Here at Simply Frugal, I post a lot of deals. (Shocking, I know! ;)) But all these deals can be dangerous in a way. They can entice you to spend money, just because it's a good deal. Many of the deals I share, I share because they could be a good deal for someone, just maybe not for you or myself!
Just because something is on sale, or I posted a coupon for a product that you like, does not necessarily make it a good deal. My number one goal through Simply Frugal, is to show you how to live a life with less excess. Less debt, less stuff, how to enjoy what you have and teach you how to get the stuff you need at a great price. This makes me really quite picky about what I do end up posting.
Here are four questions I ask myself to help me decide whether or not something is a good deal:
Do I have the Money to Buy it?
Probably the most important thing to take into consideration. If buying something will push you into the red or push you further from your goal of becoming debt free, then it's probably not worth buying. No matter how happy it will make you, the happy feeling will most likely be temporary anyways. Especially once you get the bill! I've been there, done that!
Do I Actually Need it or Will I Use it?
Something that you use goes on sale, a pretty decent sale ta-boot. Perfect! You'll grab as many as you can afford since the price is so great. But you failed to remind yourself that you already have about 7 bottles of unopened body wash, for example. Don't forget your drawer full of toothpaste too! It would probably be smarter to put that money towards something you really need a the moment.
Or maybe not, if it's a rock bottom price on the item, you may want to go ahead and stockpile more knowing that the price might not be that low for a while and your budget can allow it.
It's completely up to you to decide if you need it or have the money to make it worthwhile!
Will it Make My Life Easier?
In my pursuit to simplify my life, this is an important question. If something needs to be dusted 8 times a day, then it's not making my life easier. If it will take up more room then we have in our closets, then it's not worth it. But if buying it means I don't have to wipe the snow off the car with my arm, then the snow brush is a great investment! 🙂
Is it Really a Good Price?
There are just some things you come across and you instantly know they are a good price. But sometimes you're really not sure if it's a good price, especially if you're comparing bulk prices with a smaller package price. This is where a price list can come in handy. A price list allows you to track prices on items you need at the stores you shop at each week. Over time, you'll start noticing when particular items will go on sale and if they're really a good price when they do go on sale.
I'm encouraging you to learn how to be a savvy deal shopper. Learn when to pass something by and when to grab it up! I try to post a wide range of deals (and many!) so that each day, some of them will work for you!
How do you decide to buy or not buy something? Let us know your tactics in the comments!
Grocery shopping mistakes that are keeping your grocery budget high.
Learning how to reduce your grocery bill is one of the fastest ways to start fixing the entire family budget. Since groceries are not a fixed expense like your mortgage or rent, it’s possible to tweak your shopping habits in order to reduce the amount you’re spending on groceries each week/month.
If lowering your grocery budget is your goal, you’ll want to read on to learn how to fix your unintentional grocery shopping mistakes. Are you committing any of these grocery shopping faux pas?
1. Visit the store several times each week.
I’m guilty of this one more times than I’d like to admit! Going to the grocery store more than once a week can be a real grocery budget killer. After all, going to the store for “just a few things” almost always means you’ll be picking up more than “just a few things” because admittedly, grocery stores have enticing sales and products. So by sticking to shopping once a week you can avoid many impulse purchases, especially if you’re prepared with a list and meal plan.
2. Go to the store around meal times or when you’re hungry.
One of the golden rules of grocery shopping on a budget is to never shop when you’re hungry. Trying to stick to a grocery list when you’re hungry is nearly impossible. Soon you’ll find bags of chips or expensive granola bars hopping into your cart because they’re easy to eat as soon as you get to the car. The best course of action is to shop right after you’ve eaten a good size meal.
3. Don’t plan a menu
I’m a firm believer that planning a menu each week is a big key to sticking to your budget. When you have a plan laid out, you will know exactly what you need to buy at the grocery store in order to execute the meals you have chosen. That way, if something jumps into your cart that isn’t needed, it’s easier to put it back in order to stay within budget because you know that your eating needs are met with your meal plan.
4. Never use a list
Going hand in hand with planning a menu, creating a grocery list is crucial to staying within your budget. I keep a running grocery list on our fridge so I can write down pantry items that I need to replace as soon as the item runs out. As I’m planning our menu for the week, I grab the list from the fridge and jot down everything I need to buy to complete each meal. Sometimes my list is small because I have many items already on hand in the cupboards thanks to some sales in previous weeks on staples.
