I try not to put exceptionally long posts in reviews, and this is an UNPAID review of this book. The reason I am including a post about it is because it is a recent book, it doesn't have a lot of "new" ideas so to speak, but it is an excellent book to get started on saving. This is a great book for a displaced worker or a sudden drop in income. This one includes a lot of old ideas with new solutions. The fact that it was written so recently makes it much more useful than other books.
This is not the tightwad gazette (which I coincidentally GENUINELY recommend. This book really requires someone with a LOT of time on their hands, but is 900 lbs. of awesome information!), but includes a lot of great information.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
money saving money ? Do coupons REALLY save you money?
Coupons can be considered a form of currency. After all, if you consider you are trying to buy a bag of chips that is $2, if you give the cashier a coupon, you now owe $1.50 (the same as if you just gave a cashier 2 quarters).
I remember going to the store (in my extreme couponing days) about 5 months ago with about 10 coupons. I had matched the coupons with the sale items, and was ready to save a ton of money! I walked out of the store with nothing I went in for...
Why?
Well, I went into the store, and when I realized I could buy the store brand for cheaper than the SALE AND COUPON TOGETHER I was awfully disappointed. This happens at least 75% of the time. If you do the math, one of the things I was looking for was DiGiorno Pizzas. They were "regularly" $6.99, on sale for $4.99 with a 75c coupon. So for $4.24 I could buy a Digiorno pizza, $3.79 the generic (though tastfully identical), or I could make the pizza for under $2 (and tastes MUCH better!).
This was just one example. I tried this not once, but 3 TIMES!!!!! I saved more buying store brands, which with a few exceptions are tastefully indifferent.
The question you need to ask yourself is twofold:
1. What is the minimum wage you would accept to be at home for the time you are cooking (taking care of the kids, etc.).
2. What is MORE IMPORTANT? what you save or what you spend?
Think about it.
Look at it THIS way...
For Big Family, lets start with an even $100 worth of food
Regular retail: $100.
Regular sales: $80
With Coupons, extreme couponing, several hours per week: $60
Home made, from least expensive stores: $35-50
The simple fact is, if you adapt yourselves to a more "simple" lifestyle, learn to cook and "shop the outer edge" of the supermarket, then you save money. Not to mention, time from clipping coupons.
We are going into a month of TRUE FOOD FRUGALITY.
I remember going to the store (in my extreme couponing days) about 5 months ago with about 10 coupons. I had matched the coupons with the sale items, and was ready to save a ton of money! I walked out of the store with nothing I went in for...
Why?
Well, I went into the store, and when I realized I could buy the store brand for cheaper than the SALE AND COUPON TOGETHER I was awfully disappointed. This happens at least 75% of the time. If you do the math, one of the things I was looking for was DiGiorno Pizzas. They were "regularly" $6.99, on sale for $4.99 with a 75c coupon. So for $4.24 I could buy a Digiorno pizza, $3.79 the generic (though tastfully identical), or I could make the pizza for under $2 (and tastes MUCH better!).
This was just one example. I tried this not once, but 3 TIMES!!!!! I saved more buying store brands, which with a few exceptions are tastefully indifferent.
The question you need to ask yourself is twofold:
1. What is the minimum wage you would accept to be at home for the time you are cooking (taking care of the kids, etc.).
2. What is MORE IMPORTANT? what you save or what you spend?
Think about it.
Look at it THIS way...
For Big Family, lets start with an even $100 worth of food
Regular retail: $100.
Regular sales: $80
With Coupons, extreme couponing, several hours per week: $60
Home made, from least expensive stores: $35-50
The simple fact is, if you adapt yourselves to a more "simple" lifestyle, learn to cook and "shop the outer edge" of the supermarket, then you save money. Not to mention, time from clipping coupons.
We are going into a month of TRUE FOOD FRUGALITY.
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