Hello to all. It is a cold day here, and a white one! Yep, we finally got a big dose of winter. We have had such mild and non-snowy winters for a couple or more years - welp, it ended yesterday! Total 9" measured here at my house. Doesn't look to get above freezing for at least the next week - if not much longer. I know some are used to this, but we have been spoiled here.
I got my cardio on yesterday! Took 3 different sessions to get the paths, walks and the drive clear. I had drifts in the drive that were over knee high.
Sure was hoping some kid might want to earn some money - but nope! One guy walked down the street with shovel in hand and only stopped at places that needed little shoveling. Drifts, long drives, etc. he just walked past.
At the end of shoveling, I was out by the street clearing the gravel end of drive (past walk and cement drive by street), and the neighbor's grandson and helped me for about 15 minutes. Grateful for that.
I was tired!
We can't change inflation - BUT we can change how we do things and what we spend our dollars on.
I wanted to share something - my yearly savings using digital coupons with our Kroger store.
My digital savings for 2024 was $1,070.12!!!! That is significant in my book.
Now that was just digital coupons. Also, for every 100 points accumulated over the month you get .10 per gallon off your gas. That adds up as well.
I am also gifted a coupon book for our city each Christmas. It has $5 off grocery (Kroger) purchases over $50 once a month. That is another $60 a year.
If you have a grocery store that offers points for dollar purchases - think about utilizing this feature for gasoline purchases/or some offer cash. IF you have a store that utilizes digital coupons - use them. You do NOT need a smart phone. I simply get the ads online and add my Kroger card number and click on the coupons I want to use - and when going to the store - present my card and get the discount.
** generally, each digital coupon can be used to purchase 5 of an item.
Now I get savings in other ways as well. I try very hard to NOT pay full price for things. Sometimes it can't be avoided. but I try. I am a lover of the clearance sections in my store. I am fortunate as each department has its own clearance. Bakery, meat, dairy, general merchandise - and even freezer has clearance. You have to look around - even make friends with the department managers if need be.
Those savings I get from clearance or manager's specials do not show up in the 1,070.12 savings.
This is 10 meals for me - pretty cheap for a protein!
Just a few deals found over the year. Sometimes, you really have to look. There may not be a lot of any one item. Like the ice cream - it was after the holiday season - so eggnog flavored ice cream was extremely reduced (great for a malt)! Not sure why the beans were so stinking cheap - not even remotely close to date. Maybe they were just stopping that brand, or packaging is changing. Half price meat is a deal! Maybe a day or two until sell by date - no problem. Bring them home, repackage in meal size packs and freeze. I NEVER buy meat that isn't on sale or reduced. NEVER! I have a good year (probably two**) of meat in my big freezer. If I needed to, I could stretch that much further.Also, you need to remember that ground meat or cut up or chopped goes further. As in many meals from soup, chili, stews, or skillet dinners. You can stretch a half pound of meat to many servings that way.
**USE a vacuum sealer if you can! Makes meat last much, much longer in freezer!!!!!!! NO freezer burn.
Heck, I even got my vacuum sealer for a stupid cheap price years ago after the holidays. The store goofed up but had to honor their price! (keep your eyes open)
I will be sharing all kinds of ways to stretch food and other items in the coming posts.
Does anyone get senior discounts at the groceries anymore? Most of our stores stopped that.
Do you have a discount grocery store? We finally have one - but it is hit or miss (and very small).
What are some of your favorite ways of saving at the store?
Look forward to hearing your tips!
Stay warm and snug.
Have a good day!
Such a great blog post on how to save money on groceries, Cheryl. I love Kroger for their mark downs. Years ago Mom worked at a grocery store and she often got in on such goodies as simply the manufacturer changing the package, so they'd mark everything down. It's so great to be there at the right time.
ReplyDeleteGood deal on your Kroger digital savings for this year! And how sweet of your neighbor's grandson to help you shovel snow. I love that, somebody raised him right!
Thanks. I really like their mark-downs and clearance as well. Yes, I have been told that if packaging is changing, they just clearance - instead of making full price dollars while on regular shelf. Win for me - they lose out!
DeleteYes, he is being raised right - just wish he had showed up earlier. But thankful for the help I got.
It's rare that kids are raised even a little right these days. Too many of them are raised by social media, Netflix, Disney and Hollywood. Many of them are so transfixed by their phones, an alien mothership could be overhead and they wouldn't notice.
DeleteSeems so at times. This young man had a rough beginning, but the grandparents took him in, and he is really shining now. I know a lot of young people that are doing exceptional things - so there is some good parenting going on.
Deleteoh you got the snow Cheryl. I'm so glad you had a helper. We have snow but it's old and dirty ha ha, we need new snow.
ReplyDeleteWe have to do everything we can to save money on groceries now -your ideas are right on.
