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Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

What to look for in a Heat Pump Supplier and Installer

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heat pump installerIf you’re thinking of converting your home’s energy source to a greener source, you’re not alone. A lot of households all over the world are thinking of doing the same thing, not only because they’re concerned about the environment, but also because doing so would immunize them from the rising costs of petroleum and electricity. But what should you be looking for in a heat pump supplier?

Choice

Not all households would be compatible with air source heat pumps, and not all would be compatible with ground source heat pumps. You should choose a supplier which could provide both heat pump variant, and their heat pump models should all be efficient. Danfoss and Nibe are leading brands in the heat pump field. A company called Thermasys supply these brands across the UK.

Certification

Look for a certification from your country’s government that the supplier is accredited in the industry. This will help you ensure that you will get only top quality products. You won’t have to fear paying money for sloppy installation either. Look for a supplier that can offer at least 10 years service warranty.

Start to Finish

Not all heat pumps are made equally, in the same way that not all heating suppliers can provide the same level of service. You should be looking for both high quality heat pumps and a high level of service. Look for a heat pump supplier who would gladly inspect your home for compatibility for free. They should also not hesitate to provide support should anything happen to your heat pump once it’s installed. Some mechanically-trained clients claim that it’s easy to install heat pumps but you really should not attempt no matter how detailed the manual is. Choose a supplier that can install your pump for you efficiently as well.

Have you ever purchased a heat pump? What was your experience with it?

6 Painless Ways to Save on Your Clothing Budget

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Budget Tips for Buying Children's ClothesI love buying clothes. Doesn’t it make you feel fantastic to be wearing something you truly love and feel amazing in? For me the answer is yes! Since becoming a work-at-home-mom, I haven’t really invested in clothes that make me feel awesome. Instead, I usually choose items that are more practical, this way when I get paint, glitter or glue all over them I don’t freak out. It’s not that I wear sweats or yoga pants all the time — I’m actually more of a jeans girl. Now that the boys are getting older and we are way past the spit up stage, I think it’s semi-safe for me to wear things that are comfortable but perhaps a bit more fashionable than what I have been wearing over the past 4 years. This means that I want to invest a little more money into my wardrobe but of course I don’t want to spend a fortune doing it either.

In the past (before kids of course) I would have headed to the mall and shopped my little heart out without considering what I was buying, how much I was spending or considering that I might be able to find the same item – or something similar – for less. But alas, those days are over. Actually, even if I wanted to be that frivolous, we can’t afford it —  plus, I have learned so much about saving money since having the boys that even  if money wasn’t an issue, I couldn’t do it without thinking about how silly I was being just throwing money away. So I have come up with some simple and painless ways to expand my wardrobe without busting our budget or adding credit card debt.

1. Shop Secondhand

I have learned a few things about shopping secondhand over the past few years. It’s easy and it can save you so much money!!! My secondhand stores of choice are consignment shops. I have taken the boys’ gently used clothing and toys to one of my favorite children’s consignment store in our area and have gotten some amazing deals! Depending on how much money I have earned from the sale of the boys’ previously worn items, I can get a bag full of “new” clothes for next to nothing. Even if I don’t have any credits I can still get great name brand clothing that looks new for an amazing price. There are women’s and men’s consignment shops too. At these stores you can purchase designer clothes for exceptional prices. Many times the items in these shops are not consigned because they aren’t stylish, often it’s because someone has either lost or gained weight — or they just like to clear their closets so they can buy more clothes. Go ahead, give secondhand shopping a try.

2. Visit Discount Stores

There are many stores such as Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, and others who benefit from overstocks or store clearance. I have purchased some beautiful items for amazing deals. These stores are also great for purchasing fashion accessories, shoes, handbags and even home decor at super low prices.

3. Surf the Web

You can get some great deals by shopping online. Amazon, Ebay, Esty, etc. are ideal for finding good deals on clothing and accessories. Even shopping from some of your favorite department stores online can save you money. Many stores offer better deals online than they do in store because they don’t have the overhead of a brick and mortar store. Many stores offer free shipping if you pick the item up at a store near you. Be sure to check for coupon codes before you checkout; this will also help to save you money. Make sure you know the return/exchange policies before you buy. Most stores make returns and exchanges easy as long as you have the receipt. Shopping online also gives to the ability to quickly price check to find the best deals.

