Monday, February 10, 2025

Is Anyone Coming Up With Someway New To Save Money On Groceries?

 Thanks to the many folks out there who have been posting their very own grocery-saving-ideas on Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, Tik Tok, Blogger and many other platforms. I think it's fantastic that everyone has banded together and is sharing their most secret tactics to saving a dime or more at the grocery store. Unfortunately, eventually, ALL ideas and suggestions become outdated and outsmarted and the time will come when we must face the reality of high food prices: pay them or go without. Oh! We can substitute but realistically, what would you rather have....a bowl of rice and beans or a nice, grilled, medium-rare, porterhouse steak??? If you're like me, I like to have a real picee of beef at least once per month. Even though I have downsized from beef once a week, I'm finding that my once-a-month trick a bit hard to fulfill. Beef prices are soaring to a point that even I can't come up with the financial maneuvers needed to ascertain a darn good cut of beef. (Note: beef stew doesn't cut a good New York strip steak. With the bone in!!!)

Up until a few scant WEEKS ago, these items went on sale and I was able to buy NY Strip steaks for $6.99 a pound (digital coupon), a porterhouse steak for only $10.99 a pound (on sale).....well, you get the idea. Look at those prices now. Those digital coupon sales are long gone and a regular sale is unheard of in current weekly sale flyers. Other than buying my own cow, I guess my steak eating days are probably over. Yes, I know I can substitute other (cheaper) cuts of meat but just allow me to immerse myself in my own pity party. 





I very rarely pay full price for most of my beef, poultry and pork products. For decades I would raid my local grocery chain on a pre-set day of the week when I knew the store manager was drastically cutting meat/poultry prices down (50% off etc) as a means of getting the product out of the store, off the shelves, making a way for new products to be displayed. Today? Everyone and his/her brother is on to that grocery shopping tip making it harder and harder for me to find any good deals.





Once I get the discounted meats/poultry home, I'd re-wrap it for the freezer and stack them away for a future cooking date. Here's a shot of my long lost steak days. Le sigh. 


Hubby and I, and I am sure, most of you, have made whatever cutbacks you had to make in order to afford grocery prices. Hubby and I, at this time, have cut out most everything non-essential from our monthly budget. No more vacations (our RV just sits in the driveway), no more outings, friends over for dinner or parties, we've rarely gone out to restaurants anyway nor do we ever eat from fast food joints. But every once in a while we used to go down to the local coffee shop and get a bunch of pancakes or omelettes......we don't do that anymore, ever! No more occasional coffee out (my fave used to be Dunkin's pumpkin spice latte. I make it at home now.) No more random shopping sprees. Most of my clothes are purchased at Goodwill (But now that Goodwill has caught on to the upswing, they have raised their prices also. So, no more Goodwill.) 

Our monthly food budget used to be between $600 to $700 a month (for two retirees). Now in retrospect, I realize how insane that was. Today, I try to get our food budget under a $550 goal. We're eating more soups and stews (just like we all are) and we're being more creative with leftovers. Almost nothing ever gets thrown away. Most of our grocery shopping is done at Aldi. We go to ShopRite solely to buy their loss leaders (nothing more!) and once a month, when I visit my daughter, we take a look through Trader Joe's and buy some snacks. Also, once a month we buy some big deals at Sam's Club. We use a credit card that gives us 3% back on all grocery hauls and restaurant runs. At the end of the year we've earned back $322 approximately in real US money. Every little bit helps.


We also have my cancer bills to pay off. Today, I got a lingering bill left over from December 2024. Looks like I am responsible for $1,549.82. I'll need to place a call to both the hospital and my insurance company. I am on a newer drug but I am hoping that's not the reason for such a hefty co-pay. Stay tuned. 


As a side note: 40% of most Americans do NOT have $400 cash saved to pay any emergency (click here for more info). Thank God hubby and I don't believe in lifestyle creep. We continue to live the same frugal way we did back in 2002 regardless of how much money either of us brings into the fold. We like to save our money rather than spend it and we have the savings set aside to pay this one bill.

Even if it will mean, no more steaks for you!!




No comments:

Post a Comment

Is Anyone Coming Up With Someway New To Save Money On Groceries?

 Thanks to the many folks out there who have been posting their very own grocery-saving-ideas on Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, Tik Tok, Bl...