My mom did not meal plan at home. She would go grocery shopping early in the morning, before the world was awake, lol…and buy clearance food, I.e. meat, produce, etc. Then dependent upon what she found she would plan the meals in the store and pick up what she needed to complete a meal. She was the queen of saving money. She rarely used a recipe and could bake w/out a recipe. She was amazing, God rest her soul!
Nothing better than knowing how to cook a good meal, my mom did a lot of boxed meals and frozen things and snacks but my grandma was the star in teaching me cooking skills. I can cook a meal from just about anything now and make it taste good, I'm super grateful even though it felt like a chore as a kid lol.
One tip for pantry shopping is to use the Internet for recipes and inspiration. A lot of times I have ingredients that might go well together and I don't know exactly what to make. For example, if I have a can of black beans and a box of pasta I'll google those two ingredients and usually a zillion recipes pop up. I may not have all the ingredients for every recipe, but I always find inspiration for a dish I can make. This has actually caused me to create new recipes that we have on regular rotation now. I once had a jar of pepper jelly and some bread. I googled those ingredients and it came up with a recipe for grilled cheese with apple. Luckily I had cheese and an apple. It was a surprising combo, but it was delicious. I now make that often.
I've been weekly meal planning, with an advance "theme" for certain days...ie. Meatball Monday, Taco Tuesday, Chicken Thursday... has helped a TON with my budget, things don't go bad, and it seems to help my family because they know what to expect. I put little menu cards on the fridge so everyone can see what is for dinner, and it also helps me remember to get meat out of the freezer! Lol
I love grocery shopping so much more than clothes shopping! Nothing fits me properly (weird proportioned body shape) but I get pleasure shopping for food and home goods.
ABSOLUTELY YES! on the wholesale clubs!! 💯 💯💯 We typically only use Sam's for gas and household items (garbage bags, toilet paper) but the other day I drove away thinking, "Why did you just spend $18 on Nature Valley bars?! We really don't need 49 Nature Valley bars... You know how much food you can buy with $18 at Aldi!"
Ref the emails from companies - I set up an email account on Yahoo that I use just for this purpose. It’s also the email I use for online shopping & recipe subscription. I check it when I’m making my meal plan & ready to go shopping. I do not use this email for personal correspondence or anything else. This allows me to keep this email account for my convenience. Yes I get spam, but I’ve had it for so long and mark items as spam that yahoo does a pretty good job of sending a lot to spam before it hits my inbox. When I open the email, I sort by sender and that makes it very easy to see the emails I want to open & trash the ones I’m not interested in. Thanks for all your great tips and for your honesty!
Also, some foods are just cheaper for their nutritional punch: carrots, onions, cabbage, bananas, dried beans, etc. And avoiding convenience foods where possible, even things like baby carrots and washed salad greens are usually more expensive than just buying a bag of carrots and a head of lettuce.
I have found doing a grocery pick up actually saves me money. I can see how much I’ll be spending and I don’t get those impulse items. I have little self control so when I go in the store I always end up buying stuff I don’t really need. And if I do go in store I try very hard not to take my kids. I always spend more when I take my kids with me.
My anti tip is that I don't stock up on sale items. When I have a lot of inventory, there's always the chance I'll forget and it'll go to waste. Realistically, there's a cycle and something is always going on sale. I buy what's on sale as it comes up. This saves me space in my kitchen and saves me time digging through stock.
Although these are all great tips, I recommend setting a goal of having at least 30 days of food put up in your pantry/freezer. A stocked long term pantry is the best insurance money can buy. Even if you just start with buying four extra items a week to put away. We are living in strange, uncertain times. The prices of everything are going up, job losses are going up. In the unfortunate situation where an adult in the household loses a job, has to go out on leave for a surgery, has an accident, at least you will know you've got food and can feed your family for the foreseeable future. 3-6 months worth is even better. As I said, an extra $10 a week can slowly get you there. Grab an extra bag of rice, a few cans of beans, tuna, pasta, soups, ramen. if you find meat or butter on sale grab an extra for your freezer. I do not recommend letting your cupboards get bare if you can help it, not with the way everything in the world has been lately. I do understand people are struggling financially. But you can still find cheap canned goods that are good for long term storage. Ten dollars a week to start.
One tip.. use what you have for now and then put the meal you "wanted" on a list for the next week! Also, for generic, check prices! Because sometimes the generic is cheaper, but sometimes there are more deals on name brand. It can change from week to week.
And honestly, buy a few convenience items (bag salad, rotisserie chicken, freezer fries,...) so that you can make an easy, fast dinner and avoid the drive through, ordering pizza, UberEats,... The latter kills the budget. Hugs!
Thank you SO much for your videos!! They’ve changed my life! Another tip I (try to!!) use is to plan meals with similar ingredients for the week. For instance, if I buy bag of carrots I can use it for beef stew and chicken pot pie so they don’t end up rotting in the fridge!!
Mindy, I have to tell you that my 8 year old, Noah, loves your videos. He wants to watch them all with me and gets mad at me when I try to watch them on my own. Thank you for your content and for providing my son and I something to do together. 😊 On a side note, we only live about an hour and a half from Tulsa and when he found out you live near his grandma and grandpa he decided he wants to visit you. I told him it doesn't exactly work that way but it was pretty sweet.
Ah, thank you so much, Callie! As a mom AND a teacher, I’m so glad to hear when moms let me know their kids enjoy watching! :) A few people have mentioned they watch with their little ones and it warms my heart. 😊
I found changing my grocery store has really made a difference. It took me time to switch my brain to the idea of my stockpile being something I need to actually eat. Now I’m rotating through it and just stopping in to buy bananas, or a fresh roll at the bakery.
Thank you for this video!! I had a lot of onions and potatoes that I’ve had going bad in my pantry. After seeing this video, I chopped up all my onions to go into the freezer and made mashed potatoes from the soft potatoes vs trashing all of it. We are empty nesters now, so buying for my family of two is way different than my family of 6!!
I can thank the algorithm for putting your video in my suggestions list. I am one of the disciplined ones, and have my credit card set to automatically pay the balance every month. We save by not buying many prepared or packaged foods.
I am an impulse buyer, but I have found a way to stave that off. I have to shop online instead of in store most of the time. In order to not buy impulsively, I put what I want to buy in the "cart" and then leave it there and come back later to place the order. I review my order and delete anything that is not necessary or was impulsive. I'm quite sure it has saved me tons of $$
There’s only the 2 of us now but we save a huge amount of$ with our Costco membership. We buy virtually all our gas there, we live less than 3 miles from a Costco and can easily plan trips down that way to top off our tanks. I love their store brand unscented liquid laundry detergent, we go through a big tub of spinach every week…much cheaper than the stores here. The store brand non fat yogurt is half the price of what we can find at the stores near us. We buy all our tires there, we’ve bought a mattress through Costco and even managed a great deal on one of our cars through them. Big Costco proponent here! But yes, you do have to have restraint.
I have definitely seen shrinkflation when it comes to pasta. Before the cheaper dried pastas were around a dollar for 16 oz boxes. Now certain brands are selling 12oz for the same price.
Online grocery shopping saves me time, a lot of money and it also makes sure that I have everything that I need to cook for the week. I don’t exactly have a meal plan but I know that I have plenty of things to cook for my family.