4. Shop Clearance

End of season clearance is the BEST time to buy new clothing. You can save 50%, 60% or even 80% when stores are clearing out thir inventory to make room for the new season’s fashion. I just picked up a Simply Vera (Vera Wang) purse for $25 it was regularly $125. I almost bought it when it was 1/2 off but decided not to since Christmas was just around the corner. Boy am I glad I waited. It certainly paid off! Often times you will still get a lot of wear out of an item before the season actually ends. It’s January and I’ve already seen bikinis and other summer fashions proudly displayed (at regular price) in stores. I bought a swimming suit last year for 75% off because it was September. I don’t have to worry about getting one now, I just have to worry about getting in shape so I’ll look good in it.

5. Make the Old New Again

Take inventory of what is already in your closet and find new and exciting ways to wear them. Mix different pieces, patterns and colors together. Just take some time out to play around with the clothes you already have. Put things together you may not have thought of before; you might be very surprised how how good certain things look together. You can also buy new (or new to you) clothing pieces like sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, etc. to jazz up these well-loved ensembles and make them feel fresh and updated.

6. Host a Clothing Swap

Get some of your favorite girls together and even some of their friends and host a clothing swap. These ladies can bring in things that they are tired of, don’t fit in or wonder “Now why did I buy this? This is so not my color.” Make a fun girl’s night event out of it. If you want to bring along kids clothes to swap to, that can be double the fun. Get creative and enjoy!!!

I hope I have been able to give you some great ideas.

Do you have any other tips on how to save money on your clothing budget? I’d love to hear them!

Is Black Friday Worth the Hype?

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Black Friday humor

(via Falling Fifth)

I have ventured out on Black Friday a time or two. The first time I ever did this was during the Furby craze! These annoying little robotic toys were all the rage during Christmas season 1998 or 1999. I didn’t have children at the time but one of my BFFs did. These chatty creatures were in such high demand that each customer was only allowed to purchase one at a time — and my friend had two kids. I thought it would be fun adventure to get out there with all the other bargain hunters — plus, I wanted to help my friend. So we met at a department store at 3:30am the day after Thanksgiving.

For those of you who are avid Black Friday shoppers you are probably thinking, “What? 3:30am? You must have been at the back of the line!” The rest of you are probably wondering, “What the heck were you thinking?”

Well, we got our Furbies but it was pretty wild out there. My friend and I made our Black Friday outing an annual tradition for about 4 years. I think the only other super great deal we got was a Barbie Dream House for her daughter, which was normally $100 and I think it was on sale for $40. Even though we were far from the front of the line we got it and it was worth it — her daughter was thrilled on Christmas morning.

Is Black Friday really worth the hype?

For many people the answer is yes. For me? The answer is yes and no. Sure there are great deals to be had but you have to to get up ridiculously early to even have a chance at some of the hottest items. I’m not saying you won’t save money because you will, as long as the items you go out for are still in stock by the time you get there. Retailers leure you into their stores with promises of crazy low prices on specific items but they usually only have a few of these items in stock. So let’s say that you see a 32″ HD TV advertised for only $99.  If you are one of the very first people at the front of the line you have a good chance at getting this item. The bad news is, you may have to skip the pumpkin pie to start standing in line before the sun even sets on your Thanksgiving Day.

Online retailers take notice of Black Friday sales and the folks at Amazon.com are constantly dropping their prices to one up other retailers. So if you don’t want to wait out in the freezing cold or throw elbows with the big boys and girls, you might just want to start shopping early and do some research so you can find the best deals on and offline. Another great thing is that a lot of stores today will price match competitors if you have the ad with you. This can help save you time and money.

Now for the record I’m not saying shopping on Black Friday is a bust. I do like to hit the stores after I have slept off the tryptophan from the day before and had a few cups of coffee. I usually get out around 10-11am. By this time the crazy has settled and there are still a few Early Bird Specials to be had.

If you do want to venture out:

Have a plan

Look at the ads and decide which stores and what deals you want to take advantage of. Write it down!

Got coupons?

Bring those too. There are often retail coupons, which you can find online that can be used in addition to sale prices but read the fine print just to be sure.

Don’t take it too seriously

Have fun! Make a plan to shop till you drop, then meet friends for breakfast or lunch. This can help you de-stress. Plus, it’s fun to compare deals.

