Break the Shopping Rules!
(Excerpted from Home
is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family,
and Her Home. (There are TEN “shopping
rules to break” in the book!) Home is Where the Mom Is makes a great Mother’s Day or baby shower gift! See ordering
information in the column to the right.)
Several years ago I decided to start using all of the
“shopping rules” I’d read and heard. It seemed so easy! I would only spend $100
on groceries every month and get lots of free things. I’d clip and use coupons for every single item
I bought. I would save soooooo much money! And I’d take my kids along on every
trip and teach them all of the shopping rules, too!
Or so I thought.
After several months (and many hours) of diligently studying sale ads, keeping
track of prices, clipping coupons and printing coupons from the computer and
following all of the rules…I always seemed to be one coupon short of that
really great deal.
My kids became impatient after an hour or so of shopping,
especially when it took so much time to match the coupons with the great deals.
Many times I either gave up on the coupons or promised them extra snacks if
they’d be patient, negating the money I’d “saved.”
I decided to “break the shopping rules”—or at least bend
them so they’d better suit my life. My shopping trips immediately became more
productive and shorter and less stressful.
Here are the shopping rules I love to break—or at least
bend.
Rule One: Shopping
is an educational experience for the kids, so take them along to match coupons
to items, practice their math, and help you find things. How to break it: Don’t take the kids! Shop while they’re at school
or when you can get a babysitter or when dad is home. You’ll save money (no
little voices begging for treats and distracting you from comparing prices),
have a little quiet time, and get done much faster.
Rule Two: Arrange
your list according to how the store is set up. How to bend it: Also list the meals you’re planning to prepare. By
doing this you’ll know how much of a particular item you need, and if you can
substitute another item if necessary. For example, one day there was only one
green pepper in the bin. Chili was on my meal list, and one pepper was enough
to flavor it. If I’d have been making stuffed peppers I would have known to
change my meal plan. If taking kids is unavoidable, bend the rule in a
different way. Review your list so you know which items you need the most. That
way if your child throws up, or throws a tantrum, you can quickly gather the
most important items and make a quick getaway.
Rule Three: Buy
only what’s on your list. How to bend
it: If there’s a great deal on something—pork chops for example—add them to
your meal list (if you’ve been following the hints to “Never
Run Out” you should have the rest of the ingredients for your favorite
pork chop recipe at home already) or take them home to freeze.
Rule Four: Don’t
buy high-priced items like baby carrots, boneless, skinless chicken breasts and
so on. How to break it: Before you
pass up these items, remember that they require little or no preparation to
make into a snack or meal. There’s also no waste—how often have you thrown away
a mushy head of lettuce before you got it cleaned and chopped? The higher price
might be worth the convenience, and these items often go on special.
Rule Five: Use as
many coupons as possible. How to bend
it: Use coupons wisely. Before you use a coupon for an item, consider; can
you make the item from scratch for less? Would a (cheaper) store brand work as
well? Do you really need or want the item, or do you just want to use the
coupon? I find it frustrating to try to clip “all” of the coupons. I have
pantry full of necessities and so therefore rarely buy anything that’s not on
sale; I’ve found I save as much or more when buying on sale, and spend less
time than I would clipping coupons. Note:
There are just two grocery stores in our town, and they are very
competitive but never offer double or triple coupons. I realize your situation
might be different, and coupons may be a huge money saver for you!
Use these rules and other tips and suggestions you find
online and in magazines as guidelines. Bend them, break them, throw them out
completely—make “the shopping rules” work for you!
I’m
also blogging at Nebraska Family Times.
The
post for today is “Are you a Radio
Skipper?” Find out what
radio
skipping has to do with Bible study.
