South Florida on the Cheap » food

Clipping coupons may not pay

Teresa — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:51:12 +0000

As a personal finance columnist, I am supposed to advise you to clip coupons to save money. The truth is, it may not be worth your time.

Whether clipping grocery coupons will save you enough to compensate you for the time it takes to organize them depends upon your shopping habits and, even more, on what [...]

It’s OK to buy bagged salad

Teresa — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:50:18 +0000

I could be drummed out of the frugalista corps if this secret got around: I buy my salad ingredients already cut up.

Yes, I could save money if I bought heads of lettuce, washed, dried and cut them up myself. But I don’t save a thing if they sit in the refrigerator until they rot because [...]

Save at CVS with the Drugstore Game

Teresa — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:10:09 +0000

There’s a lot of strategic shopping going on these days. But perhaps no shoppers are as strategic as those who play the Drugstore Game.

You may, like me, belong to CVS’ ExtraCare program or Walgreens’ Register Rewards, through which you sometimes receive coupons on your receipts. Occasionally, you may even use one.

But Drugstore Game players are [...]

Watch for cycle of grocery sales

Teresa — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:12:03 +0000

I don’t very often clip coupons, but I’m a dedicated user of the Publix “buy one, get one free” promotions. And nothing annoys me more than stocking up on something only to see it go BOGO the next week.

Then I realized that BOGO promotions, and other supermarket discounts, run in cycles, with certain items going [...]

Freeze, don’t ditch those veggies

Teresa — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:59:38 +0000

Like many people in small households, I never know how many fruits and vegetables to buy. Sure, I could shop every day as the Europeans do, but I don’t have the time.

If I don’t buy vegetables, I won’t eat them. But, too often, when I do buy them, I miscalculate and end up with more [...]

Buying in bulk not always a deal

Teresa — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:58:27 +0000

Conventional wisdom has it that you always save money if you buy in bulk, choosing the largest sizes and stocking up on items when they’re on sale.

The truth is, we might end up spending less if we bought only the amount we’re going to use, even if it costs more per unit. A gallon of [...]

Find pizza coupons, discounts online

Teresa — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:54:17 +0000

Thinking about ordering pizza?

Before you reach for the phone, go to the computer. You can often find a coupon.

Of course, you can and should save the coupon inserts you get in the newspaper and via mail. When my extended family plans dinner, the organizers start by checking their paper coupon stash.

Because I rarely order pizza [...]

Brown-bagging for adults

Teresa — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:46:10 +0000

With school back in session, it’s time to turn your attention back to packing lunches.

I don’t mean your kids’ lunches. I’m talking about bringing your own lunch, especially if you’re spending money every day on food you’re not enjoying.

Years ago, I happily ate lunch every day at the office cafeteria. The $5 price per meal [...]

Chow down before stocking up

Teresa — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:42:42 +0000

Some tips for saving money are so obvious, I hate to mention them. And yet, we forget and then it costs us. So here is our Obvious Advice of the Week:

Do not stock up on perishable food during hurricane season. In fact, hurricane season is a good time to eat what’s in your refrigerator and [...]

Wake up and save money on coffee

Teresa — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:34:48 +0000

I like good coffee. And I like Starbucks.

It has been a long time since I’ve had the extra cash to spend $3 on coffee every day, and since I drink it black, the steamed milk and fancy add-ins don’t tempt me. Instead, I make Starbucks coffee at home.

My late partner and I tried various coffees [...]