What do you think about Black Friday? Are you a die hard shopper or do you stay away from the stores as much as possible on that day?

Online Coupons ~ Spend Less and Get More

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Coupon

(via capl@washjeff.edu)

I have talked a lot about couponing lately but most of those posts have centered around using coupons in stores — and not really about getting great deals online. While I do try really hard to do the majority of my shopping locally, there are many times when buying online is just so much easier and in some cases, less expensive. Plus, there are many instances when buying online is the only way to find exactly what you are looking for.

One of the great things about shopping online is you can quickly compare prices between several stores. This can help you save a lot of money. Another great thing is that from time to time these online store offer coupon codes. COUPONS — yippee! These codes are usually good for free shipping, a percentage or certain dollar amount off an order and sometimes (if you are super lucky) you can find coupon codes that make items free — or almost free once you add shipping.

How to Find Coupon Codes

So how does one find these elusive coupon codes? It’s actually pretty simple. First of all, here at Kids Ain’t Cheap we have a Family Coupon Code Directory. There you will find many codes to help you save money on everything from baby furniture to audio downloads. Check it often because we get new codes all the time.

Search Engines

Another thing you can do is to do a search for: (your favorite store) coupons before placing an order.

Here’s an example, I was looking for a certain iPhone cover for a friend’s birthday. He wanted his alma mater’s logo and I had no idea where to find such a thing. I first searched for iPhone covers with his former university’s name. The company Coveroo.com came up and had exactly what I was looking for. The price seemed comparable to other covers I had seen — but I wanted to see if I might be able to save just a little bit more more money. On the home page of the site was 20% my order with xyz coupon code. SWEET! I still decided to look via my favorite search engine to see if it might turn up an even better coupon. Guess what — it did! So not only was I able to save 20% I also got free shipping. I was so please that when I was asked if I wanted to include personalization on the cover (my husband’s name) I said, “Heck yes I do!” So I got more that I had anticipated and still ended up spending less than I thought I would.

There are a lot of other ways to find coupon codes as well. If you love a certain brand, item, store, etc. sign up for their newsletters. It is a good idea to have a separate email account that you have these types of emails set to that way your personal email account does get overloaded.

Facebook

Also, if you “like” certain pages on Facebook you can sometimes get printable coupons or coupon codes periodically. I have been waiting for a Petco coupon for while and haven’t seen any come through. My dog’s food is kind of spendy (but she’s so worth it!), so I try to stock-up when I find coupons for the food, which are extremely hard to come by. However, in my news feed on Facebook the other day there it was a coupon code! If I hadn’t “liked” their page I wouldn’t have seen it. If you are on twitter you can also follow certain brands and stores and some of them will periodically post special offers and coupon codes as well.

Coupon blogs

I have also talked a lot about following coupon blogs. These folks will also post details about online deals as well. This can come is especially handy with the holidays just around the corner!!! Speaking of the holidays shopping online can save you a trip to the post office and many online retailers offer free shipping during this time of year to entice you to buy from them.

So what are some of your favorite ways to save online?

5 Lazy Couponing Strategies

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Coupon

(via capl@washjeff.edu)

Couponing is great! As I have mentioned before, I have been bitten by the coupon bug and I have had a great time learning the ropes from experienced coupon bloggers in my area. So far it it has saved my family and I lots of money — plus it’s really fun (and a little addicting). Even though I enjoy doing it, I simply do not have the time, energy or drive — to spend hours on end working as hard as some of these extreme couponers do. So as you might imagine, I am a HUGE fan of couponing shortcuts and that is what I plan on sharing with you in this post today.

If your goal is to get cart loads of items for free or almost free, or reduce you bill for grocery and household items by 80% or more, or you want insider information from an highly experienced couponing expert — this post is not for you. There are many awesome couponing gurus from all across the country who are sharing their tips and tricks and all kinds of great coupon information on blogs. I am what some might call a lazy couponer — or perhaps a better, nicer term might be a laid back couponer. I have only been couponing effectively for about four months but during that time I have learned a lot and I am excited to share what I know.

