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Nifty Thrifty:  2011 and Thriftyness  |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
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tracy043
Farmgirl in Training
23 Posts
Tracy
Batesburg
SC
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 3:12:30 PM
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I took a look at my grocery bill the last few weeks and made a big discovery which I just had to share with you all! How much do you spend on paper products? Paper towels, tissues, napkins, TP count them all. I did a few quick calculations and figured I could save over $300 a year but just stop buying paper products...other then TP couldn't figure out a way around that. For about $20 I just replaces our napkin, paper towels and tissues saving us $280 this year. I went to K-Mart and found a package of cloth napkins for $9.99 and a 4 pack of mens hankies for 6.99 and a pack of 3 ladies hankies (got lucky here found some on clearance from Christmas) for $3.99! My hubby doesn't mind carrying a hankie instead of using tissues, I put a hankie in my purse and in my sewing basket next to my chair and folded the cloth napkins and put them in a basket on the counter. As for the paper towels I already use newspaper to wash my windows and I have a couple old towels I cut up for rags and quick clean ups in a basket under my sink.
Finding the good in everyday!
http://oursimplelife-sc.com/
Farmgirl #2523 |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 4:25:52 PM
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I have been bringing snacks/lunches when I'm going to be away from home for any length of time - it helps in a couple ways. Financially, of course, but also I eat healthier (less salt and fat) when I bring my own food instead of eating out. Also, I always make sure I have a bottle of water in the car - but usually, I have tea too. I know my weaknesses - so if I have it in the car, there's no reason to stop.
We've been using cloth napkins and that really saves on paper napkins and paper towels. However, my DH uses a lot of paper towels when he's cleaning up something... We have lots of rags for cleaning - but he still gravitates toward the paper towels for a lot of stuff... Baby steps...
My grocery bill is still higher than I'd like - but I'm better about using things up and not wasting food. We must just eat a lot... Hmmm....
I love the idea of spending on paper - what a great way to "check" yourself... Thanks everyone - this continues to be a wonderful thread...
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 4:27:49 PM
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Almost forgot - Country Mommy - thanks for the clarification on salt vs sugar in the exfoliant. I'll give it a try soon.
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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cowgirlandboys
True Blue Farmgirl
308 Posts
Rachael
Missouri
USA
308 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 5:01:15 PM
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Tea Lady, it would be awesome if you could share what kind of snacks you bring along with you. I have a hard time bringing anything that wont melt in the summer or freeze in the winter (I am a Missouri gal). The kids are sick of cheese sticks and crackers and are always wanting to
stop somewhere. This kills my budget since are on the go a lot with homeschool fieldtrips and now college dual enrollment. Thanks!
Happy Trails!
Rachael
Farmgirl Sister #535 |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 5:28:01 PM
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Hi Rachel - wow - dual college tuition... Been there - thankfully only one year with both in college but it was a very snug year... I feel your pain.
My snacks might not be a hit with kids - my children are grown - probably too boring - hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers, hummus and carrots, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, some times a sandwich if I'm going to be out a long time. I have a small insulated bag/cooler it works well in all kinds of weather. One tip - bring a sweet snack too - cupcakes always feel like a treat to me and are great with kids... Good luck.
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 6:23:10 PM
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 I am blown away with the idea of saving over $300.00 by switching from paper products to cloth. I will be pulling out my receipts to see how much I will save if I do the same. ( another thing I have been putting off. . why, I have no idea! Tomorrow, I will be making up a stack of cloth napkins for us to use!!
For travel snacks I do a whole assortment: Fresh popcorn, cookies, sandwiches, homemade cheese and homemade crackers, apples, pears, bananas, trail mix, chex mix and we keep a cooler full of water, ice tea and lemonade!
I am researching online places to purchase my groceries to have them shipped to me. The basic baking, beans, rice, grain, brown sugar are not a problem. Now I am looking for organic veggies until I can grow my own.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 3:04:36 PM
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Joanna - I'd be interested in what you find out about buying groceries online. I always thought there was a large fee associated with the online sites - although, I haven't checked for a while. It sure would be a lot easier to stick to the list. :o) Let us know what you find out. Thanks.
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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cowgirlandboys
True Blue Farmgirl
308 Posts
Rachael
Missouri
USA
308 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 3:27:06 PM
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Lorraine/Tea Lady,
Thanks! I think I was making it too complicated. Your snacks sound simple and good. Thanks!
Happy Trails!
Rachael
Farmgirl Sister #535 |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 4:47:50 PM
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Hi Tea Lady!
Well so far here is what I have come up with:
All flours, brown sugar, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, all types of grains, beans and rice = Bob's Red Mill (order the catalog from their website)
For flours, vanilla, baking pans, and a few other "goodies" like chocolate = King Arthur Flour (order their catalog from the website)
For bulk herbs,spices,nuts, container = Atlantic Spice ( the eastcoast company of San Francisco herbs) A small minimum order too!
