat healthy food.....................yet, cannot afford to do so. A person with diabetes CAN'T eat pasta and rice for each and every meal. There aren't a lot of big grocery stores either in certain neighborhoods where healthy items tend to be cheaper or on sale more often. It's often difficult to get to these stores outside of your neighborhood if you are disabled and having to rely on public transportation or access-a-ride.

That's one reason that my state allows EBT cards (food stamps, which the majority of lower income and/or disabled people are financially eligible for) to be used at farmer's markets. But I know from when I worked in public benefits that dietary restrictions do make major $$$ problems for the elderly/disabled who are on public benefit systems. We have quite a few food share programs run by local charities, mostly churches that choose to help combat this, where discounted and free specialized dietary food is available to those who fall into that category. They're not co-ops, they're more outreach programs of social agencies.



You can often buy the pre-mixed salad greens for around $2.00 at my grocery store and they can last 2 meals.

Sadly untrue, here. If I have a coupon, sometimes they're $2.50-ish, but typically they're in the $3-4+ price range. Whereas a head of romaine or red leaf lettuce is always well under $2. My mom gave me a salad spinner, and it makes preparation for head lettuce almost as effortless as opening a bag, and it's fresher and cheaper. Also gives you a lot more, usually at least double what's in the more expensive bag, and can be used for a couple of meals as salad greens and also used to garnish sandwiches and wraps for work lunches. Iceberg is of course always dirt cheap, but iceberg sucks and has practically no nutritional value other than being a good source of water.

I also have become a huge fan of broccoli slaw.

Same, I'm always using it for a variety of things. It's no cheaper than the bagged salads, but a bag will work for nearly a week of meals, so the cost per meal is better.

Frozen veggies are ALWAYS 10 packages/$10.00 or sometimes less than that around me when you buy the store brand.

Frozen veggies are typically a great way to go for exactly this reason. Some people turn their nose up at store brand...but I never do. My hometown's main employer is a vegetable cannery for a major, nationally known brand-name fruit and vegetable processor. I worked there in college, and my grandfather was a foreman there for most of his life, so we always got tons of their stuff for free. I know from working there that they fill bags and cans that get their brand name label, and then fill bags and cans that get a generic/store brand label. It's EXACTLY the same produce, from EXACTLY the same lines. It's just that some of it is marketed private label.

[winneythepooh7]

Yup. I actually just read a couple of articles that most major companies that sell brand name stuff, also sell the "generic" version but put it in different labeling or store brand packaging. The one article I read said Target is a major retailer that does this. As I noted above, I love their Up & Up brand. For pretty much everything these days.

[gemma-dahl]

Yup. I actually just read a couple of articles that most major companies that sell brand name stuff, also sell the "generic" version but put it in different labeling or store brand packaging. The one article I read said Target is a major retailer that does this. As I noted above, I love their Up & Up brand. For pretty much everything these days.

I heard that about dollar store generics, too, particularly the national chains like Family Dollar.

I will also use the dollar stores for any health, beauty, or household items (except for toothpaste). There are more dollar stores in the city, so I'm more likely to go there than to Target, which is a half-hour trip. However, Target merchandise is of slightly better quality, and they have better variety.

Frozen veggies are my fave! I throw them into soups or pasta for extra fiber. Always get store brand instead of national...much cheaper that way. The only thing I absolutely won't buy generic is coffee. You can definitely taste the difference. Oh, and dish liquid. Private label dish liquid is pretty runny, so the national brands actually wind up lasting longer.

I also get electronics at a discount. I will buy second-gen ones or laptops with messed up screens, and we'll refurbish them. That's how we have a basically brand-new Macintosh desktop for 300 bucks.

[wordsmith]

Target's Archer Farms line is brand name food with a private label.

In terms of coffee, I've found generic to often be old and stale (probably because few people buy it, so it sits). But it's been years since I've purchased coffee, as my sister manages a Starbucks and gets two pounds of whole beans free a week. She's always passing on her ample spoils to me and to our mom, as we're both big coffee drinkers.

[PenforPrez]

Yup. I actually just read a couple of articles that most major companies that sell brand name stuff, also sell the "generic" version but put it in different labeling or store brand packaging. The one article I read said Target is a major retailer that does this. As I noted above, I love their Up & Up brand. For pretty much everything these days.