Yep, we got it! It is still white and clean - that will change in a few days! Truthfully, I can't even say it is pretty anymore - guess that is my age.
DeleteThanks
I use bogo at Publix, ads for bargains, and a cruise around the store on an electric cart for markdowns not advertised. We always announce to each other what we need to watch for in ads. It helps to have two sets of eyes watching. I do buy meat and freeze, mostly the whole pack since I cook meat for several days at once. I refuse to buy grapes at $3.99/lb. I wait until they are $1.99. I buy bananas and apples regardless of the price. I have a strategy for everything.
ReplyDeleteI rarely buy BOGO - as the price still doesn't seem as good as a good sale. I can usually always wait. I like a variety in meals and really don't want to eat the same meat over and over. You guys seem to eat a lot of chicken - so that is a good deal for you.
DeleteBananas are back down in price here to .49/lb. I wait for .99 lb. on grapes - that happens every few weeks here.
I'm a ninety-nine center for grapes, too, but I will pay up to $1.29. I also agree with you on BOGO because the store usually raises the price just before they put it on "sale."
DeleteWe have two low price or discount stores here--Winco and Grocery Outlet. I do most of my shopping at Winco and rarely go to Grocery Outlet, but I have a friend who swears by it. I wish we had Aldi, but hey...we just got Trader Joe's. I think I am the only person in town who hasn't been there yet.
MIKEMAX - I will go 1.29 too, but that is it. I am 99% sure our stores raise prices before the BOGO starts!
DeleteYou must live in the west - I hear many people out there talk about Winco and Grocery Outlet. We don't have those. We have a Trader Joe's north of me - but I have never been either. Aldi is a pretty good store.
Excellent post on saving $$ and the bargains you found! 14 cent a can for veg...unheard of. The Farmer pulled out some smash burgers from the freezer, 2022. I found a sirloin steak from 2022 yesterday and it was delicious after slow cooking. Made a sort of Tex-Mex bowl with cubed beef, peppers and onions. Used some cauliflower rice with bits of peppers, corn and peas in it for the base of the bowl. Delicious! Had little cups of smashed avocado for the topping along with sour cream.
ReplyDeleteKudos to the young man who helped you! Usually we have lots of folks going through the neighborhood with snowblades or snow blowers. Not this year. We are waiting for someone to do our driveway. The Farmer and I are both too old to do much shoveling. With his degenerative disk disease, he doesn't need to be doing things like that. Trouble is, it looks like we are going to get more snow this weekend.
The stores we go to do not offer senior discounts. Some of the restaurants do but we no longer eat out or get takeaway. Better and cheaper to eat at home.
Thanks. Hope people are reading - glad others have meat they have had in freezer for a while. Thanks for posting that. It all sounds good.
DeleteI hope someone steps up and shovels for you. I have seen a couple walking around today - but most folks did theirs yesterday.
He is a good young man - always kind. Lives with grandparents. (who are younger than me)
I don't see many discounts anywhere anymore. Yes mam, eating at home just tastes better!
We have only one standard grocery in this town... There are a couple of places that sell damaged dented out of date things, but recently their prices match the regular grocery! I'll look but not buy.
ReplyDeleteMy money saving method on groceries seems to be Eat Less Meat, and Throw Out Nothing.
Today I put away all the Christmas things. I'm going to miss them as I love seeing the little tree with its twinkle lights at night. Maybe I'll live long enough to bring it all back out again next Christmas! :)
We got no snow but there was some sort of odd preciptation. It didn't stick here because the wind was pretty stiff. School was delayed anyway as some places might have iced and a school bus doesn't do well on an icy road with hills and curves.
Went last night to a little one's birthday supper. Brought a bowl of fruit: sliced grapes, fresh pineapple, mandarin orange sections and banana. It proved popular and was all eaten up! :)
Stay waym, y'all!
MaryB
I guess when there is little or no competition they can try to sell for more money.
DeleteI like meat but do days with none. NO waste YES!!!!
Glad you didn't get snow. They say main roads are good today - but our road hasn't/and may not see a plow. We used to get plowed first as a snow route - a school and post office within 2 blocks. School buses don't stop on a dime - for sure.
Fruit salad sounds good. I bet the little one had a ball.
Publix here does a 5 percent discount for 60 and older on Wednesday. The store is really crowded on that day so it takes patience. We have a bunch of discount stores but it requires discipline to shop there. It is easy to end up with things you will not want to eat. Over the Christmas shopping season we had some opportunities to save by buying gift cards. Lidl had a deal where we bought $100 in gift cards and earned a $20 gift card to Lidl . We bought $100 each to places we spend money anyways and both of us earned to $20 gift card. That was $40 in free food! Publix also had some ecoupons to save $10 on your groceries if you spent $25 and bought a $50 gift card to some places we spend money at. Hubby and I both did that deal. Those deals were real savings. We fed eleven for several days over Christmas so that $60 really helped with perishables and made it easy to afford some nice extras.
