Know What Items Go On Sale Each Month Of The Year

Knowing when to buy what items is the key to finding great bargains. Here are a list of items broken down by the month that they usually are the cheapest:

January

• Post-holiday sales
• Fall merchandise
• Furniture
• Rugs
• Computers and Televisions
• CDs and DVDs
• Cookware and small appliances
• Houses and condos
• Linens and bedding
• Swimwear
• Toys
• Treadmills exercise equipment
• Winter clothing

February

• Jewelry
• Perfumes
• Gift items
• Small consumer electronics
• Rugs
• House wares
• Humidifiers
• Indoor furniture
• Treadmills

March

• Wedding gifts
• Air conditioners and fans
• Washers and dryers
• Garden supplies
• Luggage
• China
• Computers
• Computers
• Humidifiers
• TVs
• Winter coats
• Winter sports gear

April

• Yard and garden supplies
• Bridal gowns
• Furniture
• Cruises
• Vacations
• Paint and wallpaper
• Digital cameras
• Spring clothing

May

• Gifts for Mom
• Jewelry
• Linens and Towels
• Furniture
• Cruises
• Home Maintenance Items
• Athletic Apparel and Shoes
• Cordless Phones
• Small Consumer Electronics

June

• Gifts for Dad
• Fishing and Camping Gear
• Men’s Cologne
• Televisions
• Building Materials
• Computers
• Indoor Furniture
• Small Electronics
• Summer Sports Gear
• Swimwear

July

• Air Conditioners
• Summer Items
• School Supplies
• School Clothes
• Summer Sports Equipment
• Computers
• Indoor Furniture
• Outdoor Furniture
• Swimwear

August

• School Supplies
• End of Summer Clothing (Bathing Suits and Sandals)
• Linens and Towels
• Camping Equipment
• Computers
• Dehumidifiers/Air Conditioners
• Lawn Mowers
• Outdoor Furniture

September

• Summer Clothes
• Outdoor Grills
• Lawn Furniture
• Housewares
• Bikes
• Computers
• Shrubs, Trees, Perennials
• Small Consumer Electronics

October

• Winter Wear (Winter Coats, Gloves, Scarves)
• Last Year’s Car models (Purchase last day or end of the month for better negotiations)
• Fishing Equipment
• Houses/condos
• Crystal
• Silver
• Glassware
• Bikes
• Digital Cameras
• Gas Grills

November

• Houses/Condos
• Quilts and Blankets
• Space Heaters
• Baby Products
• Bikes
• Computers
• Gas Grills
• Toys

December

• Clothing
• Appliances
• Gifts
• Wrapping Paper
• Holiday Cards
• Other Holiday Items
• Bikes
• Computers
• Gas Grills
• Small Consumer Electronics
• Toys
• TVs

Frugal Tips For Bargain Shopping

If you have experience being frugal, you may already have a good idea when to shop for Spring and Summer merchandise. Usually the Spring items go into the clearance section in June and the summer items end up in the clearance section in July and August.

If you can save and plan in advance you can get some great deals in the months listed above. Remember when things are in high demand the prices are usually very high but when the demand is lower (say the end of the season) items drop in price!

Strategies For Bargain Shopping Online

If you like to shop online year-round. You can usually find deals at:  Overstock.com, SmartBargains.com and Pricegrabber.com. Don’t forget promotional codes when you shop online. Use a search engine (such as google) and type in “promotional code” or “coupon code for (your store here)”. Usually you can find a free shipping or some sort of a discount that you can use at the checkout by trying this technique.

Determine What Colors Work Best

There is a book called “Color Me Beautiful” and we highly recommend you pick it up. It is written by Carole Jackson, and it takes a very unique approach as to how different colors of clothing look on people.

Carole groups her color types into “seasons”, (winter, spring, summer and fall.) Whatever season you fall under depends on your hair and eye color as well as skin tone and color. Her system is known as “color draping” and it was devised from taking many different colors of fabric and draping them over various people’s shoulders to see what colors went best with them.

Certain colors will look good on one person, but terrible on another. Once you’ve gone through and found out what “season” you are, it may lead you to eliminate that excess clothing in your closet, this way you can begin looking for clothing with a better idea of what colors best suit you, as well as a closet with more space.

