Frugal Acts: a few simple things I did to save money this week.

Things I did to save money this week:

• Paid 7 bills with free online bill pay through my credit union (saved $3.43 on stamps).
• Asked for a discount at a store (and got it! It really doesn't hurt to ask.)
• Put vegetables in the freezer that we couldn't use up before they went bad, to use later in stir-fry or soup.
• Went on a date to an art museum with free admission.
• Borrowed several books from the library.
• Cooked chicken to shred for wraps for my work lunches (cheaper and healthier than lunch meat).
• Used my price book to find the stock up price on a few items last week. Stock-up prices here.
• Fixed my own vacuum cleaner (watched how-to videos on Youtube, ordered replacement parts from Amazon- I have a Kirby).
• Checked prices at Dollar Tree (found out several things I thought were really good prices are actually just pretty good...).
• Researched disposable diaper prices (results here!)

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My Frugal Acts of the past Week:

Here are the frugal things I did in the last week or so. What did you do to save money this week?

• I started keeping a price book again (which I shared here.)

• I made some homemade All Purpose Cleaner. (Listed here with other solvent recipes.)

• I bought a Thermos (with a giftcard I got for Christmas) so I don't spend $5 per week on coffee at work anymore.

• I made my own Valentine's cards with materials I already had.

• I baked banana bread/muffins with overripe bananas from the freezer.

• I made a list of items that I am going to look for in thrift stores (and yard sales when the season begins!)

• Brought leftovers from home for lunch every day at work.

• Combined trips/errands to save gas.

I would love to see your comments on what you did to save money this week! 

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My Price Book

Wanted to share with you all what I've got in my Price Book so far. (What is a Price Book!?) Feel free to use this, and please comment if/when you find better prices in Lawrence or online. I will also take suggestions of items to add- this is just my "staples list". Obviously this list is incomplete, please fill me in on the great prices you find elsewhere!  Unless noted otherwise, the prices are for store-brand items and without coupon use.  Update: I've made a Price Book page that I will keep updated. Click here, share, and bookmark!

Item: Store/Price/Price per Unit/Date

Beans (black, canned):
Checkers / 70c per 15oz can/ 5c per oz 2/1/14

Beans (chili/kidney, canned):
Aldi / 59c per 15oz can / 4c per oz / 2/1/14
Checkers/ 49c per 15oz can/ 3c per oz / 2/1/ 14

Beans (white/canellini/butter, canned):
Aldi/ 69c per 15oz can/ 5c per oz / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 69c per 15oz can/ 5c per oz / 2/1/14

Beans (refried):
Checkers/ 0.70 per can / 2/1/14

Beef (ground, 85% lean):
Aldi / 2.89lb (frozen) / 2/1/14

Bread (multi-grain or whole wheat):
Aldi/ 1.69 per loaf 2/3/14
Dillons/ 2.89 per loaf 2/1/14

Broccoli (florets/crown only):
Aldi / 1.09lb (frozen) / 2/3/14

Brownie Mix (family size):
Aldi /$1.29 / 2/3/14
Checkers/ $1.19 / 2/1/14

Buns (dog or burger):
Aldi / 0.89 8pk / 11c each 2/1/14
Dillons/ 0.99 8pk/ 13c each 2/1/14

Butter:
Aldi / 2.49 per lb/ 2/3/14
Checkers / 2.69 per lb/ 1/28/14

Cheese:
Aldi/ 1.99 per 8oz / 4.00 per lb / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 1.67 per 8oz / 3.38 per lb / 2/1/14
HyVee/ 1.00 per 8oz/ 2.00 per lb/ 1/31/14

Chicken (boneless, skinless thighs)
Aldi/ 6.29 per 2.10lb bag /2.10 per lb / 2/3/14

Chili Powder:
Aldi/ 0.99 per 8oz / 25c per oz/ 2/3/14

Coffee:
Aldi/ 5.49 per 32oz/ 2.75 per lb / 2/3/14

Corn:
Aldi/ 0.99 per 16 oz frozen/ 0.99 per lb / 2/3/14

Crackers (saltine type):
Aldi/ 89c per box / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 99c per box/ 2/1/14

Cream Cheese:
Aldi/ 0.89 per 8oz block/ 2/3/14
Checkers/ 0.99 per 8oz block / 2/1/14
HyVee/ 0.99 per 8oz block / 2/1/14

Eggs:
Aldi/ 1.33 per doz / 11c per egg / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 1.34 per doz / 11c per egg/ 2/1/14

Flour:
Aldi/ 1.19 per 5lb/ 24c per lb/ 2/3/14

Green Beans (canned):
Checkers/ 45c per can/ 2/1/14

Macaroni and Cheese:
Aldi/ 39c per box / 2/3/14

Olive Oil:
Aldi/ 3.49 per 25oz / 14c per oz/ 2/3/14

Orange Juice (frozen concentrate):
Aldi/ 1.29 each / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 1.49 each/ 2/1/14
Dillons/ 1.21 each/ 2/1/14