I am Cajun through and through. Fortunately, we at a large variety of food. However, I just can’t make myself eat what I’m jus not hungry for. I am retired now. I also don’t mind shopping for the best possible price for what I do want. I live alone so I am aware that those with kids and families have a tougher time. I am a retired teacher so I know the struggles. What I have problem with is meal planning. Since I don’t have any idea what I feel like eating each day. Lol The way I battle this, is that I cook and freeze a large variety of dishes. I also understand that Cajuns are a breed apart. That’s why people come here for the food,the music, and the fun. Isn’t it great that people are different. 😂
I always enjoy your videos. I used to be a "coupon mom" with the binder and several inserts from the paper. When my boys moved out we spent less on food but after the "rona" the prices are gone CRAZY!!! We have a fixed income and we try to use every digital coupon and shop the sales. It's not getting easier.
I agree that digital coupons are easier. My Sunday paper is almost $3 now, most weeks I'm not saving that in coupons anymore! They do mail out the circulars with a coupon packet for free most weeks so I use those when I can but the days of a binder & 4 Sunday papers are definitely gone!
I use my Sam’s club membership for certain items like my husbands Keurig cups. They are way less than at Walmart. And I buy toilet paper and paper towels there. All can be shipped to my house 😊
I can't do strict meal plans at all... I think because my parents always had meal plans where every single day was just one or two dishes, every week, unless there's a holiday or birthday to break it up. My style is more loosey goosey where I have like five meals I tend to make often, so I always make sure my pantry and fridge has the ingredients for those. Then while I'm at the grocery store and see any sales on items, I build my week's meals around that. Like at the start of this week, I got a whole cooked chicken on markdown really cheap at Walmart. I ended up eating that chicken with some pasta for two meals, then shredded up the leftover chicken to make chicken taquitos for another few meals, and saved the bones in the freezer to make a broth for soup later. Last week there was a sale on eggs and strawberries, so I ended up making crepes and using the strawberries and store brand cool whip for dessert crepes. Then the other half of the crepes I filled with ham and veggies that were on sale, too. If I can't think of anything to eat and there's no sales, I just make big pots of soup using frozen vegetables and try and use up what's in my fridge and pantry until my next grocery trip.
Practical and helpful. I’m always amazed when people say they’ve cut groceries as much as possible and I see they have all name brands, tons of meat and out of season fruits and veggies. 50% of our grocery budget goes to (mostly) organic fruit and vegetables for our family since we prioritize that. To keep to a modest budget, we therefore avoid packaged and convenience food and I prepare homemade items every weekend that can be frozen so we can have a variety of treats, pre-made meals and baked items for lunches, snacks and easy dinners without exhausting myself since we all work.
I don't judge what I see in other people's carts, because I don't know their circumstances. Things like special diets, food allergies, disabilities, lack of storage space, lack of time to prepare food from scratch, etc often plays into the decision on what goes into those carts.
@@calihapamama of course not! I meant friends whose circumstances I do know. We have 1 gluten allergy and 1 dairy so I know all about special diets. Just agreeing that sometimes we miss the more inconvenient options to save money. Like giving up convenience foods or name brands
Shrinkflation has got me several times. I’m used to getting 16 oz of bacon in the store brand at Walmart now it comes in 12 oz. 12 oz isn’t enough for my family of 4 which means not I have to start purchasing a different brand or 2 of the store brand 😢. Food prices are killer these days so thank you Mindy for “dumbing” it down for us. I love your videos and how educational they are. I find myself delaying the store at least 1 more day each week lately to save $.
This has caught me off guard! I would buy a big bag of ravioli and split it in two meals. Last time I did it there wasn’t enough the second time….. realized the bag was smaller.
Great tips, Mindy. I am terrible at shopping my pantry and freezer and I live alone. I can only imagine how difficult it is for a family of several people. I’m going to try and do better especially since I tend to be drawn to purchasing certain items like deodorant or canned tomatoes whenever I shop because in the back of my mind, I “need” those things. No one person needs three or four sticks of deodorant at any given time. Thanks for sharing these type videos. I really appreciate it.
I tend to have 3-4 deodorants at a time because I buy them when they are $1 or less with digital coupons. But then I don’t buy them again until I’m down to one.
@@jenniferrosenthal7731 I second this anything that is shelf stable for long term storage is bought on sale with coupons and stored. I always stock up when it's cheap and try to never pay full price.
Totally agree with you on no to wholesale memberships. I don’t do them. Never have. I refuse to pay in order to shop. I would overspend and overbuy. Nope.
Tip: Double check the math if something looks off. Sometimes the price per ounce/item listed is incorrect. I have noticed this especially with Walmart online shopping.
I can’t say I’m the biggest money saver on groceries but I don’t go crazy expensive. My strategies are meal planning, sticking to my list, trying to limit my trips (sometimes I fail at that) and buying mostly store brands, with some exceptions. There are also a lot of things I simply don’t or rarely buy. I rarely buy soda, maybe if I’m entertaining; I limit my paper products, and double paper towels for napkins and toilet paper for tissues, which probably makes us heathens. 😂 I love Oreos like the next person but rarely buy packaged baked goods, except for loaves of bread and rolls. I may spend extra in other areas though. I’m a maple syrup snob and only like the real kind. I used to buy lemon and lime juice in bottles for recipes, which is usually cheaper and more convenient, but I have found fresh lemon and lime juice does taste better so usually buy those. I make homemade lemon vinaigrette which I love.
I get that. My chickens keep coming up to our patio and munching on the seeds and fresh germinations. Luckily I got the pots and planters up on a shelf a few days ago. Or I'd be up a creek on these yummy veggies. Now we only let them free range late in the evening for an hour or so. It has taken me awhile to learn to garden. But it is getting better. Hope yours do well. Just be careful about getting chickens. I think a few are going to be dinner if I keep catching them eating my goods, grrr!
One tip I use (it just works for me) is paying my credit card balance with every pay period. Like a debit card then, if my spending is starting to get out of hand, I'm going to notice.
I use my credit card to pay for everything to get the cash back, and obviously pay it off and use it moderately so I agree with this. I never leave a balance except when I can use the Cash back towards the balance, and then pay the remaining balance.
Doing a cook from what you have week-month whatever you can get by with is the best money saving tip. Treat it like you are a contestant on the show “ Chopped.”
Wow, what a great video! Your content is always so helpful and informative but this one has to be near the top. My comment would be "know yourself". Although I'm quite advanced in terms of knowing how to budget grocery shop, I had to learn and accept that I'm not disciplined enough to have a "grocery circuit" and go from store to store buying the loss leaders. I kept seeing other deals and temptations at each of the three stores I used. So I decided to choose one store that had the best loss leaders that week and pay the extra for what the other 2 stores had on offer. The result was spending a lot less. My average spend per month is $140 for one person. This is for food. I have separate budget lines for toiletries, household, pet -- and junk food (so i can keep myself accountable). Thanks Mindy. Keep up the great work! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Just poking in to say I LOVE your personality Mindy! My kids are long grown. My husband and I eat very simply. He eats processed and more cconvenience foods and I am a WFPB "mainly" eater BUT.. I love to shop. It's what retired people do! HA So I really enjoy your videos. Thank you.
Totally agree with some of your points. My first money saving tip is meal planning. I am one of those monthly meal planners. I do an inventory of what I have on hand and meal plan from that so that I know for sure what I need at the store. It is never good to buy something that you won't use in time. I don't think wholesale clubs have good enough pricing to make it work for me for sure!
I use the apps for Sam’s Club, Walmart and Aldi to compare prices. Price per pound or ounce. More often than not the pennies difference is not worth the premium price of the membership! Some may say the convenience of buying in bulk is worth it if they have a large family and I totally get that. Especially when there are limits on items
We have a household of 3 and use sam's. From what I've seen we save the most on household products, like cleaning supplies, toilet paper and hygiene items. We save lots on sliced cheese and lunch meat. Produce does seem to be about the same.
