Frugal June Bugs - Frugal Chatter continued

[YOU AND ME]

Right, exactly! Taste will often trump a decision to override the cheaper price. In the days when I could eat wheat, I remember trying the no name brand of frozen cheese tortenelly because they were cheaper than the name brand, but they were terrible. They didn't hold their shape and were, in general, a soggy mess.



Personally, I find that the quality of products in generic or no name brands can be hit or miss. One time I'll buy it and it's great. Six months later, I'll buy it again and the quality has changed for the worst. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that they'll often switch manufacturers in the hunt for cheaper prices.

That exactly why i don't buy no name brands as i have had to throw out some items they were terrible

[jasperandchar]

TIP:

Haven't tried yet but really really going to try this in the next few days with the rhubard from the garden.

Take your milk bags you know the ones where you get 4L in 3 bags. Rinse/wash etc.

Then put your food in the bags great way to freeze proper portions etc.....anyways take tin foil from the roll and fold it over both sides of the cut ends of your milk bags and iron over the tin foil......VOILA

No need to fancy machines.

PS if anyone has done this in the past how did you find it to work keep food fresh????

[sweet sparrow]

Inquring Minds Want to Know

When shopping even if you have a coupon for a certain product will you check the other no name, name brand prices anyways and see which product is actually cheaper or will you purchase the product you have a coupon for?

If you still purchase the product you have a coupon for is it because you are brand specific for that particular product?

I generally buy items that work out to being less or the same price as the generic product, but with the quality that I prefer. While I was very sick for nine weeks during pregnancy on an extreme dependence on facial tissues, I quickly learned the difference between generic and branded. Now there are certain boxes I put away for those severe colds and put out the daily use tissues.

If I'm shopping for others, I will purchase whatever brand they are looking for and keep their preferences in mind.

____________________________________

Question of the Day

Have you tried any of the recipes shared by the group/thread here?

Are you finding new ways to stretch your budget or are you getting really creative with your budget (through using more coupons, price matching, trading coupons, product swaps, meal planning, cleaning out the pantry/freezer and using what you have?

Are you staying on budget for the most part?

Not yet, but looking forward to!

We'll certainly have to when LO comes. We'll be down to a partial income and increased costs of laundry, toiletries, etc. Unfortunately, I can't think of more ways to cut without DH thinking I've gone nuts. To him, frugal = cheap, thrifty = cheap, and cheap = cheap. Being forced to live that way while he was young led to bad eating habits, health issues, and poor quality.

On the bright side, I think Mom, HRH the Queen of Frugality, will be coming to visit for a few weeks after the baby and he can't say boo to her frugal ideas. That would be rude.

________________________________

Just Curious???

If you have a stockpile what is the 1 product(s) you don't need to purchase for a really long time? And was it free or nearly free? or just an awesome price

Do you have a strategy with respect to your stockpile (for example stocking up on cleaners, detergents this month+++).

Do you allocate a certain budgeted amount to your stockpile every week/month?

And what do you do with the $ should you not use your allocated "stockpile budget"?

I think it might be soap/body wash. It wasn't free, but it was a good price.

No particular strategy, but some reorganizing is in order to make room for stockpiled baby items. We don't have a budget for stockpiling, but I have been tracking our spending since we were married. As long as the total for the month is less than the monthly average for the year before, I'm not stressed about it. Or, if I've found a really good price, I'll make allowances for myself. Feels a bit like cheating on a diet.

However, with LO coming, I may have to seriously rethink this since the cashflow won't be eventually replenished like it used to be.

[YOU AND ME]

I could not agree more! I started couponing in 2008 and the coupons just aren't what they used to be

I started couponing in the 1972 as i had my 3 brothers come to live with us.The coupons back in the day were low value,but then the cost of food was low.What i don't get is when they put out coupons for a $1.00 on something that is selling for $10 or more why bother

[sweet sparrow]

I don't necessarily agree. I used to pick blueberries in my younger days and the frozen ones I buy today look very good.

Local farmers here don't sell to the stores. They make more money selling directly to the customers in farmers markets because the vendors get together and fix prices.

Anything "local" that we're likely to find in supermarkets here come from Southern Ontario, and that's only in the small operations like Farm Boy. At Loblaws, Metro and Wal-Mart, forget it. It comes from California.

I haven't picked blueberries here yet so I am clueless on that one, but the fresh ones that I freeze are huge compared to the frozen ones I can buy. They go in my blueberry muffins which are a huge cost savings when we go on day trips.

My sister also used to be a berry picker in her younger days and said the largest berries would never get to the market, at least, not on that farm. Her boss told all the kids they could eat what they liked.

