Living by a budget

[tobee43]

I'm a big believer in Guerrilla Grocery Shopping (GGS).

The goal of a GGS trip is to save a pre-determined percentage on the entire order, using coupons, loyalty cards, or whatever other method you like. A raw recruit's goal might be 15 percent. A seasoned enlisted person, maybe 25 percent. A commanding officer, 40 percent. (If you ever break 50 percent, come visit me and I'll buy you dinner and a drink.)

GGS begins with conditioning, like any successful military campaign. Watching "Rambo" immediately before shopping is highly recommended. Listening to Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries in the car on the way to the supermarket also helps, especially if it is timed so you reach the majestic climax just as you are pulling into the supermarket parking space.

Then march into the supermarket with a military bearing, grab a cart, and shop for discounts. Never forget that the supermarket is your sworn enemy: Everything they sell is overpriced, and paying the full price for anything is like being wounded in battle. To the best of your sworn ability as a Shopping Soldier, refuse to pay full price for ANYTHING, even if it means doing without that product for several weeks.

Whenever you see something that is on sale or for which you have a coupon, calculate the percentage of the discount. If it is more than your savings goal, great! If less, then consider other options, or balance the purchase with another whose discount is more than your savings goal.

If a sale item is out of stock, demand a raincheck or an alternate item. If they refuse, then leave the cart in the supermarket, walk out, and never go back there. In any war, retreat is sometimes an essential stage in the path to victory.

When checking out, watch the cashier like a hawk. They're sneaky, those cashiers, with their rigged scanners. If something that is on sale rings at full price, immediately stop the cashier and point it out. If he or she won't fix it, then demand a manager. If they deny you a manager, then leave your order on the conveyor and walk out of the store.

Remember always: The supermarket is your sworn enemy! Everything they sell is overpriced, and paying full price is a wound that, to a Shopping Soldier, is not a medal of honor but a badge of shame, because it is a self-inflicted one. So to the best of your ability, never, ever, ever pay full price for anything; and if you have no choice, make sure to purchase enough deeply-discounted stuff to balance out that purchase, so your final cost for the trip still comes in within your Savings Goal.

Finally, don't stay a recruit forever. Once you are consistently meeting your Savings Goals, it's time to promote yourself. Raise your goals as you gain skill in the arts of Grocery Warfare. (I'm presently saving at least 40 percent on every trip.) If you consistently apply yourself and have the discipline and courage needed to withstand the temptation to buy non-sale items, then some day you may attain the exalted goal of saving 50 percent or more on a shopping trip -- the Guerrilla Grocery Shopping equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Good luck, soldier. Now go out there and fight: For God, Country, and Discounts!

-Rich

LOL!!!!!! you are too funny!!!

i do know many times you must do the figuring whether it's worth it or not...

thanks for the info on ggs site...i'm going to research it to get the website address.

i do know when we go out to get a "few" things at the store...my dh is armed with a suitcase of coupons...which i promptly advised him to leave home and we are NOT doing that type of shopping today....but if its on "sale"....well, no, not even if it's on sale since it's NOT in the budget!

but then if something i want....like gain detergent is on sale...i'm running out asap to grab what i can!!

still cracked me up rich...you're sooooooo right the supermarket is YOUR enemy...stay out of the isles!!

[RichM]

LOL!!!!!! you are too funny!!!

i do know many times you must do the figuring whether it's worth it or not...

thanks for the info on ggs site...i'm going to research it to get the website address.

i do know when we go out to get a "few" things at the store...my dh is armed with a suitcase of coupons...which i promptly advised him to leave home and we are NOT doing that type of shopping today....but if its on "sale"....well, no, not even if it's on sale since it's NOT in the budget!

but then if something i want....like gain detergent is on sale...i'm running out asap to grab what i can!!

still cracked me up rich...you're sooooooo right the supermarket is YOUR enemy...stay out of the isles!!

Thanks. I do tend to take ideas and run with them, sometimes out of bounds, which is where the fun begins.

Actually, I'm not sure there is a Guerrilla Grocery Shopping site. I've thought about building one, and I actually have an idea congealing in my head for a PHP script that would let people post notices of sales "on the fly" from their mobile phones for instant dissemination to the masses of Shopping Soldiers. But there are details, like spam prevention and whether or not I should require registration, that I have to work out first.

-Rich

[sophia]

I don't have much to ad to all the great suggestions except this.

What has helped me stick to our budget is learning to say no to my husband and sticking to my answer. He can beg like a dog for something he wants to buy and if it is not in our budget I do not budge and give in to him.
: )

[tobee43]

Thanks. I do tend to take ideas and run with them, sometimes out of bounds, which is where the fun begins.

Actually, I'm not sure there is a Guerrilla Grocery Shopping site. I've thought about building one, and I actually have an idea congealing in my head for a PHP script that would let people post notices of sales "on the fly" from their mobile phones for instant dissemination to the masses of Shopping Soldiers. But there are details, like spam prevention and whether or not I should require registration, that I have to work out first.

