Money Saving Wednesday…Stock Your General Store…Holiday Foods
I love grocery shopping the week before Thanksgiving. Really. Today was my traditional holiday shopping spree. I spent $106.32. My goal was $100.00 to qualify for the free turkey. I came in at $101.24! The rest was tax on non food items. I saved $62.73!!! and got a free turkey valued at: $11.10. So, I spent $106.32 for $180.20 worth of groceries. All this with no coupons. I know some of you save lots of money with coupons but since my General Store is well stocked I only purchase food when it is on sale so coupons usually expire before I can use them. I do not use coupons.
Today I only purchased items that were on sale. I walked up and down the isles with my master list of items needed to be replaced in my General Store and when I found one on sale, I bought it, or several. I loved stocking up on butter for holiday baking. It was buy one get one free. That only happens just before Thanksgiving and just before Christmas. I did purchase bread and milk at full price but that was all.
When your General Store is fully stocked you can take advantage of sales and never again purchase foods at full price! It really is fun…We will finish the food section of our General Store in February and then move on the stocking the shelves with non-food items.
Start now to shop for your Christmas and New Years Eve feasts. There are lots of sales this week on sugar, flour, and all things baking. There are also sales on ham and of course,
those free turkeys. Many eat turkey for Christmas dinner as well as Thanksgiving. Turkey is great for holiday buffets and turkey salad makes a great appetizer. Plan your holiday menus for all your parties now and purchase ingredients as they are on sale.
Stick with items that are in season. You may normally purchase asparagus or other out of season fruits and veggies for holiday dinners but they are a big budget buster. Go with items that are in season and don’t be afraid to substitute frozen or canned. For example, a great roasted corn salsa can be made for holiday dipping, using canned corn. Just grill it in a grilling pan and you are good to go.
Pot Luck is okay. Asking guests to bring a favorite dish to add to the holiday ham, roast or turkey is a perfect way to economize. Most people would love to be asked if they would be willing to bring a dish. I know I loved my dad’s stuffing and my grandfather made the best pies. I like my yams much better than most so I would love to do the yams. I also make killer rolls.
Don’t forget the sandwiches or snacks at night. You can say “I won’t need to eat for a month” as you push away from the table but you know in several hours you will want something, unless you eat your dinner late in the afternoon. Ask others to bring sandwich mixings or a veggie tray and fruits to snack on.
Remember the most important part of Thanksgiving is family and friends. When you are with those you love PB&J sandwiches can be a feast!
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Hi Carolyn! I caught your interview with James T. last evening(you may remember seeing Soapysue in the chatroom). It was a great show as always. I’m from Eastern Canada, the prices you pay and deals you get on food are fantastic…not so great here. Thanks for the great tips and great blog.
Carolyn, I know you and a lot of folks don’t use coupons and it is quite a hassle to keep up with them. There are a couple of really good websites that outline what’s on sale at a given grocery store and then tell you where to get a coupon to go with the sale. This helps me with those BOGO items because you can print a couple of coupons for the item and often get it for free or just a few pennies. I did that for my Publix trip yesterday and saved $60.00 on my bill. You can “stack” manufacturer’s coupons and store coupons and get an even better deal. I admit to being a coupon addict but you don’t have to go whole hog just to buy items on sale.
I love this time of year for grocery shopping, too! The past week, I’ve spent more than usual, but it has been stocking up for the months to come. Butter, cheese, frozen veggies, sugar, etc. I admit to getting giddy while grocery shopping. Getting a great deal and then going home, putting it all away and surveying the shelves is a great thing! My freezers are full, my storage shelves stocked. . . Bring on winter!
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