I find Sam’s and Costco to not be a good deal on milk, produce, sandwich bread, soda and cereal. Ever notice these are the loss leaders at the grocery store most of the time. But Sam’s and Costco have the grocery store beat on things that are pantry or freezer items most of the time. I save the most on deli meat, half and half, oils, frozen fruit/veggies(quality is better too), tp, razors, dove soap, moisturizer, better than bouillon, whole bean coffee, yogurt(when there isn’t a sale at the grocery store), jerky(chomps), steel cut oats, foil/parchment paper, string cheese, frozen fish, bacon, hummus, maple syrup and a few other things. You definitely have to be strategic about your purchases. We are a family of 4. I’ll admit it’s almost impossible to stick to a tiny budget and shop wholesale. You have to have wiggle room to be able to stock-up and not be eating the same thing all month.
I love these tips, although several don't work for me because I have mobility issues. Since prices have risen greatly, I have been trying to meal plan and shop my pantry more. My adult children are shocked because they have never seen my pantry and freezer so empty. lol Now that I am on a fixed income, I try not to shop too often and shop online. It has stopped my impulse buying. It is only me, so luckily I often cook and eat leftovers for a day or two. I appreciate all your budget saving ideas and love your meal ideas. Thank you!
I have a debit card only for groceries. I put $x every payday and that is the budget, no exceptions. Here in Texas, H-E-B has this card, and they give you cash back if you purchase store brands
There's an app for that list!! We have a shared digital list app on our phones. My husband is a 3rd shift worker so we don't always have time to talk about everyday things. So we have a list app that we both add to. Its wonderful
My husband has my Walmart app on his phone so he can add things that are needed and if he goes to a store he can check the list to see if there's something he can pick up... he likes the local grocery store, I like Walmart because our local store is almost double the price of Walmart.
I like your approach about your takes. I Like diferent camara takes, beside the tips. I am new at budgeting and the shoping the pantry is somenthing i still strougle. I had done, but for small portions. Staring to learn some couponing, it is very tempting to buy the sales instead of needs. I am glad for the budget to stop me to buy more!!! So, working progress here. Tha k you for sharing this knowledge. God bless you!
I agree with so many of your points. I don’t really like that list either. I love wholesale stores, BUT it really does require lots of discipline and organization. I have to put more effort into my shopping, planning and storing. So, I’m trading time for the savings.
I order online from my local Grocery store , they also load offers and offer Great lost leaders once a month that I take advantage of ,I find it helps me stop impulse buying ,plus saves me a tonne of time looking for parking ,getting cart and on and on ,,,feel spoiled sometimes ,,but all good ,,these are Great tips ,, paying cash is also I Good way to see the actual value as well,,,😊
Sunday paper coupons is a waste at the price of the paper and coupons I'll never use. Grocery stores in my area deliver coupons via USPS or are on the store app.
- *Great* reminder for me to Pantry Shop. Thank you! I found couponing difficult when the "big name brands" are not on the shopping list whether due to needs, values, or preferences. I like shopping groceries online because I can compare prices between 4+ stores quickly between tabs; yes, it helps with impulse buying haha; coupons may be highlighted; and I can opt for Free Grocery Pickup. I live rurally in a high-cost area with dietary restrictions and we love your videos, meal ideas, and money-saving tips! :)
For me, the generic is almost always cheaper than the name brand with a coupon. It doesn't matter how big of a discount something is if it isn't something you use. And on the clubs, I have a Sam's and Walmart next door to each other. A gallon of Sam's branded milk is currently running almost $5, the Walmart branded milk is running 1.50 for the same gallon from the same packaging plant. Build up the notebook that compares prices across several stores using the same units of measure. Even in the same store, they will often switch between price per ounce and per pound, or even per unit. Doing the math will let you compare things on an apples to apples basis.
What wonderful tips! I have the upside app but am having issues linking my account so will revisit this weekend! I am a huge huge user of generic everything! I use my credit cards all the time...I pay everything in full each month...no longer carry cash...I stick to my budget as best able...and I wait thirty days before most purchases because I will only buy it if I need it..if that makes sense!
Back when we used to use checks to pay for things, I had a nodded credit card that gave cash back. Every time I played with my card, I treated it like a check and put it in my register, subtracting it from my balance. You could just use a notebook instead of a check register. Having to write down every purchase really makes you think about what you're spending too.
Great Tips Mindy. I have used lists forever or I'd be kicking myself for those important items forgotten. 😡 My local store has digital in store Coupons offering their best deals. I compare store prices, sizes and quality. When I'm there I stock up on those things that keep well. Freezer/shelf items. Yes, so true about trying the brand names. We are determined to WIN. 💪🏆
I do online grocery shopping all the time and I know current prices so I know what is a good deal and what isn't. I online shop for groceries at Walmart and another large chain grocery store and Amazon. I couldn't get my vitamin d drops from my local health food store recently and they were not going to have them in stock for at least 3 weeks or more...I found them on Amazon for the same price as I pay at the health food store. I think if u are smart, online grocery shopping is fantastic. I haven't stepped foot in Walmart since Covid started and I honestly don't miss it.
Lately I have reduced the number of cucumbers, tomatoes and bananas I buy. They're frequent buys because we use them often, but we always seem to have a lot of waste. The produce just isn't lasting as long. Now I only buy with specific plans and only one or two, when before I'd buy a small handful and we would just go through it. Pay attention to the supply chain changes, too... it's been making a difference.
I'm going through that with bananas right now. My family just doesn't reach for those like they used to. I end up having to make a lot of muffins or smoothies! LOL
In the last 3-4 months I make one trip for coupon deals matched up with sales. I cannot concentrate on extra stuff with I am walking around with 4 sheets of coupons I have highlighted and store coupons. I will then make a list of items I am out of that I need to restock. I spend 2 hours a week comparing prices with my 3 groceries stores available. All of your tips are amazing. I spend $75 a week but about every 4-5 weeks I will spend $150. I love my gas savings when I coupon for fuel points at Kroger. At least once a month I order my groceries on-line for pick-up so I will not go in the store. I actually got to skip a week in March. I am not a food snob. I will buy store brand where I know it is cheaper and taste just as good. I have no credit cards. We are cash only since we got out of debt. I wish I had been as wise as you when my children were young. Live and learn.
I've found that using my local grocery store app helps me keep from impulse buying because at the end of the week when I know what my check coming in is going to be I whittle down the products to what I realistically need. I go to Sam's or Costco for the stuff I use in bulk and use the Sam's curb side to avoid all the extra goodies. I'm a terrible impulse buyer so just the walking through the store can cost me a couple hundred dollars. It doesn't help when I walk through I usually have 2 grandsons asking g'ma please please please lol.
It does take a little homework to figure out what is truly a good deal, but wholesale clubs are worth it for every household with 2+ people IF you're smart about it.
I buy my BJ membership from Groupon,$20 vs $55 from BJ's. Also I only buy at BJ's large items like toilet paper and dish soap.But you have to be careful cause I've been tempted to buy clothing and other items I don't really need.
Mmm Yass on the credit cards. I keep a ledger and allocate purchases per certain categories and in pay every week or two weeks. If I could figure out a way to pay the mortgage with the cc for cash back I would !😂
I've been buying all of breakfast/lunch/dinners. What I've learned recently is that for produce, I buy exactly what I think my family will eat OR buy produce I can freeze if I need to before it goes bad
Good point about it being freezable. My family goes through phases with produce. Some days I can't keep grapes longer than a day, and other times they'll shrivel up in the fridge...lol.
