Dollar Store Groceries

When you think about groceries at a dollar or discount store you may think of expired items and dented cans.  This is not the case in most instances.  There are various reasons that items end up at dollar or discount stores such as changing of packaging or discontinued items.

The above photo shows 10 items I recently purchased at a dollar store to show what can be found.  There are a variety of other items available.  Some stores are adding dairy and frozen food items.  Many of the frozen food items are processed items but some have frozen vegetables and other items.  Some also carry fresh bread and buns at certain times.

The items in the photo were each a dollar, I figured you could save more than $5 on these items compared to the prices at grocery stores.  Savings per item is between $0.30 to almost $1.00.  The sell by dates were between 2013 and 2015.  The tomato soup was 16 ounces instead of the 10.75 ounce can that is usually close to a dollar in the grocery store.

You will not have the selection that you have at a grocery store, but you may be able to save some money on items you need.

101 Crockpot Recipes

As I have posted previously, one way to save time and money is to use a crockpot to cook meals.
Here is a link to a blog post with 101 crockpot recipes.  The recipes cover main dishes & soups, side dishs, desserts and beverages.

Some people use crockpots in the summer so they don't heat up their kitchens.  I tend to use it more in the winter months for soups and other comfort foods.

Groceries without Coupons EBook

I have written an E-book about saving on groceries without using coupons, it is for sale on Amazon.  Even if you don't own a Kindle you can download a program to read Kindle books on your computer, IPad or mobile phone.

Some of the topics covered in the book are what to look for in the store, menu planning, freezer cooking and more.  It is $0.99 and currently can be borrowed for free if you have an Amazon Prime Membership.

My upcoming classes are based on this ebook.  The classes also include information for the Fargo Moorhead area stores.

Grocery Deals at Drugstores

One of my goals for the next month is to post each day of July about a List of 10 dealing with a personal finance or money saving idea topic.

In recent many retailers have been adding grocery items to their stores.  I have been buying more and more grocery items at area drugstores.  Walgreens and CVS has been having deals on grocery items.  By purchasing these items at CVS I can use Extra Care Bucks I have earned and it also adds to my quarterly spending.  If you have an Extra Care Card you can earn 2% of your spending quarterly to use on future purchases.  I recently earned $23.50 for the quarter to use on future purchases. 

Many times, the coupon inserts in the Sunday newspaper corresponds with items on sale at these stores.

Each week, Erin Chase from $5 Dinners puts together a list of deals on grocery items available at major drugstores.

Following are 10 of the grocery items I have purchased at Walgreens or CVS over the past few months.

1)      Flour

2)      Sugar

3)      Milk

4)      Pasta sauce

5)      Vegetable oil

6)      Honey

7)      Peanut Butter

8)      Ketchup

9)      Miracle Whip

10)  Eggs

Click here for previous posts.

Saving on Grocery Expenses

One of my goals for the next month is to post each day of July about a List of 10 dealing with a personal finance or money saving idea topic.

With the prices of grocery items continuing to increase it is important to find ways to make your grocery dollars go further.  Following are  10 ways to save on grocery expenses.

1)      Shop sales and use coupons.  Even if you don’t want to use coupons, it is still possible to save money on grocery items.  Most stores have a weekly circular with sale items.  There may be things on sale that were not advertised. 

2)      Make a menu plan – there are various blogs and resources about menu planning.  The basic concept is to plan meals either a week or month at a time so you have a plan.  It may be less tempting to stop for take out or go out to eat if you have something planned or almost ready.  Also, if you make something like a chicken or roast earlier in the week and use the leftovers for other meals later in the week.

3)      Stock up on items when you find them on sale.  Many stores run sales on cycles of between 8 to 12 weeks.  If you find an item you use regularly on sale and it fits in your grocery budget, buy one or two extra.  You save money by buying it on sale and may save time in the future instead of having to run to the store for it later.  Also, by limiting your trips to the store, you reduce the temptation of impulse purchases.