For lots of other foods check out Bulkfoods.com You may need to go in on an order with another farmgirl or two. . .depends on your needs and family size.
I'll let you know what else I find!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 4:52:47 PM
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Hi Tea Lady!
Well so far here is what I have come up with:
All flours, brown sugar, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, all types of grains, beans and rice = Bob's Red Mill (order the catalog from their website)
For flours, vanilla, baking pans, and a few other "goodies" like chocolate = King Arthur Flour (order their catalog from the website)
For bulk herbs,spices,nuts, container = Atlantic Spice ( the eastcoast company of San Francisco herbs) A small minimum order too!
For lots of other foods check out Bulkfoods.com You may need to go in on an order with another farmgirl or two. . .depends on your needs and family size.
I'll let you know what else I find!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 6:17:02 PM
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I've tried vitacost before - they're great. Also, Amazon.com has lots of canned goods - including organic - but to get a good price, its better to buy a case. Also, if you buy over $25.00 - its free shipping. It wouldn't be worth it if you didn't get free shipping - especially for canned goods. A month or so ago, Amazon.com had canned organic pumpkin for $12.00 for a case of 12. Lots of great sites I didn't know about. This is great - I'll have time over the next day or so to check these out. We're getting ready for a big snow storm. My husband is going to work earlier tomorrow so hopefully he can come home earlier and beat the storm.
Rachel - I understand about the concerns of packing snacks - they obviously have to stay fresh and appeal to the kids (that's a biggie..) Good luck with it - it sure does save some money if you can bring your own food. Joanna - I forgot about popcorn. I love popcorn - that's a good one.
Love this thread. So many good ideas. Keep em coming.
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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meggy2
True Blue Farmgirl
111 Posts
barb
Flemington
Missouri
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 7:10:36 PM
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| I have been away from the computer for days and I can't believe all the great ideas! I am going to try to copy and paste some, especially the web sites into my computer notebook. Sounds easy but I'm not too tec-y |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 04:26:45 AM
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Wow, some great new info!! Thank you everyone for the sharing of resources. . . you have made my day!!!
Keep the ideas and sharing coming, this is a great benefit for all of us!!
Tip of the Day:
We are all so busy and trying to handle so much in our day to day lives the one thing that is a good thing to schedule into your calender is a back up day. Yup, a simple 10 minutes once a month will help save you from pending disaster. When is the last time you downloaded your bookmarks? Hmmmmm. . . even for me it has been quite some time.
So today, take the 10 minutes and download your bookmarks and then if you can, either burn them onto a CD or print them out!!! All to often we end up with a computer crash and all that info is gone!
. . . okay, I'll be back in 10!!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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fudsy
True Blue Farmgirl
175 Posts
Pamela
Clark Fork
Idaho
USA
175 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 08:47:16 AM
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After taking several ideas from this thread. I've been working on a database of groceries I buy, It will be a work in progress for sometime since I've just started doing it. As I purchase an item I fill in the blank of the cost and where I got it at. Or when the sale adds come out I put the sale price. Now my goal is not to pay more then the cheapest price I had listed. And then do the frugal thingy. Save my food money, when an item I use a lot of hits my low price.. well then I'll stock up. After a shopping trip I update the information on the computer. By the end of summer I hope to have a good picture of prices and locations. I'm going to check out the online stores and see how their prices compare.
Farmgirl #1599
Working from home, working the land
www.lightningcreekinc.com |
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cowgirlandboys
True Blue Farmgirl
308 Posts
Rachael
Missouri
USA
308 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 10:26:50 AM
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I don't know if anyone shops at Target, but my friend just started working there and she says they have coupons on the internet and will accept those with coupons from the manufacturer. Also they have a "red card" which gives 5 percent off (it is not a credit card). She saves a lot of money using this combination, especially if the item is already on sale. It is great to have a stocked pantry, especially in weather like this.
Stay warm farmgirls!
Happy Trails!
Rachael
Farmgirl Sister #535 |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 10:51:49 AM
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Great ideas!!
Here is one thing that I have discovered for myself, add the time it takes to get to and from the store, the time for shopping too, add these together, add in the cost of gas to drive there and back. Now, figure out what you "earn" per hour take that and multiply it by your total drive time and shopping time ( example: say you earn $8.00 per hour, it takes 3 hours total drive time and 1.5 hours to shop, you would mulitply $8.00 x 4.5 = $36.00) Take that and add in the cost of the gas and you have what it costs to "go shopping"
Now here is how that really helps you:
Check out the online places to shop, if purchasing online is less than the store and it comes with free shipping, your way ahead of the game. . . that one is obvious. However, let's say shopping online you can save on some items and others the price is the same and the shipping is 30.00 for the whole order. . . using the example from above your still ahead of the game!! Not only that, you have regained valuable time back into your day/week!!