I live in a small town. There are no stores that deliver here. There is a Walmart 20 minutes away that has Walmart pickup. I use it for multiple reasons, and it's very helpful. The downside is that I don't go in the store to see if there are good clearance deals.
As the mother of a disabled child we live on a fixed income basically (my oldest has a job and helps with bills) but we do get snap benefits and that's basically what I have to spend on food every month so I have had to get creative with meals but I haven't ever tried a meal plan I think I will give it a go! Please don't come at me for getting snap my children and myself also garden in the summer and I'm saving up for a small deep freezer so I can start really preserving our bounty to help with the grocery bill throughout the year
"Don't come at me for getting snap"?? Sweet mama... the fact that u have to even say this hurts my heart. Recieving gov assistance isn't something you should be shamed for so you don't gotta explain u yourself or your situation cus its NOONES business ❤
I would never begrudge anyone SNAP or WIC benefits! That's why it's there! I'm glad you and your family have what you need, and it sounds like you are very good stewards of it. Great job!
Don't forget to check local programs like the YMCA that may have produce available too, never ever be worried about people who may have an opinion about receiving food assistance, you do what you need to do for your family!
@@MinimalMTMama thank you for that thank you for making me feel human there are so many people in this country that make me feel less than when they find out that we receive assistance. They have no idea what I or my kids have been through and what my disabled child goes through everyday! So thank you again for. Because it really made me feel human!
@@Midwestmomvolunteer365 yes I will do anything and everything I can to make sure my kids eat especially my youngest with him being handicapped he has food sensory issues so it's really hard to feed him sometimes and I will check out the YMCAs in my area thank you for the tip
I work at a major grocery/drug store and it makes shopping a definite challenge to save money because it’s too easy to pick up items every time you work. Luckily they have a store card with reward points and you can get items for free.
Yaaayyy!!! A new SMM vid in my feed just when I want to unwind after a long day at work, and now my evening is perfect!! Thank you for all the great tips, inspo, and all your efforts on this channel!! XOXO's
The wholesale club one 👀 we're about to get a kayak from Sam's Club 😬 I do love kayaking and we're in Florida, so it's not too wild, but they do get ya with the odds and ends.
Thank you for these tips. I already use some and others are new. I like your idea of picking out meals for the week and make them as you feel it and it works. I have some veggies planted in containers and that helps too. I love fresh grown carrots, basil, cilantro and tomatoes. Except I still have issues growing tomatoes. Its a learning process. Have a blessed week. 😊
Great video! As I mentioned before I will always be loyal to Pace, can't help it loved it forever. I did change my loyalty to Barilla pasta. Bought an Aldi's marinara to try but I really love Newman's but the price is high. I'm also checking the price per ounce thing.
Great tips! I will say that if you use a lot of gas for commuting that the Costco membership pays for itself in the gas savings even if you never step foot in the store. But people must think and plan.
Yup. I live near a Costco with a gas station. It consistently has the cheapest gas in the area, by 70 cents to a dollar cheaper per gallon. If I don't have any Safeway Rewards to use at the Safeway gas station I go to Costco instead. When you're saving 8-10 dollars per fill up, the Costco membership pays for itself pretty quickly.
I get the using generic on some things. But the quality of so many things have gone done in the past few years. I recently purchased a generic store brand vegetable and there were stalks in the can along with the vegetables. That I don't like. I just stick to purchasing the name brand better quality product when it is on sale.
Upside is a great app! I have already earned the price of a full tank of gas in just 1 month of using the app. Still trying to convince some family members to use it. But I'm convinced that I will sooner than later.
Went to sams today spent $179. Got 4 protein shakes, vitamins, capri sun, chips, kids shorts and a sweater. The majority of $ spent was on hubby his stuff was $137 alone. But the shakes will last 6 weeks.
The only way I can manage my Costco membership, is this; I go on my lunch break, which is only 30 minutes, and I don’t get a shopping cart. That allows me to get those bulk items that we use, dryer sheets, toilet paper, my husband’s lunch beverage of choice, but does not give me room for things that I don’t need. I have to be very strategic in what I’m getting, and if I can’t carry it, I just can’t carry it. 😊😊😊
I no longer get a Sunday paper . I agree the values are much lower and not as many coupons either . So the cost of the paper going up it’s just not worth it . I use apps also .
Mindy, Epic video and I thank you.Update from NYC Foodtown has Smithfield bacon on sale for 3.99. I went the next morning and they sold out and no longer do rain checks however the truck is coming Thursday and I will be there to stock up.
My doctor just told me to do keto. I have always cooked pretty much like you do, heavy on the carbs to save money. My first stock up for keto was off budget. My first week's shopping was $20 over my usual $70 per week. Any ideas on saving money on a keto diet?
I am doing keto too. I buy my meats in bulk when on sale and I’m okay with mostly having the same food options because it takes less mental effort. For me, the savings on all of the other “filler foods” has really helped!
*Download the FREE Upside App at upside.app.link/mindy to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas.
My mom did not meal plan at home. She would go grocery shopping early in the morning, before the world was awake, lol…and buy clearance food, I.e. meat, produce, etc. Then dependent upon what she found she would plan the meals in the store and pick up what she needed to complete a meal. She was the queen of saving money. She rarely used a recipe and could bake w/out a recipe. She was amazing, God rest her soul!
Nothing better than knowing how to cook a good meal, my mom did a lot of boxed meals and frozen things and snacks but my grandma was the star in teaching me cooking skills. I can cook a meal from just about anything now and make it taste good, I'm super grateful even though it felt like a chore as a kid lol.
One tip for pantry shopping is to use the Internet for recipes and inspiration. A lot of times I have ingredients that might go well together and I don't know exactly what to make. For example, if I have a can of black beans and a box of pasta I'll google those two ingredients and usually a zillion recipes pop up. I may not have all the ingredients for every recipe, but I always find inspiration for a dish I can make. This has actually caused me to create new recipes that we have on regular rotation now.
I once had a jar of pepper jelly and some bread. I googled those ingredients and it came up with a recipe for grilled cheese with apple. Luckily I had cheese and an apple. It was a surprising combo, but it was delicious. I now make that often.
Great tip and good reminder!!
I've been weekly meal planning, with an advance "theme" for certain days...ie. Meatball Monday, Taco Tuesday, Chicken Thursday... has helped a TON with my budget, things don't go bad, and it seems to help my family because they know what to expect. I put little menu cards on the fridge so everyone can see what is for dinner, and it also helps me remember to get meat out of the freezer! Lol
I love grocery shopping so much more than clothes shopping! Nothing fits me properly (weird proportioned body shape) but I get pleasure shopping for food and home goods.
☝🏼 proud grocery shopping nerd 😅
You are my people. 😎
ABSOLUTELY YES! on the wholesale clubs!! 💯 💯💯
We typically only use Sam's for gas and household items (garbage bags, toilet paper) but the other day I drove away thinking, "Why did you just spend $18 on Nature Valley bars?! We really don't need 49 Nature Valley bars... You know how much food you can buy with $18 at Aldi!"
Salad greens can be added to soups in order to use them up!🎉 So the bigger size might be a better buy if you remember to put them into soup or stew!
Or freeze them for smoothies!
Yes! I intentionally buy the chopped salad kits that are on clearance, just to make soups or stir fry dishes.
