tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post7504362042549271394..comments2024-03-08T02:11:48.990-07:00Comments on Moms In Need of Mercy: Sale Ads and Coupons: Financial Burden or Blessing?Moms In Need Of Mercyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00378782100273197226noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-24153616111532982862012-01-31T14:13:47.364-07:002012-01-31T14:13:47.364-07:00Do you have a patio? My Nana and Aunt have used pl...Do you have a patio? My Nana and Aunt have used planter boxes and large flower pots to plant lettuce onions, carrots, radishes, peas and beans. Im sure you could also do squash in a large pot. Just a thought :) and potatoes. If you grow butter lettuce you can cut it and it will just keep growing.Kandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08508724908627895804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-73895178396046367342010-02-09T08:51:11.659-07:002010-02-09T08:51:11.659-07:00Just jumping in here about the hamburger buns: I s...Just jumping in here about the hamburger buns: I save my bread heels in the freezer and then use those for sloppy joes. I don't think my family would tolerate them for hamburgers, but they will for sloppy joes and creamed chicken and other meals like that. Great subject, btw!Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04243341126883581595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-39066005923351539822009-11-15T21:50:06.337-07:002009-11-15T21:50:06.337-07:00Gretchen, that's funny what you said about cou...Gretchen, that's funny what you said about coupons :)<br />Good idea about the hamburger buns! I was thinking of making sloppy joes this week but don't have buns. I, too, should just try to make up the dough in my bread machine. It can't be that hard, right?! Plus, it probably won't take much longer than a trip to the store with three little boys just for a package of buns!Moms In Need Of Mercyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00378782100273197226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-24039953120597263342009-11-15T19:52:19.344-07:002009-11-15T19:52:19.344-07:00I love this article as well. I always have a love...I love this article as well. I always have a love/hate relationship with coupons. I mostly hate them. I try now to just buy staple items in bulk and make as manyt hings as I can from scratch. For instance today my husband wanted hamburgers. We had maburger in the freezer but no buns. Well, I had flour and everything else to make buns so I just whipped up the dough in my breadmaker. I would much rather "shop" this way than to buy a bunch of stuff because it is on sale and I have a coupon. This is just my preference. I know couponing works for many people but it drives me crazy!Gretchenhttp://extraordinaryordinarylife.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-30660422184215681272009-11-06T17:16:08.378-07:002009-11-06T17:16:08.378-07:00I have often wondered this very thing. I do use co...I have often wondered this very thing. I do use coupons and I especially like to take advantage of triple coupon and super coupon sales. I think if I stopped using coupons completely, I would still spend more money in the long run, because there are many items - even staples - that I only buy when they're on sale and I have a coupon, and if I had to pay full price all the time, I'd waste a lot of money. <br /><br />Having said that, if I focused strictly on couponing and loss-leader shopping, I would end up spending money on stuff I 1.) don't really want and 2. ) definitely don't need. Even if it's only $0.50, it's still money. This is something I'm really trying to work on: buying only the deals for food that I really want my family to eat. <br /><br />Which brings me to another dilemma, which is that I also want my family to eat healthy, nourishing food. A lot of what is super cheap is highly processed packaged and frozen food. In the long run, I think it's cheaper and so much healthier to make everything from scratch. That sort of stuff (for example, salad dressing), I only buy when I can get it practically free. <br /><br />I think the most successful grocery budgeting comes when you combine multiple strategies:<br /><br />1. buying only what you need and will actually use<br />2. finding deals apart from coupons and sales (i.e., bulk warehouse stores, food outlets, etc.)<br />3. researching your area and determining who has the best price on what, so when you can't get it on sale, you're still paying the lowest price.