Pennies

Today is just one of those days.  Baby C is breaking in teeth, so he's not that happy of a camper.  

They fertilized the lawn outside, so we're not supposed to go play.

It's been randomly raining, and I've already laid down and fallen asleep for a few minutes. 

SO

I decided it would be nice to write a post about saving some 'pennies'.  

We're in the situation right now where every dollar counts.  

We love anything FREE we can find. :)

So I thought I would focus today on saving money while grocery shopping.  

I have seen so many tips on pinterest on how to do this, but this is what works for our family.

#1. I always make a list.  Always.  I have a little system, but I write down the days of the week, write in the meals, and then on the flip side, I write down what I will need.  I estimate the prices of what I will need to give me a grand total.  I find it is good for me to estimate before hand, because if I go over on my paper then I need to remove some items before I head to the store.  

#2. Shop sales.  I always read the weekly ads when creating my list.  Sometimes shopping the sales means shopping at different stores.  I have time to do this right now, but I understand that some people may not.  I split my time between Smith's Marketplace and Sprout's Farmers Market.  When grapes are on sale, I get those.  When berries are on sale, I get those.  You get the picture. :)

#3: Go in the morning.  I just discovered this, and it's rocking my world.  If you go to the store early in the morning, (thanks baby C! :))  they will have just marked down their meats, some cheeses and produce.  I love this!!!  You can save so much money on meat, and get better quality than what you are used to.  

#4: Eat Clean.  I need to do better on this, but making homemade things is cheaper and HEALTHIER than buying everything store bought.  It may just be a dollar or two, but those dollars (and pennies) add up.  With this, I understand that it takes more time to do homemade versions.  Pick and choose your battles.  For example, I'm okay to make homemade pizza crusts.  I got a good recipe, and it's easy.  I have time to do that.  On the other hand, I don't know how to make homemade BBQ sauce.  So it's bought.  Pinterest, however, is giving us a wealth of information when it comes to homemade alternatives.  If we all slowly started to switch one ingredient a month, it would save a lot of money in the long run. :)

#5: Utilize the store's coupon system.  Smith's has online coupons that download onto your Smith's card.  It is so nice!!!  I just browse quickly through the coupons to see if anything is on my list.  It usually saves me two to three dollars a time, which is not a TON, but it helps me stick to my budget.  I have friends who do more coupons, which I think is great.  For me, to simplify I use the online system.  

Final thought that doesn't have to do with saving pennies :)