WISH card challenge went very well this week.
Our spending was much better and came to a grand total of $108.03 for both groceries and fuel. Another $2.50 was spent getting apples at the fruit shop, leaving $37.50 to go towards the stockpile funds this week.
Nobody has gone hungry. There has been plenty of fresh fruit and vegies plus home made treats. We had dinner guests on two nights and had enough for Guitarman to take leftovers for lunch.
I'm very happy with this week's spending as it brings our average closer to the $150 per week I usually achieve.
Week three, day seven
Gift cards $1381.97
Stockpile $77.50
Spent so far $518.03 (total taken from card balances as I've lost one receipt)
Average spend: $172.41 per week
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Cupboard's Bare Vegie Korma
Two posts in one day - but I wanted to share this before I forget.
Yesterday we got home at about 5pm and nothing was organised for dinner. GuitarMan was in the mood for Indian - he offered to go and buy takeaway which he'd pay for. I offered to make Vegie Korma and GuitarMan's wallet stayed safely in his pocket for another day. Another $20 saved!
This recipe is one of our old standbys for nights when we get home and there's nothing organised for dinner or when we have vegies to use up. You can use fresh, frozen or a combo. Just make sure you cook your harder vegetables for longer. The recipe makes four huge serves or six smaller serves. We keep the leftovers for lunch. Yum.
We like to serve our Korma up with Basmati Rice with Peas and pappadams. Both recipes are a hit with kids as they contain no heat at all, but are still tasty if you leave out the chilli. If you don't like peas just have plain rice.
No photos as it got eaten too quickly. Enjoy.
The Cupboard's Bare Vegie Korma
1 medium brown onion, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
pinch chilli powder (I leave out when serving for kids)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 peeled carrots, sliced thickly
1 cup water
1/2 medium butternut pumpkin peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups frozen green beans
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into large dice
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can coconut milk
Fry onion over a very low heat in 1 tablespoon oil for a few minutes until soft. Increase heat and add spices and garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
Add carrots and water and stir well. Bring to boil and then reduce heat back to low. Cook, covered for 5 minutes.
Add everything else and cook until vegies are soft but not mushy. Serve with rice.
Basmati Rice with Peas
1 1/2 cups of Basmati Rice, rinsed
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon (or 1 cube) chicken stock powder
3 cups water
Put all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook as normal.
If you don't have a rice cooker. Place all ingredients in frypan with a lid. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cook for around 15 mins until water is absorbed. Check after 10 mins and some boiling water if you need to.
Makes approx 3 cups.
Yesterday we got home at about 5pm and nothing was organised for dinner. GuitarMan was in the mood for Indian - he offered to go and buy takeaway which he'd pay for. I offered to make Vegie Korma and GuitarMan's wallet stayed safely in his pocket for another day. Another $20 saved!
This recipe is one of our old standbys for nights when we get home and there's nothing organised for dinner or when we have vegies to use up. You can use fresh, frozen or a combo. Just make sure you cook your harder vegetables for longer. The recipe makes four huge serves or six smaller serves. We keep the leftovers for lunch. Yum.
We like to serve our Korma up with Basmati Rice with Peas and pappadams. Both recipes are a hit with kids as they contain no heat at all, but are still tasty if you leave out the chilli. If you don't like peas just have plain rice.
No photos as it got eaten too quickly. Enjoy.
The Cupboard's Bare Vegie Korma
1 medium brown onion, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
pinch chilli powder (I leave out when serving for kids)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 peeled carrots, sliced thickly
1 cup water
1/2 medium butternut pumpkin peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups frozen green beans
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into large dice
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can coconut milk
Fry onion over a very low heat in 1 tablespoon oil for a few minutes until soft. Increase heat and add spices and garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
Add carrots and water and stir well. Bring to boil and then reduce heat back to low. Cook, covered for 5 minutes.
