shoppingonabudget

If you have a child who will be heading to school or back to school soon, you may be looking to save money on back-to-school supplies. The good news is that this is getting much easier to do, as many stores are now having great sales.

Staples is one office supply store that is known for their great back-to-school sales. They have a number of deals each week. In fact, there are sometimes 1-cent items. You can view their weekly sales flier on their website, at Staples.com.

I also want to mention Wal-Mart. I bought a few items from there, including Crayola crayons (which I believe were 22 cents), Crayola markets (for 60 cents) and a six pack of glue sticks for $1.00.

On a personal note, if you don’t have a child who is going to school, but need back-to-school items, like pens, paper, or highlighters, now is the time to stock up.

If you are looking for online coupons to print, you have a number of choices. I have outlined many of these choices in the past, but I have another. If you like Betty Crocker products, visit their website at BettyCrocker.com.

When getting coupons from the website, you will need to register for a free account. This process is very simple and well-worth it. You will also (at least as of 7/28/2008) find General Mills coupons mixed in.

I recommend trying the Suddenly Salad. It is tasty, affordable, and easy to prepare. It makes a great addition to any barbeque.

As a reminder, Betty Crocker is just one of the many product manufacturers that list coupons on their website (although they do have a lot more listed). So, visit the websites of your favorite product manufacturers to see if they have printable coupons posted.

Although I tend to stick with saving money on groceries, new moneysaving ideas are always popping into my head.

On a personal note, I have a four year old. What does this mean? It means that we go through a lot of batteries for her toys. Last year, I decided that I was tired of paying so much for batteries. I used rechargeable batteries for our digital camera, so why not use them for everything else? So, we started doing so.

Are you paying full price for batteries that you only end up throwing away? If so, you should consider buying rechargeable batteries.

I purchased the cheapest brand that Wal-Mart had available for sale. I believe I paid around $18 for the charger, a car adaptor, and 4 AA batteries. Not that bad of a deal. Extra batteries can be purchased as well. Just make sure that you match up the brands so that you only need one charging station.

So, how much will you save by switching to rechargeable batteries? It honestly all depends. But, if you are like our home and have a lot of electronic toys or if you have a entertainment center that (for some reason) needs five different remotes to operate, rechargeable batteries may be a wise investment for you.

In the past, I have listed what I believe to be some of the best online coupon websites. These websites are a great way to get printable coupons, but did you know that you can also go directly to the source? Many product manufacturers have free printable coupons listed on their websites.

Last week, I was able to print off coupons for the following products:

.75 Cents off Any Heluva Good Product (Cheese, Dips & More)
$2 off Excedrin Migraine

The above mentioned products are just a few of the many that you can find coupons for online. I opted to print these coupons, as I needed the products in question.

You can perform a standard internet search to find the product manufacturers of your choice. Examine their websites to see if they have printable coupons posted. These coupons are usually on the main page or under the heading of promotions.

I know that I have mentioned this before, but I feel it is worth mentioning again. If you are stocking up on groceries, like you plan one big shopping trip a month, you need to check expiration dates.

In high traffic stores, you shouldn’t experience any problems with expiration dates, as the food tends to move so quickly, but there still aren’t any guarantees.

Here is the scenario: A store employee notices a box of cereal in the back that is set to expire in the next few days. Naturally, they will move that box to the front of the shelf.

You don’t want to be that shopper that picks of the cereal with the fresh by date of only a few days away, especially if you didn’t intend to start eating it for a couple of weeks.

In my last post, I mentioned that I do about one big shopping trip a month. That is why I use the Hot and Cold Thermal Bags for my cold or frozen foods, as I am usually out shopping for a few hours. We started shopping this way as we only had one vehicle and gas prices were on the rise.

If you are looking to save both money on groceries and on gas, it may be best to schedule a similar monthly shopping trip. Another alterative is to shop every other week instead of weekly. This may give you the opportunity to stock up on the items that you need when they are on sale, as the chances of everything you need being on sale at the same time are slim to none.

The only downside to planning one large monthly shopping trip is the items that you may forget or the items that you may need later on. For these extras, you are urged to do your shopping when you are already out running errands, whether it be returning from work or attending a doctor’s appointment. This means that you shouldn’t have to waste gas just to get a gallon of milk.

With summer in full swing, the temperatures where you live may be quite high. Unfortunately, this has kind of thrown a wrench in my shopping plans. I usually go grocery shopping about once a month (aside from having to pick up a few extras here and there). For the cheapest prices, I travel about 25 minutes from home.

A 25 minute car ride, as well as visits to at least two stores, isn’t good for frozen foods. So, I use a Hot or Cold Thermal Bag. They come in good sizes, which can hold many frozen foods items. I find this does the trick. My frozen foods are still frozen and the refrigerated items are still cold when I get home.

These bags are available for sale at most grocery stores. I purchased mine from Wal-Mart and I believe I paid less than $2. Also, each bag is reusable.

At this stage, most consumers have a shopper’s card, also commonly known as a savings card or a bonus card. This is because so many stores require them now. If you don’t have one of these cards, you will likely find yourself paying full price.

With that said, what if you have to make a quick stop at another store (one that you don’t frequent)? If a shopper’s card is required to get the store sales, you are encouraged to signup for one. Yes, this may seem like a lot to only save a few dollars, but any bit of saved money can help.

It is also important to note that many of the applications for these savings cards are short and can be filled out in less than 5 minutes. You should also receive a card right then and there, even if it is only a temporary card.

In my last post, I shared a few ways that you can save money when eating out. A great alternative and one of the best ways to save money is to stay in. The good news is that there are ways that you can have a similar style meal.

For starters, think about what you wanted to eat at dinner. As an example, I love chicken alfredo. At Wal-Mart, I can buy a box of fettuccine noodles for around $1, a jar of alfredo sauce costs about $1.50, as does the chicken used. Compare this to the $8 or more than you may be charged for the same dish at a restaurant and you can save a lot of money. Also, consider that you get more portions and can feed more people or have great leftovers.

In addition to eating tasty food, many couples dine out for a romantic date. If you are on a budget, consider lighting a few candles or turning on some nice music. If you don’t want to cook, consider cooking the meal a day or two before and freezing it. You can simply just reheat the dish when you are ready.

One of the best ways to save money on food is to not eat out, but it is okay to eat out on occasion. In our home, we try to do so once or twice a month. This is our special time to step outside of the home and have a little adventure.

If you do intend to eat out, there are a number of ways that you can save money.

Most importantly, choose the restaurant wisely.

Personally, I love eating at Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Olive Garden. My wallet doesn’t love it so much. Olive Garden is known for having some really great deals on food, so try to visit their website or catch their ads on television to let you know when you can enjoy a nice, but cheap dinner.

All you can eat buffets are nice as well, as you tend to get a better deal. With that said, make sure you eat enough to pay for the meal or else you aren’t getting a good deal. As an important side note, if you have young children, make sure they get a discounted price for buffets, as they tend to eat less.