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10 Ways I Save Money Without Coupons

June 6, 2016 By Sarah Roe Leave a Comment

10 Ways to use money without using coupons

I have 5 kids, 2 businesses and a life. I do not spend 40 hours a week clipping coupons and using them as some may think or at least used to think during the “extreme couponing” days. Chances are, you probably have a life too and don’t have a whole lot of extra time.

Believe me, I get it. I have operated this website for nearly 10 years and there were times when I had the time and there were times when I simply did not. That being said, there are plenty of ways to save money without ever clipping a single coupon. I thought I’d mention a few of those with you today.

10 Ways I Save Money Without Coupons

  1. Shop the Sales Flyer: The sales flyer is full of “loss leaders,” those are the items the store is willing to lose money on just to get you in the store. If you plan your shopping around those items, you’ll save 30-50% without every clipping a single coupon.
  2. Shop Double Flyer Days: Our Sprouts and Whole Foods both have double flyer Wednesdays. That is when last week’s sales flyer and this week’s sales flyer are both valid on the same day. That means, double the sales.
  3. Use Case Discounts: Many stores, like Sprouts and Whole Foods, offer case discounts. This means, if your item is on sale, you can buy a case of it and get 10% off too. This is a great deal if you’re looking to stock up on granola bars, rice milk, etc.
  4. Find a Local Co-op: In our city, I own a local co-op called The Produce Gathering. It’s great, you can get baskets of produce starting at $15 plus tons of local complements. The co-op’s work in such a way that the more people order, the more produce you receive. Simply google your city name and the word “co-op” or “produce co-op” next to it.
  5. Stock Up on Sale Items: With couponing, I teach people to wait for the rock bottom price, apply their coupon and stock up (not in ridiculous amounts). The same principle applies even if you don’t use a coupon, when the items hit their rock bottom price, stock up!
  6. Menu Plan: This is such a good tip but most people miss it. Plan your menu around the week’s sales then go shopping and be done with it. That means, write out every single thing you need so you don’t make another trip to the grocery store. Too many trips will equal too much spending at the end of the week because you always find more things you think you “need” when you shopping.
  7. Use Easy Money Saving & Earning Apps: Apps like ibotta, make it easy for you to earn money based on your purchases! All you have to do is download the app, decide what items you want to buy (unlocking the savings) and scan your receipt when finished. That’s it, easy way to earn real cash! I have used ibotta for a few years now and have earned back more than $400!
  8. Choose the Right Store: This is a big deal, if you’re not going to use coupons, at least visit the store with the best deals. The store might change weekly, one week Target is best and the next week Sprouts is best. It’s all about checking the sales flyers first and figuring out your best place to shop.
  9. Buy What You Will Use: Wasting food is a big money waster too. If you don’t think you’ll have time to eat it, don’t buy it especially fresh foods like produce that will go bad before you eat it. I buy tons of produce, I spend real money on it, I can’t stand it when something goes bad. Plan ahead and you’ll save yourself from throwing away money.
  10. Skip Prepared Foods: Leave the bagged salad on the shelf and make your own. This is a big deal and I know it takes time but you can save real cash too. Make your own potato salad, skip the deli sandwiches and for the love of all things, don’t stop at the bakery…as tempting as it might be.

There you have it, it is not nearly as hard as you think to save money. Start utilizing these tips and they’ll become habit, you won’t have to think twice about it. Save money &  eat healthy!

Filed Under: Financial Planning Tagged With: coupons, extreme couponing, save money

5 Easy Ways to Save Money in the New Year

January 27, 2016 By Sarah Roe Leave a Comment

5 Easy Ways to Save Money

It’s a New Year and it’s time to make a few changes, one change is easy to make. It is easy to save money! I promise, it does not take a lot of time, just a little creativity. I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite ways to save money, be sure to share with us a few of yours too!

5 Easy Ways to Save Money in the New Year

1. Discounted Gift Cards: Before you hit the grocery store, the movie theater, a restaurant or just about anywhere, visit GiftCardGranny.com and purchase a discounted gift card first! Recently, I needed to make a costly purchase at a Lowe’s store. I visited GiftCardGranny.com and purchased a gift card in the amount I needed and saved $120! That’s HUGE! I’m telling you, this is the newest way to save!

2. Comparison Shop: Most stores will match or beat their competitor price. If you’re standing in a store getting ready to make a large purchase, get on your phone and do an area check. It pays. I recently purchased a new washer and dryer and we literally scoured the internet while in the store and saved an extra 10%!