Add everything else and cook until vegies are soft but not mushy. Serve with rice.
Basmati Rice with Peas
1 1/2 cups of Basmati Rice, rinsed
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon (or 1 cube) chicken stock powder
3 cups water
Put all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook as normal.
If you don't have a rice cooker. Place all ingredients in frypan with a lid. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cook for around 15 mins until water is absorbed. Check after 10 mins and some boiling water if you need to.
Makes approx 3 cups.
WISH card challenge end of week two
As I expected, we spent much more this week. A bit demotivating but this weeks expenses just couldn't be helped.
Our increased spending was partly because we needed to get fuel for both cars which were pretty much empty. We drove around Melbourne to appointments a fair bit in the last week and spent just under $150 on fuel. This week our fuel costs should be considerably less and around the $60-70 mark.
I am definitely noticing a big difference between shopping around and buying everything in the one store. My local Woolies is fairly small and I've been unable to get some of the cheaper alternatives because they just don't stock them. Having to rely on more expensive brands really adds up.
Here's where we stand at the end of week two. The spending looks horrendous because of the fuel we used but I expect to only do a top up shop for fruit, veg and milk this week.
From this week, I'll also start shopping at the Woolies near work because it's much bigger and stocks inexpensive options for products. That store also has to compete with Coles, ALDI and the local fruit and veg market for customers. The fresh produce quality is always good and they usually match market prices.
Week two, day seven
Gift cards $1490.81
Stockpile $40.00
Spent so far $409.19
Average spend: $204.60 per week
Our increased spending was partly because we needed to get fuel for both cars which were pretty much empty. We drove around Melbourne to appointments a fair bit in the last week and spent just under $150 on fuel. This week our fuel costs should be considerably less and around the $60-70 mark.
I am definitely noticing a big difference between shopping around and buying everything in the one store. My local Woolies is fairly small and I've been unable to get some of the cheaper alternatives because they just don't stock them. Having to rely on more expensive brands really adds up.
Here's where we stand at the end of week two. The spending looks horrendous because of the fuel we used but I expect to only do a top up shop for fruit, veg and milk this week.
From this week, I'll also start shopping at the Woolies near work because it's much bigger and stocks inexpensive options for products. That store also has to compete with Coles, ALDI and the local fruit and veg market for customers. The fresh produce quality is always good and they usually match market prices.
Week two, day seven
Gift cards $1490.81
Stockpile $40.00
Spent so far $409.19
Average spend: $204.60 per week
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Keeping your grocery spend low
Anyone who has shopped at a supermarket in the last twelve months will probably tell you that grocery prices have gone up. A lot.
The major supermarket chains tell a different story and have 'shelf price reduced' stickers all over the store and will happily tell us that over a hundred items have had the shelf price permanently reduced.
So, who do we believe? Both are actually correct but there are ways to stretch your grocery dollar further. We manage to keep our overall grocery spend for two adults, one child and numerous pets to an average of $125 a week.
GuitarMan and I both work and saving time is often as important as saving money. I have a rough rule of thumb that each hour I spend on reducing our spending should give me a decent sort of return for my time investment. On that basis there are things that I have done to save money in the past that I don't bother to do now as my time with my family is important to me.
Things I (almost) always do to reduce my grocery spending
The major supermarket chains tell a different story and have 'shelf price reduced' stickers all over the store and will happily tell us that over a hundred items have had the shelf price permanently reduced.
So, who do we believe? Both are actually correct but there are ways to stretch your grocery dollar further. We manage to keep our overall grocery spend for two adults, one child and numerous pets to an average of $125 a week.
GuitarMan and I both work and saving time is often as important as saving money. I have a rough rule of thumb that each hour I spend on reducing our spending should give me a decent sort of return for my time investment. On that basis there are things that I have done to save money in the past that I don't bother to do now as my time with my family is important to me.
Things I (almost) always do to reduce my grocery spending
- Shop around. Don't buy everything in the one store.