There is nothing more satisfying then having someone deliver your food right to your door!!
Tea Lady thank you for the tip about amazon.com. . . I just saved a ton of money and time shopping there. . . all items were shipped free!! Not only that, I saved more than ever before buying in case lots, just the way I like too!!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
http://www.Eastwooddesigns.com "For all your Promotional Needs"
www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 3:23:55 PM
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I like how you figure out traveling costs Joanna. I do that to in addition to asking myself "How many hours does my husband need to work to purchase that?"
It really puts things into perspective :) I try to find free shipping too, we live in a more rural area and while I would rather buy local I cannot always find it.
I am going to check out Amazon now :)
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
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countrymommy85
True Blue Farmgirl
898 Posts
Krystle
MT
USA
898 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 07:44:09 AM
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I do something similar with my groceries as well. I do my homework ahead of time, I look over all the coupons, add up my time (time is valuable too!) AND my fuel money. Most of the time for the amount of food I need it is actually cheaper to pay a few extra cents to shop at the local grocery store to save on fuel for how far away I live from a discount grocer. I typically buy most of my items in bulk at a store about 30 min. away from me just about 2 times a month. Sometimes I can get there once a week, it depends. I add everything up because I want to get the most bang for my buck AND my time. I also go with a carefully planned list so I stay away from impulse buying of "inexpensive" but in reality expensive foods. Just for my family I found that a lot of the convenience foods are actually more expensive than buying the separate foods in bulk or just separate and making something myself (like pizza, quesadilla's) they are also a lot more healthier because of the quality foods I buy.... But that is my personal experience that I found after about a year for what works best for my family.
One last thought, once you find something that works for your family it's always a good idea to go through that idea and see if there is anything else you can do to save time/money. It's neat seeing how you can shave off even more after a few months. :)
~We can make the world a better place for our kids and future generations by what we do today!~ |
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countrymommy85
True Blue Farmgirl
898 Posts
Krystle
MT
USA
898 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 07:49:20 AM
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I almost forgot something else I thought up. I have an espresso maker and I have been saving the glass Torani bottles of syrup (yeah, I know they aren't healthy OR cheap) but I was thinking of a way I can repurpose the bottles: I am going to make infused olive oil's and vinegars out of the bottles and give them as fancy Christmas gifts/ hostess gifts this year from my herb garden! I am going to decorate them with fabric scraps and paper to make them look vintage. That way it looks like I bought them from an expensive culinary store when I just saved the bottles and made them a very special gift! Also, I am going to make my own wooden twig baskets, put the vinegar/oil and add some hand crocheted dish clothes, some tea and whatever else might go together for a personalized, homemade, upcycled gift.
I noticed my Grandma especially appreciates hostess gifts as she has all her kids AND all their kids AND now her great grandkids over (that is a lot of people!) and since she is from the era that gave hostess gifts, I think it's something neat we can bring back! Upcycled and handmade too! Ok, I will quit rambling now )
~We can make the world a better place for our kids and future generations by what we do today!~ |
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Carol625
Farmgirl at Heart
2 Posts
Carol
Wright City
MO
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 08:02:54 AM
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Love the hostess gift idea! There have been a ton of great ideas here and I"m still processing them all!
The heart that gives...gathers. |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
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Cherime
True Blue Farmgirl
1222 Posts
Cherime
Wasilla
Alaska
USA
1222 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 08:41:53 AM
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I love the Starbuck's Frappechino bottles. Yeah, probably not good for me but I do not indulge too often. But the labels come off easily and those lovely glass bottles store stock for one person just fine in the freezer. They can be used for lots of things. I was thinking about some sort of infused vinegar or oils and using corks for sealing the bottles.
CMF |
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Tea Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
645 Posts
Lorraine
Morris
IL
USA
645 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 09:16:58 AM
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Joanna - glad you were able to take advantage of the free shipping. Me too - I split my cases with a friend and it worked out great.
Krystle - Love the hostess idea. I've saved some fun bottles too. A friend of mine used some to decorate for Halloween - she found some fun labels online that said things like "Werewolf Blood" "Graveyard Dirt" etc - then she put colored water in one, dirt and gummi worms in another, and so one. She had them on her mantle and it was very cute. I don't know the website - but all she did was print them on a parchment like paper. I love to upcycle things into gifts - good idea. Take some pictures when you're done.
Lorraine
(aka Tea Lady)
Farmgirl #1819
www.birdsandteas.com |
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Nifty Thrifty: 2011 and Thriftyness |
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2011 and Thriftyness