Wal-Mart's store brands are a little different. I found from my experience there that a lot of grocery generic brands there come from regional (as opposed to national) suppliers that they have contracts with. There's some store brand stuff I'm fond of; potato chips, particularly. :)

Paul

[sondra_finchley]

Lately Ive been paying a lot more attention to using up our leftovers before buying anything else and planning meals in a better manner.

We tend to go the quality vs quanitity route in this house and "make do" with what we have before another trip to Target is in order. I try and get by with a Target trip once every two months- its too easy to spend money in there on stuff you dont need. Once a year I do an inventory of toiletries and OTC meds- this year I found a ton of bath wash I must have bought at some point on sale that I had forgotten about!

We do Costco once every two or three weeks- typically for a box of salad ($3.50) and maybe some Cranberry juice (we mix with water so we dont buy soda) and San Pelligrino if we are feeling flush :)

Otherwise I do our shopping as a mix of Trader Joes, the local shop up the road, and the farmers market. Right now the local shop has a sale on $1/lb of home grown organic tomatoes so.... piling them up in the freezer for later. We get chunks of "reject" cheese for $2,50/lb at the cheesemakers by my moms, along with blueberries, cherries, and apples from the orchard down the street. Farmers market is good to freeze things, but Ive learned to keep it under control there and buying one or two things because it spoils faster than other produce.

Most of our meals are pretty simple- beans one night for sure in some manner, lots of whole grains, eggs too sometimes. LOT of whole-meal salads and we grill our own burgers (again from the local shop). Try not to eat a lot of pasta/rice because it is too hard on my stomach, but there is a lot of stuff you can make healthy with what you have on hand.

I never got the idea of couponing either- I would rather get whatever toothpaste is on sale the 3 times a year I buy toothpaste than worry about finding a coupon or using it before it expires. I just dont think we buy enough in this two person household to make it worth the time and energy to me.

[pisces2473]

Just stumbled upon this blog today on Time.com:
http://cheapskate.blogs.time.com/

This post was good:
http://cheapskate.blogs.time.com/2009/09/02/the-store-brand-taste-test-challenge-theyre-as-good-as-big-name-brands/

[FishOutOfWater]

There's an lj community I'm a member of called Poor Skills( http://community.livejournal.com/poor_skills/ ) with a lot of general money-saving tips, basically, whatever questions people post.

[FloridaGirl25]

Dumpster diving?? Omg hahahah.

That thread is hilarious. Some tips I'd try, others..not so much.

All in all, it proves that there so many creative ways to make a buck. I never thought about selling scrap metal.

[gemma-dahl]

You can also buy Steal this Book By Abbie Hoffman (maybe he'd prefer you stole it). Though some of the tips he recommends are really not legal.

I never got the idea of couponing either- I would rather get whatever toothpaste is on sale the 3 times a year I buy toothpaste than worry about finding a coupon or using it before it expires.

Coupons make sense to me, but I can never keep them organized or remember to use them. Also, I always receive register coupons for things I'd normally not buy, so it seems like I'd be spending more money, not less - thus defeating the purpose of coupons.

[winneythepooh7]

The Sunday paper had a ton of good coupons today. I think because they didn't have coupons over Labor Day weekend. A lot of them will last through December, as well.

This site (http://www.wickedcooldeals.com) was also advertised in a coupon/money saving article in my local newspaper today.

[winneythepooh7]

Oh for the mom's on the board...............you may appreciate this. I went to Target on Friday and they were advertising the Luvs diapers box of 108 for $16.99 (still cheaper then the Target large box of diapers since there's more in the package). I got out to my car and was reviewing my receipt and they only charged me around $8.00 for this item! SCORE!!!!! I suppose I could've went back in and showed them the mistake, but I justified NOT saying anything because I spend on average at least $40.00-$50.00 a week in their store (sometimes more). Was I wrong? LOL.

[pisces2473]

LOL nah, not wrong...I'm sure you've been overcharged at some point, too.