Parsley (dried seasoning):
Aldi/ 0.99 per 0.5 oz / 1.98 per oz/ 2/3/14

Pasta (white durham, any shape):
Aldi/ 1.69 per alb box/ 85c per lb / 2/3/14
Dillons/ 99c per lb box/ 99c per lb/ 2/1/14

Peas: 
Aldi/ 0.99 per 16 oz frozen/ 0.99 per lb / 2/3/14

Pork (ground): 
Checkers/ 2.28 per lb/ 2/1/14

Rice (long grain white):
Aldi/ 1.59 per lb bag / 53c per lb / 2/3/14

Sour Cream:
Checkers/ 2.29 per 16oz/ 14c per oz/ 2/1/14

Sugar (granulated): 
Aldi/ 1.79 per alb bag/ 45c per lb / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 1.69 per alb bag/ 43c per lb/ 2/1/14

Sugar (powdered): 
Aldi/ 1.69 per alb bag / 85c per lb / 2/3/14

Taco Shells:
Aldi/ 99c for box of 12/ 8c each/ 2/3/14

Tofu (firm/v. firm): 
Checkers/ 2.89 per cube / 2/1/14

Tomatoes (canned): 
Aldi/ 59c per 15oz can/ 4c per oz/ 2/1/14

Tortillas (soft taco size):
Aldi/ 99c per 10 pack / 9c each / 2/3/14
Checkers 1.79 per 10 pack/ 18c each/ 2/1/14

Tuna (in water): 
Aldi/ 68c per can/ 2/3/14

Turkey (ground):
Aldi/ 1.69 per lb frozen / 2/3/14
Checkers/ 2.68 per lb fresh / 2/1/14

Turkey (deli meat): 
Aldi/ 2.49 per 7oz/ 36c per oz/ 2/3/14

Vanilla Extract: 
Aldi/ 1.99 per 2oz bottle/ 99c per oz / 2/3/14

Vegetable Oil (soy): 
Aldi/ 2/39 per 48 oz bottle/ 5c per oz / 2/3/14

________________________________________________
Non-Food Items:

Ammonia:
Checkers/ 1.26 per 64oz jug/ 2c per oz/ 2/1/14

Diapers:  
Aldi/ 31ct size 4/ 4.99 pk/ 16c each / 2/3/14
(Click here for Diaper Prices Page!)

Dish Soap:
Amazon.com/ Dawn NonUltra $32.37 per 448oz in 8 bottle case / 7c per oz / 1/31/14
Dollar Tree/ unknown brand 1.00 per 24oz bottle/ 4c per oz/ 1/31/14

Tampons:
Amazon/ Femtex brand $38.34 per 480ct box/ 8c each 1/30/14

Vinegar: 
Checkers/ 1.78 per 64oz jug/ 3c per oz / 2/1/14

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Keeping A Price Book

How a Price Books saves money:
This works on the bulk buying principle.  When you find the very best price you can, you buy in bulk to "lock in" that price for yourself for as long as that price lasts you. For example, a few weeks ago Hy-Vee had a sale on shredded cheese, $1.00 per 8 oz. package. This was really a HELL of a deal, as I regularly pay $1.99 for 8oz of cheese at Aldi or on sale other places. I have payed upwards of $2.49 for 8oz of cheese when I was in a pinch and needed it right away for an event.

I bought TWELVE 8oz bags of shredded cheese. That seems crazy, right? Let me tell you why I did that. The expiration date on the bags were all August 2014 or later. So I calculated how much cheese I would use between now and August.  2 bags a month was my (conservative) estimate, so I bought enough cheese to maybe last us the 6 months, effectively locking in my cheese cost for the next 6 months at $1.00 per 8oz.

Had I not had a price book, I may not have realized what a great deal this was. I knew within seconds that I had been recently paying $1.99 or more for 8oz of cheese, so I could easily see this was HALF PRICE CHEESE and folks, it doesn't get better than that.

How I Keep My Price Book:
Since I've now got a 3rd eater at my house, it was high time for me to pick up the price book I started a few years ago and make it work. My original book was paper/pencil, though I've now advanced to an iPhone app: ValueTracker, which costs $0.99.  The buck was worth it to me to always have my price book with me (since I've always got my phone.)  The price book doesn't really work unless you always have it with you when you are at stores.

I put in prices using my receipt after I get home, and calculate the per unit (ounce, pound, whatever) price. I also update prices using the weekly sale flyers. If I used a coupon I note that (though really I don't use coupons often).  (I Plan to share my personal price book here soon!)


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