SavingsAngel.com: Running out of money before the end of the month?
ABOUT SAVINGSANGEL.COM
The easiest way to cut your grocery bill in half is by using manufacturers’ coupons combined with the best sales at local West Michigan stores. Normally, this takes a lot of work to create a winning shopping list for your family.
Each week, SavingsAngel.com combines more than 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with their enormous database of manufacturer coupons — which are found in Sunday’s Grand Rapids Press and, sometimes, online. This combination results in access to more than 300 products each week for 50 percent off or better.
The average price for a gallon of gas has more than doubled since December 2008.
Because of rising fuel costs, global demand, a string of crop failures, and the needs of manufacturers to recoup lost profits over the past couple years, consumers are predicted to spend more at the grocery store by the end of 2011. This is not good news given the increases weve already seen. The cost of food worldwide rose 37 percent from February 2010 to this year, according to a United Nations report.
In the United States, wholesale food prices shot up 3.9 percent in February alone, the largest increase on record for one month since 1974.
If youre spending more than you used to for gas and food, you may have to trim in other areas of your life or youll find yourself in financial trouble. Of course, this is assuming youll have no unexpected surprises such as job loss or unplanned emergency expense like auto repairs.
Having felt the pain of financially desperate times on more than one occasion, Id like to share three of the best tips that Ive come to appreciate. These tips are targeted toward the family who finds themselves recently falling a little short each month because of the increases in the cost of living. Ill share different advice in the future about what to do if you are in a serious financial crisis. The sooner you make changes, the better.
1. Get help early and often. Any advice I share with fans of SavingsAngel.com is obviously not speaking as an attorney or financial planner. Even if you think youll be perfectly fine in the months ahead, if you find yourself at a shortfall for even a month or two, be proactive and sit down with a financial counselor. Its great to be optimistic regarding money, but please review your expenses with someone who can help you find some trouble areas in how money comes in and goes out. You will ultimately save a great deal of money if you can make lasting changes based on some good, personal advice.
Many local churches and nonprofit organizations can offer free counseling. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling is a great resource. You can find a local accredited office through . Naturally, be wary of debt consolidation companies unless youve done your research on the company.
My wife and I truly benefited from a multi-week financial literacy class. A couple of very popular ones are offered through Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University and Crown Financial Ministries. The principles have been long-lasting for us, and we are very grateful our struggles led to a better understanding of managing our money.
2. Take an inventory and set a plan. When we went through and analyzed where every dollar went, I was shocked by what some things were costing us; in particular, our grocery bill (including all our consumables). When I learned how much we were truly spending each month, I became obsessed with the subject of saving money at the grocery store. This quest for better information led to a $400 a month savings in this one area of our budget alone.
Once we knew where every dollar was going, we set a spending plan for ourselves that would help us stay on track. This spending plan included a small budget for each of us to spend any way we liked, which helped make the process a bit more bearable.
While our highest priority went to food, shelter and debt reduction, also included in this budget were things like an emergency savings budget. It always seems like the unexpected expenses were the things that threw us off and caused us to incur additional expenses elsewhere. We saw that if we had a few hundred dollars set aside specifically designated for the unexpected, we would ultimately save money by not having to make costly decisions that kept the family moving forward.
3. Sacrifice if necessary. But the rules of shopping for groceries and consumables are different. Buying only what you absolutely need is great advice for most of your budget items. This is very bad advice, however, when it comes to the things you buy on a regular basis like food and household products. Sadly, this is how most people shop. Buying only what you need at the grocery store is the most expensive way to feed a family.
Need-based grocery shopping means you wont leave the store unless you get whats on your list; youll pay whatever the store decides to sell it to you for. The same products youre buying on need may be available for 80 percent off over the next couple weeks thanks to high value coupons matched with great local sales. If you only buy what you immediately need, youll never know this — or get these great deals. As a result, youll pay full price for everything you need, while the savvy shopper buys what they dont need and gets products for 50 to 100 percent off.
Theyll have these items in their pantry ahead of time before they actually need them. When it comes time to open a new box of cereal, this savvy shopper just goes to their pantry — while the need-based shopper goes to the store and pays full price. Once you fill your pantry with all the foods your family needs on a regular basis, you can pocket $300 to $400 a month as you only shop for the absolute best deals each week. Its a magic formula that will have a dramatic effect on your budget if you are looking to get ahead. Ive heard it said that the average bankruptcy could have been avoided with an extra $350 per month. From my view, most Americans are overspending that amount at the grocery store right now and can pocket big savings if they make a few adjustments.
AUSSIE SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER (10.1-13.5 oz) OR STYLER (6-14 oz). $2 on 2 Extra Care Bucks. Limit 1
Regular price: $4.99
Sale price: $2.99 at CVS
Coupon: $1 (May 1 Proctor & Gamble Insert) PLUS $2 on 2 Extra Care Bucks. Limit 1
Final Price: 99 cents
SavingsAngel says: Beautiful hair at a beautiful price!
ROLD GOLD PRODUCTS (10-16 oz)
Regular price: $2.99
Sale price: $1.99 at Walgreens
Coupon: $2 on 2 (May 1 Moments to Save Insert)
Final Price: 99 cents
SavingsAngel says: Buy some today for your next party or cook out.
PAMPERS JUMBO PACK DIAPERS. $3 on 2 Register Rewards. Limit 1
Regular price: $12.99
Sale price: $9 at Walgreens
Coupon: $1.50 (May 1 Proctor & Gamble Insert) PLUS $3 on 2 Register Rewards. Limit 1
Final Price: $6
SavingsAngel says: An expensive diaper without the expensive price tag.
EARTHBOUND FARM ORGANIC SALAD BLENDS (5-7 oz). Buy One Get One Free.
Regular price: $3.99
Sale price: $2 at Family Fare. Buy One Get One Free.
Coupon: $1 printable at ebfarm.com
Final Price: $1.50
SavingsAngel says: A great deal on a fresh, organic product!
TIDE STAIN RELEASE LIQUID (36 oz, Assorted Varieties) OR DUO PACS (18 ct, Assorted Varieties)
Regular price: $7.39
Sale price: $5.99 at Meijer
Coupon: $3 (May 1 Proctor & Gamble Insert)
Final Price: $2.99
SavingsAngel says: A budget saving laundry booster!
About Josh Elledge
Josh Elledge is chief executive “angel” of SavingsAngel Inc., a West Michigan-based company launched from his Holland home in January 2007.
A husband and father of three, Elledge appears on a number of local radio stations, teaching West Michigan families how to cut their grocery bill.
Elledge created the technology found on SavingsAngel.com through the need to save his own family’s money. Successfully able to cut his grocery bill from $600 a month to less than $300, Elledge began sharing his message, which has reached hundreds of thousands of families.
SavingsAngel.com is growing rapidly throughout the country. You can watch a short video at SavingsAngel.com that explains more about how to cut your grocery bill with the help of SavingsAngel.com.
Hear him locally on WJQK-FM (99.3) in Holland from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Tuesdays and on WPNW-AM (1250) in Zeeland from 1:55 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays.
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