Money Saving Tips for Frugal Families

Groceries:

• Only buy what produce your family will eat before it goes bad.
• Write a shopping list before you go to the store. Based on the meals your family likes, buy produce that is in season and on sale.
• Stock up on non-perishable items when on sale or on a coupon at warehouse stores, or with online ordering from Amazon subscribe & save.  Stores from Whole Foods to Costco have their own coupon books.
• Buy the store brand. We’ve found similar prices for 365, TJ’s and Kirkland, often enabling organic for the price of brand name non-organic.
• If you drink a lot of sparkling water, consider buying a soda machine.
• Plan errands so you group together a few near each other for time efficiency (as well as gas if driving). Walk or cycle if feasible to get exercise while saving on gas.
• Eat in when possible. Make double portions and freeze the extra to resist the temptation to eat out, or buy semi-homemade. While cooking from scratch is the cheapest, a grocery store rotisserie chicken can save big money over a meal out.
• Try to limit how many times you buy coffee house coffee or lattes, as they add up. Buy your own machine if you love espresso drinks.
• At farmer’s markets, compare prices to the local grocery stores, and consider buying the last hour, when prices are often slashed.

Household Expenses:

• Consider getting rid of your landline phone, possibly adding more minutes to your cell phone instead.

To read the rest of the article, please visit my parenting blog at http://gooseling.com/2013/09/24/money-saving-tips/. Lisa Danielpour is Co-Founder and COO of Gooseling, dedicated to teaching children social & life skills through video game apps. Cavity Dragons is the first game designed to encourage kids to brush their teeth.