4)      Manager’s specials- many times there are items marked down that were not advertised.  These may be mainly in the meat and dairy sections.  Some stores have a certain spot that has marked down meat products that are close to the sell by date.  They can be used now or frozen to be used at a later time.  I have also found various dairy items on sale that are close to the sell by date, such as yogurt, cheese, etc.

5)      Check out other types of stores.  More retail stores are carrying more grocery items such as Target, Kmart, CVS and Walgreens.  I have found good deals regularly on grocery items at CVS and Walgreens. 

 6)      Shop with a list.  Keep a list going of items when you run out of them.  /Also, make a list of items that you need for upcoming meals.  One benefit of doing this before you leave home is that you can check to see if you have some items on hand or not and don’t end up buying things you already have.

 7)      Cook from your pantry and freezer.  Many of us have items we have bought and haven’t used.  Cooking from your pantry means to concentrate on things you already have and see what meals you may be able to make.  And only buying extra things you may need for the meals and fresh produce and dairy.

 8)  Freezer cooking – http://lifeasmom.com/2012/07/mini-mini-freezer-cooking-sessions.html>freezer cooking  or once a month cooking is cooking in larger batches and freezing part of it so you have meals that just need to be thawed and cooked. 

9)       Make your own baking mixes and also spice mixes such as taco mix, onion soup mixes and ranch mix.  There are various recipes available online.  It is also easy to make your own salad dressings.

 10)  Cut down on eating out and cook at home more.  This is not always possible but may be easier if you are able to do some freezer cooking or using a crockpot.  When using a crockpot, you are able to put ingredients together in the morning and let it cook while you are at work or out running errands.  When you get home, most of your meal will be ready.  There are numerous cookbooks and websites with recipes and ideas to use your crockpot.

Click here for previous posts.

Saving on Groceries E-Book

Grocery expenses are the largest expenses in most budgets and with prices continuing to increase it is taking more of your budget.

I have put together an E-Book with ideas of ways to save money on grocery expenses. For a limited time, you can download a free copy here.

5 Ways to Save on Groceries

One of the largest expense categories in most budgets is for groceries and dining out. It also may be one of the easiest to control.

Grocery shopping is dreaded by many people but if you take some steps it can be more enjoyable. I will also share ways that you can save money without having to clip coupons.

Stocking Up to Save
Another tip to saving money is stocking up on items you use regularly when they are on sale. Not that you have to buy a bunch but just one or two extra. Sales usually run in 12 week cycles so if you have enough to last until the next time it comes on sale. If you have an extra of items on hand then when you run out you don't have to go pay regular price for it.

Menu planning
If you take a few minutes each week to set up a menu plan can make it easier getting dinner on the table each night. When you know what you are going to make each night you can have everything on hand and get things ready if you need to the night before. This is one way to save you from stopping for take out as much.

When planning your menu it is helpful to be looking at the grocery store fliers to see what is on sale and try to plan around things you have on hand and are on sale.


Once A Month Cooking
Another way to save time and money cooking is Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) or freezer cooking. The idea behind this is to buy enough ingredients and set aside one day to cook enough meals for a month. There are many cookbooks and websites with recipe plans and tips on this. Or if you don’t want to devote an entire day to it, double or triple some recipes and freeze. You can also make a meal item or baked item if you have some spare time or while your current meal is cooking.

Use a Crockpot
Using the crockpot is both a money saving and time saving way to cook. It is nice to come home after a busy day and smell supper ready. Its money saving because it saves you from the possibility of going out to eat or bringing home take out if you don't have time or don't feel like cooking. Also, some cuts of meat, you can use a cheaper cut of meat and it gets tender from cooking all day.

Pantry challenge
One way people are using to save money is to participate in a Pantry Challenge. They try to go a month by using items in their pantry and freezer. They do buy some groceries, but try to limit trips to the store by using things they have on hand.

I am working on an E-Book with more information on these and other ideas to save on groceries.

Stocking up on Peanut Butter

One of the latest products which is going to be costing you more is peanut butter. Peanut crops were severely affected because of the drought in the south this summer. Due to the shortage of peanuts, the price of peanut butter and other products containing peanuts will be increasing in prices.


