Save Money On Groceries with Tested Tips
Every time I visit the grocery store, it seems as if the prices have gone up. It is more important than ever, in a weak economy, to control those trips and put a lid on impulse buys. These are tips that I use, or ones that I have picked up from Frugal Pig readers and my friends. If you have any more cheap grocery shopping tips, feel free to add them to the contents!
- Can you avoid taking anybody else with you? Of course, you will want to get your spouse’s and kid’s input when you plan a grocery shopping trip. But I find that if I take another family member with me, it is much harder to control my spending. We, sort of, give each other permission to impulse buy.
- Try not to buy too much. OK, if cans of tuna are on sale, and you know you use them all the time, it is probably a good idea to stock up. But you need to resist overbuying fresh produce that will spoil. I have probably thrown out as much bread lettuce as I’ve eatern, and I am really trying to stop the waste.
- Check the sales. I know that my local grocery store always has some meat on sale, and I plan my menus around that, rather than planning my shopping around set meals.
- Compare prices. I know that my kids pick up anything at eye level, without checking prices. Of course, grocery stores plan it that way. For instance, a popular kid’s snack has the well advertised brand level at chest to eye level. But the bottom shelf has the very same snack with the store label on it for about half the price.
- Coupons - I am not a big fan of coupons. Since I try to plan my menus around fresh foods, the coupons are usually not for things I buy anyway. Oh sure, I buy dishwashing soap and paper towels, and you can find coupons for these. But the coupons are usually for the brand name, and the grocery store label tends to work out cheaper anyway. Look, if you love coupons, go for it. In my humble opinion, grocery store coupons are just not worth the hassle.
OK, those are my tips. Oh, and try to make a list and, mostly, stick to it. Make your list general, though, because you may find a great sale on steak which makes it cheaper than the ground beef you were going to buy.
Speaking of hamburger, do not just look at price, but also look at fat content. In my opinion, the lower fat content is worth spending more money on because the high fat ground beef just cooks away anyway. But again, that’s me!
OK - Please add your comments. I’d love to hear some great tips from all of the smart shoppers out there.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
US Health Insurance For Seniors — Medicare Health Plans
Most Seniors Need Affordable Health Plans with Top Qualify Health Care
Medicare Health Plan Quotes by Local Area
If you are an American senior citizen, or disabled person, you do have more choices for health coverage than ever before. Original Medicare has been around since the 1960’s, and it helps older or disabled people control their health care costs. However, original Medicare does not cover everything, and that is where the choices come in!
It is very important for you to compare Medicare Health Plan Choices.
You can choose a medicare supplement to fill in the coverage gaps for things that the original plan has copays, deductibles and limits for. Or you can choose to bundle your health service coverage with a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan. To add to that complication, prescription plans have been introduced. These can be purchased alone, or they can come with some MA policies.
We want to help you learn about your choices: Medicare Supplements vs Medicare Advantags vs Medicare Prescription Plans
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Unwanted Gift Cards, and How To Make Good Use of Them!
What To Do With Unwanted Gift Cards
It happens almost every holiday season. Gift cards seem like such a great idea because they allow the person who got the card to go shopping. The only problem that pops up is when the card is only for a store that you never go to. A $50 Godiva chocolate gift card may sound perfect, but it will not work for somebody who just started their New Year’s diet. If you are in a situation like that, you would probably rather have a new pair of walking shoes or money for new Gclothes that are a size smaller!
Some great uses of unwanted gift cards:
- Sell Your Gift Card. You will need to sell it for less than the face value, but you can get some cash for it. Look at online auction websites, and you will see that they are full of gift card sales. Or, simpler yet, put up a notice at work in a approved place.
- Give Your Gift Card Away. If you got a $50 gift card to a store that is just not convenient, you can use it as a donation to your favorite charity.
- Buy Stuff For Other Gifts. You can use that unwanted card for a big box of chocolate and then promptly pass it on to a non-dieting friend for Valentine’s Day.
- Buy Sfuff to Donate. The chocolate example may not work here. But let’s say your teenage daughter gets a gift card to a discount store, and she only wants designer jeans. You could use this one to buy things to donate. Maybe, make a deal that you will pay her for half the value of the card, and then you can use the items as a charitable donation.
The donation idea can have some positive tax implications too. So make gift cards, even unwanted ones, the gift that just keeps on giving!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
How Do Insurers Calculate Life Insurance Premiums?
How Do Insurers Calculate Life Insurance Rates Anyway?
We had a question! A concerned reader wanted to know what factors that insurers use to calculate the cost of life insurance. The previous link provides a good overview by the way.
Of course, your own premium will depend upon the amount of coerage you apply for. Beyond that, the type of life insurance you want will make a difference too. Obviously, cash value life insurance like whole life or universal life, will cost more than term costs for the same amount of face value. A $100,000 whole life insurance benefit will be more expensive than a $100,000 term life benefit. That is because term policies are temporary, while whole life covers you for your whole life. It is also because whole life can build up a cash value, while term usually does not.
Your age, where you live and your health matter too. But beyond all of this obvous stuff, you need to shop around. Life Insurance rates differ by company. We have certainly found examples of finding price differences of hundreds of dollars a year to insure the same person from the top 10 life insurers in their area.
Find Life Insurance Rates In Your Area with one short form that can save you time and money: Best Life Insurance Quotes
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Natural Hygiene For Better Health with Colon Cleanses
Why Am I Writing About Colon Cleanses on The Frugal Pig?
Yeah, I know they are nasty to think about, and you may think they belong in a natural remedies website, and not a frugal living website like this one. However, I myself, have had some good experiences by using a natural colon cleanse supplement, especially when I felt I was about to come down with something. In the winter, when I feel a scratchy throat or cold coming on, I take a colon cleanse supplement, and the problem usually resolves itself by the next morning.
Some benefits of a colon cleanse are improved digestion, more effective immune system, relief of bloating and constipation, and a more comfortable physical body. Some people report that they help them reduce food cravings, because a clean digestion helps us to absorb nutrients from fod that we eat, so we don’t always crave more food.
Anyway, our friends at the over 50 website have published a free trial colon cleanse offer, and it is one way to find out if a natural and gentle supplement will help you. Improving our health and reducing junk food cravings will certainly aid your quest for a frugal lifestyle!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
