Frugal moms... - Page 3

[root*children]

Making a price book is the most money-saving thing we have for food.That way we only buy sale foods and some from Sams and everything in Bulk. We're also members of a community garden to get lots of produce.

[guerrillamama]

speak to me of this "price book" ... i've never heard of it before. what is it?

penelope, i'm gonna try that cash envelope idea! i am finally learning to keep track of my checking account but my cash just slips thru my fingers, i have no idea where it goes. that sounds like a good idea.

keep talkin mamas! i'm learning a lot! :

[root*children]

sheesh! I just posted this really long post explaining the price book and envelope system and it all got erased. I think I'll just post two smaller ones this time!

mamapenelope~ The only free carseats around here are from the health dept. on the reservation and they're infant size. We need a booster. I think it varies from town to town

mariag~ do you use yeast bought in bulk? That is probably one of my best bulk buys! Compare it from Walmart at 94c/oz (in the little 4oz jar) to mail co-op at 17c/oz (buy it in a 2lb bag and store in the freezer). It's also avail. from the health food store for 24c/oz.

We used the envelope system for 2 years and then decided we didn't really like it for several reasons. One, once we got good enough at being frugal, and not buying frivolous things, we had no need for it. Two, it doesn't allow for buying things in bulk that come up on a good sale. Env. system requires you to put the same amount of $$ in each envelope each week. But in the Spring, there aren't any good sales, so we hardly buy any groceries, but in the Winter, all the baking stuff goes on sale, so we need the $$ to buy 200lbs of flour, etc. and not worry that there's not enough allotted $$ in the envelope.

[root*children]

okay, that one didn't get erased, so now I'll do price books

I have a small 3-ring binder from the thrift. I bought a calculator that clicks into the rings for the front. Every food I buy has it's own page that are alphabetized. Under each food name, there are columns for: store name, brand, quantity per price, and price per each (lb, oz, etc.). I jot down the info as I go to different stores, also from the mail co-op. Even though Walmart is usually the lowest price, this allows me to search for sales that are cheaper than the Walmart price and then buy in bulk. I record even the stores that aren't the cheapest like Albertsons b/c their sales fliers usually don'tive exact prices, like, "30% off all frozen foods" or "Buy1/get1free butter". Then I can check my PB to find out what the original price is to know if the sale is a good deal or not. I take my PB to Sam's Club and BL b/c their products can vary often. Here is a page from my book:
(WM=Walmart, SB=store brand, DNF=local health food store, TCW=mail order co-op)

Raisins
WM SB 24 oz/$1.96 $1.31/lb
DNF bulk --------- $2.00/lb
TCW bulk 10 lb/$12.33 $1.23/lb
Sam's Sunmaid 72 oz/$5.26 $1.17/lb

Since I've yet to see raisins go on sale we buy them only at Sam's. As with all of our shopping, we buy enough to last until the next sale, or in this case, until our next pilgrimage to Sam's Club.
Hope that helps! If I didn't explain something well enough, please ask!

[FreeRangeMama]

I am pretty lucky because my dh works at a wholesale grocery store. He does the reducing for damaged stuff as well as stuff they usually don't carry. Plus, any slightly bruised produce gets bagged and sold for cheap. Whenever good stuff comes in he buys it

Tomorrow a thrift store is having a $5 bag sale. I think I am going to look for some knit or crochet that I can unravel for the yarn. Way cheaper than buying new yarn, and I'm recycling too

[goodcents]

Ok - not the cheapest thing but definitely cheaper plus a tax deduction to boot.

We buy museum memberships for our family for the museums we frequent. We buy the cheapest membership with no "extras" like discounts @ the museum stores or mailed newsletters.

For examplem, last year we bought a $20 yearly family membership to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Adults addmission is usually $5. Because we go so often we get in for next to nothing. Plus, we get to write off the $20 as a donation on our tax return, with the admission we can't do that!!

[mom2threenurslings]

Aaaah! Museum admissions! As a homeschooling family, we get an educator discount on museum memberships and are eligible to go to "educator days" at museums and other attractions.

Recently we went to Mystic Seaport in CT and myself, my husband, my MIL, my grandMIL and our three kids all got in for FREE and they had special programs all day. It was great! (Technically we could have gotten two more adult family members in for free because my dh and I are *both* educators).

We love to go to pick-your-own farms ... but only if the prices are right. Actually, sometimes we pay a tad bit more just so the kids can have fun picking things, but usually we can find berries, chinese eggplant, squash, and such for around the same price we'd pay at a farm stand or grocery store...sometimes cheaper. We also pick apples in the fall.

One thing I am going to do this year is call our local apple orchards and see if they'll let me collect their "drops" and sell them to me at a discounted rate. You can use drops for making applesauce, which is very much in demand in my household!

[mummamilk]

DH and I helped out at a community yard sale on Saturday. At the end we brought home anything we wanted for free. Our biggest find a swimming pool.

