The List of 10: Currently working on these strategies

[Packratona!]

Thought it would be fun to write up a list of 10 actions I am either taking or working towards taking, to improve my financial situation in the near future.

1) Weigh portions: 1 pound a meal (average)
2) Eat dairy or meat once a day at most and not both at same time.
3) Make a price book.
4) Go as long as I can without buying food unless it is a dollar a pound or less and I am out of it. Use what I have on hand.
5) Study/learn about wild edibles in my locale. Go get some to eat.
6) Ride bike to the grocery store, library, or drug store once a week
7) Decrease the amount of square footage I require to own to live in, by getting rid of some stuff I never use.
8) Do something for myself that I have been paying others to do for me (bake bread, make frozen tv dinners, wash the car)
9) Improve my health by walking for an hour at least three times a week.
10) Instead of driving someplace, choose the option of staying home and doing something there that needs to be done (sleeping, cleaning, talking with family member, organizing, mending, cooking).

[treehugger]

Great list. For me, a price book has been key in reducing my grocery expenditures. Shopping less frequently (your #4) also really helps.

#8 is a good one to keep in mind and revisit every once in awhile. I think I will go over my expenses again with that in mind.

#7 could potentially save you the most money over all.

Kara

[Gardenarian]

You are very ambitious! I'm doing well if I can change one habit.
Best of luck!

[Blackdog Lin]

What a wonderful list! You go girl!...

(you can do these things.)!!!

[Zoebird]

what is a price book?

[Marianne]

I asked Kara the same question on another thread. Her price book is a pretty nifty system of listing which stores have the best prices for the items that she buys regularly. I'll let her explain how she does it and how she keeps their food budget unbelieveably low! She's my hero.

Packratona!, great list! I personally don't want to get into weighing out portions, but DH and I decided that we needed to eat just until we're satisfied, and not keep eating because it tastes good. I plan on leftovers from most meals to either freeze or eat again within a few days.

I started saving a boatload of money at the grocery store when I started making everything from scratch. Most of the time, our grocery tab is around $50 (weekly, sometimes for half the month). I don't have to buy much, but I always keep an eye out for meat and cheese sales and markdowns - then stock up. We live out in the sticks, so I decided to support the local grocery store instead of driving 30+ miles to another little city that has more to offer.

I'm in hermit mode, so staying home is the norm for me. It blows my mind when friends often take a 200 mile drive-around just because he's bored. Then he bitches about how much it costs to fill up the tank in his car. We have a rule about no empty trips - do as many errands as are needed when you're in town.

I do the wild edibles somewhat. This past year I got really, really sick after eating some that had been sprayed with bug spray - on my own property!!! My natural stuff just wasn't doing anything for squash bugs, so I sprayed some Sevin. I hadn't used it in years...of course it drifted to the lambsquarter right next to where I sprayed. Where's the stupid helmet? Yeah, I just picked a few leaves and popped them in my mouth.

[treehugger]

I certainly can't take credit for the price book idea. I use the method in the Tightwad Gazette. I keep a small notebook and pencil in my purse at all times, allocating a separate page for each category of items I buy (dried beans, cheese, greens, frozen veg, etc.). Then I record the price, brand, unit, and unit price from each of the several stores that I have easy access to.

This takes a while to get set up, just gathering data each time I went to the store, but once it's up and running it's really efficient. It's not a perfect system, because stores change their prices all the time. But how it does work for me is to let me know which store is generally cheaper on what items, and also I know for sure when I see a sale price if it is actually a good value. Then I can stock up. It is especially helpful to me for Costco shopping, since they sell things in wildly different unit sizes than grocery stores and sometimes they are a fantastic bargain, and sometimes not.

OK, that's probably enough boring pricebook info. Sorry for the threadjack, Packratona!

Kara

[Packratona!]

Treehugger, you can threadjack me anytime. I did make progress today towards making the pricebook, by buying (using Maxrewards from Office Max, of course, plus a 20% off coupon) a clearanced cute little index card binder for $1.50 Pretty nifty. More durable for flipping through. Can't wait to get started! I like it because I can add new cards in abc order any time I want.

Marianne, I walked 8 miles today and identified one new edible plant. Not ripe right now but I can go back in August next year and pick now that I know where it is growing. You are right about switching away from prepared to all scratch. I have been doing that too, much healthier, cheaper and better tasting.

[heydude]

just be careful with price books. do not let the fact that onions are 1 cent cheaper this weak cause you to buy 10 (and thus spending up the 10 cents you thought you were saving).

[AnneM]

Packratona, that is a wonderful list! Something for me to strive towards. Speaking of paying a dollar or less per pound for things, I looked at a grocery store circular for the first time since last spring, as I spent spring and summer shopping at farmer's markets and my CSA. I am absolutely shocked at inflation in food prices. Does anyone know what is driving the cost of food so high? I would have figured that food prices in an economy such as our current one would have been responsive to consumers cutting back, but that hasn't happened. Is there any food left any more that costs less than a dollar per pound? Sheesh!

[Zoebird]

treehugger -- thanks for explaining it. what we discovered is that we are creatures of habit and terribly loyal. while we do look for the best prices, sometimes we are also looking for what is the easiest for us. For example, we could get chickens (free range) at one shop for about $1 less than at another shop. BUT, to do so means an extra trip.

let me see if i can explain. you see, once a week DH walks from our offices about 2-3 kms to the grocery store that we use to buy much of our food (non-veg, which we get delivered). In general, this store has the best prices for most of the foods we eat (as compared to three more). Then, DH walks about 4 blocks with 4 big bags of groceries (our own trader joes bags), and gets on the express bus and comes home. 30 minute trip home on the express. The next day, our organic box is delivered, and then skip a day and the day after is when we pick up our raw dairy from our cowshare (about a 5 minute walk from work).

To save $1 on chickens -- or $4 per week, which I admit is not a small amount -- we could walk to the closer grocery store. It takes DH about 30 minutes to walk there, and then another 30 to get through the store, and then another 30 home. Usually, the only thing work picking up at this store is the chickens, because everything else we buy is less expensive at the other shop, or we get it through our organic box delivery.

So, the question we had to ask ourselves was whether or not DH taking an extra 1.5 hr trip for $4 savings was worth it.

It isn't. Seeing as busy as we are on our split schedules, family time is at a premium. If we all went to the store -- which is sometimes fun -- it's an hour walk there with toddler legs, and an hour walk back, and then the trip has to be less than 30 minutes in the store or the kid gets crazy. LOL he's so cute, but being in a store his hard on him. I think it's the lights! Anyway, it makes for a nice walk, but by the time we've gotten there, DH wants a coffee and DS wants a fluffy and there goes the $4 savings.

So we cut our losses. LOL

But, when a friend called to say that the chickens were on special at that shop, we headed on over and got 8 of them, saving $3 per chicken! so that was worth it. :D

We do our best. Food is very expensive here in NZ, particularly if you want organic, free range/grass fed, etc. And we do. WE definitely support our local farms and industries.

[Packratona!]

AnneM: Yes, will start another thread/list of $1 a pound or less foods. So look for my list and anyone who wants can add to it!