-Rich

sounds like a creative business track to me there rich!!!!

nowadays, especially, so many would benefits from it....really!! i know i get spam coupons, it would really nice to get a "real" email or text ....

[momofthree]

I don't have much to ad to all the great suggestions except this.

What has helped me stick to our budget is learning to say no to my husband and sticking to my answer. He can beg like a dog for something he wants to buy and if it is not in our budget I do not budge and give in to him.
: )

I learned a LONG time ago that I have to leave my dh home. I can't even send him to the store to buy 1 thing because he'll come home with a tiny bag of groceries that somehow cost $40, lol.

Rich, you crack me up. Oh, and you owe me dinner, lol. I save my receipts every month and then tally up my savings and I average around 60% overall. Since we are on a specialized diet though (no gluten, no dairy), our health food store trips save us $0, so I have to counteract that at the regular grocery store and drug stores, where my savings are closer to 70%-90%.

[tobee43]

I learned a LONG time ago that I have to leave my dh home. I can't even send him to the store to buy 1 thing because he'll come home with a tiny bag of groceries that somehow cost $40, lol.

Rich, you crack me up. Oh, and you owe me dinner, lol. I save my receipts every month and then tally up my savings and I average around 60% overall. Since we are on a specialized diet though (no gluten, no dairy), our health food store trips save us $0, so I have to counteract that at the regular grocery store and drug stores, where my savings are closer to 70%-90%.

momo...that's too funny...we have husbands cut from the same mold i guess!! although, i must say mine is quite good with attempting to "save"as he shops.
and, i see you mentioned you are on a special no gluten, no dairy diet) sooooooo triple kudo's and hats off to you!! since those two being eliminated from your shopping list ADDS expenses...always easy to scramble an egg and have a piece of gluten filled bread for a quick dinner which YOU can't do to cut costs...i have enough problems in the area we live in just eating healthy...since moving to the south....high fats, tons of white floured products....that's many times what's on sale...we can't touch that stuff so we don't eat dinner anymore...a larger lunch with whatever the outdoor market veggie specials were...and for dinner just light snacks of fruits, veggies and whatever is left in the frig.

would LOVE to see a dinner menu at your house!! (just to get some good ideas!)

[HHM]

We need to be careful about how we bench mark the savings. I can't claim to be a hard core coupon'er, but often times, there is an alternative item that can be purchased that is cheaper than buying the name brand item with a coupon.

For example, if the retail value of my grocery bill is $110, and with coupons I save $50 (a 45% savings and net cost of $60), whereas if I bought different items, bought in bulks, made a life style change, or bought a cheaper alternative and would have spent $50 gross with no coupons, then I am better off. Or the more realistic scenario, buying in bulk with no coupons so the cost per unit is cheaper than buying smaller quantities with coupons.

In any event, something to think about. Which I am sure you have, just wanted to point out the potential pitfalls.

[RichM]

We need to be careful about how we bench mark the savings. I can't claim to be a hard core coupon'er, but often times, there is an alternative item that can be purchased that is cheaper than buying the name brand item with a coupon.

For example, if the retail value of my grocery bill is $110, and with coupons I save $50 (a 45% savings and net cost of $60), whereas if I bought different items, bought in bulks, made a life style change, or bought a cheaper alternative and would have spent $50 gross with no coupons, then I am better off. Or the more realistic scenario, buying in bulk with no coupons so the cost per unit is cheaper than buying smaller quantities with coupons.

In any event, something to think about. Which I am sure you have, just wanted to point out the potential pitfalls.

Ah yes, the unit pricing! My apologies for not mentioning that. A good Shopping Soldier always checks the unit price, as well as other alternative items that may actually be less expensive that the sale items.

Alternative items can also be a bargain, as well as sometimes opening our eyes to something that we like better than what we had planned to buy.

I must admit, I have come to look at grocery shopping as a battle, although my tongue was in my cheek for some of my post. But the fact is that the store wants you to pay the most money for the least stuff, whereas the shopper wants to pay the least money for the most stuff. So what I said about the shopper and the store being enemies, though presented in a humorous way, is actually pretty true.

-Rich

[RichM]

momo...that's too funny...we have husbands cut from the same mold i guess!! although, i must say mine is quite good with attempting to "save"as he shops.
and, i see you mentioned you are on a special no gluten, no dairy diet) sooooooo triple kudo's and hats off to you!! since those two being eliminated from your shopping list ADDS expenses...always easy to scramble an egg and have a piece of gluten filled bread for a quick dinner which YOU can't do to cut costs...i have enough problems in the area we live in just eating healthy...since moving to the south....high fats, tons of white floured products....that's many times what's on sale...we can't touch that stuff so we don't eat dinner anymore...a larger lunch with whatever the outdoor market veggie specials were...and for dinner just light snacks of fruits, veggies and whatever is left in the frig.

would LOVE to see a dinner menu at your house!! (just to get some good ideas!)

