Coupons + Sales + Minimal Effort = Family Vacay

It's difficult to see the long-term effect of saving money at the grocery store. Here are a few different scenarios to show you what a HUGE difference your savings can make:

#1. A single adult

Grocery Budget: $150/month

Dining out Budget: $75/month

If you just saved 20% on your groceries per month and used discounted gift certificates from restaurant.com or other types of coupons when dining out, you could save $30/month on groceries and $30/month when dining out. That's $60/month x 12 months per year. 

That's $720 per year!!!

Now imagine that you get your grocery savings up to 30%. That's $45/month savings on groceries, and $30/month on dining out. That's $75/month x 12 months per year. 

That's $900 per year!!!

#2. A married couple

Grocery Budget: $250/month

Dining out Budget: $150/month

If you just saved 20% on your groceries per month and used discounted gift certificates from restaurant.com or other types of coupons when dining out, you could save $50/month on groceries and $60/month when dining out. That's $110/month x 12 months per year. 

That's $1,320 per year!!!

Now imagine that you get your grocery savings up to 30%. That's $75/month savings on groceries, and $60/month on dining out. That's $135/month x 12 months per year. 

That's $1,620 per year!!!

$3. Family of 4

Grocery Budget: $500/month

Dining out Budget: $300/month

If you just saved 20% on your groceries per month and used discounted gift certificates from restaurant.com or other types of coupons when dining out, you could save $100/month on groceries and $120/month when dining out. That's $220/month x 12 months per year. 

That's $2,640 per year!!!

Now imagine that you get your grocery savings up to 30%. That's $150/month savings on groceries, and $120/month on dining out. That's $270/month x 12 months per year. 

That's $3,240 per year!!!

Get your grocery savings up to 35-45% and the savings will go up even more. This is serious cash, people!!

$3,300... that's a family vacation!! 

This is equivalent to additional income. 

To go one step further,
saving $1,000 over the course of the year on groceries is like making an additional $1,250 at work.
Due to taxes, you would have to earn $1,250 to bring home $1,000.

 See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

Tips on Buying Meat and Fish

Buying meat and fish can be very expensive. 

Here are some useful tips to help you save some money and not have to change your diet:

Buy meat and fish when they are on sale and freeze customized portions in individual freezer bags. Take the bag out of the freezer a few hours before you need to cook it. Meat will last in the freezer for upwards of a few months.

 Buy a filet roast and have the butcher cut it into steaks for you. It will be less expensive than buying the pre-cut filets.  

Always look for the package with the longest expiration date to make sure that you are buying the freshest meat that will last the longest. 

Buy top-sirloin on sale and have the butcher grind it into fresh hamburger meat for you. You must buy about 6 lbs. but you will get the best quality meat. Again, freeze into individual bags.

Be familiar with the price range of the meat/fish that you prefer.

Some good prices that we have found are:

• Extra lean hamburger for $1.88/lb (higher fat content will be less expensive)
• Bone-in chicken breast for $.99/lb
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.97/lb 
• Filet mignon for $7.99/lb 
• Salmon for $6.99/lb

When you see these prices, buy enough to last you for a few months and freeze it. 

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

Name Brand vs. Store Brand

Are you afraid to buy the store brand products at the grocery store?

Don't be scared, store brand products are regulated by the FDA! It's not the rejected stuff!!

We have discovered that many store brand products taste just as good and work as well as the name brand.

A few products that we have found of equal quality to name brands are:

butter

sugar
flour

bottled water

popcorn

cheese

juice

eggs

milk

hand soap/dish soap

dishwasher detergent

trash bags

frozen vegetables and fruits

canned foods

pasta

nuts

 Don't stray from products that have a distinct flavor. Sometimes it's not worth buying the store brand if that's not what you like. You might have to experiment a little bit to find which products are worth it to you.

Erin Schwendemann from lifehacker.com posted this article:

"If you're particular about the tartness of A1 Steak Sauce or the exact flavor of Miracle Whip, generic options may not be right for you. Store brands that emphasize value may contain cheaper ingredients, and even when national brands manufacture a different type of product to be sold as a store brand, they make it to the store's own specifications, which could mean a change in ingredients, Consumer Reports says."

What she means is that sometimes the flavor of the store brand and the name brand will slightly differ, but you will find quickly what can and can't be replicated. 

 Remember, sometimes the brand name can be cheaper if it is on sale and if you have a coupon.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

Examples of sale + a coupon

As you know, I saved 44% at the grocery store last week. Had a total of $20.40 of on sale savings and $7.00 in coupon savings.