5. Don’t bother looking at the store flyers for sales.
Reviewing the grocery store flyers and noting what is on sale will save you tons of money. Especially when you buy the sale items and then plan your menu around them. Over time as you regularly buy items that are on sale and stock up on them as much as you can, you’ll always be eating “cheap” food, and your grocery budget will be very happy.
6. Take the kids with you.
Kids can be pretty good negotiators (at least mine can!), especially if you want to be as fast as you possibly can in the grocery store. Sometimes it’s really tempting to buy them something (anything!) just so they’ll be quiet. Even if it’s something little, it all adds up and may not be a good healthful choice.
7. Don’t take inventory of what you already have on hand.
Buying unneeded items can be wasteful. Especially if they’re fresh items that can spoil. Take a few minutes to review what you already have in your pantry and fridge and you can save hundreds of dollars each year.
8. Don’t pay attention as the cashier is processing your purchase.
Put down the magazine and pay attention to what is being rung through. I was recently charged for two watermelons when I had only bought one. Thankfully, I noticed and it was fixed right away. But imagine if each week there was an error on your bill, that could add up to hundreds of dollars that were literally spent on nothing. So do yourself a favor and pay attention as the cashier is processing your purchase. Also, if you bought items on sale, watch closely, you may get several items for free if they scanned wrong since many stores have a scanning code of practice.
9. Throw the food into the fridge without any rhyme or reason.
By taking the time to carefully put your perishables away and dividing items you bought in bulk into smaller portions will save you money in the long run. Washing and storing produce properly will make it last longer in your refrigerator. Make sure you have designated spots for each item so you can easily find your purchases, or your grocery budget will be wasted on moldy, forgotten items.
10. Throw away leftovers.
Not a fan of eating leftovers? Well, that will have to stop if you want to lower your budget! If you’re throwing away leftovers, you’re almost literally throwing your money in the garbage too. There are plenty of recipes online that can help you reinvent leftovers into something tasty. Maybe it’s not that you don’t like leftovers, maybe you simply forgot they were there. One solution is to put leftovers in clear containers with a dated label so you can visually see what’s there.
Are you guilty of any of these grocery shopping mistakes? I know that I am. It’s constantly a work in progress for me! But knowing where you’re making mistakes is half the battle to getting your budget on track. Knowing the ways in which we’re ruining our grocery budget allows us to focus on one area to fix at a time. Baby steps 🙂
10 grocery shopping mistakes you are making that keep your grocery bill high.
I'm sure that those of you that have smartphones know just how useful they can be. They help keep you in touch with friends and family, help you find a destination and even tell you the weather. Now, I'm also sure that those of you with a smartphone know that they can save you money! Yep! I've got a few favourite apps that I'd like to tell you about that save me money regularly.
The best part is that they only require about 15 minutes or less of my time each time I use them. Almost anyone can find that amount of time, I think!
Find 15 minutes in your day to focus on one of the apps featured in this post and I can guarantee you’ll find some extra cash in your pocket over time! Let’s get started…
Cash-Back Apps
Canada has several great cash-back apps that offer you an alternative to physical coupons that help you save on groceries. (Or you could combine your coupons with the rebates from the cash-back apps to save even more!)
These apps are a great way to save money on groceries and more -- without clipping coupons! You can download these apps to your smartphone or use most of them straight from your home computer.
These Cash-Back apps help you save money on the brands you love or things you're already going to buy, like bread, eggs, milk, or produce. There are usually at least a few offers each week that are not brand dependent at all. Such as, get $0.25 back when you buy any vegetables. Talk about a great offer!
While gas stations in our city, don't really have gas wars, I can tell with the Gas Buddy app whether or not gas prices will be dropping or going up by taking a look at the app! If there's one or two gas stations with a different price on gas I can almost be sure that the rest of the gas stations will be following suit shortly. I'll aim to hit a gas station that still has the "low" price if I'm in need of a fill.
Gas Buddy is also a fantastic money saving resource for road trips. Last year we did a two day trek to Winnipeg and the Gas Buddy app proved to be very useful! It helped us to time our fill ups as best as we could.
