the thrifty crafter

This is an ongoing post….here are some starter tips:

1.  Shop discount stores. Stores like the 99 cent store and BigLots are great places to find deals on everyday needs.  Among my everyday finds are Kashi cereals, Nabisco crackers, hangers, cleaning products, plastic storage, makeup remover pads, wrapping paper and ribbon, baby gifts, pet waste bags, treats and toys, teas, spices and obscure ingredients,  just to name a few.  The bargain shopping key is to look for brands and quality that you normally buy at retail prices, because it is also quite easy to get carried away buying inferior products just because they’re cheap.

2.  Shop sales. I spend Sunday afternoons perusing my weekly grocery ad to see what proteins and produce are on sale to meal plan for the week.  Not only does this allow you to go to the grocer only once,  but it helps you cut down on the grocery bill by buying what’s on sale.  Try to use ingredients in more than one meal during the week to cut down on waste.  Buying chicken breast in bulk at the sale price of $1.99 per pound or less, then freezing it for later use, is a must!  Nothing worse than running out for chicken and paying $4.99/pound because you don’t have any on hand.

3.  Clip coupons and get a caddy. When coupons come, clip what you’d practically use, even if you don’t have an immediate need for it.  You can always discard the coupons if you don’t end up using them.  I tend to rifle through mine once a month to weed out the expired ones.  You get the biggest bang for your buck when you buy something already on sale, then use the coupon for additional savings.