Hiatus Time...

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I Like This Guy's Way Of Thinking!

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Happy Sunday Everybody! God is Amazing!

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How I got $500 In Xbox Video Game System + 5 Games For FREE And MORE Stuff Too!! Get 70 FREE SWAGBUCKS Just For Joining!

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Grocery Shopping Strategies Revisited... It's Us Against Them. Srsly.

Are you one of those shoppers who goes into the store without a plan and grabs what you need, pays, then leaves? If so then you are one of the people who the grocery store marketing people love. I am the complete opposite of that kind of shopper. They don't like me very much I can assure you. LOL

In reality, grocery shopping is one of the best activities to see how frugal you are.  Here are some of my best tips on saving money when grocery shopping. You will notice that I really do not mention coupons at all. Coupons are great when you have them and I would (and do) use them in addition to what is outlined below. Relying on coupons alone will not net you the kind of savings that I get.

It is important to bring a shopping list with you when going to the supermarket. If you do this you will remember what you need and avoid another trip back to the store to get what you needed in the first place. Inevitably you will ALWAYS buy something else in addition to what you forgot in the first place. (Ask me how I know.)

Compare prices of different items. If the other item is cheaper and has the same amount of product and use then why not buy it instead? Store brands can be your friend. Believe it or not some store brands are really the name brands with different labels. What you are paying for with the name brands is all of the advertising that goes into those fancy labels and television commercials, magazine ads, etc. Let THEM pay for that stuff, not you.

Plan your shopping trips around other errands and activities. If you have kids in school you have 2 trips that you know you will be making to take them to school and pick them up. Work in your trips during those times. By doing this, you will be able to save up on gas as well.

Be aware of supermarkets' marketing strategy. Products are placed in certain ways so that customers will buy those products which they might not really need but think its a good deal. I notice this every single time I walk into a grocery store. Things on the end caps are not always on sale. They just put them there to give that appearance. KNOW YOUR PRICES that way you don't get sucked into their little tricks. 

Speaking of knowing prices... When I worked in retail (shudder) there was a list that came across every single morning with what was called 'Price Changes'. Every day. I'm not kidding. We then had to go around and re-price whatever was on that list. There was no rhyme or reason to why this was an everyday thing but nonetheless we changed prices every day on at least 20% of the store. Get to know what the lowest price is on an item that you buy regularly and do not pay more than that.

Take advantage of sales. Stores have these things called "loss leaders" which are items that are priced at rock bottom prices. They don't do this to be nice, they do this to get you in their store so that you can buy the rest of the stuff that you need at their inflated prices. Don't do this. I am not afraid to go in, buy ONLY the loss leaders and then leave. I buy a TON of the item if it is dirt cheap and stock my pantry up. Remember, we do not owe any store any kind of loyalty. My loyalty lies with my family. The store is out to make a buck- I make sure that they get as few of mine as possible.

Speaking of stocking up- DO IT WHENEVER YOU CAN. Many of you know from reading my blog that when tuna goes on sale for under .40 a can I buy a few cases of it. Why? Because I buy enough to last until that next rock bottom sale and by doing this I am able to save about 60% on the regular cost of it. I do this with most everything that I buy and THAT is how I am able to stock my pantry without spending a fortune to do it. How cool would it be to just pay 50% of what regular retail for groceries currently are? Well I do exactly that and all you have to do is take advantage of the sales and know your prices.

I hope that these tips above have given you some ideas to get you started to be the kind of shopper that the markets don't like. It's fun being a rebel. LOL

When That Little Green Monster Comes To Visit...

Most of you will recognize this little green monster as Mikey from Monster's Inc. I am using him as the perfect example of "the Little Green Monster' that resides a bit in all of us.


Envy is a resentful desire to have another’s superior possessions, achievements, or qualities. 
I can admit it- there are times when I get green with envy and this little guy shows up.

I do not want to confuse envy with jealousy either.

Jealousy is a feeling of anxiety or distrust over the possible loss of something valued—such as love or friendship—to a rival. Envy refers to what one wants to have; jealousy refers to what one fears to lose.

Let me give you a recent scenario-

I have a friend who just got a new car for her (50th) birthday. Her husband is awesome at buying her presents for every occasion imaginable- and good ones too. The car is just the latest case in point.

I drive a 2003 truck with just over 107000 miles on it. I just had to replace the tires on it and it now needs brakes and possibly some transmission work and the dang turn signal just went out.  Would I love to have a new car so that I did not have to deal with all of this crap? Oh heck yes I would! Did I get envious of my friend's new car? Honestly? Yes- for just a moment I admit that I did until I did the math in my head.

They just financed over 25 grand and have a new payment of almost $500 a month. Every month for the next 60 months. Their car insurance just went up about $80 a month to cover the new car. Their yearly car registration tags to the tune of $490 just materialized because of the new car. If I did the math it breaks down to about $620 a month she is now spending on a new car. Mind you she did not need this car-she had a perfectly good car to drive already- she was just tired of it. (2009 model that they are still making payments on)

Okie dokie. When I look at that I see the difference between her and I. I may drive a 2003 truck with age issues but It is also paid off. The only payments that I have are what it takes to maintain it when stuff goes bad. Yes tires, transmissions, and brakes are not cheap but they are not a recurring monthly expense. 

I could get a new car if I wanted one. We can afford it, but then other stuff in my life would have to give. I CHOOSE to drive this car so that I can afford to enjoy other stuff that is more important to me and my family. Being out of debt is a big one. If my husband loses his job, we still get to keep our vehicles because they are ours. I will not have to stress over that. The money that I would normally spend on a car payment and added expenses, we use to do fun stuff and buy other things that we want. That is a choice that I have made. That is how my frugal mindset differs from her 'have to have the latest and greatest' mindset. Don't get me wrong, she is a very nice person, it's just that she is pretty wasteful and is caught up in the world's "The more cool stuff that I have the better I look to people' attitude. I find that sad, but it is what it is. Anyways... there you have it. I admit that at times I get envious...but then I do the math... and look at what is important to me in my life...and then that little green monster goes away and all is right with me and my little frugal life again.

Thank God for focus, hey? ;)

Hope you all have a great day!

I Hope This Post Will Save You Money...AKA- Buying New Tires Is A Racket!

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