- Have a weekly budget set aside for stockpiling bargains or bulk items.
- Shop with a list
- Don't shop when I am in a rush e.g. I have to pick up TootToot or be somewhere in half an hour
- Never spend more to achieve fly buys, reward points or fuel dockets
- I have the ugliest trolley in the supermarket and I'm prepared to buy generic or store brand. No pretty labels for me.
- If I try a generic or store brand and nobody likes it or the quality isn't as good then I'm happy to buy the brand name.
- Compare the unit cost or cost per kilo. Sometimes a brand name on special can be cheaper.
- Take advantage of manufacturers cash back offers. You can get some great one's for new product lines.
- Never buy prepared cooking sauces etc. I buy basic ingredients and cook from scratch.
- Bake cakes, biscuits and savoury snacks at home.
- Consider more vegetarian meals. Pulses are cheap when compared with meat, chicken and fish.
- Buy marked down, meat, bread etc if I am at the store anyway and if it's something I want. We will not eat lamb's fry no matter how cheaply I can buy it.
- If I only need one or two items, I think about what can be substituted from items I already have. Every day I can delay that grocery shop saves money.
- Shop outside the supermarkets. I buy fruit and veg from the local market, meat from a wholesale butcher and pulses from an Indian grocery store.
- Go to the store at the time they will be marking down produce. My local supermarket is across the road from the primary school. The meat and bakery items are marked down just before school lets out for the day. It's like the first day of the post-Christmas sales and if you can get any reduced items it takes 15 minutes to get through the checkout. Not for me thank you.
- Buy five of an item on special only to discover we don't like it or have no real use for it.
- Drive distances to buy a bargain. There are certain places e.g. COSTCO that I know are cheaper for me but I will only shop there if in the area anyway. When you add the cost of fuel in sometimes there are no real savings in going too far from home.
- Buy from factory outlets. Love it but I'm generally at work when they are open.
- Make my own bread all the time. We still enjoy home baked but for everyday, we will buy a loaf at the supermarket for our toast.
- Grow some fruit, vegetables and herbs. We are planning to start this again in the spring.
- Maintaining a Price Book. You can read about them on most frugal living websites but for me personally it was an absolute drudge and a complete waste of time.
- Preserving foods. I just have no knack for this at all even though I'd like to.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins
For Mothers Day I was lucky enough to get a red Kitchenaid mixer. Well Mothers Day was just the excuse. I'm not Guitarman's mother but he knew I needed a new mixer as our 25 year old hand mixer had mixed its last batch of muffins. I expect that this new mixer will see me through the rest of my baking days and it is so lovely to use.
Wherever I can I cook from scratch. By cooking from scratch I know exactly what my famly are eating and we take time to sit down together and eat as part of connecting with each other at the end of the day. I read a blog post today from overamillionorbust about her daughter's milk intolerance. That post reminded me that I started cooking pretty much everything from scratch when TootToot was a baby.
TootToot was a premmie and she couldn't tolerate cows milk in any form before she was two. A lot of commercially prepared foods contain some form of milk solid, never mind all the sugar and salt. Eight years on TootToot has very diverse tastes and none of the pickiness around food that other kids her age do - and she's a healthy weight because her diet is varied.
The other effect of cooking from scratch is that you can eat really good quality food for a hell of a lot less money. I'll post a favourite recipe each week.
This week's recipe is Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins. I picked this up while in the US from a Ghirardelli chocolate packet. The mix makes twelve standard size muffins and would probably make around eight Texas style muffins.
Warning: don't even think about counting the calories in these. Enjoy!
100g butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk ( I use milk powder and water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups flour
225g of chopped white chocolate
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Method:
Wherever I can I cook from scratch. By cooking from scratch I know exactly what my famly are eating and we take time to sit down together and eat as part of connecting with each other at the end of the day. I read a blog post today from overamillionorbust about her daughter's milk intolerance. That post reminded me that I started cooking pretty much everything from scratch when TootToot was a baby.
