I’ve been watching prices on many items in the Mid-Atlantic region and I’m really concerned that many common grocery staples have gone up in price for several weeks/months now. Even though we’re all couponing, by the end of this year it will make a difference in your total semi-annual budget. For instance: Safeway brand Lucerne milk would go on sale $2.99 per gallon and I haven’t seen that in quite some time now. Yoplait Yogurt Cups would go on sale at Target, Walmart, ACME, Giant etc for 50¢ per cup and with the coupon you could snag them for 37¢. I haven’t seen that deal in quite some time now…. 60¢ seems to be the “new” sale price and 47¢ is the new price with coupon. I’ve also noticed that packaging in continuing to get smaller and smaller – It hasn’t stopped!
Well, the increase in groceries may seem small now but it will nibble away at your budget. It will seem subtle with the slight increases in prices and the smaller packaging but you’ll have to purchase more and spend more. Couponing is more important than ever with the current state of our economy! This in turn, will eventually effect how much money you spend by the years end and affect how much money you have to spend over the holidays.
I’m starting to do some holiday shopping NOW and be more frugal with my purchases than ever before. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, it just means that you need to really be sure you want/need what you purchase so you have money to spend on life and family fun, which is why we started this blog. Family comes 1st in my book and I’d much rather spend my money on vacations and tutors and lessons etc than groceries!
Upcoming Seminars:
August 1st St. Pauls Church Centreville, MD 6:30 pm
August 15th Chesapeake Mom’s Club of Severna Park, MD
September 20th Bay Country Church Cambridge, MD 6:30pm
I’ve also started another similar seminar called Coupons for a Cause by request. I go into churches and train volunteer members on couponing and they in turn not only coupon for their own families but they can coupon for charity. For instance if there is a family in need in the church 5 people can coupon for that family and provide them with FREE toiletries, food and personal care items. They can help support a homeless shelter or make Thanksgiving baskets for the needy in their community. If your church or organization is Couponing for a Cause and has been trained by me, please contact me. I’m going to try and make coupon donations to those churches and help you get out letters to organizations for more FREE coupons. When we work together we all save more and help more too!
Click “like” if you are a person willing to coupon to help a charitable cause in your place of worship or neightborhood!
I was also talking about the Milk. This week I was able to get milk for 2.99 a gallon at the fresh Market. I was really kicking myself for not getting the freezer yet, but I have noticed that some of the gas stations are selling mill for 2.99 a gallon. Gas Stations in the milk business…who’d a thunk it?!?!?!
I buy vitamin D milk and the price here is $4.23 a gallon!! We moved here 1 year ago and when we first moved here it was $3.89 a gallon. What a price hike. I have also noticed though that the turkey hill gas station has it for $3.99. I guess we should all be getting our milk at the gas station. LOL
I live in NC and had a hard time finding milk at a decent price, like most people. However, I was able to find milk for $2.29 at an Aldi’s in my area. The price has gone up to $2.49 a gallon now, but that is still almost half the cost of the milk that I can buy at other stores. It is so strange, though, because the cost of the same milk at a different Aldi’s about 20 miles from the one I shop at is the same cost as most other places.
I also have been donating my coupon monies saved to whatever charity the store is asking for money. Sometimes it’s only 50 cents; but others can add up to more than four dollars.