Ref the emails from companies - I set up an email account on Yahoo that I use just for this purpose. It’s also the email I use for online shopping & recipe subscription. I check it when I’m making my meal plan & ready to go shopping. I do not use this email for personal correspondence or anything else. This allows me to keep this email account for my convenience. Yes I get spam, but I’ve had it for so long and mark items as spam that yahoo does a pretty good job of sending a lot to spam before it hits my inbox. When I open the email, I sort by sender and that makes it very easy to see the emails I want to open & trash the ones I’m not interested in. Thanks for all your great tips and for your honesty!
Also, some foods are just cheaper for their nutritional punch: carrots, onions, cabbage, bananas, dried beans, etc. And avoiding convenience foods where possible, even things like baby carrots and washed salad greens are usually more expensive than just buying a bag of carrots and a head of lettuce.
Very true! We pay a markup for convenience, so I make sure when I do that it's because I need to buy back my time that week!
I have found doing a grocery pick up actually saves me money. I can see how much I’ll be spending and I don’t get those impulse items. I have little self control so when I go in the store I always end up buying stuff I don’t really need. And if I do go in store I try very hard not to take my kids. I always spend more when I take my kids with me.
My anti tip is that I don't stock up on sale items. When I have a lot of inventory, there's always the chance I'll forget and it'll go to waste. Realistically, there's a cycle and something is always going on sale. I buy what's on sale as it comes up. This saves me space in my kitchen and saves me time digging through stock.
I buy enough food for 2 weeks then buy three extra items in case I don't have a way to the store.
Although these are all great tips, I recommend setting a goal of having at least 30 days of food put up in your pantry/freezer. A stocked long term pantry is the best insurance money can buy. Even if you just start with buying four extra items a week to put away. We are living in strange, uncertain times. The prices of everything are going up, job losses are going up. In the unfortunate situation where an adult in the household loses a job, has to go out on leave for a surgery, has an accident, at least you will know you've got food and can feed your family for the foreseeable future. 3-6 months worth is even better. As I said, an extra $10 a week can slowly get you there. Grab an extra bag of rice, a few cans of beans, tuna, pasta, soups, ramen. if you find meat or butter on sale grab an extra for your freezer. I do not recommend letting your cupboards get bare if you can help it, not with the way everything in the world has been lately. I do understand people are struggling financially. But you can still find cheap canned goods that are good for long term storage. Ten dollars a week to start.
Tip #1 don’t let the husband go shopping for the family!
How did you know lol
My husband kindly refuses to go with me for this reason 😂 things tend to jump into the cart when he's there
LOL so true
They never stick to the list! Lol
This saves us thousands lol it is so hard when he comes with me too… so annoying
One tip.. use what you have for now and then put the meal you "wanted" on a list for the next week! Also, for generic, check prices! Because sometimes the generic is cheaper, but sometimes there are more deals on name brand. It can change from week to week.
And honestly, buy a few convenience items (bag salad, rotisserie chicken, freezer fries,...) so that you can make an easy, fast dinner and avoid the drive through, ordering pizza, UberEats,... The latter kills the budget. Hugs!
Thank you SO much for your videos!! They’ve changed my life! Another tip I (try to!!) use is to plan meals with similar ingredients for the week. For instance, if I buy bag of carrots I can use it for beef stew and chicken pot pie so they don’t end up rotting in the fridge!!
Mindy, I have to tell you that my 8 year old, Noah, loves your videos. He wants to watch them all with me and gets mad at me when I try to watch them on my own. Thank you for your content and for providing my son and I something to do together. 😊
On a side note, we only live about an hour and a half from Tulsa and when he found out you live near his grandma and grandpa he decided he wants to visit you. I told him it doesn't exactly work that way but it was pretty sweet.
this is so sweet
Ah, thank you so much, Callie! As a mom AND a teacher, I’m so glad to hear when moms let me know their kids enjoy watching! :) A few people have mentioned they watch with their little ones and it warms my heart. 😊
I love watching your videos! And I love your shirt I love flowers and the color blue
I found changing my grocery store has really made a difference. It took me time to switch my brain to the idea of my stockpile being something I need to actually eat. Now I’m rotating through it and just stopping in to buy bananas, or a fresh roll at the bakery.
Thank you for this video!! I had a lot of onions and potatoes that I’ve had going bad in my pantry. After seeing this video, I chopped up all my onions to go into the freezer and made mashed potatoes from the soft potatoes vs trashing all of it. We are empty nesters now, so buying for my family of two is way different than my family of 6!!
I can thank the algorithm for putting your video in my suggestions list. I am one of the disciplined ones, and have my credit card set to automatically pay the balance every month. We save by not buying many prepared or packaged foods.
I am an impulse buyer, but I have found a way to stave that off. I have to shop online instead of in store most of the time. In order to not buy impulsively, I put what I want to buy in the "cart" and then leave it there and come back later to place the order. I review my order and delete anything that is not necessary or was impulsive. I'm quite sure it has saved me tons of $$
Oh that's a good strategy...makes you think about it and avoid the impulse!
Good on you! I do that with Amazon. If I didn't, I'd spend a thousand dollars on Amazon each month!
There’s only the 2 of us now but we save a huge amount of$ with our Costco membership. We buy virtually all our gas there, we live less than 3 miles from a Costco and can easily plan trips down that way to top off our tanks. I love their store brand unscented liquid laundry detergent, we go through a big tub of spinach every week…much cheaper than the stores here. The store brand non fat yogurt is half the price of what we can find at the stores near us. We buy all our tires there, we’ve bought a mattress through Costco and even managed a great deal on one of our cars through them. Big Costco proponent here! But yes, you do have to have restraint.
I love that I work in a grocery store cause I don't over pay for food, knowing prices. Thank you for these videos
I have definitely seen shrinkflation when it comes to pasta. Before the cheaper dried pastas were around a dollar for 16 oz boxes. Now certain brands are selling 12oz for the same price.
Corporate greed is out of control.
My grandmother made the same meals on the same days,like Monday is always pasta day, Tuesday Chicken,Saturday Beans and hot dog day.
Amen!! We have to control our fun grocery purchasing now. Try to pick and choose best deals and treats
Online grocery shopping saves me time, a lot of money and it also makes sure that I have everything that I need to cook for the week. I don’t exactly have a meal plan but I know that I have plenty of things to cook for my family.
I am Cajun through and through. Fortunately, we at a large variety of food. However, I just can’t make myself eat what I’m jus not hungry for. I am retired now. I also don’t mind shopping for the best possible price for what I do want. I live alone so I am aware that those with kids and families have a tougher time. I am a retired teacher so I know the struggles. What I have problem with is meal planning. Since I don’t have any idea what I feel like eating each day. Lol The way I battle this, is that I cook and freeze a large variety of dishes. I also understand that Cajuns are a breed apart. That’s why people come here for the food,the music, and the fun. Isn’t it great that people are different.
😂
I always enjoy your videos. I used to be a "coupon mom" with the binder and several inserts from the paper. When my boys moved out we spent less on food but after the "rona" the prices are gone CRAZY!!! We have a fixed income and we try to use every digital coupon and shop the sales. It's not getting easier.
I agree that digital coupons are easier. My Sunday paper is almost $3 now, most weeks I'm not saving that in coupons anymore! They do mail out the circulars with a coupon packet for free most weeks so I use those when I can but the days of a binder & 4 Sunday papers are definitely gone!
I use my Sam’s club membership for certain items like my husbands Keurig cups. They are way less than at Walmart. And I buy toilet paper and paper towels there. All can be shipped to my house 😊
I can't do strict meal plans at all... I think because my parents always had meal plans where every single day was just one or two dishes, every week, unless there's a holiday or birthday to break it up.
