saving money

Buying in Bulk: Real Savings (without food waste)

Abby H.1 Comment

I’m sure by now that you know one of my major pet peeves is food waste. That’s why buying in bulk can be such a dangerous proposition. If you can’t use up all of something before it goes bad and you have to throw it away, that’s the same as throwing away money.

One of the ways we save money is by purchasing cheese in bulk. I buy the pre-shredded cheese. There are a few reasons.

  1. I love cheese. I will eat an entire pound block of cheese in a few days. However, I have never sat down and ate pre-shredded cheese straight from the bag.
  2. I don’t own a cheese grater. I don’t want to own a cheese grater. I don’t own a food processor. I don’t want one. I’m not a huge kitchen gadget fan.
  3. For me, it’s a trade off. I would rather pay a few more cents per ounce for the convenience of shredded cheese. My time is worth a few cents per ounce.

IMG_3214Once I’m home from the store, I set up my cheese packaging station. All you need is a stack of ziploc bags, a glass, a salad plate, and a measuring cup. (stack of bags not shown in this photo)

I measure my cheese out into 2 cup packages. That’s the size of most grocery store sized bags of shredded cheese.  I keep 1-2 bags of each kind of cheese in the fridge, and the rest of the bags go into the freezer. Yes, you can freeze cheese.

IMG_3215Put the bag into the cup and wrap the top of the bag (the part with the zip top) over the mouth of the cup. Using the measuring cup, measure however much cheese you plan to store per bag.

After my last trip to Smart & Final, I came home with a 4 lb bag of Mozzarella, and a 5 lb bag of cheddar.

I ended up up with 6 2 cup bags of Mozzarella, and a little left over, and 9 2 cup bags of Cheddar with a little leftover. I used the leftover cheeses to top a pizza. It was a little under 2 cups with both leftover cheeses combined.

IMG_3213Trying to figure out if this is a good deal? Let’s do some math…

The same brand of cheddar cheese in a 2 cup bag at Smart & Final is $2.59.

The 5 lb bag of cheddar cheese was $12.49, and it contained roughly 19 cups of cheese. That makes each cup of cheese .66, making each zip loc bag of cheese containing 2 cups of cheese $1.32. That’s a savings of $1.27 per bag over the pre-measured zip-top bag. When I’m not sure which is a better deal while I’m in the store, I check the price per ounce on the shelf label. Here are two examples of a shelf tag that shows the price per ounce for two separate products (Uncle Ben’s Rice and Carnation Instant Breakfast).

priceperounce

 

Different stores have different shelf tags, so it may take you a few minutes to decipher each stores tags.

Now you have to factor in the cost of the ziploc bags. We re-use our cheese bags, so after they are empty, I wipe them out, put them inside another bag (marked “for cheese”) and stash them in a drawer. I buy ziploc bags en masse when they are on sale. I don’t always re-use bags, but I try to as often as I can.

There you have it. Shopping smartly, taking advantage of a good deal, and how to store your food with little to no waste. That’s what being a savvy shopper is all about. 

 

Why I cancelled Our Sunday Newspaper Subscription

Abby H.

IMG_1248For years I’ve preached that since 80+% of the coupons are available only in the Sunday Newspaper, everyone should get at least 2 Sunday papers each week, so that you can get multiple coupons, and stock up on sale items to avoid paying full price.

Well, no longer. I called and cancelled our Sunday only Union-Tribune subscription yesterday.

WHY? Well, if you have been getting the Sunday paper, you’ve noticed that the value and variety of coupons each week has dwindled. For example: This year, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce has had a $1/3 coupon available in the summer about this time of year. In previous years, the value was $1/2 or even $1/1, just 3 years ago.

And as prices on food continue to increase, when coupon values decrease…. Well, That’s not a deal.

Another super annoying thing that some of you may have noticed: While the inserts are the same thickness as in previous years, instead of being jam-packed full of great coupons (or any coupons), there are more full page ads for products, or advertisements for checks, gold coins, wigs, or other “stuff” that you can mail order. UGH!!

So where am I going to get my coupons? Well, as the Sunday paper becomes less of a great resource, the internet opens it’s arms to us! It’s cheaper for companies to make coupons available for print on their website, or via social media channels. That means the values can be higher sometimes than what as in the paper previously! I print a lot of coupons from the sites I mention here. I also save money by using smartphone apps (since I don’t have a smartphone, I use them on my iPad). I also trade coupons with local friends who still get the paper. I print coupons for them, and they give me newspaper coupons I need. I also get unwanted coupons from family and friends.

Since I start my weekly shopping at 99 Cents Only, I am using less coupons than previously. 99 Cents Only doesn’t accept manufacturer coupons, but their prices are crazy low. So by shopping there I am saving at least 60% off grocery store prices. That means our weekly grocery budget is able to go farther.