Some peanut butter companies have already raise their prices by a least 50 cents and some reports predict prices could increase up to a dollar a jar.

I have written previously about stocking up on items you use regularly when on sale. In addition to this, it may be wise to start stocking up on items (1 or 2 extra) of products you use regularly now before prices start increasing on other products.

Also, with holiday baking coming up, consider what you are planning on making and what items you will need to buy. Now would be the time to stock up on peanut butter and other nut products to save money.

With the prices of peanuts increasing, this also means that in most cases the candy companies that use peanuts will also need to increase their prices, it they have not already because of other costs increasing such as gas.

Hornbachers deal - Total $11.16

This week at Hornbachers in th flyer is a coupon for $5 when buying 10 participating products, thru Tues, Oct 11. There were coupons for many of the items in the newspaper last Sunday, Oct 2. One thing to keep in mind is that yogurt and dairy coupons CANNOT be used in ND so I went to the Moorhead store.

I ended up getting 3 boxes of Cherrios
2 bags Chex Mix
1 bag Muddy Buddies Chex Mix
Yoplait Delights Parfait
Totinos Pizza Stuffers
Nature Valley Grahams
Yoplait Smoothies

After sale prices, coupons and $5 coupon my total was $11.16.

Other items included in the deal are Green Giant frozen vegetables, Nature Valley granola bars, crescent rolls and other rolls.

Cooking From Your Pantry

With the prices of many things going up, one way to save is to use what you already have. Before you go to the grocery store again, take a look in your cupboards, freezer and pantry and see if there are meals you could make with items you already have. Many of us continue buying groceries when we have all kinds of items already in our cupboards.

There are some blogs that have ideas for cooking from your pantry. Jessica from Life As Mom usually does a month long pantry challenge at the beginning of the year and this year also did one in July. She plans meals from items she already has and only buys milk, produce and items she may need to use up something else she already has.

Another idea is using substitutions with items you already have. The other day I had a tomato to finish up and had bacon in the freezer. I thought of BLT but I didn't have lettuce. So instead I used thinly sliced cucumbers and had a BCT instead.

This year I have been getting vegetables through a CSA from Bluebird Gardens. From the vegetables I receive each week and the items I had on hand, I haven't had to spend very much on groceries this summer.

So before you head to the store again, take a look in your cupboards.

Saving on Groceries

One way grocery stores and other stores market to consumers are 5/$5 or other variety of sales. You should check with your store, but in many cases you can still get the sale price with only buying 1 or 2 of the items. However, some consumers think they are getting a better deal when they buy more. But if you are not going to be able to use them up before they spoil, it is not a deal.

Here is an article about this marketing concept.

The Price of Convenience

With the prices of things going up, we are looking for ways to control costs and make our money go further. One way to do this is to take a look at how you shop. At most grocery stores, you can get almost anything already prepared or partially prepared, for a price.

Sometimes you are in a hurry or away from home so it is necessary to pay the extra costs. But many times with a few extra minutes you can save the expense by doing it yourself. The other day in one of our local grocery ads, next to each other was Minute Rice in single serve portions and a box of Minute Rice. They were the same price but you got over twice as much with the box.

Another example is fruits and vegetables. Yes, it is handy to have it already chopped and ready to use. But with a few minutes of preparation you can save yourself money by doing it yourself. For items you plan on using in multiple meals throughout the week, you may be able to chop it once and use throughout the week (like peppers, onions, etc). Rachel Ray suggests washing and storing your produce when you come home from the grocery store. Then it is ready and easier to use when you need it.

When I find some fruits and vegetable on sale, I buy more than I normally would and chop and freeze on cookie sheets until hard and then store in freezer bags. Some examples are peppers and onions. I buy strawberries and other berries and do the same thing. Lately, our stores have been having whole pineapple on sale. I chop and freeze that also. When I have fruit in the freezer like this, it is easy to mix in blender or my Magic Bullet with milk or juice and make smoothies. When the fruit is frozen you don’t need ice or yogurt.

So with a few extra minutes and a little effort, you may be able to save money on your grocery bill.