How I shaved 40% off my groceries without clipping coupons

Posted on December 25, 2009. Filed under: Guides to Everyday Living | Tags: clip coupons, coupon clipping, decrease expenses, feed family four cheap, feed family under 500 a month, feed five cheap, frugal living, frugal shopping, how to save on groceries, online coupons, printable coupons, where to get diapers cheap |

Like most Americans now, especially this week as we trimmed our budgets to get some serious shopping done, I have learned this year how to be frugal.

One of the best ways to increase your income is by decreasing your expenses. It’s instant money that you can either save, put into another investment, pay off debt with, donate to a charity, or, well, you get the point.

As an author of e-books I’m continually reading. One of the hot topics this year was how to feed a family of four or five for about $500 a month. I can actually say that I pulled it off for the five of us (2 adults; a baby; two kids in elementary school).

For about a month.

Then I just couldn’t do it anymore. To much time was spent in looking for coupons, looking for sales, seeing if anyone wanted to trade, looking for more coupons. Urgh! Those who can pull it off (at least what I have been able to find online) are those who DO NOT live in a city. They have cultivated a small vegetable garden in their backyard and get their fruits and veggies primarily off their little organic farm out back.

Honey I love you but give me Park Avenue…

Then came My Harvest America.

Did it do what it said? Do you have all name brands at rock bottom prices? Uh, yeah!

In less than 15 minutes I clicked on the grocery items I wanted online. When I ran the numbers (I worked in finance for years so it’s a habit) I found out that I saved 40%! I was shocked. Finally, a company that did what it said.

What did I save on? Items like:

*Pampers (and I mean the actual Pampers brand, not diapers). It was over 30% lower than what I pay locally.

*Applesauce ~ I have small children so I go through a lot of the natural kind. Oh my gosh! Nearly half of what I was paying.

*Baby Food

*Dawn to clean my dishes

*Smucker’s Peanut Butter (I’m a stickler; has to be Smucker’s)

*All Fruit in Grape (I know; I’m so picky on what I want in my house)

I can go on and on telling you about all the items I got for a mere $50. Don’t think this is the threshold. There is no threshold on how large your list has to be making it ideal for singles, single marrieds, or married with children.

Best part? Free shipping to me via Fed-Ex. I love shopping in my PJ’s!

So now I think I might go back to trying to do the $500 a month thing. At least with MHA I think I just might be able to pull it off.

Now, what to do with that extra few hundred dollars…

Decisions, decisions….

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