So without further adieu here are some simple tips that you can use to save on your grocery bill:

1. Pay Attention

I had no idea how much things really cost. I know that may sound silly but I really wasn’t paying attention to the actual price of the items we were purchasing. I had a general idea of course but when I really started to look at the prices – and realize what was and wasn’t a good deal – it really opened my eyes. Prices on items can vary drastically. I thought all retailers were within a few cents of each other on most items, but boy was I wrong! I would have to say that this is one of the most important tips for saving money because even if coupons became extinct, you would still save just by being observant and shopping sales.

2. Do Your Research

I do not have time to spend hours on end matching up the coupons I have, with items that retailers put on sale. This was probably one of the biggest reasons I didn’t coupon before — I just didn’t have the time to commit to such a project. Luckily, there are people out there who do this for a living and I love them for it! I have three favorite coupon blogs that I visit. They do store and coupon match-ups, they alert me to other sales that I might find on the internet, they provide money saving tips and they do so in a fun and informative way. Oh yeah, and the best part is it’s F-R-E-E. Just be sure that if you decided to take advantage of any coupons or deals they tell you about, that you use the links provided on their site. This is how they can bring such valuable information to you at no-charge. I highly encourage you to seek out these sites in your area. Facebook is a great place to find these people and if you have any frugal friends, ask them who their favorite coupon bloggers are.

3. Get Organized

Before you embark on any shopping trip it is to your advantage to check out what sales are going on at the store you are headed to. I usually just check out one of my favorite coupon blogging sites, make a list of the things I need and the deals that are going on and then I compile my coupons. Sometimes I take my whole coupon binder but most of the time I just throw coupons in of things that I know will be a good deal. It would be nearly impossible for these sites to list EVERY sale item, so it’s good to keep an eye out for other store savings. You can always go back later when you have your coupons with you.

4. Stock Up!

When you see a great deal — stock up! This is really a money saver. Paying attention to sales cycles is a great idea because then you will know what items go on sale at certain times of the year. If you purchase these items when they are at their lowest and stock up until their next sale cycle starts you’ll save a lot! Most of the coupon blogs will make note of “stock up” prices which is helpful for folks like me.

5. Make it a Lifestyle

Saving money can be like a diet. You might do really great for a month or so — you might lose a few pounds (or save a few bucks) then you might revert back to the old ways. If you want to save money you really can do it simply and it really can make a difference. It is a relatively painless process. Sure there is a little hassle associated with it but no pain, no gain right? You don’t need to starve yourself you look like a supermodel, just as you don’t need to spend your every waking hour obsessing over coupons. Once you get into the swing of things you’ll be able to save some money and have a great time doing it!!!

My next post will be about how to save money other than using coupons…stay tuned 🙂

How much effort do you put into couponing?

Score! Dinosaur T-Shirts

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Never Forget Dinosaur T-ShirtMy youngest son is a big Batman fan and where I work, I can get him Batman t-shirts for half off so he has a bunch of them. His older brother, despite all of my attempts, is just not into superheros but he LOVES dinosaurs. He is completely obsessed with everything dinosaur related. Almost every morning, he is disappointed in the clothes I pick out for him because he only has one dinosaur t-shirt. He wears it the day it comes out of the wash and then it’s in his hamper for a week so he is happy with his clothing choice one day a week. Oh the troubles of a 5 year old.

Where to buy dinosaur t-shirts

Now that it’s getting hot out I am determined to increase his dinosaur wardrobe. I came across a pretty comprehensive list on another blog of Dinosaur T-Shirts for Kids and Adults. The first one is the one he already owns, Santa brought it for him this past Christmas but that’s it, he doesn’t have any of the others. We don’t have a lot of money as I have highlighted on this blog before and these shirts are more expensive than most of the clothes we buy for the boys (we go to consignment shops and big box stores mostly). However, he was so excited at the thought of getting a few of these that I just can’t deny him. We are going to get him 3. We were going to buy him one a month for the rest of the Summer but it’s cheaper to get all 3 now and save on shipping so that is what we are going to do. Once we get them I will do a review of a few of them.

P.S. – We ordered them today and Harrison has already asked me twice if they are here yet.

Where do you get themed clothing for your children?

My Mission if I Choose to Accept it… Couponing

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CouponingCouponing! I talked about it in my extreme couponing post. I mentioned how my husband and I have attempted to use coupons — and how we just haven’t been very good at it. BUT, something inside of me  keeps pushing me to really give a go. It could be all the episodes of Extreme Couponing that I’ve been watching,maybe it has something to do with the fact that my Mom hands me a stack of coupons every time I see her, maybe it’s the blogs I’ve been reading, or maybe it was my friend telling me how much she saved and how she did it.