TootToot was a premmie and she couldn't tolerate cows milk in any form before she was two. A lot of commercially prepared foods contain some form of milk solid, never mind all the sugar and salt. Eight years on TootToot has very diverse tastes and none of the pickiness around food that other kids her age do - and she's a healthy weight because her diet is varied.
The other effect of cooking from scratch is that you can eat really good quality food for a hell of a lot less money. I'll post a favourite recipe each week.
This week's recipe is Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins. I picked this up while in the US from a Ghirardelli chocolate packet. The mix makes twelve standard size muffins and would probably make around eight Texas style muffins.
Warning: don't even think about counting the calories in these. Enjoy!
Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins
100g butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk ( I use milk powder and water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups flour
225g of chopped white chocolate
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 C
- Grease muffin cups or line with papers. I use silicone and don't need to grease or use papers.
- Cream the butter and sugar until smooth
- Add egg, milk and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
- Combine the baking powder and flour. Add to mix along with chocolate. If you don't have white chocolate you can also use milk or dark but won't be as nice. I've even used leftover Easter eggs.
- Mix until just combined.
- Gently fold in your raspberries.
- Divide between muffin cups.
- Cook for twenty minutes (may need slightly longer if your oven isn't fan forced)
- Cool in tin for ten minutes before turning out. This is very important - the muffins will disintegrate if you take them out of the tin too soon.
- Dust with icing sugar.
- Equally yummy served warm or cold.
- Can be served warm as a dessert with ice cream.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
WISH card challenge end of week one
Well today marks the end of the first week of our WISH gift card challenge. A further $9.65 was spent at Woolies last night.
We also shopped at COSTCO to purchase some things for our stockpile and spent all but a few cents of the stockpile money. Some items are really inexpensive at COSTCO for example canned tomatoes work out at 66c per can, but you have to know your prices and be prepared to buy in bulk.
We will do a bigger supermarket shop tomorrow and also get some fuel for both cars. I expect that our week two spending will be bigger.
So here's the tally for the end of week one.
Week one, day seven
Gift cards $1819.94
Stockpile $0.00
Spent so far $80.06
We also shopped at COSTCO to purchase some things for our stockpile and spent all but a few cents of the stockpile money. Some items are really inexpensive at COSTCO for example canned tomatoes work out at 66c per can, but you have to know your prices and be prepared to buy in bulk.
We will do a bigger supermarket shop tomorrow and also get some fuel for both cars. I expect that our week two spending will be bigger.
So here's the tally for the end of week one.
Week one, day seven
Gift cards $1819.94
Stockpile $0.00
Spent so far $80.06
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Meet The Poopers
Sometimes the right choices in life don't seem frugal a first. That certainly seemed the case when we purchased "The Poopers" back in February.
We certainly weren't in the market for another dog, let alone two. We already had Meg our 10 year old Jack Russell and Lucy a 3 year old Miniature Schnauzer. We went in to the store "Just for a look" and came home with two of the most adorable fluff balls you ever saw. They are Cairn Terrier crossed with Bichon Frise and litter brothers.
How easily these little guys slotted into our family. TootToot now spends more time away from the Wii and playing outside. Every time we see their two little faces pop out from the Lilly Pilly hedge we giggle and try to catch it on camera. How can you price being more active and happy?
They are learning to tolerate if not love TootToot dressing them up. Stewie is on the left and Toby is on the right. Stewie is the silent type, half the size of his brother and makes very little noise. Toby is a thug and makes Scooby Doo noises when he wants fed.
Maybe not terribly frugal but terribly cute - don't you think?
We certainly weren't in the market for another dog, let alone two. We already had Meg our 10 year old Jack Russell and Lucy a 3 year old Miniature Schnauzer. We went in to the store "Just for a look" and came home with two of the most adorable fluff balls you ever saw. They are Cairn Terrier crossed with Bichon Frise and litter brothers.