I may take you up on that. I'm doing Atkins, so we can probably come up with some vittles that meet the needs of all concerned. I'll type out a few recipes when I have a few minutes.

-Rich

[tobee43]

I may take you up on that. I'm doing Atkins, so we can probably come up with some vittles that meet the needs of all concerned. I'll type out a few recipes when I have a few minutes.

-Rich

rich...my hubby was on atkins for over 2 years...(lost 50 pounds by the by).....but it was actually rather expensive...because of the "meat"....also...just another comment our personal doctor of over 22 years LOVED that diet!!! ( i gained...LOL!! just MY luck!)...i need less fat...less calories...MORE complex... carbs...

[junquemayle]

The problem with programs like Microsoft Money, etc.. is that they are good for reconciling and seeing the past, but not too good for actual budgeting and planning.

I have been using Mint.com and Yodlee.com, which each have nice budgeting tools that let you set a budget and track monthly spending automatically. I check them everyday, and find them to be very useful. However, I was looking for a tool that also helped me plan, and I found an online calendar site (PocketSmith.com) that has forecast calendars. For example, you can configure it to say that you get paid $$ every other Friday, have a monthly mortgage bill, and need a certain amount weekly. When you view the calendar, you can see what is due and what your projected bank balance will be on any give day in the future. If you put all of your budgeted items in, you'll know that your quarterly water bill is coming due in 3 weeks, etc. The free version only allows 8 forecasts. The paid version is $5/month. I've been using the free version, and grouping expenses together. For example, I have Food/Gas/HC/Clothing/Pets as a single item that occurs bi-weekly - with my paycheck. By looking at the calendar, I can see that I will only have $253 in my checking account on Thursday, but Friday is pay day, and I will have access to x$ for Food/Gas/HC/Clothing/Pets. It's worth looking at.

[pavlikclan]

Yes we FREQUENTLY by store brand and we also at least once sometimes twice a year buy in bulk. Not a little bit of bulk I'm talking we go out when we get our taxes each year and spend around 2k on groceries. We check online prices and make a plan of attack but have not used coupons before this year so we will start doing that as well. Obviously sams and the like won't take them (to my knowledge) but they will be good on the stuff we buy from the regular grocery store and I have a good month to start looking for them.

[momofthree]

I'm all for buying generic items when they're cheaper. I've found that the name-brand items are normally a fraction of the cost of generic when they go on sale, and I combine that with a rebate and/or a coupon. Why buy generic ibuprofen when the store will pay me to take home Motrin???

Tobee, we eat a ton of homemade soups (corn chowder, minestrone (without noodles, lol), potato, onion, chicken/veggie, etc.). Also, corn doesn't contain gluten, so we can eat many different mexican foods like enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, etc. We just use goat cheese (sooo delicious, but pricey) sparingly rather than regular cheese. Things like stuffed peppers, shepherd's pie, chinese stir-fry are favorites around here. And, of course we have kids so we have to throw in chicken drumsticks or hamburger nights every once in a while, with gluten-free buns. I also buy gluten-free noodles by the case off of Amazon so that we can have spaghetti every once in a while (my homemade sauce is to die for!). I also tend to eat at least one fresh salad every day. LOVE salads. And my kids are good at snacking on things like carrot sticks & sliced apples...

We eat a lot of fresh fruits & veggies. We're lucky we live in a largely agricultural area, so it's not too expensive to do as long as I stick to buying whatever is in season (and therefore least expensive).

What I wouldn't give for a huge loaf of garlic bread and a big hunk of cheddar cheese every once in a while though. I miss that gluten-y goodness!

[tobee43]

momofthree
What I wouldn't give for a huge loaf of garlic bread and a big hunk of cheddar cheese every once in a while though. I miss that gluten-y goodness!

you aren't missing much!! promise!!

you wouldn't like to share a corn chowder recipe...by chance???? that sounds wonderful

...uhn...i cook with corn meal...LOVE corn pudding...(aka indian pudding)...or sometimes just with eggs and cream... which you can't have ahhhhhhhhhhh....

i'm sure your homemade sauce is wondrous as well....i'm married to an Italian...i really didn't understand it was a pre rec to the marriage vows but apparently, it was very important and one MUST know how to make and produce "sauce" much like babies...LOL!!! (where i was born and raised Italian only meant a few extra vowels in your name)...so, i had no idea it meant serious red stuff here! ;)

[momofthree]

Here's the corn chowder recipe I use, I add in garlic (because I add garlic to everything, lmao), and a bit of celery, and omit the shrimp. I also have to use a cream substitute, I'm sure it's even better with the real thing.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001985856

I get a lot of recipes from All You Magazine.