You could always give your savings from that "oops" to charity, just to pay it forward, too. lol

[steph78]

Oh for the mom's on the board...............you may appreciate this. I went to Target on Friday and they were advertising the Luvs diapers box of 108 for $16.99 (still cheaper then the Target large box of diapers since there's more in the package). I got out to my car and was reviewing my receipt and they only charged me around $8.00 for this item! SCORE!!!!! I suppose I could've went back in and showed them the mistake, but I justified NOT saying anything because I spend on average at least $40.00-$50.00 a week in their store (sometimes more). Was I wrong? LOL.

Argh - I meant to go get some Luvs this week while that sale was going on but forgot with all the aftermath of getting home from the beach and trying to get groceries restocked. I'm assuming it is over now. :( I'm debating how many to even buy my daughter anymore - she is 2 1/2 and is fully potty trained during the day now, just wears diapers overnight. I am getting that gigantic box and it lasts me months, it's awesome. But we are down to like 20 diapers left and I don't envision her being able to stay dry overnight 3 weeks from now...

The paper DID have good coupons today! And I just got my city coupon books from my friend's school fundraiser today with all those $5 off coupons at my grocery store, looking forward to cashing those in! They are good through Dec. 2010. I predict I will use them all by March.

[wordsmith]

Coupons make sense to me, but I can never keep them organized or remember to use them.

I found, for a buck in the little dollar section of Target near the doors, a coupon organizer....it looks like a small, checkbook-sized version of those plastic expandable file folder holders. Pretty much like this one: http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_430xN.78160192.jpg It fits nicely in my bag, so it's always there if I pop into a store, and has enough tab dividers for half a dozen categories.

[winneythepooh7]

I got mine at Dollar Tree for 99 cents!

[sondra_finchley]

Cool find pisces!

[winneythepooh7]

Got this in an email from the Living on a Dime blog (http://livingonadime.com/) I am subscribed to:

Eat soup and a sandwich once a week


Have pasta (macaroni and cheese) or rice (broccoli, cheese and rice casserole) night twice a week.


Have a "leftovers" night.


Have a baked potato night with all the fixings!


Have a veggie night. Serve veggie soup, chef salad or platter of garden fresh veggies with cheese and crackers.

[wordsmith]

Soup and grilled cheese night is a pretty much weekly household staple for me...yummy and cheap and easy. Especially if you make the soup in a large quantity ahead of time and freeze individual containers.

We also do a large main course salad once a week or so when fresh veggies are in season.

[winneythepooh7]

I actually made that last night. We had some soup I froze that my mom had actually made us and I had some leftover bacon that I added to the sandwiches. Yummy!! It's getting chilly here at night too so it's a good comfort food. Not necesarily the healthiest of foods, but I guess you don't always have to make grillled cheese with bacon fried and in butter, either. :p

[ebruening]

Got this in an email from the Living on a Dime blog (http://livingonadime.com/) I am subscribed to:

Eat soup and a sandwich once a week


Have pasta (macaroni and cheese) or rice (broccoli, cheese and rice casserole) night twice a week.


Have a "leftovers" night.


Have a baked potato night with all the fixings!


Have a veggie night. Serve veggie soup, chef salad or platter of garden fresh veggies with cheese and crackers.

I do a broccoli, cheese, and brown rice baked casserole once a week or so. We eat a lot of eggs in our house - they are cheap and filling. We've been buying whole chickens and baking them, and then making chicken, veggie, and brown rice soup from the leftovers/carcass.

[pisces2473]

Speaking of the chicken...Costco usually sells two small fryers (in one package) for like $9. We bought a package last time we were there and froze it. Over Labor Day weekend, I roasted them, and then picked the meat off after they cooled a bit. We were able to get 2 dinners (so 4 servings) and 3 lunches (I took some of the meat on salads to work) from that. There was a little bit leftover that we had to toss, but I think it maybe cost $1 per serving!?

Not only was it cheap, but dinner/lunch was ready for a few days in an instant. I had also made a big salad that same day, while the chickens were roasting, and we ate from that for a few days too. Nothing like planning ahead! :D

[winneythepooh7]

I'm going to try using "competitors" coupons for the first time tommorrow when I go grocery shopping and see if they work. Supposedly my local grocery store (Stop & Shop) is supposed to take them, so we shall see!!

