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I spent a wonderful, refreshing weekend at the "Living By Design" women's retreat this weekend that was held in Royal Oak, Michigan. Two days with the ladies of Covenant Community Foursquae Church, what a blessing!. I was invited there to shared a basic couponing class, called "Welcome To The World Of Coupons. I had such a great time and received so much from the other speakers who shared and the beautiful women who attended. I left greatly inspired and motivated.
Thank you ladies for inviting me. I am so grateful to you all. You certainly know how to treat a girl.
Much love and blessings to you all!
Here is a great article from Bankrate.com
It will help you as you shop for your groceries this week with a new perspective. Bankrate.com has some awesome article and information that will assist you in your quest to save money in all of your financial areas.
7 ways to save money on groceries
7 ways to save money on groceries
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The average American family spends $537 per month on food -- $312 directly on groceries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey. Although it may not seem like it, food costs are still one of the most flexible areas in most families' budgets. While you may have little control over your mortgage or day care costs, you can probably save money on groceries.Wondering where to start? Try these turbocharged tips.
1. Become an 'extreme couponer'
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The average manufacturer's coupon is now worth $1.20, according to food marketing analyst Phil Lempert of SupermarketGuru.com. That's a nice amount, but serious savers combine these coupons with in-store coupons and good sales. Sites like CouponMom.com (free) and TheGroceryGame.com ($10 for eight weeks) offer weekly sales-tracking services for most states and major grocery stores. They'll tell you which items are on rock-bottom sale and alert you to manufacturers' coupons you can use.Manufacturers' coupons abound in most Sunday newspapers and at sites like Coupons.com, SmartSource.com and Redplum.com. According to Stephanie Nelson of CouponMom.com, serious couponers buy several Sunday newspapers or exchange coupons with frugal friends so they can buy multiples of favorite items.
2. Stockpile sale items
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Many avid couponers stockpile large amounts of nonperishable groceries and toiletries purchased on sale. Carrie Kirby, who blogs for Chicagonow.com/frugalista, once filled the entire cargo hold of her Subaru with cans of her favorite soda. "My basement shelves hold enough of things like toothpaste and cereal -- often purchased for 25 cents or less -- to last our family six months to a year," she says.And if a family member gets ill or loses a job, you'll have a nicely stocked food pantry during a rocky time.
3. Shop at the drugstore
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Savvy shoppers can score huge deals on groceries and household supplies by shopping at drugstores like Walgreens, CVS or RiteAid Pharmacies. As an incentive to get you in their doors and back again, these stores offer rock-bottom sales on everything from canned soup to cleaning supplies. Combine the sales with store and manufacturers' coupons and many of your purchases may be free, says blogger Kirby. "I haven't paid a dime for shampoo or toothpaste in more than two years," she says.How it works: At Walgreens.com, click the "weekly ad" tab; certain advertised items offer register rewards you can use like cash on your next Walgreens purchase. At CVS.com, click on the "extra care" link to sign up for a free store card. When you use it, you'll earn 2 percent in "extra bucks" (CVS store credit) on every store or online purchase. Certain purchases, noted in the "weekly store ad" link, also generate extra bucks you can redeem on your next visit. At RiteAid.com, click the "single check rebates" icon. That site requires you to submit receipts to earn monthly rebates.
Extreme couponer Crystal Paine of Moneysavingmom.com offers helpful tutorials for the Walgreens and CVS programs and countless others on her site.
4. Form a wholesale buying club
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Families -- not just businesses -- can band together and form buying clubs to purchase groceries at wholesale prices.There are some logistics required, but a buying club could make sense if you don't have a warehouse-club type store nearby. Club representatives fax or e-mail a group order to the wholesaler, arrange for delivery and divvy up the goods. Generally, items are purchased by the case, then shared. Many wholesalers offer produce, organic items, baby supplies and paper goods in addition to nonperishable food items.
To find a club in your area, search online for "grocery buying club" and your city's name, or check sites like unitedbuyingclubs.com or CoopDirectory.org.
5. Cook from scratch
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Frugal families don't eat from a box or heat a frozen package. However, for supercharged savings, you can go a step further and even make things like cheese, baby food, jam and drink mixes."You can save significant money -- and really improve the quality and nutritional value of your food -- by cooking more at home," says nutritionist Leanne Ely of Charlotte, N.C.
Ely's suggestions for home cooks who want to reap even bigger savings:
6. Plan your meals
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Jot down a week's worth of dinner ideas before you head to the grocery store, suggests Ely. This tried-and-true practice discourages impulse-buying, helps you plan cheaper meals around what's on sale or in season, and keeps you out of the fast-food drive-through lane.A modern twist on menu planning: Subscribe to a service like SavingDinner.com or e-Mealz.com. For a small fee you'll get a weekly meal plan online or by e-mail, along with a shopping list. Some services offer kosher, gluten-free and low-fat meal options.
7. Plan a pantry week
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Challenge yourself to get through one week every quarter (or more often, if you can) without setting foot in the grocery store, says Mary Hunt, author of "Debt-Proof Living." Use leftovers, unbury freezer items and clean out your pantry. Chances are, you have more food on hand than you think. Use the money you've saved on groceries to pay down debt, bolster your savings or even make a contribution to charity.
How much money do you spend per month on groceries? Let us know!
Other ways to save
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Read these Bankrate features to learn some savvy savings strategies, including how to maximize your savings as you shop.
Teri Cettina is a freelance writer in Portland, Ore.
Thanks, Teri
Besure to read some of the other article listed above. Remember, "Knowledge is Power"!
Please share these articles with your friends and family. Always feel free to share anything you read on this blog.
None of us are financially free untill we all are financially free.
As always,
"Let's save some money"
Jean
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