After that, I shop at whichever store has the most items we need on sale. Sometimes it’s a mainstream grocer like Albertson’s or Ralph’s that accepts manufacturer coupons, and sometimes it’s a discount grocer, like Grocery Outlet that doesn’t accept manufacturer coupons.

Lastly, in addition to the dwindling values and coupon availability, there is one last reason I cancelled our subscriptions. Every Sunday about 4:30am, Our little buddy came running into our bedroom crying about scary noises. Yeah, the newspaper delivery guy would stand downstairs and fling four large Sunday papers onto our 2nd floor balcony, hitting the kiddos bedroom window, knocking over plants, and scaring my pour sleeping four year old.

By canceling our subscriptions, we’re saving a few hundred dollars a year, which I can use to buy printer ink and paper, and print coupons which will save me thousands of dollars.

 

 

 

Try Products for free with BzzAgent!

Abby H.1 Comment

I get asked a lot, “How do you get so much awesome stuff for free?” I could lie and tell you it’s my good looks, but really, it’s because I belong to a couple of  really awesome Word of Mouth Marketing companies. Word of Mouth (WOM) Marketing- It’s not a new concept, but nowadays companies are starting to realize how powerful consumer recommendations can be.  Remember the “I told two friends, and they told two friends” commercial from the 1980’s? That’s word of mouth marketing.  Since the invention of the internet, WOM marketing has been amplified.

There are companies that connect consumers with companies and products looking to market directly to a specific cross-section of the population.  What does that mean for you?  Sign up with a WOM Marketing company and when they have products that someone like you would like and use, and they will have you complete a brief survey and send you the product.

Often times, the product they will send you will be full size.  Additionally, they will send marketing materials with talking points for you to share with friends.  Depending on the product, samples and coupons may be included! Once you receive your kit, you try out the products and “bzz” about them by posting on FB, Twitter, G+, or on your blog. You can also “bzz” face to face. When I get a lot of coupons in a kit, often times I’ll “Coupon Fairy” when I’m at the store (that’s a term for leaving coupons on the shelf next to the corresponding item). You report back to Bzzagent when you share/”bzz”.

bee_logo_100px
The BzzAgent bee looks Angry, but he’s just determined to find some sweet deals

My favorite WOM Marketing by far is Bzzagent. Bzzagent was founded in 2007 and they work with a lot of great national brands. In the past I’ve received diapers, wipes, beer, frozen food, razors, cereal, and tons of other awesome stuff to try and share with my friends.

The Campaign I’ve got right now is for Kroger brand products. For those of you who are thinking, “Kroger??” Kroger is the company that owns a bunch of grocery stores across the US, including Ralphs and Food4Less here in So. Cal. Like most major grocery store chains, they have quite a number of private label (formerly known as generic or store) brands.

Kroger is no slouch, check out the wide variety of their Private Label Brands:

Kroger® Brand: The classic Kroger® Brand has you covered with the products you love most in every section of your local store.

Private Selection™: Each Private Selection item has been carefully crafted to delight your senses — from the artisanal breads and cheeses to prime meat cuts and decadent desserts.

Simple Truth™ & Simple Truth Organic™: Every Simple Truth product is free from 101+ artificial preservatives and ingredients — taking the worry out of what’s in your food.

HemisFares: Kroger’s culinary explorers traveled the globe to bring you an extraordinary collection of authentic, regional food specialties.

Everyday Low Price Brands: On a tight budget? Look for P$$T…™, Check This Out…™ and Heritage Farm™ items throughout your local store to discover great prices on everyday essentials.

My BzzKit contained:

  • Kroger® Brand Tomatillo Lime Flavored Tortillas
  • Simple Truth™ Banana Chips
  • P$$T…™ Brownie Mix
  • Private Selection™ Coffee (I got Breakfast Blend)
  • Coupons for FREE Bacon, Pasta, and Mexican Cooking Sauce

This morning I made the Brownies up as cupcakes (perfect for portion control). They are super fudgey and chewy- YUM! I’m setting the rest aside for dessert tonight- I’ll be pairing them with fresh berries and Fat Free Cool-Whip.

I’ll be cutting up the tortillas and baking them to give them some crunch to top our taco salads tonight.

There are quite a few other WOM Marketing Companies such as Smiley 360, Houseparty, Influenster, MomsMeet, and VocalPoint, but I find that overall Bzzagent provides the better campaigns and they have more kits to supply so more people can try out products. Some other WOM Marketing companies make you jump through hoops to get campaigns for example:  Locate products on shelves and take a selfie with them in store, post to your blog, FB, or other Social Media outlets before you are considered or approved for a campaign. That’s just too much work for my tastes, especially when you aren’t guaranteed a spot if you do all of those things!

