| Tips To Living Cheaper--Part One | | | | hundred and fifty, you'll buy 200 and wonder |
| Live Cheaper Follow Some of these sacred truths | | | | where all the food went at the end of the week. |
| You will never make enough money. Nobody | | | | Part of the problem with supermarket shopping |
| does. The true test is to find the balance | | | | exclusively is that by mixing all those things in |
| between paying the bills and living, not to mention | | | | your cart, you really have no idea what you're |
| fun. | | | | spending. The sad thing is we really think these |
| If I need to shop in a grocery barn, remember | | | | are all our choices other than going to bulk stores |
| the products are the same. | | | | like Costco (where sadly, you can buy 20 things |
| I cannot blow all my money at a bulk store that | | | | for 200 dollars and nothing to put in your kids |
| sells in huge quantities. After two days, there isn't | | | | lunch). So what are the other choices? |
| anything to eat for breakfast, lunch or possibly | | | | Divide your money on a weekly basis into |
| dinner that you can stand eating for another day. | | | | categories of need. If there is a store that |
| I cannot get ahead by shopping for more than | | | | specializes in meat (even a local butcher shop), |
| seven days. | | | | then go to it and blow your meat money there. |
| I cannot economize by buying olives from Italy | | | | As for produce, there should be a market nearby |
| and caviar from Russia. It's impossible. | | | | but also, somewhere in a regular sized town there |
| Personal note: As a child, I was raised by two of | | | | is usually a warehouse that supplies restaurants. |
| the cheapest people you will ever meet. If they | | | | Find it, the produce will be fabulous. And there are |
| ever read this column, I will totally deny I wrote | | | | usually other small stores off the radar that have |
| this. So basically I am calling them cheap whereas | | | | hardly any choices and try so hard to get your |
| I'm saying that when push comes to shove, I | | | | business with all those sale signs every week, not |
| was taught living cheap survival skills. Very useful | | | | to mention regular low prices. Think outside of the |
| pieces of information can be learned by people | | | | box here. |
| who buy large as your head cans of tuna or from | | | | We are so conditioned in North America to |
| a woman who could make a dinner out of nothing | | | | thinking that supermarkets are our way to go but |
| at all while targeting the budget for softball, | | | | that's not the case. When in Europe, you will |
| Scouts, haircuts, school related expenses and | | | | notice that they hardly shop at supermarkets and |
| pretty much anything a person can think of. | | | | they are really marked up. The specialty shops |
| Beyond bills which are generally pretty static, set | | | | for meat and produce do a way better job and |
| a budget for the other items such as food, | | | | you see exactly where your money is going. |
| entertainment, miscellaneous. These categories | | | | Supermarkets are then one stop shopping for |
| would be things you need to both eat and have a | | | | carbohydrates and milk. That's it. Way less money |
| good time. Basically, it has to be affordable | | | | is spent when you separate it. |
| because rent doesn't change month to month nor | | | | So in the first case, splitting up your money into |
| a mortgage. Neither does energy and basic | | | | staples, meat and produce will work and no doubt |
| services. | | | | you will save money from this food budget. |
| In this article, I will tell you how some families | | | | Now, may I also recommend preserving a portion |
| seem to have it all together and why. | | | | of your money for really good specials? I'm |
| Don't budget small. Budget big. So say you decide | | | | talking about the kind of specials where you get a |
| it will cost you 1000 dollars to feed all of your | | | | free turkey with the purchase or one or buy two |
| children, you and the neighborhood. Great. Now | | | | and get a third free or oh my gosh, chicken |
| the fun begins. Yes, I said fun. | | | | nuggets for 4.99. Are they joking? The problem |
| Now 1000 dollars is a lot of money. Remember to | | | | with over buying at a special is that it reduces the |
| think cheap now. You have that in your budget | | | | amount of money you can spend on the hear and |
| now think about it. Do you really have the | | | | now as you go for the bunker mentality. Instead, |
| stomach to spend all of that wad of cash on | | | | set aside money every week to clean up on a |
| something that essentially passes through you? | | | | special. |
| Wouldn't you rather somehow like to sweat a | | | | As for the supermarkets, remember that if you |
| fiver out to maybe go get a sub? Wouldn't you | | | | go to the one that is wonderful looking, you are |
| like to have a spontaneous Wendy's night or | | | | paying for that extra space and probably the |
| whatever other kind of food you want? Wouldn't | | | | venting to smell the bread and shrimp from |
| you like to go over to your local dance school and | | | | anywhere in the store. |
| take a whole semester of dance? Good grief, | | | | As for the one in the middle, it can be a more |
| anything would be better than spending all 1000 | | | | pleasant shopping experience and offer great |
| dollars on food and probably diapers and toilet | | | | deals. |
| paper. | | | | As for the one I mentioned as the poor option, |
| So then, the game begins. There are literally | | | | probably lots of people shop there and there is no |
| hundreds of dollars between all competing | | | | shame but usually the produce is terrible and not |
| supermarkets. There is one where the rich people | | | | very nutritious. Be aware of any short comings |
| shop. There is one where the middle shop and | | | | and keep in mind you will think everything is cheap |
| there is one where the poor shop. The first one | | | | and often things will not be. |
| looks great with high ceilings and food galore. | | | | When you actually go to the supermarket, make |
| Some of it is even shipped in from other | | | | sure the money is on you in cash. Keep your |
| countries. Who wouldn't want to shop there? | | | | bank cards at home. There is no reason to |
| Great option if you're looking to be in debt on | | | | exceed what you've given yourself to spend. |
| groceries alone. The second one will have aisles | | | | Another way to beat your budget is to shop in |
| that are closer together naturally, less lighting, | | | | meals. |
| ceilings that are closer to the aisles but still nice | | | | First, shop for the dinners, making sure you have |
| flooring and a pleasant atmosphere. In this store, | | | | enough meals for seven days (I'm referring to |
| you will find a balance. Here you will be able to | | | | weekly shopping as planning for fourteen days is |
| pick up sales but perhaps not get everything as in | | | | a bit tough.) |
| the first store and as its not upmarket you can | | | | Second, shop for breakfast food, making sure |
| survive by shopping here. Then, there is the poor | | | | again that you have variety for seven days of |
| store. It looks a lot like a barn. Ceilings are low. | | | | breakfasts. |
| They never finished the flooring. You feel like | | | | Then, lunch. Remember that you don't have to |
| some down and out person when you shop there. | | | | spend as much on lunch if you don't want to. You |
| As for aisles that are close together, this kind of | | | | can plan ahead and buy packages of things and |
| store is an expert. Worse yet, the produce is | | | | split them up or buy bottles of applesauce and |
| lousy since they import it from other super | | | | smaller containers. In terms of meals, lunch is the |
| markets that don't want it anymore. As they are | | | | easiest one to lighten up on. |
| marketing to the people without SUV's, naturally | | | | Also, try to keep about money for unmistakable |
| you will think that everything there is a great deal | | | | necessities such as shaving cream or toilet paper. |
| and probably overbuy. Rather than spending one | | | | |