How easily these little guys slotted into our family. TootToot now spends more time away from the Wii and playing outside. Every time we see their two little faces pop out from the Lilly Pilly hedge we giggle and try to catch it on camera. How can you price being more active and happy?
They are learning to tolerate if not love TootToot dressing them up. Stewie is on the left and Toby is on the right. Stewie is the silent type, half the size of his brother and makes very little noise. Toby is a thug and makes Scooby Doo noises when he wants fed.
Maybe not terribly frugal but terribly cute - don't you think?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The hidden cost when you don't shop around?
Well, the first of the WISH cards has been dragged out of my wallet.
Purchased fuel for GuitarMan's car on the way home from work as Tuesday is the cheapest day to buy. Total $31.71
Next stop Woolworths for a few groceries.
Even though it is for this challenge, I have become so accustomed to shopping around for the best price that the price of groceries in Woolies annoyed me . I went along to purchase a small amount of fruit and veg to last through the week, I really could have used more but wasn't impressed with the quality on offer.
As a special treat, TootToot got her mint choc chip ice cream - it's the only treat I buy mean mummy that I am. Also bought some dog biscuits for our 5 month old pups "The Poopers". How easy it could be to slip into my old spending habits and pick up those couple of extras each week that we don't need.
The whole lot could be squashed into one green bag and cost $38.70. I can normally fill my Nana Trolley with top quality fruit, and veg for that price (and wouldn't be tempted to buy ice cream).
One thing that will become obvious during this challenge is the 'real' cost of only shopping in supermarkets for a family of three.
Have decided to keep all receipts and look back at the end of the challenge to see if our purchasing habits changed in response to all the pretty boxes and jars on offer. Is there a hidden cost when you don't shop around?
Week one, day two
Gift cards $1829.59
Stockpile $40
Spent so far $70.41
Purchased fuel for GuitarMan's car on the way home from work as Tuesday is the cheapest day to buy. Total $31.71
Next stop Woolworths for a few groceries.
Even though it is for this challenge, I have become so accustomed to shopping around for the best price that the price of groceries in Woolies annoyed me . I went along to purchase a small amount of fruit and veg to last through the week, I really could have used more but wasn't impressed with the quality on offer.
As a special treat, TootToot got her mint choc chip ice cream - it's the only treat I buy mean mummy that I am. Also bought some dog biscuits for our 5 month old pups "The Poopers". How easy it could be to slip into my old spending habits and pick up those couple of extras each week that we don't need.
The whole lot could be squashed into one green bag and cost $38.70. I can normally fill my Nana Trolley with top quality fruit, and veg for that price (and wouldn't be tempted to buy ice cream).
One thing that will become obvious during this challenge is the 'real' cost of only shopping in supermarkets for a family of three.
Have decided to keep all receipts and look back at the end of the challenge to see if our purchasing habits changed in response to all the pretty boxes and jars on offer. Is there a hidden cost when you don't shop around?
Week one, day two
Gift cards $1829.59
Stockpile $40
Spent so far $70.41
Monday, May 10, 2010
Our new savings challenge
About two years ago, I joined a savings website called simple savings and that action has in part fueled our family journey towards increasingly frugal living.
I had read an article about simple savings in Money Magazine and thought I'll have a look. After joining up for the free newsletter, I noticed that there is a guaranteed refund within the first three months. "What the heck" I thought signing up.
I was in a word hooked. Until then, my thrifty ways had been viewed by my family and friends with amused tolerance and sometimes complete horror. What delight to find myself among a group of like minded souls with such diverse backgrounds, goals and opinions. I had at last found my niche.
One of the things that binds simple savers together is the idea and love of challenges. How long can you go without spending, living off the contents of your freezer etc. A much anticipated event is the annual $21 challenge month where for one week (or longer) you live off your supplies for all your meals and spend no more than $21 on groceries each week. If you're interested in learning more about $21 challenges,check out this clip You Tube $21 challenge for more info.
