Doesn’t it seem that, from the time we start earning money in life, all we do is worry about saving as much of it as we can? This makes me laugh and think of my dad. He used to say that he wanted to use his money to provide for his family and help others while he was still alive to see the results. My father never understood the idea of hoarding wads of money in a bank account. He tried to set aside enough to meet the unexpected needs of an emergency. Other than that, he used his money while he lived. While I always got a kick out of my dad’s way of thinking, I also understand the importance of money-saving tips that help lower the cost of living.
I guess you can call it “frugality” or “thriftiness.” Providing for a family is a tremendous challenge, especially in terms of finances. My parents raised seven children. They taught us to be content with simple things in life and to make do with what we have. These timeless lessons inspired me throughout my own parenting journey. As a full-time stay at home mother throughout 36 years of parenting, I’ve heard a lot of interesting comments through the years. For some reason, people always assume that my husband and I are wealthy because I don’t go to work outside the home. (I do work from home to supplement our income, but we have never been financially wealthy.) Money-saving tips have always helped us make ends meet. Here are a few of my favorites that you can try:
Use grocery store apps to compare prices and get good deals
Most people are on their cell phones all the time, anyway, so why not use your phone for money-saving grocery hacks? You likely have several grocery stores within 10 to 20 miles of each other near your home. Don’t just go grocery shopping out of habit at the same store, week after week. You might be paying a lot more for certain products than you need to, if only you’d check your apps before heading out to see who has what on sale that week.
Buy dry goods in bulk, online
The mark-up on dry goods in grocery stores is often outrageous. Money-saving is easier if you get into the habit of ordering dry goods in bulk, online. Check out this handy chart for examples on what types of dry goods you can order online to save a lot of cash.
You’ll be money-saving in no time if you cut chicken breasts in half
We have raised 10 children, five of whom still live at home at this time. We go through a lot of chicken. One of my favorite money-saving tips is to buy a large pack of chicken breasts and cut them each in half. They’re thick, so you still get a decently-sized portion when you split them. This means I’m getting two servings out of every breast in the pack. Voila! A package of four chicken breasts just turned into eight for the same price!
Grocery stores put expensive items at eye level
It’s a common marketing strategy in retail stores to position the most expensive products at eye level. When you go grocery shopping with a goal of saving money in mind, remember to check end-caps on the aisles and the bottom shelves for less expensive items! Don’t just look straight ahead and grab the first thing you see when you need something. You might be losing money this way! Take your time to check and see if they’ve hidden the similar products for less expensive prices on a lower shelf or end-cap.
Nix the brand names for a money-saving victory
I do admit that some generic brands don’t taste as good as the more popular, brand name versions. However, more times than not, you can find a generic brand of an item that is good enough. You’d be surprised how much money you can save by purchasing no-name brands. The National Peanut Butter Board reported at 75% increase in peanut butter sales in 2020. (Probably because so many people were out of work. It was all they could afford to feed their kids. Can’t afford meat, so buy a cheap protein alternative, instead.) In a typical year, people in the U.S. spend more than $800 million on peanut butter. If you’re buying national brands, you’re paying up to 30% more than you would be if you were to purchase store brands, instead.
What are some of your favorite money-saving grocery hacks and other frugal tips?