My guess is that it is a combination of all of these things. So — I have now made the decision to really try this coupon thing and see where it takes me. Now, before you all start worrying about me — I’ll just say upfront that I won’t be stock piling a bunch of stuff, or buying things I know my family and I will not be able to use within a reasonable amount of time (unless of course I plan on donating it or something). My husband has clutter-phobia!

Okay fine — maybe he’s not afraid of clutter but it drives him nuts and makes it makes him grumpy. So even if I wanted to store toilet paper under the beds, or soup in the fireplace — he would have none of it.

Let’s Get Started

After speaking with my friend – who has shared some of her couponing tips with me – I decided to see what I could do. Sunday morning, I headed to the store and bought two newspapers. I figured if I’m going to do this, I might as well make sure I had a good amount of coupons. I really wasn’t confident enough in my abilities to buy five papers — which I am told (by my mother-in-law who took a couponing class) is the amount of papers serious coupon experts purchase.

Got Coupons ~ Now What Do I do?

I spent some time comparing the coupons I had on hand (that my Mom had given me the week before) with the weekly ads. One store had double coupons. Sweet!

I was also elated to discover that there are wonderful people who do the coupon comparisons for you  — and it’s free. All you have to do is follow their blog. There are two ladies in my area – that I follow – who do this. I have “liked” their pages on Facebook and these fantastic coupon mavens post a LOT of great stuff. Not just grocery deals either. They post restaurant, department store, and internet deals as well.

If you do some research and I am sure you will find someone in your area who does this too. I would start by checking out Facebook and twitter — this will then link you directly to their blog.

An example of what I can find on my favorite coupon web sites is this:

American Beauty Pasta $1.25/$0.75
$0.55/1 Quick Cook coupon from 4/17 Smart Source (if included)
Bottom line: $0.20

She tells me the store, the coupon, and the date it was in the paper. Then she includes my most favorite part — the bottom line (how much I have to spend).

I don’t know all of the ins and outs of couponing and I don’t pretend to, but I am learning and as I do I’ll share some of my experience with you.

One thing I have learned, is that couponing people are super sweet and love to pass the savings on to others who love to save. My most recent example of this is happened when I was at the grocery store on Monday. I was feeling pretty good about myself because I found a fantastic deal on Raisin Bran Crunch cereal. I also had two coupons with doublers. As I was standing in line, the woman next to me saw that I had the coupons in my hot little hands. She ended up giving me 2 better coupons, telling me that if I bought four boxes of cereal — I would get an in-store coupon (aka Catalina) for a free milk. She even saved my place in line as I ran to get the other two boxes! THEN she made sure I had the doublers because she was going to offer me some of hers! I saved even more money, got even more cereal AND a free milk all because of her generosity. Very nice. She even apologized for all the coupons (she didn’t really have very many actually) and said that she and her husband were taking their kids to Disneyland because of the money she saves couponing. I say…sign me up! 🙂

Do you have a coupon story to share? Any tips or a favorite couponing web site?

April Best Sellers on Audible

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As mentioned in my review of Audible.com a few months ago, I have grown to become a big fan.  It’s been a great way to pass the time on long commutes to work.  I alternate between a fun book for myself and a business related book to help me stay on top of things and it’s been working out well.  I have also gotten a few great kids books that we play for the boys on long car rides.

Audible.com

I just got an email from them listing their best sellers for April and thought I would share: PopShops™ affiliate stores

Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you get them from Audible?

I am Home; Where is My Lightsaber!

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light saber

Image from DeviantArt

Last week I went on a business trip to Chicago.  I was gone for a full 7 days and the schedule and work load was absolutely brutal.  My wife travels quite a bit for work but it’s rare that I do so when I am gone for such a long stretch, the kids just freak out.  They don’t know how to deal with it.  It’s kind of odd that it’s mommy that they usually want but they deal with her being away much better than they deal with me being away.