We as a family have started our own savings challenge today. Let me explain.
We were planning a family holiday overseas in June. For health reasons we have had to postpone that holiday. We ended up with a lot of Qantas Frequent Flyer points which would expire before I could use them. I've redeemed those frequent flyer points for $1900 worth of WISH gift cards to be used at all Woolworths Group stores and Woolworths/Caltex service stations.
Our challenge is how far our $1900 of WISH gift cards can be stretched before spending any of our family funds on groceries and fuel.
The only exception to using the gift cards is a $40 a week budget to allow for purchase of additional fruit and veg at the local fruit shop and for stockpiling of any bargains I come across. Any of the $40 not spent will be accounted for and carried forward into the next week.
In total, we are aiming for twelve weeks on this challenge, but who knows how far we can push it?
Week one, Day 1:
Gift cards $1900
Stockpile $40
Spent so far $0.00
I had read an article about simple savings in Money Magazine and thought I'll have a look. After joining up for the free newsletter, I noticed that there is a guaranteed refund within the first three months. "What the heck" I thought signing up.
I was in a word hooked. Until then, my thrifty ways had been viewed by my family and friends with amused tolerance and sometimes complete horror. What delight to find myself among a group of like minded souls with such diverse backgrounds, goals and opinions. I had at last found my niche.
One of the things that binds simple savers together is the idea and love of challenges. How long can you go without spending, living off the contents of your freezer etc. A much anticipated event is the annual $21 challenge month where for one week (or longer) you live off your supplies for all your meals and spend no more than $21 on groceries each week. If you're interested in learning more about $21 challenges,check out this clip You Tube $21 challenge for more info.
We as a family have started our own savings challenge today. Let me explain.
We were planning a family holiday overseas in June. For health reasons we have had to postpone that holiday. We ended up with a lot of Qantas Frequent Flyer points which would expire before I could use them. I've redeemed those frequent flyer points for $1900 worth of WISH gift cards to be used at all Woolworths Group stores and Woolworths/Caltex service stations.
Our challenge is how far our $1900 of WISH gift cards can be stretched before spending any of our family funds on groceries and fuel.
The only exception to using the gift cards is a $40 a week budget to allow for purchase of additional fruit and veg at the local fruit shop and for stockpiling of any bargains I come across. Any of the $40 not spent will be accounted for and carried forward into the next week.
In total, we are aiming for twelve weeks on this challenge, but who knows how far we can push it?
Week one, Day 1:
Gift cards $1900
Stockpile $40
Spent so far $0.00
Saturday, May 8, 2010
TootToot super saver ...
Toot Toot received a letter addressed to her yesterday - the first bank statement all of her own.
Toot Toot "what are debits?" - I explained that is where any money you have borrowed is shown on your bank statement.
TootToot thinks for a moment and replies "I'm the best saver in the family then because I have no debits and I don't pay interest." and marches off to share this fact with GuitarMan.
TootToot and I have talked before about how the bank will pay you interest to 'rent' your money while it's in the account. She loves the idea of making money without doing extra chores so is happy to leave her money there.
TootToot has been accessing Coinland https://coinland.com.au/ as well as her chats with me. It's a great site that teaches kids about money and saving and you don't have to be a bank customer to access it.
I wasn't sure TootToot understood that if you borrow money, such as when you buy a house then you have to pay interest until you pay it back.
Seems my TootToot understands all too well... I wonder what else she can teach me
Toot Toot "what are debits?" - I explained that is where any money you have borrowed is shown on your bank statement.
TootToot thinks for a moment and replies "I'm the best saver in the family then because I have no debits and I don't pay interest." and marches off to share this fact with GuitarMan.