Only Keep Clothes You Will Wear

Find your best color palette and stick to it. For example, I wear red, brown, black, maroon, green and white. I know these colors work best on me, so I usually only fill my closet with these colors. This allows for no wasted space in the closet, and i’m never constantly looking for clothes to wear.

How To Begin Building Your Wardrobe

Don’t be afraid to start with the basics. Limiting yourself to only a few colors and styles can give you a mix and match system that can achieve a surprising number of pleasing results. Start off with a lot of neutral colors (some examples include; navy, black, khaki) for the foundation of your wardrobe.

When buying different bottoms (skirts, slacks, jeans, etc) always make sure they’re all a similar color. Stick with the basic colors for these. There is nothing worse than buying those bright orange sweat pants you thought looked cool on their own, but don’t go with anything else in your closet!

When you have a solid foundation of neutural colors, it makes it much easier to accent with a wider variety of colors. Prints are also very hard to match, so if you can, try to use them very sparingly, if at all.

Add To Your Wardrobe In Small Increments

Create a list and post it into your closet. Any items that may be missing out of your wardrobe can be easily added when there is any easy to read list with all those must have items you need. Don’t be in a hurry, you will spend more money if you go out and buy all at once.

How To Shop Smarter For Clothes

1. Smaller Thrift Stores – Go thrift store hunting, find a couple that you think have a regular assortment of threads that you know work best for you (friendly staff, good bargains, quality clothing.) Write them down, and make it a regular habit to visit these places. Due to an overwhelming level of consumerism, more than ever thrift stores are loaded with high-quality articles of clothing that have only been worn a few times.
2. Larger Thrift Stores – Stores like the DAV, Salvation Army and Goodwill are also great places to look for bargains on clothes. These tend to be a bit more organized than the smaller thrift stores, which can make shopping less of a headache. Although the amount of quality items may be a little less here, it is still worth it to dig through and potentially come up on that gem. Just make sure you wash all of your clothes when you get home.
3. Consignment Stores – Search online or check out the yellow pages for a good consignment store in your area. There are tens of thousands of people consigning clothes and housewares at some of these stores. The used clothing departments especially have improved dramatically over the last few years.
4. Discount Retailers - If you’ve exhausted your resources with the above mentioned stores, check out places like Ross or Marshall’s. Double your finds with coupons and you have a decent clothes at a real bargain.
5. Garage Sales - The reason this is last on our list is due to the fact that it does take a lot of time and effort to even find one good piece of clothing. There are rare occasions where you will find just exactly what you’re looking for, but unless you have hours and hours of free time every time, this method is usually a last resort.

What About The Shoes?

This one largely depends on your style, but just like with jeans, skirts and slacks, keep these fairly neutral for the most part. Brown, navy, blacks usually work very well. We recommend you avoid buying excessive amounts of white shoes, as these will get dirty much easier, and costs to clean them will quickly become more expensive then the shoes themselves.

In order to keep your shoes looking their best, we recommend you keep them on a shoe tree. This way your shoe will keep it’s shape and avoid any creases.

How To Avoid Dry Cleaning Costs

The best way to avoid dry cleaning costs is to simply stay away from articles of clothing that require it. Even though you may find that dress at a thrift or consignment store, if it is not machine or hand-washable, avoid it. Not only does it cost extra money to bring your clothes to the dry cleaner, but it also takes up a lot of time to drop it off and pick up your clothes.

If you do need clothes for business that do require dry-cleaning, just make sure that you put money aside in your expenses for this.

Avoid The Trends, Stay Classic

We all know that what was in yesterday is already out today in the world of fashion. If you’re constantly having to keep up with the latest fashions, you are doing yourself a huge disservice by spending much more than you need to.

There are a lot of great quotes that illustrate being thrifty as bringing out the creative side in you, let this ring true for your clothing options! There is nothing wrong with staying with classic selections. Some things never go out of style, (Chuck Taylor converse, anyone?) Find great deals on things that fit your style the best, but also have a timeless feel as well.