[steph78]

I'm going to try using "competitors" coupons for the first time tommorrow when I go grocery shopping and see if they work. Supposedly my local grocery store (Stop & Shop) is supposed to take them, so we shall see!!

My grocery store (Publix) takes them no problem, it's great! I have also used Home Depot coupons at Lowe's, when we bought our house there was a 20% off coupon for Home Depot online and Lowe's was having an appliance sale so we got the sale price plus 20% off.

By the way, that wicked cool deals blog is fantastic, I am going to try to get some of the deals listed on there. Thanks for sharing!

[wordsmith]

This might have been mentioned on the thread already, but some stores (my Target does this) will take manufacturer's and competitor coupons on top of their own coupons, making for double (and triple) coupon situations.

[winneythepooh7]

Well, Stop & Shop didn't accept the competitors coupons from Shop Rite & Walgreens. The cashier said Shop-rite they couldn't accept because it was only for Shop-rite brand products and they don't accept coupons from "smaller stores" like Walgreens. She said only the big grocery store competitors they accept. I am sure I could've probably argued it, but it was only for like $2.00 of what ended up being a $68.00 grocery bill anyways. They took my other coupons though.

This reminds me though........on that blog "Wicked Cool Deals" the writer encourages everyone to get a copy of the stores you shop out corporate policies regarding coupons and such and carry them with you to the store, because often the cashiers don't follow them.

The lady ahead of me made us all wait on line today while she argued $1.00 off a case of beer which they finally gave her. :p

[winneythepooh7]

I've been reading the Dining on a Dime Cook Book which is written by the same author who blogs on Living on a Dime that I mentioned earlier on this thread. She offers so many great tips to save money on food. For people who really have to live on a limited budget, you could do it well by following her recipes and tips.

One thing she mentioned was reusing all leftovers. A good idea was to keep a container in the freezer for left over veggies and meats, and then baking a pot pie once you have enough left overs.

This is also a given that bears repeating: Purchasing staple items, and basic veggies and fruits and doing baking and all cooking from scratch and staying away from all processed and convenience foods. Case in point:

My husband has been asking me to pick him up those frozen breakfast sandwiches so he can eat one on his way to work in the morning instead of stopping off somewhere (which adds up). I had a coupon today for $1.00 off 5 boxes of Lean Pockets so I picked him up the breakfast ones. There was no price sticker in the grocer's freezer. My bad......... the total for these came to over $15.00!!!

I got him a box of 4 of the Jimmy Dean one's last week and they are around $7.00!!! I had a $2.00 off any grocery item coupon, but still!!!

We could probably make him breakfast sandwiches from scratch and freeze them for a fraction of this cost.

[ebruening]

We could probably make him breakfast sandwiches from scratch and freeze them for a fraction of this cost.

We do this on Sundays - it's our "cook and pack it up for the week" day. Actually, my husband does the cooking, I sit on the couch and do homework.

[wordsmith]

The buying chicken whole thing is a great money saver. I've been roasting a couple of chickens weekly all fall. Roasters are three bucks apiece at my grocery store, and you can save on electricty or gas by cooking two up at a time. We usually eat part of one whole roasted chicken for dinner on Sunday night (roasting fall root vegetables procured very inexpensively through the local farmer's market right along side them is also super economical), and shred the rest and the other chicken and refrigerate the shreds. Then throughout the week, I'll use the shredded chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, and make things like chicken quesadillas, caesar salad topped with chicken pieces, chicken-topped pasta dishes, BBQ chicken pizza, chicken and dressing, etc. for dinner. The chicken carcasses can be used to make chicken stock, too. Buying skinless, boneless chicken breasts for these recipes is super expensive by comparison, when I can get two entire chickens, more than enough for a week's recipes, for $6.

[winneythepooh7]

I need to start shopping around for meat. My local supermarket doesn't really have good deals on whole chickens from what I have seen.

[callyna81]

Three bucks! They're like $11 at my supermarket (sighs at ridiculously non competitive Australian supermarkets)

[pisces2473]

I need to start shopping around for meat. My local supermarket doesn't really have good deals on whole chickens from what I have seen.

