Monday, March 8, 2010

Frugal Mission, part 1

I am joining in on another mission from Girly Gazette. This one (about being frugal) is something I've always wanted to do but it seems to me there are so many roadblocks, at least where I live. Printed coupons are not accepted and that's where I used to get 90% of my coupons. Amy from The Original Coupon Coach is wonderful enough to be helping everyone out with some of her wisdom. To start she has asked us these questions. Here's my responses:

  1. Why do you think you spend too much money at the grocery store? I see things I like and just throw them in the cart instead of sticking to my list.
  2. What are your weaknesses when grocery shopping? Something on sale LOL I also stock up on lunch items for my kids lunch and we go through dairy really fast so I stock up on that also.
  3. When/how often do you normally do your grocery shopping? I typically shop every two weeks. Sometimes I will forget an item and run to the store to buy it and never leave with just that item.
  4. What products do you shop for most often? I buy chicken, milk, cheese, veggies and fruits the most.
  5. Are you brand loyal on any products? Not. I usually look for the cheapest brand/off brand.
  6. At what grocery and drug stores do you normally shop? I shop at winco and occasionally Walmart Super Center and Costco for bulk items.
  7. Do you currently have a grocery budget or an amount to which you would like to get your grocery spending down? My grocery budget is $200 every two weeks. I try to stay under and usually manage to keep it around $150
  8. Do you cook most meals at home or do you mostly eat out at restaurants? I cook at home
  9. Do you currently get the Sunday paper? No
I am very excited to hear all of her suggestions on being frugal, thank you Amy for helping all of us that are frugal challenged out.