If you do want to keep up with the latest trends, but still economize, it’s a good idea to stay trendy with accesories. Earrings, socks, belts, purses, scarves, hats, it’s much better to spend $10 on a really fun, in-style accesory than $200 on that new dress by Diane von Furtstenberg.

1. Buy To Last

When you are buying clothes, try to purchase durable products, even if they are more expensive. Well-made clothes have heavy seams and added reinforcement at stress points to ensure the product survives daily use. Avoid items with flimsy seams or fabric that won’t wash well.

2. Get Student Haircuts

Student hairdressers will often give you a free or discounted haircut. Find your local beauty school and see what their policies are for giving walk-in or appointment based haircuts. Some will even do colors, manicures/pedicures, and waxing.

3. Buy Vintage or Hand-Made Jewelery

Most specialist vintage boutiques usually have the reputation of being pretty pricey. A lot of flea markets have sellers who have a passion for vintage items and usually offer them at lower prices. It’s a good way to find items that might not be collector quality, but they will still capture the character and beauty of a bygone age. Also, when it comes to hand-made items websites like etsy.com or ebay are another great resource for jewelry that would normally cost three times as much (if not more) in a store.

4. Lotions Have Many Uses

A cheap generic product, such as an unbranded baby lotion, is a great fallback item that can be used as an everyday moisturizer and skin lotion. Some other uses include: cleanser, massage oil, shaving balm, and frizzy hair control.

5. Classic Shoes or Trendy Shoes?

Every season there is a way to buy shoes that are classics, but still fit the current trend. The best bet is to usually go middle of the road – try to find something that will go with many different outfits – without appearing too in fashion. A classic mid-heel in the latest color can mean you’ve bought to last, but it’s a good way to look up to the minute.

6. When washing – Turn It Out

Before you wash your knitwear or brushed cotton, make sure you turn the item inside out. This helps prevent piling and bobbling of the material, which can makes clothes look over worn.

7. DIY: Make Your Own Stuff, Save Money

1. Clothing – Plenty of women’s magazines have free patterns so you will only end up spending money on material. Buy materials from markets and discount material stores. Find a pattern that suits you and use it several times.
2. Jewelry – You can make your own jewelry at a fraction of the price with wire, elastic, beads and jewelry fasteners. Save broken necklaces, bracelets or earrings for spare parts you can use to make something completely new.

8. Have A Rummage

Once or twice a year, make a point of visiting a garage, church or rummage sale to stock up on essentials like scarves and other key pieces. Choose colors that will compliment your existing clothing.

9. Lovely Lashes

Turn ordinary (cheaper) mascara into the lash-lengthening variety by dusting your lashes with loose translucent powder before you apply the mascara. This will help the mascara stick to the whole lash and is a great way to get the effect of an expensive product at a fraction of the price.

10. Splurge on Shampoo

Good quality shampoo does not contain detergent ingredients that strip hair, so if you’re budgeting, it’s better to buy a good shampoo than conditioner. Conditioners are pretty much universal in their hair-smoothing offerings, so don’t worry about trying cheaper versions.

• 100+ Uses for Avon's Skin So Soft
• How to Buy Used Shoes: A Guide to Used Sneakers, Boots and Children's Shoes

• The Frugal Fashionista
• Miss Amy Shops - My Frugal Fashion Adventures
• The Budgeting Babe Blog: Just a Working Girl on a Budget

General Tips on buying Used Shoes

How do I pick the right pair of used shoes?
Where should I buy used shoes?
What are the different kinds of wear, and how do I fix them?
How do I clean used shoes?
Leather Shoes vs Sneakers – What is the difference when buying used?
Tips on buying rain boots and snow boots.

Tips on buying Used Shoes for your children.

What do the experts say about buying used shoes for my children?
How do I know what used shoes to buy for my children?
How often does my child’s shoe size change?
Hand Me Downs for Children.

How do I pick the right pair of used shoes?

If you have a name brand of shoes that you know fits well, stick to that brand. Different brands of shoes fit people differently, and the safest way to know that you won’t have to return that pair of used shoes you bought is to buy a brand you trust.

Where should I buy used shoes?