Winney, try Costco--if there's one around you close enough. I've gotten two whole chickens (fairly good sizes, too) for like $9 total. They package them in 2's since it IS Costco...but if you can roast them together, you'll get a TON of meat!

[wordsmith]

Three bucks! They're like $11 at my supermarket (sighs at ridiculously non competitive Australian supermarkets)

Yep, three dollars. That's at the grocery section of my local SuperTarget, actually...actually a slightly better deal than at the stand-alone grocery store next door to it (whole roasters are still much less expensive there than prepackaged skinless boneless breasts, of course, but they're a little more costly than the Target roasters). SuperTarget's grocery section doesn't have deals in everything, but their poultry seems to be the best deal in town, and I'm pleased with the quality and how it's packaged...very sanitary.

One thing I don't do is make a point to buy my meat locally produced. While I find it's a better deal to buy farmer's market eggs and produce, financially, our farmer's market has local meat vendors, who sell there, and their prices are CRAZY expensive - like, "that meat better make me shit gold bricks" crazy expensive. Where I grew up, local slaughterhouse/meatlocker prices were competitive with grocery stores, but here they're not. Probably because it's a bit less agrarian, here, than where I grew up...so there's a "trendy, organic-ish" factor at play. At home, it was not "trendy" to buy locally butchered meat, it was just part of farm life.

[pisces2473]

Words, how much are a dozen eggs from a local farmer? I now live in "farmland" (by CT standards, lol) and a dozen eggs up the street from me are $2.50/2.75 doz (depending if you get large or jumbo). I don't know if that's such a good deal, compared with the grocery store. I'm not a big egg eater, use them mostly in things, so I don't notice the difference in taste, as some people do.

[PenforPrez]

On the coupons, some of the local supermarkets here print little coupons on the back of the receipt or print them separately and hand them to you. The supermarket I usually go to does the latter. Usually, I don't find them useful, but I got one a couple of weeks that will come in handy--$2 off four cans of soup. :D I know it's full of sodium, but I love taking soup (and chili) to work for lunch. Quick, easy, and lots of veggies. :) Makes it easy to get the most reading time in during lunch, which is important because I only get a half-hour. :(

I don't know if supermarkets elsewhere do similar, but it's worth watching for. I got a receipt advertising a large one-topping pizza for $5 at a local pizza place (Tuesday and Thursday only!). The street the pizzeria is on is always congested, but it's a small price to pay.

Pisces--$2.50 for a dozen eggs?? Eek! :eek: If eggs got that high here, I'd get my own damn chicken! ;) Eggs are about half that much here.

Paul

[ugarachel82]

On the coupons, some of the local supermarkets here print little coupons on the back of the receipt or print them separately and hand them to you. The supermarket I usually go to does the latter. Usually, I don't find them useful, but I got one a couple of weeks that will come in handy--$2 off four cans of soup. :D I know it's full of sodium, but I love taking soup (and chili) to work for lunch. Quick, easy, and lots of veggies. :) Makes it easy to get the most reading time in during lunch, which is important because I only get a half-hour. :(

I don't know if supermarkets elsewhere do similar, but it's worth watching for. I got a receipt advertising a large one-topping pizza for $5 at a local pizza place (Tuesday and Thursday only!). The street the pizzeria is on is always congested, but it's a small price to pay.

Pisces--$2.50 for a dozen eggs?? Eek! :eek: If eggs got that high here, I'd get my own damn chicken! ;) Eggs are about half that much here.

Paul

I love canned soup for lunch too--so easy and quick. I only get 15 min for lunch by the time I finish what I'm doing with my reading group and heat lunch before I do a lunch and recess duty at school, so I try to make the most of it by bringing prepped foods. I'll watch for the specials, even though I think the ones I buy are already $3 a piece.

And eggs are about $2.50 near me too. I thought that was normal. They're more if they are organic and free range.

[winneythepooh7]

Yup, they are that much here too. I actually bought a 6-pack the other day because I mostly use them for baking and they were around $1.39.

[pisces2473]

I buy eggs so infrequently I honestly couldn't tell you if 2.50/doz is high! Oh wait, I just realized I have my last grocery receipt in my wallet.

OK--1 doz brown eggs at the grocery store was 2.69, so I guess buying them from the farmer up the road for 2.50/doz is a better deal. Carry on.

