Shaving money off the grocery bill........

[BraggSurvivor]

American families, unable to afford store bought goods (e.g. laundry detergent, baby foods), are making their own to cut food/household expenses to be able to make sky high mortgage payments.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/21/news/economy/moms_foodshopping/index.htm?cnn=yes

[crashdive123]

Sorry Bragg - I just don't buy into all this doom and gloom stuff that you keep digging up. I am so tired of many in the media continuing to push their agendas down the throats of people.

Reporter - how's the economy?
Citizen - Oh it's terrible.
Reporter - so you're having a tough time?
Citizen - well not me, but I keep hearing on the news how terrible it is.

Have prices gone up - sure. Have government regulation been a major contributing factor to the rises - absolutely. Are some people having a tough time - yep.

I know you're gonna keep digging up these stories - if I had the energy I could dig up just as many with a more optimistic viewpoint. Sorry, but I just don't buy into all the doom and gloom.

[BraggSurvivor]

I'm just showing that people are adjusting to higher prices and being more frugal with their money. Kudos to any of them getting back to basics and making the best out of tougher times.

Better than throwing their hands up and walking away. ;)

[Buddha443556]

I'm beginning to think I'm a different species, every time I take my mother shopping she fixes my with her evil eye and says, "You Scrouge!" It was bad enough when she was using "Scrouge" like it was my middle name. At least it better than some of the things she calls me. :o

[trax]

Some of the suggestions there are money saving and, just all round better as far as I'm concerned. My boss makes her own detergents and soaps to be more enviro-friendly. Breast fed babies are healthier and there's lots of evidence that they're more disease resistant too. I thought that was one of Bragg's cheerier links.

[BraggSurvivor]

Thanks Trax! :D

[crashdive123]

My intent wasn't to pick on you Bragg (well maybe a little) I've got no problems with you posting the stuff you do - I just tend to take a more optimistic view (and yes, I believe it is a reality based view). Having a positive outlook is just part of my nature (well most of the time) You post "The housing market is crashing" I think - what a great opportunity to pick up some real estate.

[Rick]

Or, "Wow, what business doors does that open?" A rose outlook translates to a healthier life, too.

[Ole WV Coot]

I for one have cut back and spend more time at home. Gas today was 3.70 in good ole WV. Folks I know are actually debating quiting their jobs and taking a minimum wage job closer to home, even at Wally's. Most folks in this area drive well over 60+ miles a day in trucks that get 15 or so. Like I've been told, it's a recession when your neighbor is out of work, and a depression when you are. I don't see the gloom, I am still doing ok in the stock market but I am one of the fortunate ones but I am still holding off on a few expensive projects.

[BraggSurvivor]

Or, "Wow, what business doors does that open?"


Absolutely for the ones that can do it. I'm directing these posts to the folks that "were" living paycheck to paycheck, and now that food and fuel are skyrocketing, the paycheck to paycheck is long past.

This just isnt an American problem, it's global.

[dilligaf2u2]

I think it is great that people are doing what it takes to save a $. I do it by buying bulk and having a pantry. TDW gardens some. We look for sales. We buy low and usually the cost(Lately) has given us a savings on our food budget.

There are changes coming. When and how, I do know know. What I do know is I am drinking coffee that cost me $2.73 a 39oz can right now, rather then drinking coffee that would costs me more. When I run low on coffee, I will look for sales and restock.

If, and I mean when, it comes to it. I have food in the pantry for 90 days and another 90 days of stocks in the basics like rice, cracked wheat, oats, cooking oil, and sugar. I also have bacon and coffee stocked up but only because I got a deal on them last year.

All of my stocks are things I use.

TDW just told me today she wants to pick up 2 each packs of 72 roles of TP. I asked her why that much. She said she just will not be without TP for even a day and the sale starts tomorrow. We have a new pack of 72 roles in the pantry. This seems excessive to me but I learned long ago, when she gets something like this in her head. I best keep quiet. After all she was right about the coffee and bacon.

Don

[Aurelius95]

TDW just told me today she wants to pick up 2 each packs of 72 roles of TP. I asked her why that much. She said she just will not be without TP for even a day and the sale starts tomorrow. We have a new pack of 72 roles in the pantry. This seems excessive to me but I learned long ago, when she gets something like this in her head. I best keep quiet. After all she was right about the coffee and bacon.

Don

What's the deal with women and toilet paper? My wife is the same as Don's!

I think the major change in our household grocery is buying what's on sale rather than falling back on regularly used items. However, while I'm not buying the real expensive coffee, I can't buy the dirt cheap stuff either. Maybe I need to adjust my expectations and suck it up. Also, as a bacon lover (not addict), I only buy the center cut, but really, not often enough for it to affect our outlay of cash at the grocery store!

Oh, we have completely eliminated going out to eat at all since last December, and that's really having a positive effect on our bottom line.

[Rick]

Shouldn't everyone think that way, Bragg? It really doesn't matter how much you make, $20k a year, $200K, $20million. Everyone should manage their money and live on (below) the income they make. I don't mean to sound like making $20M a year isn't easier than $20K but the person that lives a $300k lifestyle on a $200K income is just as doomed as a person who lives a $30K lifestyle on a $20K income.

Everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of whatever CYCLE the economy is in. I posted a number of things folks could do in another thread.

Again, this is the same stuff we saw in the '80s for those that remember. High price of gas, alternate fuel days, station with NO gas to sale. This isn't new, just a new version.

[dilligaf2u2]

Again TDW has shocked me. She just got back with her 3 packs of 72 rolls of TP. One is for her to take to her mother.

She knows I like having pepperoni in the house to flavor foods. I now have 5ea 1lbs pepperoni in the frig. She picked them up for under $5 each. She also brought me 2ea 3lbs summer sausage. The summer sausage is camping food for this coming year.

We had a chance about a year ago to get coffee with her coupon for $2.73 a can. The coupon did not have a limit on it and she demanded that they give her a half pallet for the discount on one coupon. 50 cans at once and she does not drink coffee.

A friend of hers told her if she went to this one place she could get packages of bacon for $1 each. When she got there she asked the guy if they had a limit on the number of packs they had. He said no. She then asked if they offered rain checks. He said if they ran out she could get a rain check for that price. She asked him how much bacon he had on hand. He told her there was about 80 lbs left on the shelf. She said 'I'll take it all and I need a rain check for another 200 lbs.

Now is this a shopper or what?

Don

[trax]

Thanks Trax! :D

Don't thank me dude, I said that cuz most of yer posts wanna make people open a vein :D (I'm kidding...well, a little...)

[crashdive123]

Don - I like the way your wife shops. Good job!

[Rick]

Don - Can you wife come car shopping with me? I'd love three for the price of one.:D