Instead of writing about each thing I bought, I am going to show you examples of what we mean by "on sale + a coupon," which is our favorite thing in the whole world.

Fiber One Bars- Apple Streusel, reg. $3.50, were on sale for $1.74, plus I had a coupon for $.50 off 2 boxes (doubled to $1 off 2 boxes) so I got each box for $1.24.

Progresso Chicken Broth- Reg. $2.79, on sale for 2/$5 and I had a coupon for $1 off, so I got it for $1.50.

Langers Juice- Reg. $3.99, on sale for 3/$5, and I had 2 coupons. The first was $1 off 1 bottle and the other was $1 off 2 bottles. I got each bottle for $1.

Welch's Essentials Grape Juice- Reg. $3.49, on sale for $2.99 and I had 2 coupons each for $1 off 1. I got each bottle for $1.99. I knew that this was a new product which means that it will go on sale a lot at the beginning. I was very patient and kept checking out when would be the best time to use my coupons. It paid off!

 Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter- Reg. $2.69, on sale for 2/$5 and I had a coupon for $.50 off 1 (which was doubled). I got the jar for $1.50.

Palmolive Soap- Reg. $3.99, Super Saver Coupon Price of $1.99, plus I had a coupon for $.40 off 1 (which was doubled to $.80). I got the dish soap for $1.19.

Milk was on sale for $.99 for 1 gallon. I didn't have a coupon for this, but I just wanted to remind everyone to always buy the gallon with the latest expiration date to ensure that you are getting the freshest milk that will last the longest. 

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

Chegg.com

Chegg. That's a funny word.

Chegg.com is an up-and-coming website where you can rent your college textbooks. It is currently the #1 textbook rental service.

It is really easy to sign up and find the books that you need. 

You can rent them for the whole semester and extend the length if needed.You can also buy the text book at the end if you want to.

The book comes with post-it notes and Chegg also plants a tree with each order!

The cheapest shipping is $4.99 to get your book in 4-7 days. The best thing though is that you can print out your return label and use the same box that the book came in and send the book back through UPS for FREE!

 

Chegg.com also has a 30-day "Any Reason" Guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the book, if you drop your class, or if you just don't end up needing the book you can return it within 30 days for a full refund minus the cost of shipping.

Chegg is a great way to go green and also save some green. The rental prices are very reasonable. It is a great idea to rent books, especially if you need an older edition because you might not be able to sell it back at the end of the semester. You don't need to worry about that with Chegg.

Another feature of Chegg is that you can sell them your used textbooks.

Go and explore the site and see for yourself just how easy it is.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

Sorry, I'll have to take a raincheck...

I went to the grocery store this evening. I saved 44%. More to post on that later...

More importantly, I got my first raincheck!

"What is a raincheck," you ask??

Well, Tom Thumb had a super saver coupon for Charmin Bath Tissue of Bounty Paper Towels for $11.88, Regularly $15.99. Plus, I also have a coupon for $.25 off one Charmin product. (This will be multiplied.)

So I get to the toilet paper/paper towel aisle at the store, and there he is. An old man grabbing the last package off the shelf. What could I do? I couldn't fight him for it!!

When I got to the check-out counter, I simply told the cashier that they were out of the product that was advertised and he told me to go to customer service for a "raincheck." It took me a total of 30 seconds and now I can go back within the next 90 days and get Charmin Bath Tissue for $11.88!!!

(This isn't my raincheck, but mine looks exactly like it!!)

Just because the store ran out of the product doesn't mean that you cannot still get the deal. That wouldn't be very fair. Grocery stores offer rainchecks so that you will continue to do your shopping with them. I know I'll be back!

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren

How many do you need to buy??

Reading all the price tags at the grocery store can get confusing. 

Sometimes there's just a price, sometimes it's" 2/$5" sometimes it's "By 1 for $2.49, Buy 4 for $1.49 each," sometimes it's "Buy 2, Get 1 free," sometimes it's "New Low Price!"

What does this all mean???

First of all, at most grocery stores, you can't get the reduced price unless you have a Rewards Card. It is free to sign up and you don't have to carry around all your reward cards. Every grocery store lets you enter your phone number!

If it says "2/$5," you can actually just buy 1 for $2.50. Same with the 10/$10 deals. You can buy as many as you want for $1 each!! It is a marketing strategy for the stores to trick you into thinking you must buy more than you actually need.