The best place to buy used shoes is in person at a thrift store or garage sales. You will get to try them on before you buy them, usually there is a better return policy, and you can see the wear and tear the shoes may have gone through up close. You will find a better variety buying online at ebay or craigslist, but you’ll want to make sure you know exactly what size of shoe you’re looking for. This is wher knowing what brands fit you will really comes in handy. Also, pay close attention to any photos the seller may have, this is the best way to see any wear and tear before you buy.

What are the different kinds of wear, and how do I fix them?

The most obvious type of wear on sneakers is where the sole glues to the shoe. This is the weakest part of the shoe and usually goes first. I find the best way to fix this is buy applying a small amount of hot glue on the inside of this area, then letting it dry. This technique works the best on suede and canvas, but should not be used on leather.

On leather shoes especially, width is a very big concern. If there is typical wear on the buckling, this means that the wearer’s feet were too wide. The same can be said for someone wearing shoes that are too wide, irregular wear on the buckling is a sure sign of this. Make sure you take a lot of consideration into foot width, if you buy too wide, or too small, you will wear out your shoes much quicker.

How do I clean used shoes?

Invest in some disinfectant spray. A big bottle, and a couple of sprays can go a long way into lasting you throughout your used-shoe buying career. For an even cheaper alternative use rubbing alcohol. Here is a great article on this topic: How to Clean and Disinfect Used Shoes.

Leather Shoes vs Sneakers – What is the difference when buying used?

Choosing the right kind of footwear is very important. Sneakers tend to have more give and can be a better choice, whereas leather shoes with tight laces can be a lot stiffer, making it harder to find a good fit.

Tips on buying rain boots/snow boots.

These are great shoes to buy used, as they rarely get worn all the time, and they’re usually outgrown after the season. Obviously make sure the fit is exactly to your needs, or if you’re buying online, make sure you know the proper measurements. Another useful online buying tip is to use the geography of the seller to your advantage. If the person is selling snow boots, but lives in southern California, chances are these boots are a lot less used than the seller’s in Minnesota.

What do the experts say about buying used shoes for my children?

This is a highly debated topic. The argument seems to be split right down the middle. Some podiastrists say that buying used shoes for your child can harm their foot development due to the wear on the shoes.  While this is true, other podiatrists argue the point that children outgrow their shoe sizes so fast that there is hardly any time to wear them out.

If you are going to buy used shoes for your child, make sure they are “first generation” of use. You don’t want to buy shoes that have been handed down 3-4 times, as this will have plenty of wear and could end up harming your child’s feet.

How do I know what used shoes to buy for my children?

Make sure you check the tops of shoes you’re buying for your children, as these will receive the most wear. Be very choosy about the types of shoes you buy for your children, you want to make sure that they have as little wear as possible, this will help prevent any problems your child’s feet could have with very worn shoes.

It is not necessary to buy shoes for your baby before they are walking, this is even potentially harmful to them.If you need to keep their feet warm use either booties or socks.

How often does my child’s shoe size change?

Children go through three or four size changes in the first two years. they outgrow shoes before they outwear them.

Hand Me Downs for Children.

Keep a box full of hand me down shoes that will allow your younger children to grow into. This is a good way to know exactly how much wear these shoes have gotten, as opposed to having to trust someone else.

Please take all of these tips at your own discretion as everyone’s feet are different, and may react  to many different types of shoes. Use common sense when buying used and hopefully some of these tips will help you along the way.

Personal Use:

1. It’s a bath oil and after shower moisturizer.
2. It can be used to remove makeup.
3. Great tanning oil (no sunscreen).
4. Hot oil treatment to soften cuticles.
5. Great massage oil for tired muscles.
6. Cleans off tape marks left from bandages on skin.
7. Cleans ink off the skin.
8. Insect repellent.
9. Helps relieve itching caused by dry skin.
10. Cleans oil and grease off of skin.
11. Painting something? Use Skin-So-Soft to remove paint from the hands. (Instead of turpentine).
12. It soothes light sunburn.
13. Rub hands with it before washing, it helps get them cleaner.
14. Rub on dry, cracked skin….helps heal skin in 2-3 days.
15. Put 1-2 caps full in liquid soap and use it for shaving legs and under arms. Helps razor glide and leaves skin feeling smooth.
16. Pour a little into your Foot Saver to help moisturize your feet while you relax them.
17. It removes chewing gum from hair, skin, and most non-pour us surfaces.
18. Cleans permanent ink off stamps.
19. SSS Original Bath Oil works GREAT on Head Lice. Saturate head and let it set for 15 minutes. Then rinse under an outdoor faucet. Shampoo hair a couple of times to get the oil out, but the lice should be gone and stay gone!
20. It kills ants instantly.
21. Spray on skin to relieve dry itching skin. Helps skin retain its elasticity.
22. Wash hair with shampoo and conditioner like always and after it dries….Use about the size of a dime of SSS and rub it in your hair. It goes straight in and leaves hair as shiny as the ads on TV, not greasy at all, just soft and shiny.
23. Use bath oil towelettes — cover window sill with towelettes to keep ants out.
24. Sometimes, using bath oil, like Avon’s Skin So Soft, will work to loosen the glue which holds the nits to the hair. There is a product called Neon Nits, which when sprayed on the hair, will highlight the nits so you can see them to then snip them out with a small scissors.
25. Psoriasis on elbows. Try Avon’s Skin-So-Soft bath oil spray on affected areas.
26. Bath use, fill bath with water and a little skin so soft, very relaxing and gets rid of dry skin.

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Household Uses:



27. Sponge it around doors, windows, and on screens to keep crawling bugs out.
28. It’s a good wood cleaner and conditioner for natural wood.
29. It removes glue and gum left from price tags and labels from glass, metals, and most plastics.
30. It removes soap scum from shower doors and curtains, and bathroom and kitchen figures.
31. It removes lime and hard water deposits from fixtures, tile, shower doors and windows.
32. It’s an oil lubricant for fitting pipe joints that won’t slip together.
33. It cleans ink off most vinyl and painted surfaces.
34. It cleans heavy oil and grease from non-porous surfaces.
35. It takes fur off off clothing.
36. Rub on brass ornaments or figurines to help keep them from turning dark.
37. Removes crayon from appliances and most painted surfaces.
38. Wash cupboards with it mixed in your cleaning water to keep ants off and out of the cupboards.
39. Use it to discourage hornets from building their nests. After using a hornet killing spray, remove the nest and keep the area sprayed with SSS. They will not rebuild there.
40. Use it to clean leather, it will also keep it soft and supple.
41. Use it on your air conditioning screen (filter)–your incoming air will smell fresher and the filter is easier to clean.
42. Rub all over window sills to keep ants out
43. It cleans paint brushes easily and leaves them soft as new.
44. It removes gum from carpets.
45. It removes scuff marks from patent leather shoes.
46. Use it on running rails for sliding glass doors and windows.
47. It removes “ring around the collar”.
48. It removes liquid nail (paneling glue).
49. Two glass bowls or glasses stuck together? Drizzle a little S.S.S down the sides and they’ll come apart easily.
50. It removes candle wax from furniture, carpets and clothing.
51. Hummingbird Feeders: To deter bees try rubbing SSS on the feeder surface by the feeder ports.
52. Maggots too!! You squirt SSS in can and lid, then later flushed with soapy water, you shouldn’t have any bugs in cans rest of summer!!!
53. It is a great furniture polish!
54. Put it in one of those bottles that you attach to your backyard hose and then spray down the back yard! Will cut down on ants, mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.
55. Spray it on rose bushes to keep the deer from eating them, (used at the cemeteries on the flowers for the same reason).
56. Kills spiders.
57. It cuts grease and cleans dirt from range hoods.
58. Add a capful to wash water of clothes…acts as a fabric softener and keeps the bugs off clothes.
59. Spray on orchids and other flowers for moisture and to keep bugs away.
60. Cleans baseball caps. Just spray on and rub with toothbrush.
61. Tomato Plants. Mix one part SSS and 2 parts water and spray on tomato plants to kept tomato worms off. Adding vinegar works fine too. Spray plants about every 2 or 3 days..
62. SSS bath oil also does a great job cleaning cherry wood cabinets.
63. Put a little in your mopping water to help keep crawling bugs out. (Not too much or the floor gets slippery.)
64. Use to clean windows.
65. Removes crayon from most surfaces.
66. It’s a great insect repellent (or you can use Bug Guard, the actual SSS repellent)
67. Screens can be lightly sprayed with Avon “Skin-So-Soft” to repel no-see-’ums and tiny gnats that otherwise might slip though the screens.
68. Another use for SSS is it will kill those pesky earwigs. Spray it on & they don’t return to life.
69. Also if you ever make candles, use clear wax and melt put skin so soft in it and harden works great for out side in the summer.
70. As a deodorizer, spray into air and let settle, kills those nasty pet orders.
71. Kids rooms if a child wets the bed, spray the bedding and sheets before washing and will give it a fresh clean smell.

