It is not too early to start thinking about the upcoming holidays. Early planning can often save you a bundle. You can take everyday ideas, such as making freezer meals and apply them for the holidays. Meanwhile, check out last week’s frugal articles.
October 13th
Five Little Grocery Shopping Tricks: Look Left and Right
When it comes to shopping for groceries, we need all of the help we can get. Rising prices and reduced coupon values make reducing your grocery bill by 70 percent a thing of the past. And those grocery stores have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to get you to buy the products they want you to buy and to buy as many of them as they need you to do. We’ve been going over the different strategies these stores use to grab your shopping dollar, Now here is a really sneaky one.
October 14th
Frugal Living Week in Review: October 6th Through October 12th
Are you worried about the economy? Who isn’t right? Well, one way to cope is by practicing frugal living. Check out last week’s articles, and be sure to check out the archives, too. Just click on one of the frugal categories, from Conservation to Shopping, for a wealth of information.
Practically everyone I know seems to be struggling one way or another in these economic times. With the holiday season approaching, it is more important than ever to practice responsible gift giving. This not only means reigning in the spending for yourself, but also giving gifts that are especially thoughtful during this time. Your gift can not only be a delight but also make a positive impact financially. Really think about what your friends, family and associates need. Is it another coffee mug, or would a basil plant in that mug save them money on cooking? Does your nephew need a $50 video game or would an older used game plus three discounted or second-hand sweaters that will keep him warm make better sense? Maybe the family will need to cut back on heating to make ends meet this winter.
October 15th
On Sunday, whole roasting chickens went on sale at our local grocery store for 99 cents a pound. While this isn’t a great deal, it is the best one that I have seen in the last two years in my neck of the woods, barring the very infrequent buy one get one free sales or raising the chickens myself. These were for a particular name brand roasting chicken that I find generally produces more breast meat for the same weight as the store brand chickens.
Chicken number one got roasted on Monday, along with some onions and part of the large amount of carrots on which I also got a good deal. On Tuesday, I placed chicken number two in the crock pot to cook on low all day, while I simmered the bones from chicken number one in the stock pot. The crock pot chicken just fell off of the bones, making it so easy to divide.
October 16th
I just love the fall! Crunching the leaves underfoot, the cooler temperatures that invite you to snuggle under a blanket or don a soft sweatshirt or sweater, the crisp sound of a bite into that first apple, hunting for pumpkins, fall decorating, the wonderful smells coming from the oven and more. It has to be one of my favorite times of the year.
October 17th
Shopping online can not only be convenient, but also very frugal. Online prices of even traditional stores can be lower than most retail outfits. Wal-mart, for instance, often has items online for less than at their stores. And if you don’t want to bother with shipping, you can order them online and then visit the store to pick them up at no additional cost.