ReplyDeleteThose kinds of perks are fantastic. I can usually buy GC's (other than theirs) at Kroger and get 4X points - for use on lowering gas. They also have one for Friday on groceries (most weeks) for 4X points. You did great getting those deals. I like free money where I can find it!
DeleteYes that makes it less painful to buy those special things we want.
I always find good deals on the discount rack in the produce department, where they have fruit/veg that are flawed, marked, broken or a little bruised for more than half price.
ReplyDeleteYES. We have a .99 cent bin and whatever packs are there are .99 for the pack. I have gotten so many good deals there.
DeleteLove the produce discount section.
Our local grocery store here (TOPS) has a senior day. It's the first Tuesday of the month. Seniors can buy whatever they want and then get 10% off everything! Do you proof read your posts before you upload them? What does this mean: "My digital savings for 2024 was $1,70.12!!!! " Everyone nowadays is buying clearance and marked down items. It's the only way. So, It's getting harder and harder to find good deals. I don't care so much about price anymore as I do about ingredients. Have you read some of the old stand-by ingredients lately? Many products have been downsized and loaded with toxins and carcinogenics, such as high fructose corn syrup. I'd rather pay more for food right now than future doctor bills (I'm in cancer remission and my partner just had a bout with Afib, so we're careful now about what we ingest.) Gonna be a tough time for almost everyone. Thanks for your post. It was very interesting but nothing new.
ReplyDeleteGlad you get that discount - that is a decent discount and on everything. Should have been 1,070.24 - thanks I will fix that. The savings I got using digital coupons. Money I didn't spend!
DeleteMuch has been down-sized. That has been happening for a long time now. It is important to know what you are buying.
Not everyone can be as selective, some just have to buy what they can afford, sadly. Yes, good health saves money.
You take good care of yourselves and do what you need to.
Yep, nothing new for many of us, but there are a lot of people just learning to watch pennies and be frugal, so hopefully this will help them. Never hurts us older gals to have a reminder.
Happy New Year Cheryl, just catching up on all your posts and your Christmas sounds wonderful. Ours was a total bust, I served Christmas lunch to four different houses trying to keep sickness at bay ( or at least segregated). I guess we will try again next year!!!
ReplyDeleteThis year I’ll be using all your frugal tips to the max. So keep ‘em coming. Take care, Louise
Hi Louise. Good to see you post and Happy New Year to you as well. Well, that sounds like a lot of hustling and work - and I am sure it was much appreciated by all those households. That is a gift in itself. Hope you stayed well.
DeleteI think we are all in need of some reminders to get back on the frugal wagon!
I try my best to purchase on sale only items. It does work most of the time, but living where I do the best deal I get is at my co-op where once a year we get money back on what we have spent on groceries, gas and now adult beverages.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It doesn't always work - but trying to buy sales is great. I wish there was a co-op close to me. That is neat that you get money back.
DeleteThe co-op has scratch & save the first Tuesday of each month. It's usually 10% discount. The saving today was $14.95. In addition, a doz buns priced at $5.29 was given to patrons who spend >$50. I do the big shop on the first Tuesday of the month. Seldom is any protein bought that isn't on sale. Pork loins were advertised at $2/lb but there was none in site at the store when I got there. I do my best to stay out of the stores at other times to avoid temptation. I also make do, using what's at home when I run out unless I'm cooking for company.
ReplyDeleteThat is nice to have a discount day. Good savings. It sure all adds up. I just can't make myself buy meat at the crazy prices they charge normally - I would use less or none, instead of paying the high prices.
DeleteSmart gal - to only plan on going once and stay away the rest of the time. Too easy to be tempted (at least for me!).
Wow, you did very well at Krogers! We use my daughter's points card at the local Independent store - she mentioned she's saved over $2K in about 5 years but nothing near your total.
ReplyDeleteNo senior's discounts at grocery stores in Canada either, though our local Co-op offers 10% on the first Tuesday of the month. It's a little something.
I purchased groceries when I arrived here in Yuma and I am trying not to purchase again (except for basics) until I've used up what is in the fridge and freezer. I bought 5 chicken breasts at $2.99/lb (unheard of back home), and discounted meatballs. I've used one chicken breast for wraps, in a stir fry, and chicken salad. Half of the meatballs were made into patties, that I've used with a side of garlic rice, and sliced for a "meat loaf" sandwich.
Thanks - I thought it was a pretty good savings.
DeleteI like that the co-op give some sort of discount.
2.99 is still a bit higher than I like to pay - I guess that just shows the difference in pricing in countries (my point is usually 2.29). Chicken breasts are usually pretty big, smart to use it in a few meals. Love the ideas on using the meatballs - very creative.
Hope you are enjoying the warm weather.