3. Shop the Sales Flyer: For grocery shopping, this is incredibly easy and no coupons are required. You’ll save 30-50% shopping the loss leaders in your local sales flyer. Plus, you’ll have to get a bit creative with what is on sale for the week. You might find some new favorites!

4. Consign Those Clothes: Get into a habit of consigning kids clothing, toys, etc. I’m a HUGE supporter of Just Between Friends, if you have a location near you, by all means, use it! Sell your items and purchase items for your kids at a fraction of the cost. It’s a great way to save money and make money all at the same time.

5. Save Money the Easy Way: If you do not have an emergency account, now is THE time to get one. Many people don’t think they can save a dime because money is so tight. That is simply not true. Check out the chart below for the 52 Week Money Challenge, in one year, you’ll have over $1,000 saved by simply following the chart below. Granted, you’re a few weeks behind but that’s not much. Take the challenge!

52 Week Money Challenge

Saving money is not nearly as hard as you might think. Many times, little changes here and there add up to major changes down the road. Take some time to think outside the box and get creative. Make a few new habits and pretty soon, you’ll be saving a ton!

Filed Under: Financial Planning Tagged With: gift card granny, save money

The 52 Week Money Challenge

December 28, 2015 By Sarah Roe Leave a Comment

This is one of our favorites around here. The 52 Week Money Challenge makes saving money easy, some of our readers have completed the challenge backwards too. Saving money takes discipline but this challenge truly makes saving money an accomplishable goal.

52 Week Money Challenge

Don’t limit it to just you, get your kiddos involved! Every child should learn how to save money!

Filed Under: Financial Planning Tagged With: financial planning, financials, save money

What It Means to Eat Healthy & Save Money

August 7, 2015 By Sarah Roe 8 Comments

About two years ago, I decided to stop the junk food. I was going through the most stressful time of my life and basically tried to eat my way through it. The result was not only weight gain but also multiple ER trips for pain that could not be explained and an insane amount of medical bills.

Once I realized what I was putting into my body was clearly making me sick, I had a lifestyle makeover. I stopped the junk, knocked out the gluten and started training 3x’s a week.

My whole life has changed for the better, I decided to put up a side by side of my media photos. The one on the left was my press picture, we used it in media and it was even on a wrap around my vehicle once. The one on the right is the new press picture taken last summer. I am about 40 pounds lighter in the picture on the right than in the left. What is amazing is my skin tone is different, my hair is healthier (yes, it’s colored, I’m referring to the shine and look overall) and even my eyes look different to me!

Eat Healthy, Save Money

I’m not on a diet, I’m not chasing a trend. I am eating the food that was made for my body. I eat healthy and I like it. I have taught people how to save money on groceries for about 9 years now,  I switched my focus after being sick to teaching people how to eat healthy and save money.

I did not just stop there, in October 2014, I bought a local produce co-op. I was actually a customer of the co-op when it went up for sale. I believe it to be the perfect way to help people save money and eat healthy, the combination of The Produce Gathering and Money Saving Queen is wonderful.

Why am I sharing this? Because I scrolled through my instagram account and found a picture I posted two years ago:

QT Hot Dog

If you live around here, you automatically recognize the QT hot dog. If you live around here and don’t recognize the QT hot dog then we can only assume you live under a rock. That being said, I posted that picture with the caption stating that I was eating one for breakfast.

Do I have an issue with hot dogs? Not really, although I don’t eat them today. Do I have an issue with QT? No way. The problem? I was eating those hot dogs daily. The problem was me.

I spent my days running kids to school, working like crazy, picking kids up and heading to wherever we needed to go to finish out the day. I picked up hot dogs, cheeseburgers and various other unhealthy items on a daily basis just so I could make it to the next place on time. It did not end well.

Now, my pictures look more like this:

Lulu's Gluten Free Salad

That’s right, I ate that and I liked it.

Is it a hot dog? No. Does it taste like a hot dog? Nope. I’ll be the first one to tell you I love QT hot dogs, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever see me eat one again. I just can’t eat like that anymore.

I’m sharing this with you today because I know many of you are on the same journey. I know many of you are walking away from processed foods and/or junk foods and are trying to eat healthy. I want to share with you today how I eat healthy and save money at the same time. It is possible, you can do it, it just takes a little determination and creativity.

1. Shop in Season: The key to saving money on produce is to buy it in season and freeze and/or can for the remainder of the year. For example, you can pick your own berries right now at local farms. The prices are amazing (sometimes free) and you can freeze them until next summer! Now is the time to try out your favorite healthy recipes while the produce is at its lowest price.