<br />4. make as much as you can from scratch<br />5. grow your own food (wish I could do this, but I live in an apartment)<br />6. doing without anything that is not essential<br />7. stockpile wiselyAnnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483353796804487382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-68082571033584889222009-11-06T09:45:22.220-07:002009-11-06T09:45:22.220-07:00I find that I do often get caught up in the great ...I find that I do often get caught up in the great deal/must stockpile mentality, when I find that I save the most by only buying what I actually need for meals for the current timeframe for which I'm shopping. Thanks for such a great post!Traceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03901952910404523187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-90163492664785908892009-11-06T09:45:05.880-07:002009-11-06T09:45:05.880-07:00Hi Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your reflections! ...Hi Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your reflections! I think I, too, am coming to the realization that I will save more if I also pass up all but the best sales. You're right--getting to that point (and then adjusting to how strange it feels to ignore sale prices!) does take a lot of getting used to. Glad you were encouraged! :)Moms In Need Of Mercyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00378782100273197226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-7044519937197460402009-11-06T09:39:54.321-07:002009-11-06T09:39:54.321-07:00I needed to read this today, thanks for sharing. ...I needed to read this today, thanks for sharing. I am trying to change my mindset about grocery shopping. I have limited myself to $50 a week and am stretching it as far as I can - which means passing up all but the best sales and only stocking up a little, not a lot. It is taking some getting used to and this post is encouraging, thanks!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16958981528207127681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-84688685851413204212009-11-06T08:25:01.910-07:002009-11-06T08:25:01.910-07:00Hi Sarah, YES!! Your experience about spending mor...Hi Sarah, YES!! Your experience about spending more in the long run rather than just sticking to the basics is exactly what I think I am finding too! Even though we would probably pay full price for the staples we need, our bills will come down in the long run because we are not buying other "advertised values." <br />I wrote another similar post here about grocery budgets in general: http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2009/09/grocery-shopping-save-or-spend.html<br />I will be sure to stop by your festival! What day is it going to be?<br /><br />Brooklyn--great point. Not only do we save money by stockpiling at rock-bottom prices, we would have items on hand to eat for a time if need be.Moms In Need Of Mercyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00378782100273197226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-44000872049939863202009-11-06T08:19:29.322-07:002009-11-06T08:19:29.322-07:00Sarah,
I shop the outskirts of the stores, too. B...Sarah,<br /><br />I shop the outskirts of the stores, too. By watching the loss leaders on meat, produce, and eggs, you can save a lot.<br /><br />Like you, I use coupons for tolietries (and baby supplies, like Desitin). I buy most other things (pasta, oats, flour, beans, oil, etc.) in bulk.The Prudent Homemakerhttp://www.theprudenthommaker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-2910168257469014462009-11-06T06:57:05.919-07:002009-11-06T06:57:05.919-07:00Great post!!! I think most people are trying to lo...Great post!!! I think most people are trying to lower there grocery bills today.<br /><br />If we all start stockpiling now we can be ready if something goes wrong. A lot of times we don't even get notice that something is coming.Brooklynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03607080276218749749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7173567909624774356.post-71206142706748527942009-11-05T22:10:36.244-07:002009-11-05T22:10:36.244-07:00Interesting post. I tried to do the couponing thi...Interesting post. I tried to do the couponing thing for a while, but found that I rarely bought the items I could find coupons for and, if I did buy them, to correlate them with one of the "big sales' like you mention above, it meant that I ended up buying other items we don't normally eat nor need. I'd end up with six boxes of $1/box pasta for eight months, because we don't eat pasta that much. It was annoying. I also tried to do the CVS thing but seemed like I was always spending more than if I bought when I actually needed it. <br /><br />sigh.<br /><br />I've found, now, that I tend to shop the outskirts of the store, the produce, dairy and meat sections. I make most of our own baked goods and that's about it. I rarely, rarely find coupons for what we buy and eat so I've simply stopped focusing on it (and, in turn, our budgets have gone down! :) If I do use coupons, it tends to be for non-food items like shampoo or dish soap.<br /><br />I'm not of the mindset that a really reduced grocery budget is ideal, in fact, I'd rather reduce other areas and spend more on nutritious food for my family as I feel that the more nutritious food we eat the lower our medical bills will be over time, but it is important not to overspend and to focus on staying within one's own budget.<br /><br />Great post and very thought provoking!<br /><br />Best,<br />Sarah<br /><br />PS - I'm hosting my (first ever! :) blog carnival next week on slow cooker recipes . . . sure to be some frugal recipes and I'd love for you to join u!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04904001311262731237noreply@blogger.com