Some Ways to Save Money at the Grocery Store

bag-groceryWith grocery prices on the rise it has never been more important for families to save money where they can. The prices of many basic staples have risen sharply in recent years, and that has left many people struggling to serve their families the nutritious meals they need.

Fortunately there are some relatively easy and painless steps families can take to trim their food budgets significantly without sacrificing either quality or nutrition. By changing the ways they plan and shop, smart consumers can save hundreds of dollars a month while still preparing tasty meals for those they love.

Build Your Recipes Around the Weekly Sales

One of the most effective cost savings strategies is to build the weekly recipes around what is on special at the store. This strategy allows shoppers to stock u p on products at a great price while significantly shrinking the cost of each meal.

Just about every grocery store features weekly specials, and stores frequently compete with one another to offer the lowest possible prices on the products shoppers buy most often.. In some cases stores use these weekly bargains as loss leaders – luring shoppers through the doors in hopes that they will purchase more expensive products with higher margins In other cases stores use these discounts to reward loyal shoppers who participate in the store’s loyalty card programs No matter what the reason for the sale, savvy shoppers can use these specials to create some great recipes.

Just consider one example to illustrate the point. Imagine the local grocery store is running a killer special on pasta, pasta sauce and fresh sausage. The smart shopper can use these great prices to build a week’s worth of delicious meals. The week may start with a great meal of fresh spaghetti and pasta sauce garnished with some delicious sausage. That leftover spaghetti can then be paired with a great sausage casserole or a delicious rice and pasta creation. Sausage sandwiches topped with a delicious homemade sauce can provide some great snacks, weekend meals or meals on the run. No matter what the combination those weekly store specials can be used to create some great meals for a very affordable price. Cooking extra meals and freezing them for later can make the savings stretch even further.

Consider Off-Price Grocery Stores

While store specials are a great way to build some delicious meals and save some serious dough, those specials don’t always come when they are needed. Many traditional grocery stores have started marking up their shelf prices to make their sales look better, and that means that the items not on sale can be quite costly. To combat these types of practices many smart shoppers are looking to off-price grocery stores and generic items to fill the gap.

3 Ways to Have a Romantic Valentine’s Day Without Breaking the Bank

flowers-heartValentine’s Day is a day that women love and men dread. Women look forward to being spoiled with romantic gifts and gestures, and men ruefully wonder how much Valentine’s Day will cost this year. Although big presents and expensive dinners can be fun, they aren’t the only way to woo your woman. Here are five great ways to score big points with your lady—without spending big money.

1 – Make Her Dinner

Money isn’t the only thing that counts as romantic for women. Thought and time are at least as important. Lovingly making a Valentine’s Day dinner for your wife is a wonderful way to show that you care for her. See if you can make one of her favorite foods If possible, make a recipe that means something special to her. Did she have a special pasta dish on the night of your first date? Rnd the recipe online, and make it. Even if your dinner doesn’t come out especially well, she’ll appreciate your effort, and she’ll still think. it’s romantic.

2 – Create an Ambiance

Presentation is a key part of romance, and it’s a must on Valentine’s Day. There might be just as much chocolate in a king-sized Crunch bar as in a heart-shaped box of carefully arranged sweets, but one of them is going to wow your wife, and the other one isn’t. So, whatever you do, make it special.

Make an extra effort to get dressed up. If you know where the good tablecloth is, use it. Put silky sheets on the bed. Buy a couple of candles—they’re cheap, and they automatically create a romantic setting. If you really want to go the extra mile, buy rose petals at a local flower store and spread them around the dining room or bedroom. These simple touches can make all the difference in the world for a woman. They can change a normal dinner into an elegant Valentine’s Day celebration, and they can change everyday sex into breathtaking, romantic lovemaking.

3 – Write Her Something

valentine’s Day is-the perfect day to write something for your wife. It doesn’t matter if you’re good at it or not—she’ll appreciate it anyway. Women appreciate it when their men are willing to bare their souls, when they’re willing to take a risk. Writing something for your wife shows that you care for her and that you trust her enough to let yourself be vulnerable.

If the words are beautiful, your wife will appreciate them. If they’re not, she’ll appreciate the sentiment behind them. Your writing will be romantic whether it’s good or not. You can’t lose, as long as you’re sincere. Love letters are always in style on Valentine’s Day, and love poems are too. If you want, you can also write down some memories of when you met, or of some other important moment from your past.

In your writing, try to be as specific as possible. Your woman would probably enjoy hearing that she looks nice, but she’d love it if you told her that you’re crazy about the way her hair cuds when it reaches her shoulders, or how sexy the soft skin at the small other back is In general, the more specific details you include, the more romantic it will be.

Three Ways to Buy Christmas Gifts for Less

christmas-santaChristmas is the most expensive time of the year and Christmas gifts are likely to account for a large proportion of your expenditure in the run-up to the festive season, especially if you have a large, extended family or a wide circle of friends. In times of economic difficulties, it makes sense to re-think your normal Christmas gift shopping habits and look for ways in which you can save money whilst at the same time still buying presents that will delight the recipients. Here are some ways to shop smartly for Christmas gifts.

Outlet Malls

Shopping for Christmas gifts at outlet malls is an excellent way to make your dollar stretch further. Outlet malls typically sell branded goods at prices 50 per cent to 70 per cent lower than in normal retail outlets. Clothing, accessories, cosmetics, home wares, books, toys, and many other items can be bought at outlet malls, so it is possible that you will be able to buy most, if not all, of the items on your Christmas gift list on a single trip to an outlet mall.

It is a good idea to set a budget before you leave home and keep to it. Since many items are offered at a large discount, you may be tempted to buy more gifts than you need to and you may end up spending more in total than you would have spent in your local shopping mall.

eBay and Other Online Stores

eBay sellers and owners of other online stores can afford to sell goods at lower prices than traditional retailers because they have lower overheads. Further advantages of doing your Christmas shopping online include being able to browse and order at anytime of the day or night, and not having to fight your way through crowded shopping malls in the run-up to Christmas. If you have friends or family members living overseas, you could order gifts from a website in their home country and arrange for them to be gift wrapped and delivered directly to their door.

If you buy gifts on eBay or other online auction sites, it is important that you set yourself a maximum price for each item and do not bid beyond that. Sometimes it is all too easy to get carried away with “auction fever” and offer more than an item is worth.

Personalize Low-Cost Items or Make Gifts Yourself

Unique Christmas presents can be created by either personalizing a low-cost item or making a gift from scratch. Look in your local dollar store for items that you could personalize. For example, you could buy a hardback notebook in a plain color and cover it with fabric in a design that would appeal to the recipient. If you buy an inexpensive fabric remnant in a fabric store, you could make a unique personalized gift quickly, easily and inexpensively.