The GasBuddy.com web site and app was developed as an initiative to provide all residents and visitors to the area access to local current gas prices. This is an entirely free service that depends on users to input gas prices on a daily basis to keep the database of prices up to date. Since the price of gas is often extremely volatile, posted gas prices may vary as much as 20% within only a few blocks of each other. By having access to the most recent prices at GasBuddy.com consumers now are able to locate the most inexpensive fuel price in the city and fill up on a budget.
Flipp
The Flipp app allows you to look at all your local store flyers so you can see the best deals of the week, saving you money on each shopping trip!
While I'm mostly a pen and paper kind of girl when it comes to creating my shopping list, I've been trying out the shopping list feature in the Flipp app. It's pretty neat because I can add something like cheese to the list and the app will pull up all the sales on cheese that week. Neat! That allows me to pick one or two stores with the most sales that I can hit up for our groceries.
Another feature that I use often is the coupon matchups. While browsing through a flyer, at the bottom, you'll see if there are any coupons available for any items that are in that week's flyer. While I don't think the coupon matchups are a comprehensive list, I still find some coupons and sales that I may have missed otherwise!
Something I haven't used, but the Flipp app allows you to save your loyalty cards so you have them all in one place. (and maybe not taking up room in your wallet!)
So there you have it, my three favourite money saving apps for smartphones!
Are there any apps that you use to save money that I missed? Let us know in the comments!
Grocery shopping on a budget doesn't have to mean you only eat rice and beans each day. You can have a wonderful well rounded diet of fruits, vegetables, meats and great sides when you plan accordingly. While I always recommend you menu plan to help stay on top of your pantry and freezer supplies as well as your shopping list, these tips are really where the savings come into play.
1. Make a list before you shop.
Going into a grocery store without a list is setting yourself up for failure in the biggest way. A list is vital to making sure you are grocery shopping within your budget. Divide your list by aisles and categories. If you know approximate or sale prices on items, list those to the side so you can easily track your expenses while you shop and verify prices are as stated in sale advertisements.
2. Use Cash
It's so incredibly easy to go over budget at the grocery store when you're paying with a debit or credit card! When you are forced to use cash, it's harder to justify buying items that aren't on your grocery list. You know, that last second bag of chips or the candle that's on sale. Having your grocery money in a cash envelope is a fantastic way to stay on budget.
3. Keep a calculator on hand while you shop.
As mentioned before, sale prices are important when grocery shopping on a budget. Make note of what is suppose to be on sale and watch not only for that price to be reflected on store shelves, but also at the checkout counter. For all other items on your list, use the calculator you have on hand to make sure you aren't going over budget. Make notes as you add things to your cart and add up your purchases as you go so you know when you may need to choose a different size or brand because you are nearing your budget limits.
4. Utilize coupons as much as possible.
Using coupons is a pretty obvious suggestion coming from Simply Frugal. But while using coupons is a great way to save money, it can also cause you to spend more when you are buying things you don't need or won't use. Use coupons only on items you would normally buy, and always verify pricing on generic equivalents to make sure you are getting the ultimate best deal possible.
Sales are a great way to save money on big purchases like meats and of course, produce. There are things called loss leaders often in these sales. These items are usually far below regular price and are designed to entice you to come into the store and make a purchase. They believe if they entice you with a low price on one item you are more likely to purchase additional items. These can often be great prices to stock up your pantry for things like pasta, sauces, soups and other pantry staples. Also consider stocking up on seasonal sale prices of meat and produce to freeze or can for off seasons.
6. Sign up for reward clubs and programs.
Many grocery stores offer reward programs. These can give you high value coupons specifically for their store, points that you can redeem for free products, great VIP day discounts and insight on upcoming sales. They are a great way to be in the know and get rewarded for shopping at a favorite store.
7. Buy in bulk when possible.
Bulk purchases are often a great way to manage grocery shopping on a budget. Just make sure to check the unit prices to make sure they really are cheaper to buy in large quantities versus individual packages. Read here to learn how to buy in bulk toactually save money.
These tips for grocery shopping on a budget are great reminders for how to make the most of your money in the grocery store.
I'd love to hear your biggest tip for saving money at the grocery store. Let us know in the comments below!