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Animal Use:



72. It’s a great insect repellent for your pet. (as recommended in “Outdoor Life” and “Field and Stream”)
73. Mix 5 parts water, 1 part SSS and mist on animals. Brushing it in makes their coats gleam and keeps insects off (Great for Show animals).
74. Mix in your pet’s bath water to remove fleas and in between spray them with the same mixture as above to help keep them at bay.
75. Rub on your hands before and after working with your pets and farm animals. It will remove the strong smells.
76. Black Fly Spray For Dogs: Use as a spray or a dip. 1 cup SSS, 1/2 cup liquid detergent and 3 gallons of water.
77. For dog’s dry skin mix 1 tablespoon of SSS per gallon of water and use as an after bath rinse. Or spritz your pet’s coat once per week.
78. If your dog should get tar or asphalt on the pads of their feet rub on SSS and then wipe off.
79. Flea Bath: Use a flea and tick shampoo. Rinse so no soap residue is left. Follow with final rinse of 2 gallons of water mixed with flea dip and 1 capful of SSS. The SSS helps replace the oils lost in bathing and has the added benefit of repelling insects.
80. Flea Repellent: Avon’s Skin So Soft Bath Oil. 1-1/2 ounces per gallon of water; used as a sponge-on dip (or as a spritz) has been tested and proven to have significant, but not complete, flea-repellent activity for a 6-day period. It should help those dry coats, too.
81. Chow Dogs. Many chows have very dry and flaky skin. The SSS can help dandruff and itchiness and make hair shiny and smooth. It also serves as a great flea and tick protector.
82. Another Insect Repellent Recipe for Pets: 1 cup Avon Skin So Soft bath oil 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup (or more) water 5 cc of essential oil of citronella (from the health food store NOT the type you burn to keep insects away that is available in a drug store) Mix in a spray bottle. Straight SSS works well for mosquitoes too but really makes your dog greasy.
83. Barns. Use of an inexpensive fly control spray or a diluted mix of Avon Skin- So-Soft in water can be sprayed on barn walls and floor to discourage insects from hanging around or to eliminate them before putting in the new bedding. As time permits, and if you can keep your goats out of the barn for a few hours – let the barn stand and air out before re-filling with bedding.
84. Rub on your hands before and after working with pets and farm animals, takes away pet odor.
85. A natural way to help cats with flea problems and flea allergies is to rub Skin So Soft into the skin. Fleas don’t like it!
86. Cats: SSS IS SAFE FOR FUR LICKING ——-The SSS plus is safe as long as it is the one without sunscreen.
87. Pet’s with Sensitive Skin: Don’t overuse the SSS. Just use the lotion, and rub it into the skin, not more than every few days.
88. SSS can be used as a hoof polish. Put’s a nice shine to the hoof without drying it. The farrier’s wife will appreciate this one!
89. SSS can be used on pet accessories such as collars to shine them up.

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Uses for Horses



90. Horses with dry skin: Bathe like normal and then I put a capful of SSS in a 5 gallon bucket of warm water and sponge this all over. Their hair coat dries silky soft and stops itching.
91. The bug guard towelletes we had last summer work great on the horse’s ears and around their eyes.
92. When banding (braiding) their manes use the Techniques Oil Sheen. It seems to help hold the braids a lot better and they don’t try to rub them out.
93. The dry end serum works great in their tails as a detangler. The products are a heck of a lot cheaper than actual horse products.