My style is more loosey goosey where I have like five meals I tend to make often, so I always make sure my pantry and fridge has the ingredients for those. Then while I'm at the grocery store and see any sales on items, I build my week's meals around that.
Like at the start of this week, I got a whole cooked chicken on markdown really cheap at Walmart. I ended up eating that chicken with some pasta for two meals, then shredded up the leftover chicken to make chicken taquitos for another few meals, and saved the bones in the freezer to make a broth for soup later.
Last week there was a sale on eggs and strawberries, so I ended up making crepes and using the strawberries and store brand cool whip for dessert crepes. Then the other half of the crepes I filled with ham and veggies that were on sale, too.
If I can't think of anything to eat and there's no sales, I just make big pots of soup using frozen vegetables and try and use up what's in my fridge and pantry until my next grocery trip.
Practical and helpful. I’m always amazed when people say they’ve cut groceries as much as possible and I see they have all name brands, tons of meat and out of season fruits and veggies. 50% of our grocery budget goes to (mostly) organic fruit and vegetables for our family since we prioritize that. To keep to a modest budget, we therefore avoid packaged and convenience food and I prepare homemade items every weekend that can be frozen so we can have a variety of treats, pre-made meals and baked items for lunches, snacks and easy dinners without exhausting myself since we all work.
Sounds like you have a great system! Love it!
I don't judge what I see in other people's carts, because I don't know their circumstances. Things like special diets, food allergies, disabilities, lack of storage space, lack of time to prepare food from scratch, etc often plays into the decision on what goes into those carts.
@@calihapamama of course not! I meant friends whose circumstances I do know. We have 1 gluten allergy and 1 dairy so I know all about special diets. Just agreeing that sometimes we miss the more inconvenient options to save money. Like giving up convenience foods or name brands
Shrinkflation has got me several times. I’m used to getting 16 oz of bacon in the store brand at Walmart now it comes in 12 oz. 12 oz isn’t enough for my family of 4 which means not I have to start purchasing a different brand or 2 of the store brand 😢. Food prices are killer these days so thank you Mindy for “dumbing” it down for us. I love your videos and how educational they are. I find myself delaying the store at least 1 more day each week lately to save $.
Oh you're right, I noticed that about the bacon the other day!
This has caught me off guard! I would buy a big bag of ravioli and split it in two meals. Last time I did it there wasn’t enough the second time….. realized the bag was smaller.
Great tips, Mindy. I am terrible at shopping my pantry and freezer and I live alone. I can only imagine how difficult it is for a family of several people. I’m going to try and do better especially since I tend to be drawn to purchasing certain items like deodorant or canned tomatoes whenever I shop because in the back of my mind, I “need” those things. No one person needs three or four sticks of deodorant at any given time. Thanks for sharing these type videos. I really appreciate it.
I'm the same way about canned tomatoes! At least that's something that will last in our pantries indefinitely, right?
I tend to have 3-4 deodorants at a time because I buy them when they are $1 or less with digital coupons. But then I don’t buy them again until I’m down to one.
@@jenniferrosenthal7731 I second this anything that is shelf stable for long term storage is bought on sale with coupons and stored. I always stock up when it's cheap and try to never pay full price.
I am a big digital coupon user in addition to rebate apps. I also love my salvage grocery stores!
Totally agree with you on no to wholesale memberships. I don’t do them. Never have. I refuse to pay in order to shop. I would overspend and overbuy. Nope.
Tip: Double check the math if something looks off. Sometimes the price per ounce/item listed is incorrect. I have noticed this especially with Walmart online shopping.
I can’t say I’m the biggest money saver on groceries but I don’t go crazy expensive. My strategies are meal planning, sticking to my list, trying to limit my trips (sometimes I fail at that) and buying mostly store brands, with some exceptions.
There are also a lot of things I simply don’t or rarely buy. I rarely buy soda, maybe if I’m entertaining; I limit my paper products, and double paper towels for napkins and toilet paper for tissues, which probably makes us heathens. 😂 I love Oreos like the next person but rarely buy packaged baked goods, except for loaves of bread and rolls.
I may spend extra in other areas though. I’m a maple syrup snob and only like the real kind. I used to buy lemon and lime juice in bottles for recipes, which is usually cheaper and more convenient, but I have found fresh lemon and lime juice does taste better so usually buy those. I make homemade lemon vinaigrette which I love.
I get that. My chickens keep coming up to our patio and munching on the seeds and fresh germinations. Luckily I got the pots and planters up on a shelf a few days ago. Or I'd be up a creek on these yummy veggies. Now we only let them free range late in the evening for an hour or so.
It has taken me awhile to learn to garden. But it is getting better. Hope yours do well. Just be careful about getting chickens. I think a few are going to be dinner if I keep catching them eating my goods, grrr!
One tip I use (it just works for me) is paying my credit card balance with every pay period. Like a debit card then, if my spending is starting to get out of hand, I'm going to notice.
I use my credit card to pay for everything to get the cash back, and obviously pay it off and use it moderately so I agree with this. I never leave a balance except when I can use the Cash back towards the balance, and then pay the remaining balance.
Doing a cook from what you have week-month whatever you can get by with is the best money saving tip. Treat it like you are a contestant on the show “ Chopped.”
Just bring a $20 bill and leave everything else out except another payment form for emergency situations. Try to make that $20 work.
So just eating bread and milk? 🤣 Just kidding!
Wont work with my family of 7 lol
@@abbyno4917let them get their own food then! 😂
My family would starve on just $20 worth of food😂😂
I spent almost $400 at Walmart on basics since I moved into my 1st apartment, I went to Winco and spent $100
Wow, what a great video! Your content is always so helpful and informative but this one has to be near the top. My comment would be "know yourself". Although I'm quite advanced in terms of knowing how to budget grocery shop, I had to learn and accept that I'm not disciplined enough to have a "grocery circuit" and go from store to store buying the loss leaders. I kept seeing other deals and temptations at each of the three stores I used. So I decided to choose one store that had the best loss leaders that week and pay the extra for what the other 2 stores had on offer. The result was spending a lot less. My average spend per month is $140 for one person. This is for food. I have separate budget lines for toiletries, household, pet -- and junk food (so i can keep myself accountable). Thanks Mindy. Keep up the great work! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Just poking in to say I LOVE your personality Mindy! My kids are long grown. My husband and I eat very simply. He eats processed and more cconvenience foods and I am a WFPB "mainly" eater BUT.. I love to shop. It's what retired people do! HA So I really enjoy your videos. Thank you.
Totally agree with some of your points. My first money saving tip is meal planning. I am one of those monthly meal planners. I do an inventory of what I have on hand and meal plan from that so that I know for sure what I need at the store. It is never good to buy something that you won't use in time. I don't think wholesale clubs have good enough pricing to make it work for me for sure!
I know a lot of monthly meal planners, and they love that system. Good for you! :)
I use the apps for Sam’s Club, Walmart and Aldi to compare prices. Price per pound or ounce. More often than not the pennies difference is not worth the premium price of the membership! Some may say the convenience of buying in bulk is worth it if they have a large family and I totally get that. Especially when there are limits on items
I do the same thing. I have all the local store apps on my phone. I also try to meal plan around what is on sale.
We have a household of 3 and use sam's. From what I've seen we save the most on household products, like cleaning supplies, toilet paper and hygiene items. We save lots on sliced cheese and lunch meat.
