Cutting Down On Shopping

Sometimes this seems easier said than done, however, I have learned to shop only for necessities and it not only saves me money at the checkout, but also the cost of gas for making extra "convenience" trips to the store.

I keep a magnetic note pad on my refrigerator now and write down the things that I need. I shop once per week and make a single trip to all the stores I need to go to in one trip. I shop only from the list and can guess about how much it is going to cost and only take enough money to cover the cost plus a few extra dollars just incase something is on sale that I will need soon. I leave the debit and credit cards at home to ward off putting extra items in the cart. I take advantage of buy one get one free items that I use as long as it isn't something that is going to sit in a cupboard for a while.

Discount stores like Big Lots and Aldi are also great for grocery shopping. Pasta, sauces, cereal, canned goods, and snacks are always much less than at the grocery store and most are name brands for those who dont like to buy off brands. When I learned that most off brands are actually made by name brand companies, I lost that phobia and now most of my grocery purchases are off brand items.

It Has To Begin Somewhere

I decided to start this blog so that those like me who are trying to save money anywhere possible can share what works and what doesn't.

Amazingly, I have been able to cut corners which saved alot of money, and really haven't noticed a difference in my lifestyle. Its amazing what we buy that we dont really need, and how much we waste when we dont really pay attention to how we manage what we have or how we shop.

Hopefully someone will get some good from this blog. I will be posting how I got started and the results of what I have accomplished. Everyday I try something new and test the results. It has been a fun challenge to try to save a little more everyday.