[wordsmith]

Words, how much are a dozen eggs from a local farmer? I now live in "farmland" (by CT standards, lol) and a dozen eggs up the street from me are $2.50/2.75 doz (depending if you get large or jumbo). I don't know if that's such a good deal, compared with the grocery store. I'm not a big egg eater, use them mostly in things, so I don't notice the difference in taste, as some people do.

The guy who sells them on Saturdays at the farmer's market charges 99 cents for a dozen. At either nearby grocery, they're either $1.69 or $1.79 (for Grade A Large, i.e. what most recipes call for, which is essentially what the farm eggs are, though they're not commercially sorted). Plus, the farmer's market is a block and a half from my door and on the dog's morning walk path. I have to drive to the grocery stores. Our Dollar General has a decent grocery section, and I bet the eggs are as inexpensive as the farmer's market, there, but I wouldn't be able to pick them up on foot while doing another chore, either.

[steph78]

Holy cow, my eggs are $1.09-$1.19 for a dozen at the "nice" supermarket. More expensive for organic (probably around what you all pay for regular).

[pisces2473]

Holy cow, my eggs are $1.09-$1.19 for a dozen at the "nice" supermarket. More expensive for organic (probably around what you all pay for regular).

Hello Alabama, meet Connecticut. :p

[astronaut83]

Holy cow, my eggs are $1.09-$1.19 for a dozen at the "nice" supermarket. More expensive for organic (probably around what you all pay for regular).

I just paid $1.29 for a dozen medium sized eggs. Go Chicago!

[winneythepooh7]

I've never really bought food there (besides things like chips or hot chocolate and "junk food") but, I recently saw on the local news that the dollar stores are often good places to go to buy the "basics" because they are so cheap. I don't know if they sell things like bread, milk and eggs though. I will have to check it out next time I am there.

Oh, I have also bought spices and things like that at the dollar store because they are cheaper.

[steph78]

Hello Alabama, meet Connecticut. :p

Why do you think we moved here? :) My husband's salary offer here was within 5% of what he was offered in the Washington DC area, yet cost of living here is WAY WAY lower. And only the nice stereotypes are true about this particular part of the state (people are both SUPER nice and super well-educated). I have gotten so used to our low costs though that it's a bit of a shock when I travel. I visited my best friend in Seattle and we went grocery shopping and I did a double take when I saw what she was paying for produce (and she didn't even think it was expensive)

[ebruening]

Hello Alabama, meet Connecticut. :p

About the only thing that's cheap in Nebraska is actual rent costs or home prices. This is a high-tax state that is perpetually broke. Food prices are usually quite high here, including at local farmer's markets. Gasoline prices in my city are usually above the national average. It makes me wonder why I continue to live here :rolleyes:

[gemma-dahl]

I've never really bought food there (besides things like chips or hot chocolate and "junk food") but, I recently saw on the local news that the dollar stores are often good places to go to buy the "basics" because they are so cheap. I don't know if they sell things like bread, milk and eggs though. I will have to check it out next time I am there.

Oh, I have also bought spices and things like that at the dollar store because they are cheaper.

This is all so true. My dollar store does sell bread and milk and such; it seems cheaper...and the pantry staples definitely are. And spices, providing you can get decent ones, are way cheaper, too.

Just don't buy toothpaste for your son there. The toothpaste and other tooth-care products at dollar stores aren't made in the United States, so the level of fluoride in them, when combined with fluoridated drinking water, can stain children's teeth.

[winneythepooh7]

Thanks I didn't know that! I haven't used toothpaste with him yet. I think they like to hold off on that until around 2 years of age because too much fluoride is not supposed to be good for babies. I did get a toothbrush for him recently that I am planning to start using when he turns 1 with just water probably so he can get used to the feeling.

[wordsmith]

The Dollar General by my house has a grocery section with coolers. I haven't checked it out yet, I've only been in that one once since we moved, and it was a quick dash for cleaning supplies, no real time to browse. But I imagine they have dairy, if they have coolers.

[pisces2473]

I'm a little leery about buying food stuff at the dollar store--ours is Dollar Tree...I don't know, I'm sure it's fine. I've bought food at Ocean State Job Lot and Christmas Tree Shop (two northeastern chains), so I don't know why I wouldn't buy food at Dollar Tree...