WOM Marketing is just one way I score free stuff to share with others and stretch our family budget.

 

Free Crafting Classes & Free Patterns from Craftsy

Abby H.

 

craftsy-logoI am all about picking up new skills and discovering new patterns, especially when they are free! Craftsy (which is an awesome repository of crafting and cooking classes) has a section dedicated to free classes. They also have a section dedicated to free patterns! What I really like is that you can take as many free classes and download as many free patterns as you like.

Here’s the full list of Craftsy free mini classes to choose from. Below are just a few of the classes I thinks are super cool!

Here is a complete list of the the free patterns you can download:

BTW: This Post contains affiliate links, if you purchase anything after clicking through my links, I may receive a commission.

Saving Money with your Smartphone

Abby H.27 Comments

Mobile-Smartphone-iconUPDATED January 2018

Every time someone asks me about coupons and saving money, the #1 objection is: “But I don’t want to carry a bunch of coupons with me all the time like a crazy person.” (BTW, I am that crazy person, I always have my little coupon wallet in my purse.) There are several ways you can save money with something you probably already own: A smartphone.

Almost everyone has a smartphone these days! There are a lot of apps available that can help you save money or even earn money.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

Fetch Rewards: The newest app! It’s not store specific, which is great. You can learn more here. I’ve been using it for a little over 2 weeks and I’ve cashed out $12 in Amazon Gift Cards!

Find & Save: Earn cash back when you shop at stores like the $.99 store, target, multiple grocery stores, and lots of stores at the mall too! No need to buy anything special at these stores, just hit the pre-tax purchase amount to score cash back (either a flat amount or a percentage). It’s a great way to save money by shopping just like you normally would.  Use Code 62CQ when you first open the app.

Ibotta: Ibotta is an App for Smartphones. Available for both iPhone and Android phones, Ibotta is an app that helps you earn cash back every time you shop! Just check iBotta when you are shopping to see what products are available for rebate, buy them, perform simple in store activities and earn, earn, earn. You’ll take photos of your receipt and upload them through the app.  I just did it today, it was easy peasy. Once your account balacne reaches at least $5.00, you can transfer the money to your paypal account!

You can use Ibotta at the following stores: 7-11, Food4Less, Ralphs, Rite-Aid Wal*mart, Walgreens, Target, Vons, CostCo.  I only included stores in Southern California. However, Ibotta works at over 27 different Grocery and Drugstores. What I really like about Ibotta is that you can use it with a paper coupon!

SavingStar: What makes SavingStar different is that you don’t receive money off at the register.  The savings in held in your SavingStar account, and once you reach at least $10.00 in savings you can transfer it to your Paypal Account, buy a gift Card, or even donate your savings to charity!

SavingStar is the first national, fully digital, grocery eCoupon service, available for free at www.savingstar.com and on iPhone and Android mobile apps. There’s nothing to clip, nothing to print. Chose offers, shop, and save! SavingStar is currently available at over 100 retailers!

Checkout 51: Checkout 51 is a new program that’s so easy to use, and no Smartphone is needed! It’s an app on your iPhone or Android phone, or you use your computer. Just purchased specific products (and these products change each Thursday, so make sure you check out the app/website before heading out to shop), scan and upload your receipts weekly. Checkout51 is NOT store specific!

BerryCart: Great deals and rebates on natural/organic shoppers, works just like Checkout51! They always have produce rebates too! BerryCart is not store Specific!

Receipt Hog: This one is fun, and easy.  Just snap a photo of your receipts and upload them via the receipt hog app. Earn points for each receipt, and redeem points for gift cards (like Amazon) or cash. I’ve been using Receipt Hog for over a year and I’ve earned $50, just by scanning my receipts!

Target:: If you are a Target shopper, this app is for you.  Instead of the traditional dollar or cent off coupons, Target’s app offers savings in a percentage.  You choose specific offers, based on what you buy, and there are new offers all the time! The best part is that you can use Target App, a Manufacturer Coupon, and a Target Coupon all on the same item!

Mogl– This site/app is a little different.  Sign up and register your credit/debit cards.  When you eat out at participating restaurants, you’ll receive 10% cash back!  You can use this in addition to any other cash back offers your credit or debit card offers. We don’t eat out very often, but we usually earn about $50/year.

What I really like about these apps like BerryCart, Ibotta, and Checkout51 is that you can double, triple or quadruple dip deals when the stars align and there are the same (or similar) deals on each app. Perfect for those of us who are on an ultra tight budget!

*Disclosure* Most of those links are my personal links, so if you sign up I earn a few cents. When you sign up, you can share your links too and earn a little bit of green!