Last year when I went away on a similar trip, I found these little plastic lightsabers that light up and brought them home as “prizes” for my two boys.  I made the mistake of using that trip as a reference point when I explained why Daddy was going away and what I was going to be doing.  I started the conversation off by telling them I was going away and saying “remember when Daddy left last year and came back with those two lightsabers?”.  Their first comment was that they remembered and those lightsabers broke because they played with them too hard.  They had sad little faces until the light bulb finally went off and they realized I was going to the same convention again this year.  Suddenly the sad little faces got happy and they started yelling that they were getting new lightsabers.  From that point on I could have told them I was going to China for 6 months, it wouldn’t have mattered, visions of lightsabers were dancing in their heads.

I created a monster!

I split up the drive out to Chicago to two days because we (me and one of my employees) weren’t able to leave until the afternoon of day 1.  At the end of  day 1, we stopped at a hotel and I called home.  First thing out of Sean’s mouth was “did you get our lightsaber yet!”.  I had created monsters!  They were more concerned with their potential prizes than they were they I had gone away.  Oh well, it was still pretty cute and once we got past that, they were genuinely excited to hear from me.

The rest of the week started off the same way but something really sweet happened half way through.  By the time day 4 rolled around, all they wanted to do was talk to me, find out what I did that day and tell me what they did.  It was really sweet and it made being away from home both easier and much more difficult.

When I finally returned home brandishing their brand new lightsabers (among other things) their first question was “Did you get us a lightsaber” and the second question was “did you get us anything else”.  Haha, oh well.  Finally by the third or fourth question they started asking me about my trip and how I was and their true excitement to see their daddy home started shining through.

Do your kids expect presents when you go on trips?

10 Ways to Save on Your Next Grocery Bill

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Save money when filling your grocery bagWe are all looking for ways to make our dollar stretch further. I shared some ways to save money at the pump a few weeks ago; today we’ll look at ways to save even more money but in a different area of your budget. Are you saving all you can on your grocery bill? Do you clip coupons, and shop sales, but still feel like there might be some other ways you could still save? I have some some tips to share that I hope will help you spend less and save more.

1. Have a snack before heading out

You can save money at the grocery store simply by eating, before you go. You are less likely to pick up items that are not on your list, or items you don’t need, if you have a full tummy!

2. See if your favorite store price matches

If you go to the grocery (or any other store for that matter) and know that an item is less expensive elsewhere, many store will honor the competitors price. This is fantastic because it saves time and fuel — so just ask!

3. Plan your meals and make a list

Okay —  this tip consists of two things, but they do go hand-in-hand. If you plan your meals in advance you will save later on. Maybe you won’t see the savings at the grocery store, but during the week you won’t be eating out, or making unnecessary trips to the store — where you’ll end up spending even more money. After you plan your meals, if you make a list and stick to it, that will also help you to remain focused on the items you do need — then you be less likely to over spend.

4. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season

We all know that fruits and veggies that are not in season usually cost a lot more and often times, they don’t taste as good as when they are in season. If you want something that isn’t in season, buying it in the freezer section is the next best option.

5. Buy in bulk — but be sure to compare prices

Sometimes buying in bulk can save you money. We actually buy pasta, rice, and spices in bulk and we save a lot of money this way. If you buy at the big club stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, be sure to compare what you are getting there with what you find at your regular store. Often times you can save money but sometimes, it can actually cost you more. Another thing you should always do is to look at the price per unit on the grocery self. This lets you know if buying the bigger bag is really the best deal. It also helps you compare prices between different brands. When buying meat you want to compare price per serving and not price per pound.

6. Go meatless a couple of times a week

If you can make a couple of meatless dishes during the week, that can help save money too. Need some yummy ideas? Delicious Vegetarian Recipes

7. Say no to drugs

Of course you should, but I’m talking drugstore items. Many times over the counter drugs, cosmetics, shampoos, etc. are more expensive at the grocery store; so do your research before buying those items.

8. Cut out soda and cut back on juice

For kids, you can water down their juice – which is better for them anyway – and it makes the juice last twice as long. Cutting back or cutting out soda is good for your budget and your health. Drink more water and if that bores you to death — put a lemon or cucumber slice in it for a tasty addition.

9. Do it yourself

Instead of buying grated cheese, sliced and peeled carrots, cookies, muffins, etc.  – if you have the time – do it yourself. It can save a lot of money in the long run.

10. Buy store brands

Store brands have come a long way. Many of them are just as good as some of the higher priced name brand products BUT some are not so proceed with caution. It’s worth a try though because you can save quite a bit if you do end up switching.

How do you save on groceries?