Produce does seem to be about the same.
I find Sam’s and Costco to not be a good deal on milk, produce, sandwich bread, soda and cereal. Ever notice these are the loss leaders at the grocery store most of the time. But Sam’s and Costco have the grocery store beat on things that are pantry or freezer items most of the time. I save the most on deli meat, half and half, oils, frozen fruit/veggies(quality is better too), tp, razors, dove soap, moisturizer, better than bouillon, whole bean coffee, yogurt(when there isn’t a sale at the grocery store), jerky(chomps), steel cut oats, foil/parchment paper, string cheese, frozen fish, bacon, hummus, maple syrup and a few other things. You definitely have to be strategic about your purchases. We are a family of 4. I’ll admit it’s almost impossible to stick to a tiny budget and shop wholesale. You have to have wiggle room to be able to stock-up and not be eating the same thing all month.
I love these tips, although several don't work for me because I have mobility issues. Since prices have risen greatly, I have been trying to meal plan and shop my pantry more. My adult children are shocked because they have never seen my pantry and freezer so empty. lol Now that I am on a fixed income, I try not to shop too often and shop online. It has stopped my impulse buying. It is only me, so luckily I often cook and eat leftovers for a day or two. I appreciate all your budget saving ideas and love your meal ideas. Thank you!
I have a debit card only for groceries. I put $x every payday and that is the budget, no exceptions. Here in Texas, H-E-B has this card, and they give you cash back if you purchase store brands
I just got to visit HEB last month and it was FANTASTIC! :)
@@SeeMindyMom HEB is my favorite grocery store hands down. Aldi is cheaper on staple items, but if I can’t get it at Aldi, it comes from HEB
There's an app for that list!! We have a shared digital list app on our phones. My husband is a 3rd shift worker so we don't always have time to talk about everyday things. So we have a list app that we both add to. Its wonderful
My husband has my Walmart app on his phone so he can add things that are needed and if he goes to a store he can check the list to see if there's something he can pick up... he likes the local grocery store, I like Walmart because our local store is almost double the price of Walmart.
I like your approach about your takes. I Like diferent camara takes, beside the tips. I am new at budgeting and the shoping the pantry is somenthing i still strougle. I had done, but for small portions. Staring to learn some couponing, it is very tempting to buy the sales instead of needs. I am glad for the budget to stop me to buy more!!! So, working progress here. Tha k you for sharing this knowledge. God bless you!
I agree with so many of your points. I don’t really like that list either. I love wholesale stores, BUT it really does require lots of discipline and organization. I have to put more effort into my shopping, planning and storing. So, I’m trading time for the savings.
Yep, there are definitely instances when I trade some of my money for convenience because time is a commodity also!
If you happen to have leftover salad greens you can sautee them just like you sautee spinach and add to any dish they taste wonderful
I order online from my local Grocery store , they also load offers and offer Great lost leaders once a month that I take advantage of ,I find it helps me stop impulse buying ,plus saves me a tonne of time looking for parking ,getting cart and on and on ,,,feel spoiled sometimes ,,but all good ,,these are Great tips ,, paying cash is also I Good way to see the actual value as well,,,😊
Sunday paper coupons is a waste at the price of the paper and coupons I'll never use. Grocery stores in my area deliver coupons via USPS or are on the store app.
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*Great* reminder for me to Pantry Shop. Thank you!
I found couponing difficult when the "big name brands" are not on the shopping list whether due to needs, values, or preferences.
I like shopping groceries online because I can compare prices between 4+ stores quickly between tabs; yes, it helps with impulse buying haha; coupons may be highlighted; and I can opt for Free Grocery Pickup.
I live rurally in a high-cost area with dietary restrictions and we love your videos, meal ideas, and money-saving tips! :)
For me, the generic is almost always cheaper than the name brand with a coupon. It doesn't matter how big of a discount something is if it isn't something you use. And on the clubs, I have a Sam's and Walmart next door to each other. A gallon of Sam's branded milk is currently running almost $5, the Walmart branded milk is running 1.50 for the same gallon from the same packaging plant.
Build up the notebook that compares prices across several stores using the same units of measure. Even in the same store, they will often switch between price per ounce and per pound, or even per unit. Doing the math will let you compare things on an apples to apples basis.
I really suck when it comes to grocery shopping
What wonderful tips! I have the upside app but am having issues linking my account so will revisit this weekend! I am a huge huge user of generic everything! I use my credit cards all the time...I pay everything in full each month...no longer carry cash...I stick to my budget as best able...and I wait thirty days before most purchases because I will only buy it if I need it..if that makes sense!
Back when we used to use checks to pay for things, I had a nodded credit card that gave cash back. Every time I played with my card, I treated it like a check and put it in my register, subtracting it from my balance. You could just use a notebook instead of a check register.
Having to write down every purchase really makes you think about what you're spending too.
Great Tips Mindy. I have used lists forever or I'd be kicking myself for those important items forgotten. 😡 My local store has digital in store Coupons offering their best deals. I compare store prices, sizes and quality. When I'm there I stock up on those things that keep well. Freezer/shelf items. Yes, so true about trying the brand names. We are determined to WIN. 💪🏆
I do online grocery shopping all the time and I know current prices so I know what is a good deal and what isn't. I online shop for groceries at Walmart and another large chain grocery store and Amazon. I couldn't get my vitamin d drops from my local health food store recently and they were not going to have them in stock for at least 3 weeks or more...I found them on Amazon for the same price as I pay at the health food store. I think if u are smart, online grocery shopping is fantastic. I haven't stepped foot in Walmart since Covid started and I honestly don't miss it.
Great tips! I have wanted to visit Costco since it opened here but I have not dared! LOL! I am too impulsive in shops! Thank you for the video!
Lately I have reduced the number of cucumbers, tomatoes and bananas I buy. They're frequent buys because we use them often, but we always seem to have a lot of waste. The produce just isn't lasting as long. Now I only buy with specific plans and only one or two, when before I'd buy a small handful and we would just go through it. Pay attention to the supply chain changes, too... it's been making a difference.
I'm going through that with bananas right now. My family just doesn't reach for those like they used to. I end up having to make a lot of muffins or smoothies! LOL
In the last 3-4 months I make one trip for coupon deals matched up with sales. I cannot concentrate on extra stuff with I am walking around with 4 sheets of coupons I have highlighted and store coupons. I will then make a list of items I am out of that I need to restock. I spend 2 hours a week comparing prices with my 3 groceries stores available. All of your tips are amazing. I spend $75 a week but about every 4-5 weeks I will spend $150. I love my gas savings when I coupon for fuel points at Kroger. At least once a month I order my groceries on-line for pick-up so I will not go in the store. I actually got to skip a week in March. I am not a food snob. I will buy store brand where I know it is cheaper and taste just as good. I have no credit cards. We are cash only since we got out of debt. I wish I had been as wise as you when my children were young. Live and learn.
Sounds like you have a good system going, Nancy! :)
I've found that using my local grocery store app helps me keep from impulse buying because at the end of the week when I know what my check coming in is going to be I whittle down the products to what I realistically need. I go to Sam's or Costco for the stuff I use in bulk and use the Sam's curb side to avoid all the extra goodies. I'm a terrible impulse buyer so just the walking through the store can cost me a couple hundred dollars. It doesn't help when I walk through I usually have 2 grandsons asking g'ma please please please lol.
Oh that's a great tip on the Sam's curbside! I hadn't thought of that. :)
It does take a little homework to figure out what is truly a good deal, but wholesale clubs are worth it for every household with 2+ people IF you're smart about it.
