Frugal Grocery Store Visit January 11, 2009

With the rise of grocery costs I devised a plan of  organization-

A grocery shopping system to cut back on the costs for my family.

I bought see-through card holder sheets and inserted my coupons into these slots, which are divided into categories (i.e. bread, dairy, meat, etc…).

I had been keeping track of local store sales over an 12 week period (price book), so that I could clearly see when the best “sale” price happened at each store.

*HINT* Just because a grocery stores flier says is is on sale does not mean this is the “lowest price”.  Grocery stores cycle through their sale items.  In example, Pepsi products may rotate with Coke products as to when they are on sale.

Actually after the 12 week period I still keep track because this way I can see seasonal items and when the best time to buy them is.

When something is the “right” price I stock up.  I really stock up if the price is exceptional and I have coupons to go along with it.

I keep scrap paper in the back in case I need to jot something down while shopping.

I keep a handy reference sheet in my folder for selecting the best cuts of meat and what the meat is best suited for (grilling, roasting, etc…) and another reference sheet for when which produce is in season.  I buy frozen when produce is not in season and a majority at the farmers market when it is in season.  In addition, I keep a list of preservatives and chemicals to avoid (read the labels).

I formulated a rotating menu of 6 weeks and listed the ingredients needed for each.  I tried to match up items to avoid waste.  In example, if one dish needs 1/2 of an onion the next meal would use the other 1/2.  Though I must admit we do not always use the 6 week rotation and occasionally we venture off and want something a little different than our typical meals (this is where my palm pilot comes in handy- see below).

I am fortunate enough to own a palm pilot (thanks honey).  So, with the palm I have a program called Splash Shopper.  I am able to categorize by store and by aisle as well as keep a master grocery list of items that I normally buy.  This makes it easier to plan my grocery trip and avoid “unneeded” items.  I simply click on the item as I get it and it takes it off my list.  Through this system I am also able to keep a total of my grocery trip before shopping and have the best price listed within the system, so I know what prices to look out for.

Through my palm I have all of my meals, snacks, etc… and their ingredients in a word file for ease of creating my menu.  This comes in extremely helpful if I am out and need a meal for the night.

My last hint- visit such site links as the ones I have listed under “Coupons” and “Grocery”.  Most stores now accept paper coupons that you print out yourself.

An update prompted from a reader asking for more information on price books : ) The below can also be found as a response under “comments”.

I will try to explain a price book as best I can : ) I start by gathering grocery ads each week (you can find them in your daily paper or sometimes you receive them in the mail). I list the store name on the top of the sheet. Going vertically along the left side of the paper I list my grocery store items/ brands by category (i.e dairy, meat, health and beauty, household goods, can goods, etc…). Horizontally along the top I list the date and week1, date week 2, etc… and then I simply keep track of the sale items. It is a lot of work in the beginning when you are gathering the prices, but it becomes routine and you start seeing the sales cycle emerge from your price book. I would also list the unit price of the item for quick reference (for when there are varying sizes of one particular item/ same brand). You can find the unit price by dividing the size of the item by the price and voila you have the unit price : )
A few extra tips- beware when going into a store to get the “sale price” as grocery stores list “sale items” in hopes that while you are in there you will also pick up a few “regular priced items” to make up for the “sale items”. Also, grocery stores hire companies to observe a stores layout from a psychological point of view. Meaning, the best priced items may be on the top or bottom of the shelf because statistically shoppers will grab the items that are eye level/ right in front of them. Also, front displays (at checkout) will likely be overpriced. Shoppers will justify higher price for the convenience of not getting out of line to go get the other item.
For more tips you can google sites by “grocery price book” and “grocery game” and find such sites as http://www.couponmom.com and http://www.familycorner.com/family/frugal/price_book.shtml
Hope this helps : )
Jennifer

Homemade Bubbles and Blowers December 8, 2008

Homemade Bubbles-

2 Tablespoons of Liquid Dish Soap

1 Cup of Warm Water

Mix

Homemade Laundry Detergent December 8, 2008

Today we are going to make Homemade Laundry Detergent.  With a large family this laundry soap can be a huge money-saver.  We have a front load washer (HE) and this works perfectly as it is a low-sudsing soap.  Makes 10 Gallons or enough for approximately 640 loads.  Cost- (less than $5.00 for start-up purchases and there will be plenty left to be able to use the same ingredients over and over to make more- with the exception of needing more Fels-Naptha).

For liquid version- use 1/3 to 1/4 cup per load.

For Powder version use 1-2 Tablespoons (yields 3 cups or approximately 40 loads).

We decided to do this project not only to continue cost-saving but I wanted to show my children how a solid object (soap) can be dissolved into a liquid) for a Science project.

Ingredients-

1 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (I order mine from Amazon)

1 cup of Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer)

1/2 cup of Borax (20 mule Team)

Water

5 Gallon Bucket

Long Wooden Spoon

Sauce Pan

Start by grating soap bar to a fine consistency.  We use a food processor but I let my Sunshine do some by hand to have a hands on experience.

It should be this consistency if not more fine.

At this point you can mix in the Borax and Washing Soda and be done or continue on to the next step- making it into a liquid detergent (our preferred method).

Pour enough hot water to cover the soap and stir continuously until soap is completely melted.

Should look like this when complete.

Mix Borax and Washing Soda together in a 5 gallon bucket.

Mix soap mixture into powdered  mixture and stir until powdered mix is completely dissolved.

Should look like this.

Fill rest up the rest of the 5 gallon bucket with hot water (should be almost to the top), stir to mix then cover.

Let mixture set all night.  Mixture will appear like a watery liquid at first but will gel as it sits.

I use old Laundry Detergent Containers (96 load capacity)- mix equal parts of Laundry soap and water into containers- shake before using.