Saving During Tough Times

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Buying in quantity when items are on sale and shopping at warehouse stores are great ideas--for people who live in large suburban houses with storage space, separate freezers, etc. The average urban apartment dweller has very limited options when it comes to buying ahead. Also, many urban residents don't have cars to transport the stuff in. Some writers suggest going in with friends and divvying up the purchases--nice idea for those who have a lot of free time to coordinate such activities!
Something else that needs a hard look is how much time and energy (yours and the gas for your car!) is going to be expended in running around to different stores looking for sale items, organizing coupons, etc. Maybe the savings are worth it, maybe not.
My personal strategy for saving on food involves avoiding packaged, highly processed foods. Most grocery coupons are a joke because they are for additive-laden, highly-advertised, overpriced "foods" that no one needs and that very often represent poor nutrition. Not to mention that all the packaging is incredibly wasteful.
It's very possible to make great meals "from scratch" and not spend a lot of time. People in this country have really been brainwashed to think that cooking consists of sticking a plastic package in a microwave, or that "home cooking" must involve commercially prepared mixes, pre-chopped ingredients and such. A great help for those who want to learn more about this issue is the "More-With-Less Cookbook: Suggestions By Mennonites on How to Eat Better and Consume Less of the World's Limited Food Resources (available on Amazon.com.)

Ellen Slack of PA 1:44PM October 06, 2008

I especially liked the "Be generous" idea, since my kids and I benefit from this! I'm a single mom who relies on Goodwill for kids clothes -- this weekend jeans were 99 cents each! My daughter had some capris, but no jeans for the winter months so I was thrilled.
When my kids outgrow their stuff, we then give them to either friends in need or Goodwill...it's a nice, efficient circle that's also good for the environment.

Some Single Mom of CO 11:14AM October 06, 2008

Yes, watch your spending, is good advice. I have learned the hard way by overpaying for my purchases time and again that it is best to save money through bargain hunting websites like Unodeals.com and keep the savings rather than increase big retails profits.

Josh Dermot of AL 6:57AM October 06, 2008

Maybe I'm just an old-fashioned fuddy duddy, but I was raised in the "you're not getting that unless it's on sale and there's a coupon" school of thought. Why are most Americans only now realizing there are these things called sales circulars and in-store coupons? Both of my grandmothers and my mother have always shopped this way, along with most of my other family members.

Veronica of NY 7:49PM October 05, 2008

Hey Rod! All of your suggestions are great. I try to do all that stuff you mentioned EXCEPT for shopping on the off-season. That is because where I live there are few places to shop and I do all my purchasing of clothing on the internet. It is possible to shop the clearance online but the sizes we wear are often gone long before the season is over (sigh)!

Jen Rabideau of MS 11:05AM October 04, 2008

I find that it really depends - sometimes generics make a difference (like with mac and cheese) and sometimes they really don't (like with shampoo) - so I guess it's all about experimentation. And it's probably different for everyone.

Kimberly Palmer of 5:11PM October 03, 2008

I love all the mentions but I have been burned by a few generic foods lately. They taste much worse than the name brand and I have found that out the hard way!

Luke @ Money and Fitness of CO 4:31PM October 03, 2008