TootToot and I have talked before about how the bank will pay you interest to 'rent' your money while it's in the account. She loves the idea of making money without doing extra chores so is happy to leave her money there.
TootToot has been accessing Coinland https://coinland.com.au/ as well as her chats with me. It's a great site that teaches kids about money and saving and you don't have to be a bank customer to access it.
I wasn't sure TootToot understood that if you borrow money, such as when you buy a house then you have to pay interest until you pay it back.
Seems my TootToot understands all too well... I wonder what else she can teach me
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Getting the best price
Sales are so tempting aren't they? We all love a bargain, and that feeling of victory because we've somehow walked out with something so cheap it was almost free.
I rarely pay full price for any major purchase and that includes travel, cars, major appliances or furniture and real estate. How do I manage that? Well, I almost never buy items when they are on sale and I don't read junk mail.
I've found from experience that you will rarely gain any major discount on an advertised 'special' or 'sale'. The salespersons view seems to generally be that the price is already discounted and they are less inclined to go much lower.
Here's my tips for getting the best price?
I rarely pay full price for any major purchase and that includes travel, cars, major appliances or furniture and real estate. How do I manage that? Well, I almost never buy items when they are on sale and I don't read junk mail.
I've found from experience that you will rarely gain any major discount on an advertised 'special' or 'sale'. The salespersons view seems to generally be that the price is already discounted and they are less inclined to go much lower.
Here's my tips for getting the best price?
- Do your research on line and then follow up by calling around stores and visiting only those where you're likely to get a good deal. For example some stores say they will price match but then when you read the fine print it's only on items in stock and that's no good if item you want has to be ordered in.
- Do your call around and store visits in the last week of the month or quarter.We saved $9,500 off the list price of GuitarMans car because the salesman wanted the sale before the end of financial year. We paid for the car on 30 June!
- Consider smaller retailers and not just the bigger chains. Suprisingly they will often have more flexibility as its their business and they have direct relationships with wholesalers and distributors.
- When you go into a store, travel agent or real estate agent always dress appropriately. Sales people will respond better and be more open to doing 'business' if you are dressed in a similar manner to them.
- Always ask "is that your best price you can offer me today" or at the very least "will you include free delivery please". Please remember to be polite, you'll be more likely to get that free something included if you are pleasant. Sales people are there to make a living and you don't need to demean them just so you can save a buck.
- I know it sounds old fashioned but thank the sales person and shake their hand. Trust me they'll remember you and you'll get an even better deal next time you go back. We saved several hundred dollars on a dining table and chairs because the salesman remembered we had bought a bed ensemble from him four years earlier.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
So what is frugal anyway?
Now that's probably a multi-million dollar question. If only I was armed with the answer in my teens when my working life started.
One of the reasons for this blog is to be a record for my daughter TootToot (her name of choice when she was two). May TootToot be armed with the knowledge it's taken her parents 40 plus years to find.
The dictionary definition of frugal is
1.economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.
2.entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.
Another way to describe our life choices would be thrifty
1.practicing thrift or economical management; frugal: a thrifty shopper.
2.thriving, prosperous, or successful.
3.thriving physically; growing vigorously.
Please note dear TootToot that nowhere is there mention of being tight, cheap or mean. Remember that GuitarMan and I are none of those things. You are so kind, giving and generous of heart that I expect you won't be either.
One of the reasons for this blog is to be a record for my daughter TootToot (her name of choice when she was two). May TootToot be armed with the knowledge it's taken her parents 40 plus years to find.
The dictionary definition of frugal is
1.economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.
2.entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.
Another way to describe our life choices would be thrifty
1.practicing thrift or economical management; frugal: a thrifty shopper.
2.thriving, prosperous, or successful.
3.thriving physically; growing vigorously.
Please note dear TootToot that nowhere is there mention of being tight, cheap or mean. Remember that GuitarMan and I are none of those things. You are so kind, giving and generous of heart that I expect you won't be either.
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