[root*children]

yaaay! it's yardsalin day! Too early yet, but my 10mo insists on getting up at sunrise, so here I sit, half awake
We did alot of research (and are still doing) into the local wild edibles. We've discovered oregon grapes, service berries and chokecherries growing right in our own yard. We got a neat book from the library on how to indentify and use all these wild plants.
We also found our cheapest source of apples from a flier posted at a laundromat (she only posted the flier at that store b/c she wanted to only make deliveries in their parking lot!). But come to find out that they are organic and she does bring them into town, so we just had to meet her. They were 50c a lb, but you had to buy at least 11 lb. We bought 40 lbs, and still could have used more. I made mostly apple sauce and apple butter, also fruit leathers and I sliced up some and froze the slices to use for pies and cakes
Looking forward to hearing what everyone scores today at yardsales! Hopefully I'll wake up some more and can get my rear out the door

[K&JsMaMa]

Originally Posted by dready*mama

Has everyone here read The Complete Tightwad Gazette ?
Just making sure...
I'm having trouble finding other books to read on saving money that are as good as that one. Any suggestions?

Yes, I have. A few times. Love it!!! It has some of the best ideas I've found for saving $$$$. It's hardcore.

[Boadicea]

No yardsales for us today. Kids are both sick with high fevers, vomitting, etc. Really can't imagine dragging them around town like that.

I did score at the thrift store this week, however. DH went through his summer clothes and decided that he needed some more khaki shorts. I found two pairs, one Levis and one Gap, both in PERFECT condition, at the Goodwill for a grand total of $3.50. Sometimes the Goodwill is pricey, but then again, sometimes they're great! I would have easily paid $50 for those things brand new ... or I would have if I could have brought myself to buy them brand new.

Happy bargaining to you all!

[Throkmorton]

So, what did everybody get?
This week, i tried a new area, and didn't like it. Too expensive. So I got: a cornflower blue corningware percolator: $2.50
coffee press (sensing a theme?) $2
apple peeler/corer: $1
and some other random stuff.

[aka_angelz]

i bought a PRADA skirt at goodwill for 4 bucks!then a few days l8er i saw the same one one ebay for 200(just diff color)!i asked the lady selling it how much it had cost her and she said she didnt recall but atleast 600!!!!!i got a good deal dontcha think

[phathui5]

Two things that I've finally just started doing are:

* Not taking the bank card out of the house when I go out unless I'm specifically going shopping or the car needs gas.

* Making up the menu for the coming week on Saturday, going and doing all the shopping, then staying the heck out of the grocery store until the next week.

[K&JsMaMa]

I scored big time today.

I bought a set of brand new glass jars, with brand new seals, the kind with the hingey locking thing on it....10 of them for $1.00 total.

A pair of fall jammies for joshie for .50

4 pairs of socks....3 Tommy Hilfiger and 1 gymboree for $1.00

It was a good day.

[root*children]

I finally dragged my tired self to some yardsales. I tried to go to a neighborhood one in a golf-course neighorhood, but didn't get there until 10 (it's an hour away from my house). So we hardly got anything good as they were all wiped out! But on the way there, I got some:

*webbed belts for DS - 25c
*bag full of wooden toy party favors (spinning tops, yoyos) - $1
*1 pair of flannel-lined Carhartts for DH. They were $5, but DH is excited about them, so I guess it was worth it
*a box of wooden clothes hangers - $1
*aloe plants - 50c
*Far Side book - 25c

Not too much good stuff... oh well, maybe next week...

aka_angelz ~ wow! what a score!!! ARe you going to sell it or keep it??

[Throkmorton]

$5 for a pair of Carhartts? Awesome!
Good scores all around today, even if the pickings were a little slim.

[aka_angelz]

Originally Posted by dready*mama

aka_angelz ~ wow! what a score!!! ARe you going to sell it or keep it??

i really liked it!lol.but i think i might put it up on ebayi went to the goodwill in gilroy ca.there were sum chanel pants there too-but i thought they were kinda ugly.i was soooooo suprised to see the prada skirt.lol.i had to look at it twice before i realized it was PRADA.a brand way too expensive for me,and honestly i dont see why people spend so much money on clothes!im gonna hit some more goodwills n see wut else i can find hehehe i think im addicted

[Ms.Doula]

today I found 10 TIME LIFE books on Earth, animals, Elements, ect..... (gonna use em for Home schooling) And I got em all for 2.00

I got a Brand new Snugly (New style) for 2.00!!

I got a Floppy seat ( www.floppyseat.com ) for 5.00!!!

A ROXY sweater for next winter... 1.00

a wool sweater for butt-sweater (diaper cover/soaker)...... $0.50


And yesterday... at the thrift store I got;

A Motherhood maternity nursing dress for 3.00

A pair of GAP Overalls in EC for 3.00

[aka_angelz]

i love frugal moms!they find such cool stuff!