[ebrillblaiddes]

Thanks I didn't know that! I haven't used toothpaste with him yet. I think they like to hold off on that until around 2 years of age because too much fluoride is not supposed to be good for babies. I believe I heard somewhere that fluoride ions were suspected of interfering with brain development.

[steph78]

Thanks I didn't know that! I haven't used toothpaste with him yet. I think they like to hold off on that until around 2 years of age because too much fluoride is not supposed to be good for babies. I did get a toothbrush for him recently that I am planning to start using when he turns 1 with just water probably so he can get used to the feeling.
OralB Stages has a baby toothpaste that is non-fluoridated and non-foaming but will do a better job of cleaning than water. I buy it at Target, it is very reasonable. It is a gel that doesn't make any of foam in the baby's mouth for them to swallow, and if they do end up swallowing any of it there is no fluoride. Then after that there is another stage of "training toothpaste" that foams but still has no fluoride so they can practice spitting with no real penalty if they swallow, then once they are comfortable with that you can move on to real toothpaste. We started with the baby toothpaste soon after she got teeth to get her used to it and that lasted probably a year...we have since moved on to the training toothpaste that foams but still has no fluoride. She is getting pretty good with it.

[wordsmith]

I'm a little leery about buying food stuff at the dollar store--ours is Dollar Tree...I don't know, I'm sure it's fine. I've bought food at Ocean State Job Lot and Christmas Tree Shop (two northeastern chains), so I don't know why I wouldn't buy food at Dollar Tree...

I buy kid snacks at Dollar Tree a lot.

With dollar stores in general, it's much like any other store...if it's grubby and unkempt, I'm not likely to buy foodstock there. And dollar stores can vary wildly in how they're maintained, I've found. Of the two in my hometown, one, a Family Dollar, was spic and span, and the other, a Dollar General, was pretty filthy. The ones closest to us in Kansas City were all a little ghetto and I probably wouldn't have bought food items at any of them. The one I just discovered by our new place is larger than any DG I've seen, brightly lit, clean, smells nice, and appears, from what I saw, to be nicely arranged and stocked, so that's encouraging.

[callyna81]

Eggs are like $5, maybe $6.00 on a bad day.

We only have two major supermarket chains here, they dominate the market, and are constantly being investigated by the consumer board because they're seen to collude and push up prices and make it difficult for others to get in the market.

[pisces2473]

Eggs are like $5, maybe $6.00 on a bad day.

We only have two major supermarket chains here, they dominate the market, and are constantly being investigated by the consumer board because they're seen to collude and push up prices and make it difficult for others to get in the market.

You're in AUS or NZ, right? Is that in US $ ?

[cheshrcarol]

I was curious so I checked out my grocery delivery site, and eggs here in Boston are $1.79/dozen for Grade A white large, and $1.33 for the same in brown. Which I don't really understand, because apparently there's absolutely no difference between the two except shell color. The most expensive available kind of make me laugh - Grade A large, cage free, vegetarian fed hens, for $3.99/dozen. It never would have occurred to me to want the hens to be fed vegetarian food.

[wordsmith]

The only difference between brown eggs and white eggs is that light-feathered chickens like Leghorns lay white eggs, and brown, red, or otherwise dark feathered chickens like Rhode Island Reds lay brown eggs. Different breeds, different colors of eggs. There's really no other difference.

[pisces2473]

It never would have occurred to me to want the hens to be fed vegetarian food.
It is pretty funny, esp. when TRUE free-range hens eat WHATEVER they find. Bugs, leaves, grass, etc.

[wordsmith]

Yep...chickens, like all birds, eat a lot of worms, grubs, larvae, and insects. They'll eat seeds and grain, too, but they definitely are built to eat living creatures.

[PenforPrez]

Holy cow, my eggs are $1.09-$1.19 for a dozen at the "nice" supermarket. More expensive for organic (probably around what you all pay for regular).

That's more the range for eggs here. I bought six eggs yesterday for 79 cents. Problem is, I didn't need six eggs. I don't eat eggs--I used them in recipes. So half of the eggs I buy go to waste. :(

They need to sell one egg in a little individual case. :idea:

Paul

[wordsmith]

You can always bake extra batches of whatever you're baking and freeze it.