2. Join a Co-op: Yes, this is the plug but, it’s true. I own The Produce Gathering, if you don’t live around here, google for a co-op in your city. Most co-ops order in season produce and can sell it at a lower cost than a grocery store because there is no overhead. That being said, you might not be able to choose your produce for the week. Our co-op also offers complements such as local eggs, cheese, meats and all of those are at lower prices than the natural foods store.

3. Skip the Package Deals: Chop the veggies yourself, make the lasagna without the frozen box, grab the apples and not the packaged apple slices. It really is less expensive to cook for yourself once you get the hang of it and it certainly tastes better!

4. Think Outside the Box: We have already talked about co-ops but did you know many natural food stores offer coupons and case discounts? Yes, there are cases of fruits and veggies too! Talk to your store manager and find out what discounts and deals are available. Waiting for the sale then buying in bulk is a great way to save money if you have the storage space.

5. Menu Plan: Menu planning is KEY! If you plan your family menu around what is on sale this week, you’ll save 30-50% without ever clipping a coupon. If you add your coupons to the menu plan, you’ll save even more. I usually take the produce selections for the week and either google or pinterest recipes including those ingredients. It makes dinner interesting, healthy and budget friendly!

Bottomline, it is possible to eat healthy and not break the bank. I know it takes a bit more work but, it’s worth it. I’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years stocking up and using coupons but you know how much money it cost me to spend 2 months in and out of the hospital? $10,000. Yep, that’s right. I had no coupon for that.

My illness was entirely stress and food related and I’m grateful for that, I’m able to change those things. I manage my stress much better now and I completely transformed my eating habits. I want to encourage you to do the same, if I can do it, anyone can do it! 🙂

Filed Under: Financial Planning, Frugal Living Tagged With: coupons, eat healthy, frugal living, grocery shopping, organic, save money

10 Frugal Date Night Ideas

February 10, 2015 By Sarah Roe Leave a Comment

10 Frugal Date Night Ideas

Valentine’s Day is almost here, can you believe it? I know this sounds crazy but it is possible to have a fun, frugal Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank. In fact, it’s actually possible to have fun and frugal date nights on a regular basis too! The key is creativity, thinking outside of the box. Here are some fun ideas to help you have a great Valentine’s Day or a great date night on any day!

10 Frugal Date Night Ideas

1. Grab Some Skates: Find the nearest park and put on a pair of skates. Skates are actually pretty inexpensive and you’ll have them forever of course, you may want to pick up some knee pads especially if it’s been awhile.

2. Start Cooking: Make each other’s favorite meals and dessert, have fun with it. This can really be fun especially if you can make a day of it and start off with breakfast!

3. Take a Road Trip: Gas prices have made road trips affordable again! Hit Route 66 or simply travel to a few small towns, hit the antique shops and cute cafe’s. This is one of my favorite things to do, you never know what you’ll find.

4. Start a TV Series: I never, ever get to watch TV…unless it’s Downton Abbey night. I watch Downton Abbey. I love it, I can’t wait for it. But, other than that, I rarely ever watch TV at all.

5. Find a Band: Go out and find a local band, it’s pretty cheap to do and you’ll feel like you’re in your 20’s again. Unless of course, you feel like you’ve come to the age of not being able to stand loud music in which case this is not a good idea for you. I say that only because I’m not far from that age. 🙂

6. Grab the Board Games: Have a night in with some old board games and just your hubby. It’s fun either with or without the kids, if you really want to splurge, you can go pick up your favorite restaurant meals and bring them back home for your date night. That’s something we do a lot around here, grab good food to go!

7. Camping…in the yard: Yep, you can camp out in your own yard. I’m never going to do this, let me be clear, but you could certainly do it. It’s frugal, you’ll have all the camping experience and still be near a bathroom. My kids have done this in the past and it sounds fun, grab some smores and go outdoors!

8. Visit a Museum: Find a place in your own city that you haven’t been in awhile and enjoy it. This one is good for the whole family but if you can find a babysitter for the kids, visiting a museum with your spouse is a blast!

9. Walk through the Park at Night: Did you ever do this when you were young? I did! Grab your spouse and go to the park as the sun is setting, it’ll make you feel young again, I promise.

10. Play Video Games: Grab some snacks and hit the games! Let’s face it, you know you love Mario Kart. Have fun with it, get loud and start racing!

Date nights are an important part to a healthy marriage. Have fun with it and think outside the box a bit. Personally, I enjoy working out with my husband. I never in my life thought I’d say that but it’s fun and we challenge one another in a good way. Yep, that’s me with zero make-up on and I cannot tell you how much sweat was taking place right there but, it’s a blast!

10 Frugal Date Night Ideas

 

Filed Under: Frugal Living Tagged With: date night, frugal date nights, frugal living, save money

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