There are farmers markets here (in the city) but they charge so much more than the stores. I couldn't afford to shop with them. The farms where I grew up took up acres and acres of property. DH's family used to frequent a corn place that had an honour system that you would leave money out on the table if you took x cobs of corn. Different places have really different selling practices.

Aw, I would have thought you'd have local produce in Ottawa. That's too bad. I have visited a few times and wondered where all the Ontario "fruit belt" produce was and thought it was only the season.

[sweet sparrow]

TIP:

Haven't tried yet but really really going to try this in the next few days with the rhubard from the garden.

Take your milk bags you know the ones where you get 4L in 3 bags. Rinse/wash etc.

Then put your food in the bags great way to freeze proper portions etc.....anyways take tin foil from the roll and fold it over both sides of the cut ends of your milk bags and iron over the tin foil......VOILA

No need to fancy machines.

PS if anyone has done this in the past how did you find it to work keep food fresh????

My mother has been doing this for the past four decades. She's never purchased Ziploc bags (won't trust them since they're flimsier than milk bags) and will use elastics from produce to wrap around the bag a billion times instead of foil, which she washes and reuses where possible over meats.

Her food has always been tasty, she's an expert at sauces and flavourings, and no one has ever said she's made a bad dish. (But, I will say liver is the one thing she has never been able to make taste good to me. Shhhh!) If it hasn't been as fresh because she didn't use tin foil or Ziplocs, none of us have ever noticed. We all gobble it down too fast. I'm sure she would agree with you, that you don't need fancy machines to make good food.

To this day, she still has an enormous drawer of milk bags, produce bags, elastics, twist ties, and one rarely used box of saran wrap.

[Granger]

Questions

Always the least expensive no matter brand or coupon

No room in budget to stock pile right now. But we are good on laundry detergent for a while.

[jasperandchar]

Well I think I am going to do my grocery run tonight when dh gets home as I am really not impressed with next weeks flyers.

I don't have alot on my list and plan to be under-budget but we all know what happens when we dare say it (lol)

My list is pretty lean this week but I guess time will tell when I get back tonight.

Is anyone stocking up or see any great bargains that you will be purchasing this week?

[LuvToUseCoupons]

house work grrr.....I can only imagine what my house will look like when school is out....eek

You and me both .

[MaddensMomma]

https://www.facebook.com/Schneiders/app_526640524048171

This promotion is live again and if anyone has any I would REALLY love to trade for the BOGO and FPC coupons as we eat a lot of buns!!!

[jasperandchar]

I just checked it out and it's only for those that did not already get the coupons - just so you know.

https://www.facebook.com/Schneiders/app_526640524048171

This promotion is live again and if anyone has any I would REALLY love to trade for the BOGO and FPC coupons as we eat a lot of buns!!!

[LuvToUseCoupons]

I usually for the cheaper prices. In the "Tightwad Gazette" book, one of her arguments against using coupons was that the savings weren't as high as people thought they were. Her logic went like this: If the brand name product is priced $2.79 and the no name is $1.99, if you use a $1.00 coupon on the brand name, the real saving is not a dollar, but 20 cents.

The idea is to always look at the cheapest option and then decide if it's worth it.

True. I think this is the best thing to do, especially if you're not brand loyal.

[macw1960]

im right there with ya Mac. i was going to go get one as well. but with money a little short this month (dh is very anal about having no debt no matter what, so even if that means having little extra after all bills are paid, its ok with me) anyway, i thought we MAYBE go through one of those squirting warming thermoses of coffee in like 2-3 days if i make a pot.. it costs me like $7 for a tin of coffee that can last a year..so after great debate i decided not to bother.

i was going to head up today to Nf's and see if they had the Sunlight laundry soap, the same size FB's has on special. its raining. what to do..

on a good note, we sold some stuff yesterday on kijiji that made enough to pay to have our carpets professionally done. im happy about this.

Good for you on getting your carpets cleaned! especially professionally. I only have carpets upstairs now and they are white (here when we bought the house). Ripped out the carpets down stairs to discover nice old hardwood floors.

[jasperandchar]

Thanks to MaddensMomma if not I apologize for putting the idea of product swaps, I have posted the idea on my coupon facebook page and will see if I get any nibbles (lol). I hope there are and I can trade some of my products for others we may need or use.

[jasperandchar]

what a beautiful surprise to discover under your carpets!

Twice in 1 day we are not worthy (lol), glad to see you again.

Good for you on getting your carpets cleaned! especially professionally. I only have carpets upstairs now and they are white (here when we bought the house). Ripped out the carpets down stairs to discover nice old hardwood floors.