[callyna81]

You're in AUS or NZ, right? Is that in US $ ?

Aus. No, that's in Australian dollars. Conversion is pretty close @ the moment - I think we're 94c to the US dollar at the moment.

[CoolAZN]

Currently, I have notice that around my apt complex, the newspaper delivery person tosses out a lot of newspaper in the trash. Not sure if they are receiving an excessive amount of it or many people do not subscript anymore.

So, basically I help myself to the Sunday paper that are lying around the trash bin. And plus, I put them in the recycling bin right next to it, instead of the trash. Also I have notice that people have been throwing out a lot of good stuff that can be donated to the Salvation Army stores. Like baby shoes (I sent my old sneakers to the Nike recycling center couple of months ago), a giant kids art set with about 220 pieces of markers, color pencils, oil pastel, etc. all brand new was tossed out, and etc. Maybe people are just lazy and tossing is the best thing to do….

I would check out this group and see how it is, but I am not that extreme as these people are ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o25lNwK_wtI ). I know in the city they have introduction tours during the week. I can say, where I work, we throw out a lot of good products that are still good or edible. Darn liability issues thou...

[winneythepooh7]

This may have been posted earlier (i.e. using a local butcher), but I don't feel like reading through all the posts..........

In any event, they just opened a family-owned Italian market down the street from my house and I am in heaven :D.

They have a butcher and amazing "package" deals on meet. I sent my husband out this morning for their $39.99 special, and my freezer is now stocked for the month with whole chicken, chicken cutlets, sausage, ribs, ground beef and eye-round roasts.

They even threw in a loaf of Italian bread (which I always make the leftovers into bread crumbs, yummers!).

It's cheaper than the grocery store, and also supports a local merchant. A win-win for me!

I think the only "con" of these places is you could easily spend a lot of $$$$ on everything else in there, especially the prepared foods (which is why I sent my husband in LOL).

[ebruening]

For $40? Wow!

My husband buys in on a quarter of a cow with some of his coworkers every fall. It's not a super-cheap deal, but it's slightly less expensive than a grocery store.

I'm trying to get him to go hunting, so that we can have fresh venison steaks, venison jerky, and venison medallions. However, he flat-out refuses to hunt animals, so that's out. I may have to learn how to hunt one of these days...

[pisces2473]

For $40? Wow!

My husband buys in on a quarter of a cow with some of his coworkers every fall. It's not a super-cheap deal, but it's slightly less expensive than a grocery store.

I'm trying to get him to go hunting, so that we can have fresh venison steaks, venison jerky, and venison medallions. However, he flat-out refuses to hunt animals, so that's out. I may have to learn how to hunt one of these days...
I'll ditto that "wow!"

My husband hunts deer...but it's so hard for him to find places to hunt where we are. He was able to get two deer this season, so we have some "free" meat.


Free is in quotes b/c after all the gear he had to buy when he started, it's not so cheap! Gun, ammo, camouflage clothing...but it's an investment :p

[Tayl405]

And hunting (if done right) is more humane than purchasing factory-farmed meat... ;)

[pisces2473]

That's what we TRY to get people to understand....but they have a hard time with that concept, Taylor. :rolleyes:

[Tayl405]

That's what we TRY to get people to understand....but they have a hard time with that concept, Taylor. :rolleyes:

I know. It's good to try though!

[wordsmith]

We save quite a bit by cooking with meat sparingly (usually less than once a week). It's not an ethical thing, and it's only marginally a health thing - actually, it complicates things for me, due to my anemia). It's mostly a savings thing, and the fact that I get sick of dealing with grease from cooking meat. I generally mostly just eat meat when we're dining out, and somebody else has to soak the greasy pans and drain the browning meat.

[pisces2473]

I know. It's good to try though!

LOL exactly!

[Tayl405]

Not sure if this has been mentioned previously, but www.groupon.com has some interesting deals. Basically, I think it works in the way that if X number of people sign up for the deal, you get it. For example, today they were offering half off a massage at a local spa. They email the daily deals. I haven't purchased anything but a coworker has done a few things with it.