Do The Tighten Up

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In a time when tightening our budgetary belts seems to be the norm, I have friends ask all the time how they can develop a stockpile and still save money. Let me be the first to say that, initially, you'll spend a tinge more than you normally would. However, that does not mean that you break the bank buying 55 bottles of dish soap... I mean, unless you like the taste of dish soap and plan to double it's purpose as pancake syrup. Growing up, I had my mouth washed out so often, I was certain my mother was pulling double duty with it. :) After reading the title of this article, the ol' girl is probably dancing around her kitchen singing Tighten Up, right now. Go Mom, go Mom. :)

Financial Guy met with a couple the other day that has 5 kids. I realize it costs quite a bit, literally and figuratively, to keep a family of 7 afloat, because we are a family of 6. That said, they were convinced that spending over $1500 a month on groceries is their "bottom dollar". Seriously?? I about fell out. Unless you're raising the next NBA or NFL super-athlete and that 25-year-old man-child is still living with you, I promise that is NOT your bottom dollar!

Anybody out there just a smidge lazy? Smidge, my hiney... I'm self-admitted, full-on lazy. Growing up, my mom would hide money under the stuff on tables, so I'd pick it up & dust under it, not just around it (... note to self... start this soon so you'll actually dust again). By nature, we are inherently lazy to a degree. Not wanting to make extra stops is something retailers thrive on! If you can get your oil changed, get a bakery-style cake, and your hair cut all in the same place, you've got to be saving money because you're saving time... right?? I had someone tell me the other day how they are fed up with a certain grocery store chain's prices continuing to rise and vowed to rarely set foot in there again. So, in light of all this, how is it possible to save money?

News flash: Retailers are out to make money and if you're not paying attention, they'll take all of yours that you're willing to give up. Myth: Many people are convinced that just because a certain store might be higher on some things, they're higher on everything. Truth: I recently was in my local Publix (which people notoriously think has higher prices on everything, because --truth be told-- they ARE higher on some things) and compared the price on the a moisturizer that I had just priced the day before at Walmart. Would you believe it was actually higher at Walmart?

I have an inner geek-a-zoid. I try to keep her suppressed, but from time to time, she sneaks out and unleashes her crazy, mad shopping skeelz on the world. On items that your family purchases regularly, let your inner-geek out and track how much those items cost at various stores. For example, I know that I can purchase a 3-lb bag of frozen chicken breasts at Kroger for $6.99 most every day of the year, while at Aldi, it's $5.99. Now, will I drive across town to save that dollar, if I didn't have to? Absolutely not. I'm crazy, not stupid. I have kept a piece of paper tucked in my wallet with comparison prices of things I buy all the time. I say "have kept" because it needs to be updated. That way, when I'm in a certain store & think, "hey, this is probably a good deal", I can check my list and see if it really is or not. Now, for those of you who are all tech-savvy (not this grocery geek), I feel certain you can start a similar list on your smart phone so you don't have to carry around that paper or you can scan the bar code & there's an app that will tell you which store has the lowest price on that item... I just haven't given up tapping out prices on the stone tablets I haul around the store, yet. :)

Saving money starts with being vigilant, not lazy. It might mean an additional stop with all 95 of your young'uns, but if you do it often enough, your budget will thank you! Happy Friday and save on, friends! :)