"By 1 for $2.49, Buy 4 for $1.49 each," means that if you want 1,2, or 3, each one will cost you $2.49. If you buy 4 or more you get them at an even lower price of $1.49 each. 

On non-perishables, this is a great time to stock up, especially if you have a coupon. :)

"Buy 2, Get 1 free," means that for every 2 that you buy, you get one free. Easy.

"New Low Price!" is such a disappointment. It's just advertising that the store has reduced the price for good. It will stay this way for a long time. It is not just a special deal that only lasts for a few days.

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

... the end of the semester!

Ah! The best time of the year... the end of the semester!!

Here's a little advice when it comes to selling your books and buying new/used ones:

Amazon, Amazon, Amazon!!

Amazon.com is a great way to sell your books to other students and to buy your new ones for next semester. It takes only a few minutes to create a seller account.

There are 2 options.

1) You can sell your book by yourself and set the price
OR

2) You can ship your book to Amazon.com and they will pay you for the book and sell it themselves. Click here for more info.

The money that you earn goes straight into your bank account. Amazon does take a small commission of 6-15%, a variable closing fee, and a $.99 per-transaction fee. The buyer pays the shipping! Trust us, the Amazon fees are worth it! Selling your books back at your University Bookstore will give you only a fraction of the cost you will earn through selling it online.

When buying books, simply search the title or author of the textbook you need and buy whichever one fits your budget and your needs. The cheapest shipping option is $3.99 and you usually get it in 5-10 days. 

See, it takes no time to save a dime.

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna

Gift Card Deals Happening NOW!

Numerous stores and restaurants are currently offering special deals and bonuses on gift cards for the holiday season. Take advantage of these deals not only for gift-giving but even for yourself and family. If a business that you're a frequent customer at is offering a special on their gift cards, purchase one for yourself for future use. 

Some examples that we have found are:

• AMC – Buy a $50 gift card and  get $10 in concessions
• Applebee’s – Buy $50 in gift cards, get $10 bonus card.
• Barnes and Noble – Buy a $100 gift card and get a $10 egiftcard
• Ben & Jerry’s – Buy a $10 gift card and get a FREE scoop of ice cream
• Borders – Buy a $50 gift card and get a $10 gift card
• Benihana – Buy $50 gift card, get $10 bonus card.
• California Pizza – Buy $100 gift card, get a $20 bonus card.
• Carraba’s Italian Grill – Buy $100 gift card, get a $20 bonus card.
• Chik-fil-A – Get a 2011 Chic-fil-a calendar for $6, get great Chic-fil-a coupons.  
• Chili's - Get 10% off of $100 gift cards or more
• CiCi’s Pizza – Buy a $20 gift card, get a coupon for a free adult buffet.
• Claim Jumper – Buy $50 gift card, get card for a free slice of Choc. Motherlode Cake & a $10 bonus card.
• CVS - Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
• Denny’s – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
• DSW - Buy $50 in gift cards and get a free $10gift card
• Fazoli’s – Buy $20 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
• IHOP – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 off coupon.
• Incredible Pizza - Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
• Jamba Juice – Buy $25 gift card, get a free sixteen size smoothie.
• Joe’s Crab Shack – Buy $25 gift card, get $5 bonus bucks.
• Maggiano’s Little Italy – Buy $100 gift card, get $20 bonus card.
• Outback Steakhouse – Buy $100 in gift crads. get $20 gift card free. 
• PF Chang’s – Buy $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card.
• Qdoba Mexican Grill – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
• Red Robin – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card FREE
• Restaurant.com - Currently can get a $25 Gift Certificate for $10 and other amazing deals
• Romano’s Macaroni Grill – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card FREE
• Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse – Buy $250 in gift cards, get 10% back in bonus cards.
• Steak N Shake – Buy $25 gift card, get $5 coupon for 2 entrees on next visit
• Taco Bell – Buy a $10 or $20 gift card, get a free large drink.
• Taco Cabana – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 bonus card.
• The Children’s Place - Buy $40 in gift cards, get a $10 egift card. 
• TGIFriday’s – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 bonus card.
• Tom Thumb - Buy $150 of participating gift cards and get $15 off your next shopping trip over $50

Whether you buy them for yourself, or buy them for a friend, take advantage of these holiday offers. 

Be sure to check your favorite stores and restaurants for other deals!

See, it takes no time to save a dime. 

xoxo

Lauren and Jenna