I’ve talked about clipping coupons and saving money by purchasing generic products.
Which brings me to another way to save. Bulk, Large, Too much. Yes, I mean buying too much of something. More than you immediately need. The trick to this is simple, first be sure it is not an item that goes bad really fast – for instance buying 20 packages of chicken cutlets in packages of about 8-10 for about $6.00/each sounds like a great deal doesn’t it? However, think about that – are you planning on cooking chicken every night for the next dozen nights? And to be really honest, chicken won’t last in your fridge even half that long! So then you think, ok so I’ll freeze a bunch of packs. Great idea! Highly recommended.
HOWEVER, there’s one problem – you have to be sure your freezer can accommodate that much chicken, does it? That’s a lot of space that will be filled up with chicken. Most freezers attached to a refrigerator are too small to accommodate that much chicken and for any long length of time simply because other items should be frozen too. Is space is an issue, I will tell you, you will save a lot more money if you spend it first. Purchase a separate freezer if you like to stock up on sale items. If you own a large freezer unit already, that’s great because then the only problem you face is how full your freezer is. Already jam packed full, isn’t great – where will you store these packages of chicken? Which brings me to my next tip.
Use what you have. Take an inventory of your freezer, refrigerator and pantry. Use up what you already have. A can of soup mixed with meats or poultry and some noodles or rice can make a quick & easy, delicious meal. So use up what you already have. If you only need one ingredient or two, and you don’t have them, then wait until the next shopping trip and pick up the rest.
Constantly running to the grocery store wastes money all the time. Not just in paying more for products, and not paying attention to sales, but because of the gas used in the multiple trips. If you absolutely need something now, then try to combine your errands. Run to the post office, the library, drop off your dry cleaning and grab your food. Since you’re already out, it’s not an extra trip.
I truly hope these tips helped, and that you can save some money this way. I have many more tips that will come shortly, that will help you save money on actual products, and we will discuss more in depth the different tips I’ve already shared. Happy Saving!
Nicole Humphrey writes articles for the Scrapbooking Blog and for the Frugal Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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