Finding free grocery coupons can be tough in Canada, but not impossible. While pricing and coupon values are all vastly different in Canada versus the US, it isn't impossible to save. In fact, it is easy to find great deals and save money using coupons on a regular basis. You simply have to know where to find the coupons. This list of ways to get free grocery coupons is just the beginning. Think outside the box to find great coupons available for everything from restaurants to your cat food purchases.
5 Easy Ways To Get Free Grocery Coupons
Contact the manufacturer. Most brands are more than happy to send you coupons when you send them a letter or email them about their products. It's never a waste of your time to send a simple note to Canadian companies telling them why you like their product and asking if they distribute coupons to Canadian residents. You can check the back of packages for mailing addresses, or websites for a contact form or email.
Print coupons online. There are many coupons available to print online. As soon as I discover a new coupon of any sort, I post about it here on Simply Frugal. Printing coupons is a great option that can easily give you significant savings on your purchases. Just make sure to know your store coupon policy since many don't accept all printed coupons.
Ask grocery stores and markets. Many chain grocery stores provide you with coupons or digital coupons when you sign up for their reward programs or email programs. You may also ask at their customer service desk to see if they have extra coupons on hand. You would be surprised at how many coupons are left behind by manufacturers for customers to use.
Newspaper coupon inserts. While this isn't totally free if you are paying for the newspaper, it is a great way to get coupons. To get them for free, ask friends, neighbors and family members who already receive the newspaper to save you the Smartsource and Redplum inserts that come out regularly.
Watch on social media. Facebook has become one of the best places to grab coupons from brands. Follow your favorite brands on social media, and double check to see if they have a Canadian specific page. This is often a great way to grab free grocery coupons with little to no effort. A simple like of a page and email address on a form can often leave you with some high value printable coupons from brands you love.
If you're looking for free grocery coupons, this list is a great place to start for Canadian residents. You can also consider asking your friends and family, checking with local store bulletin boards or joining online coupon groups that offer coupon swaps to help increase the number of free grocery coupons you are able to acquire.
There are some expenses that just aren't going to go away, and food is one of them. This list of ideas will help make your grocery budget go further.
Produce your own food.
This can be growing a vegetable garden or even raising chickens in your back yard for eggs. Producing your own food sources is a great answer to how to save money on food. This usually takes a small up front investment and some time to make work, but is well worth it in the long run for a better grocery budget.
Shop with coupons and sales.
This obvious answer has to be on the list because one of the best tips for how to save money on food is to clip coupons and shop sales at your market or grocery store.
Stockpile seasonal items.
When you find a fruit or vegetable you love and know is only available during a specific time period, stocking up and freezing or canning for future use is a great way to save money in your food budget.
Menu plan consistently.
Nothing kills your grocery budget like take out or last minute ingredients for a fast meal. Take the time to menu plan consistently utilizing what you already have on hand and sales at the time to build a low-cost menu everyone will enjoy.
Make more vegetarian meals.
For most meals, the meat is the highest priced item by far. Make more vegetarian meals and skip the meat in your menu plan at least 2-3 days each week.
Use low-cost staple items as a base.
Don't forget about things like dry beans, brown rice, potatoes and pasta as the base for many hearty and healthy meals that are full of nutrient-dense vegetables, healthy fats,and the occasional lean meat.
Make your own and avoid processed foods.
Instead of buying cake mixes, ready-made bread or even cookies make your own. Avoid all of the nutritional bombs in processed foods and save money by making your own.
Barter with friends and neighbors.
If you don't have time for a garden but have a friend or neighbor that does, it's time to barter. Offer cleaning, babysitting, mending or other services in exchange for fresh produce from their garden.
Plan for leftovers.
Make your menu in a way that each meal always has enough leftovers for two meals or at least, a smaller lunch portion the next day for every family member.
Avoid food waste.
If you have just a bit of vegetable or roast left that isn't enough for a meal, toss it into a freezer bag and save for future stews or soups. Use the chicken bones from a roasted chicken to simmer and create your own chicken stock. Toss vegetable peels and bits of vegetables into a stockpot and simmer for a practically free vegetable stock.
These tips for how to save money on food are easy, practical things anyone can do on a regular basis to keep their food budget low.
What are some things that you do to save money on food? Let us know in the comments below!
