shoppingonabudget

Although saving money on groceries is easy with coupons, there is another easy step that you can take. That step involves choosing the right store. Personally, I am a fan of larger supermarkets. I do want to support locally owned and operated stores, but I also need to keep an eye on my wallet.

I saw a flier tucked into one of our weekly newspapers for a smaller grocery store nearby. I really liked their sales, so I stopped by. Yes, the items that were on sale were a really good price, but I was not happy with the regular priced items. They ranged anywhere from .50 cents to a $1 more than at the larger grocery store I shop at.

So, be sure to keep an eye on the regular prices at your local grocery stores. In fact, it is always a good idea to occasionally shop around to make sure that you really are getting the better prices.

If you are looking to save money on groceries, you are likely looking to save money in other areas as well. That is why I like to focus on other moneysaving tips from time to time. So today, I would like to focus on how owning a digital camera can save you money.

What made me think of this post is seeing my grandma’s digital camera. I bought it for her birthday. She would always have a camera in hand; however, it would always be a disposable camera. Yes, they are convenient to have, but they shouldn’t be relied on for an “everyday,” camera.

Digital cameras have come down in price significantly since I purchased our digital camera and the one for my grandma. I paid $150 each. That same camera is now sold for $100. Yes, buying a digital camera can be expensive, but you can save for it. That is what I did. I simply put a few extra dollars aside each week until I had enough money.

There are a number of things that I like about owning a digital camera. First, I can print pictures right from my computer. Next, I get to pick and choose which pictures I want to print. In fact, pictures that are out of focus can be deleted, without costing me a penny. There are also free photo editing software programs, like Kodak EasyShare, that allows you to edit, crop, and eliminate red eye.

Most importantly, the pictures from a digital camera can not only be printed, but they can also be stored on the computer or burned to a blank CD, always ensuring I have an extra copy on hand.

In my last post, I outlined a few ways that coffee drinkers can save money when outside of the home, namely at work. If you prefer to get your caffeine through soda instead of coffee, there are still ways that you can save money.

For starters, try to avoid the sodas in vending machines. They are usually more expensive, especially where cans are concerned. The only times that I have seen sodas affordable in the vending machines is with the bottles outside of some retailers, like Wal-Mart.

Instead of getting your soda in a convenient 20-ounce size, consider buying the multiple packages at the grocery store, especially when they are on sale. They come in 6 packs, 12 packs, and even 24 packs for bottles and cans.

You also have the option of buying a 2-litter bottle of soda and using that to refill an empty 20-ounce bottle.

In my last post, I discussed how you can save money at work by avoiding snacks in the vending machines. Instead, you can buy the full size bag at the grocery store and make your own convenience size packs for a very affordable price. You can also do the same with your drinks.

If you find yourself buying a cup of coffee on the way to work in the morning, consider making your own coffee at home. A large size can of coffee typically costs around $5 and it may last you up to a month. If you drink multiple cups of coffee a day, invest in a thermos. At Wal-Mart, they tend to run between $9 and $20. A good travel coffee mug can cost around $5, but they are also available for sale in many dollar stores.

Yes, this seems like a large investment, but remember that you will save overtime. The only monthly expense you will have is the coffee itself. If you are concerned with time, start your coffee pot before you hop in the shower.

This approach is much cheaper than paying around $1 to $2 five days a week for a cup of coffee at a convenience store or coffee shop.

Tomorrow, I will have some moneysaving tips if you are a soda drinker.

When it comes to saving money on food, you not only need to examine your shopping habits at the grocery store. If you work outside of the home, you may opt for nearby convenience stores or vending machines. Yes, they are convenient, but they can be costing you a lot of extra money.

As for snacks, bring snacks from home. A small package of chips or crackers from the vending machine can cost between .75 cents and $1 (on average). For about $2 to $3 (depending on the brand), you can get the full size product at the grocery store or even Wal-Mart. You also get much more. You can buy plastic baggies and make your own convenience packs.

As a reminder, it is important to keep your grocery shopping bill low, but remember the other unnecessary purchases that are costing you money.

In my last post, I discussed how many grocery stores are rewarding consumers with gasoline discounts. Around here, two stores are doing so, but they are using two different formulas. If you are faced with the same situation, you may be wondering which is the best.

For starters, choose the grocery store with the lowest prices or the best sales. You can save more money this way, even if you walk away with a smaller gas discount.

Next, look at how you are rewarded. One of my grocery stores gives you .10 cents off a gallon of gas for every $50 you spend. The second, (which I shop at) I haven’t quite figured out their formula. I do know that I spent $134 and walked away with only a .10 discount. So, technically, the $50 for .10 cents off a gallon of gas is best.

But, there are still other factors you want to take into consideration. Do any of your stores offer extra savings? For example, I earned .20 cents off a gallon of gas for purchasing items from a specific list. These were items that we buy anyway, so it was easy to save money.

Generally speaking, your best bet is to go with the grocery store you frequent, but if you have another store in your area with great prices who is also offering gasoline discounts, it may be worth the look.

Across the country, a large number of grocery stores are rewarding shoppers with gasoline discounts for doing business with them. Two out of the three grocery stores in my immediate area are doing so. Although the cost of gasoline is starting to decline slowly, this is still a good way to save money on gas.

I do have one word of advice though. Make sure your car is low on gas. Over the course of a month, I earned a .40 cents off a gallon of gas discount. Unfortunately, when it came time to redeem my points, both of our cars weren’t truly in need of gas. I ended up taking the car with half a tank full. Yes, I appreciate the savings, but at the same time, I feel like I robbed myself, as I didn’t get to use my bonus savings to its fullest extent.

So, if you are rewarded with a gas discount, be sure to use your wisely. On that same note, I am not recommending that you drive your car to the gas station on empty.

There are a lot of ways that you can save money on groceries, but I want to take the time to share a unique tip. That tip involves watching how your groceries are bagged. Hopefully, you have never had the experience I had today, but here is how you can solve the problem.

There is one grocery store that I always have a problem with. Most of the cashiers just do not know how to properly bag groceries. For that reason, I usually bag my own, but was preoccupied with having my four year old with me. So, here is what happened:

My bread was but in a bag with two 2-liters of soda.
My tomatoes ended up in a bag full of canned foods.
My bananas ended up in another bag full of canned foods.

The result was one ruined tomato, 2 bananas that were ripped open by the cans, and bread that is half the size it is supposed to be.

I was pretty upset. This is mostly due in part to the fact that I put items on the register belt together. For example, my vegetables are all together, frozen foods together, and canned foods all together.

I am not saying that you need to bag your own groceries, but keep an eye on the cashier or bagger. If they aren’t being careful with your food, speak up and right away. I wish I had done so. Doing so can prevent food and money waste.