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Automobile Uses:



94. It removes tar spots from the car without damage to the paint.
95. Use it to clean vinyl dashboards, seats, and tops. It not only cleans, but keeps it soft and helps to prevent any cracking.
96. After washing your car, use it as a tire dressing to keep them looking like new.
97. Put some on a small washcloth and leave in the car to help keep the air fresh and clean.
98. Wipe down vinyl surfaces inside your car. Cleans nicely and removes smoke odors left by cigarette smokers.
99. It gently cleans heavy grease and oil from skin and non-porous surfaces (great for Mechanic’s Hands).
100. It removes tree sap.
101. Prior to traveling…rub SSS on headlights and grill. It makes insects and bugs easier to remove.
102. Shines vehicle tires
103. Open a towlette and use as an automotive air freshener.

• Can my coupons be more organized?
• Is it really that bad to shop on an empty stomach?
• Should I spend the extra dollar on the “name brand” items?

According to most; one of the biggest expenses is their grocery bill, but it doesn’t  have to be that way. Grocery stores are designed to get you to spend as much as possible, but with these easy tips you’ll could potentially cut your grocery bill in half.

The amazing power of coupons.

Some might casually use them, some might not use them at all, and some even obsess over them. We know coupons can save money; 80% of people are using them, but most do not have a system for organizing them.  Here are some quick tips on getting the most from your coupons:

• Start a coupon clipping kit, this will include:
  • Envelopes, an accordion file or large wallet
  • Scissors for clipping the coupons
  • A calculator
  • A small pad of paper for making grocery lists with
  • Pens and pencils
• Take coupons as seriously as you would take real cash. It can help understand how important they really are.
• Try your best to keep track of all your spending. Knowing this information will help you stay organized and be much more efficient in saving you money.
• Use printable grocery coupons. Coupon Mom is a great resource for tons of coupon needs.
• Develop an organizational system, sort them by expiration date, category of product or alphabetical order.
• Stick to only a couple of specific stores so you can track their sales better.
• Stack coupons, if you can double up on coupons, do it!
• Even though there are a lot of good printable coupons, always use your Sunday paper to clip coupons from as well.
• Leftover with extra coupons? Use The Coupon Forum to trade your left-over coupons.

These are just some tips to get you started, obviously the art of coupon clipping is a fairly in depth subject, so for much more information on this subject you can visit this TipNut article on making a coupon organizing system. Also, here is a great in depth article on coupons over at The Digerati Life.

Not all items on sale are actually cheaper

Many grocery stores will place items at the end of an aisle to grab your attention. This is a common tactic to have you thinking that these “sale items” are the cheapest of their kind. Don’t go for the impulse buy on this. To find the real bargains, make sure you  scan all of the items in the aisles (especially generic brands) to see which are the least expensive. You may be surprised how much money you’ll save buying generic foods vs name brand items on sale.

Comparison Shop: Bigger is not always better

Stores are figuring out that consumers have the “buy in bulk, spend less” mentality, and they are taking advantage of this. Sometimes buying in bulk can actually end up costing you more. Make sure that when buying your next box of cereal, you compare it with the smaller box to see if you are actually saving money buying in bulk.

Don’t shop on an empty stomach

I think this comic courtesy of keanerdotnet sums up everything there is to be said about shopping on an empty stomach.

Generic Foods Vs Name Brands

One of the biggest ways to save money when grocery shopping is to avoid the name brands and stick to the generics. It’s easy to get wrapped up in spending more on a name, but everything in the generic brand usually has the exact same ingredients. If you absolutely must have some name brands, first check if there are coupons for it, and make sure it’s worth the extra money to you. Another great idea is to buy the generic brands of common items such as; flour, salt, eggs, milk, etc.

Make a list and stick to it!

If you spend enough effort and time researching the best deals to help make your shopping list, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t stick with it. Always make a shopping list. Never go into the store blindly, that is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you go into the store as prepared as possible, this will allow you maximum efficiency in saving you money.