SAVING CENTSABLY: Start the new year right
Once or twice each year, our family "takes a break" from buying groceries on the regular weekly or twice-weekly rotation. The goal in these breaks is to thin out the supplies in our pantry, freezer and kitchen shelves.
As you are beginning 2016, I feel sure you have a few goals about how you would like your spending to work out in this new year. If you are looking to spend less, I hope you have a good idea about how much you have been spending in the past few months. In order to know how to improve, you need to know where you stand already.
If you are shocked by how much you spent on groceries in December, consider as much of a shopping-free couple of weeks as you can. Use up what you have stocked up and stored, and slow down on the spending. Not only will this help empty out your extra items and keep items from expiring, but your January spending will immediately decrease.
Whether or not you decide to halt your January spending, at least begin shopping with a 50-percent savings plan in mind. Look for items this month at Kroger and at Publix that begin with at least at 50-percent savings.
Remember that in both cases, unless there is a special note on the items, Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) really does just mean the items are half-price. If you need only one box of the cereal that is BOGO, then buy only one and accept the savings at 50 percent. Do not buy more than you will use -- otherwise you will have a surplus of that cereal sitting on your shelf for the next "take a break" month!
Another way to save this month is to begin paying close attention to the "unplanned" purchases that you make in those unexpected trips to the grocery store.
What items do you regularly find that you need? Is there something you should purchase more regularly to be sure you do not run out?
Studies show, and it stands to reason, that the more you go to the store, the more money you will spend. Impulse buys are real temptations, and it is rare that even the biggest savings queens purchase only what is on the list.
Lastly, be sure you are paying close attention to the cost per ounce or cost per unit. Even when you think you may be saving money by purchasing a larger family-size box, the truth is that very often I find that the family-size boxes are no longer the big savings one might expect them to be.
In many cases, buying the regular size package has the lowest cost per unit price. Be sure you are getting the best price per item; don't just assume that bigger is better.
Hopefully, between a spending freeze, a new look at half-price savings, eliminating the quick trips to the store, and paying attention to the cost per item, you will experience a real boost in your "out of the gate" savings for 2016.
Contact writer Rachael Mercer at savingcentsably@gmail.com.
This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 7:19 PM with the headline "SAVING CENTSABLY: Start the new year right ."