I buy my BJ membership from Groupon,$20 vs $55 from BJ's. Also I only buy at BJ's large items like toilet paper and dish soap.But you have to be careful cause I've been tempted to buy clothing and other items I don't really need.
Mmm Yass on the credit cards. I keep a ledger and allocate purchases per certain categories and in pay every week or two weeks. If I could figure out a way to pay the mortgage with the cc for cash back I would !😂
I've been buying all of breakfast/lunch/dinners. What I've learned recently is that for produce, I buy exactly what I think my family will eat OR buy produce I can freeze if I need to before it goes bad
Good point about it being freezable. My family goes through phases with produce. Some days I can't keep grapes longer than a day, and other times they'll shrivel up in the fridge...lol.
I love the gadget you have for the yogurt!
I live in a small town. There are no stores that deliver here. There is a Walmart 20 minutes away that has Walmart pickup. I use it for multiple reasons, and it's very helpful. The downside is that I don't go in the store to see if there are good clearance deals.
I’ve gotten a lot better with using what I have that’s helped so much but I’ve also made a budget before didn’t have one
This was great! Thank you! Can you do more videos on sale cycles?
As the mother of a disabled child we live on a fixed income basically (my oldest has a job and helps with bills) but we do get snap benefits and that's basically what I have to spend on food every month so I have had to get creative with meals but I haven't ever tried a meal plan I think I will give it a go! Please don't come at me for getting snap my children and myself also garden in the summer and I'm saving up for a small deep freezer so I can start really preserving our bounty to help with the grocery bill throughout the year
"Don't come at me for getting snap"?? Sweet mama... the fact that u have to even say this hurts my heart. Recieving gov assistance isn't something you should be shamed for so you don't gotta explain u yourself or your situation cus its NOONES business ❤
I would never begrudge anyone SNAP or WIC benefits! That's why it's there! I'm glad you and your family have what you need, and it sounds like you are very good stewards of it. Great job!
Don't forget to check local programs like the YMCA that may have produce available too, never ever be worried about people who may have an opinion about receiving food assistance, you do what you need to do for your family!
@@MinimalMTMama thank you for that thank you for making me feel human there are so many people in this country that make me feel less than when they find out that we receive assistance. They have no idea what I or my kids have been through and what my disabled child goes through everyday! So thank you again for. Because it really made me feel human!
@@Midwestmomvolunteer365 yes I will do anything and everything I can to make sure my kids eat especially my youngest with him being handicapped he has food sensory issues so it's really hard to feed him sometimes and I will check out the YMCAs in my area thank you for the tip
I work at a major grocery/drug store and it makes shopping a definite challenge to save money because it’s too easy to pick up items every time you work. Luckily they have a store card with reward points and you can get items for free.
Yaaayyy!!! A new SMM vid in my feed just when I want to unwind after a long day at work, and now my evening is perfect!! Thank you for all the great tips, inspo, and all your efforts on this channel!! XOXO's
Glad I could deliver! Enjoy your evening!
1:16 may someone please help with advice…is it okay to store onions & garlic in the refrigerator? Thank you!
Yes it is. I think it's better that way.
Thank you! I was getting conflicting opinions when I tried to google lol so I didn’t understand…much appreciated 🥰
The wholesale club one 👀 we're about to get a kayak from Sam's Club 😬 I do love kayaking and we're in Florida, so it's not too wild, but they do get ya with the odds and ends.
thanks again Mindy, always so helpful
Thank you for these tips. I already use some and others are new. I like your idea of picking out meals for the week and make them as you feel it and it works. I have some veggies planted in containers and that helps too. I love fresh grown carrots, basil, cilantro and tomatoes. Except I still have issues growing tomatoes. Its a learning process. Have a blessed week. 😊
We haven't had much luck with our gardening ventures. This year, we're just trying to keep some herbs alive! :)
Great video! As I mentioned before I will always be loyal to Pace, can't help it loved it forever. I did change my loyalty to Barilla pasta. Bought an Aldi's marinara to try but I really love Newman's but the price is high. I'm also checking the price per ounce thing.
Great tips! I will say that if you use a lot of gas for commuting that the Costco membership pays for itself in the gas savings even if you never step foot in the store. But people must think and plan.
Yup. I live near a Costco with a gas station. It consistently has the cheapest gas in the area, by 70 cents to a dollar cheaper per gallon. If I don't have any Safeway Rewards to use at the Safeway gas station I go to Costco instead. When you're saving 8-10 dollars per fill up, the Costco membership pays for itself pretty quickly.
Good point!
I’m 3.5 hours from the closest Costco, 1.5 hours from the nearest Sam’s Club. Oh well.
@@christinecortese9973 I'm a 4 hour drive from the closest Aldi that everyone says I should go to for lower prices. No one has access to everything.
@@calihapamama ours is only a dime cheaper
I get the using generic on some things. But the quality of so many things have gone done in the past few years. I recently purchased a generic store brand vegetable and there were stalks in the can along with the vegetables. That I don't like. I just stick to purchasing the name brand better quality product when it is on sale.
Upside is a great app! I have already earned the price of a full tank of gas in just 1 month of using the app. Still trying to convince some family members to use it. But I'm convinced that I will sooner than later.
Make sure you give them your referral code when you do so you get a little extra bonus. :)
Last time I checked, upside wasn’t in my area. So frustrating! I hope it gets here soon!
Went to sams today spent $179. Got 4 protein shakes, vitamins, capri sun, chips, kids shorts and a sweater. The majority of $ spent was on hubby his stuff was $137 alone. But the shakes will last 6 weeks.
The only way I can manage my Costco membership, is this; I go on my lunch break, which is only 30 minutes, and I don’t get a shopping cart. That allows me to get those bulk items that we use, dryer sheets, toilet paper, my husband’s lunch beverage of choice, but does not give me room for things that I don’t need. I have to be very strategic in what I’m getting, and if I can’t carry it, I just can’t carry it. 😊😊😊
Great strategy!
I no longer get a Sunday paper . I agree the values are much lower and not as many coupons either . So the cost of the paper going up it’s just not worth it . I use apps also .
Perfect timing, going grocery shopping tomorrow and going to use some of these hacks. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for watching, Alma! :)
@@SeeMindyMom you're welcome, sweet friend.
Mindy, Epic video and I thank you.Update from NYC Foodtown has Smithfield bacon on sale for 3.99. I went the next morning and they sold out and no longer do rain checks however the truck is coming Thursday and I will be there to stock up.
That's a fantastic price on bacon!
As always Mindy. Great tips and ideas. Actually things Ive never thought about. Thank you.
I was a huge couponing mom. But for all the reasons you spoke about, I don't anymore. And I'm sad. 😢 😊
Mindy and family have a great week have fun thanks from Oklahoma
Thank you! You too!
My doctor just told me to do keto. I have always cooked pretty much like you do, heavy on the carbs to save money. My first stock up for keto was off budget. My first week's shopping was $20 over my usual $70 per week. Any ideas on saving money on a keto diet?
I am doing keto too. I buy my meats in bulk when on sale and I’m okay with mostly having the same food options because it takes less mental effort. For me, the savings on all of the other “filler foods” has really helped!
My small town newspaper has moved to delivering the paper through the mail and I haven’t gotten a coupon insert since.
I also find that coupons have much shorter dates. It seems that by the time I go to use it... it's past date.
I use sales, n I have spent $500 this month so far plus started using pantry 👀. Which s insane because I would spend $400 for family of 6 for a month!
I love your glasses frames color!