As my mother before me, I clean out my refrigerator every week. It prevents items from getting shoved to the back of the refrigerator, being forgotten, and spoiling.
Ha I had a co worker when this first started and he said he looked at his bank account and added it up and realized he spent OVER $800 just that ONE month in Uber eats!!! 😮could not even imagine I try to lower the electric bill and gas but it is very frustrating when you come home and see your spouse has the AC set to 68 and the patio door wide open 😡😤
I properly store groceries as I get home If my nail polish is drying out, I add a few drops of nail polish remover,or hand sanitizer. I use every last bit of whatever I have before buying more..
Menu planning...if my "lost generation" dad and "greatest generation" mom ever menu planned when I was young, it was mostly a pot roast w/mixed veggies or string beans, and potatoes during the week...I wasn't a veggie fan back then, but have them more often now. My dad always cooked corned beef hash for Saturday lunch...Sundays we either had leftovers or my dad cooked on the grill for supper, and also sometimes for supper on Saturday...Friday night we usually went to a local Italian restaurant for dinner...that restaurant has been closed for a long time, but when I last visited my hometown in Upstate NY, I went to another Italian restaurant nearby and had a great meal. I rarely eat pot roast now due to the cost; I now eat mostly chicken and some fish, and will have a 3-egg omelet for brunch or dinner once a week or so...
If you are over 60 and lower income check with your Utility companies to see if they offer discounts. We receive 10% off our monthly Water/Electric/trash/sewer bill and qualified for Heap on our gas heat for a once a year credit.
I have tracked my spending and was stunned by what I spent on take out last month. Embarrassingly it was $80, 22 for a family meal and the rest coffee and muffins. This month will be different.
I actually make a hot pepper jelly that is loved by my entire family. I first served it as an appetizer of bagels toasted, lightly smeared with cream cheese and then a spread of the hot pepper jelly. Then it was cut cut into bite sized chunks. They make you sticky, so forks or toothpicks are recommended. Even my parents loved this. I use it also to flavor the fried rice I make.
Great tips! Can you teach us how to use digital coupons?? How do you down load them onto your phone? Technology is daunting to the elderly in the crowd! TIA!
I found out last time I tried the digital coupons that I had an old card and a newer version on file. Only one number was being picked up at the register. Luckily, I noticed that more than half my lost leaders were not getting the full mark down. The supervisor looked at my account and got it straightened out. Got me almost $15 back! Yes, those coupons are a pain, but I ask the cashier to help me!
Got back from food bank, got two of those giant cans of dehydrated vegetables, preppers choice and a few other good things, picked up an autographed book at Goodwill for $2.00. I go back in two weeks & hope they have more cans.
I wish I could implement all the ideas that save on power, water, etc. Utilities are covered in the maintenance fees of my condominium, and that's a fixed monthly cost (which goes up every year). No doubt I'm paying much more per month than I would if utilities were in my control.
I love this channel, and particularly I enjoy the occasional exchanges between the two of you and that blooper at the end. What surprised me though, is that your grocery savings tips/habits didn't include the tip to shop your own pantry first! Before I even look at special offers on loss leaders, I build the best meal plan I can from what I already have at home. The money on those things is already spent, so all I have to buy is anything I still need to make the recipe. Then I look at loss leaders and special offers online and see what I can make from those items. There isn't usually much space on my meal plan when I've done that. I find if I don't shop in this order, I will end up overbuying my veggies (especially being plant-based, I like to have a fridge full of fresh veggies, and can forget how many I already have in the freezer, so the tip about shopping my own pantry does include my freezer and what remains in the fridge too). And if I overbuy, there is often waste that I cannot use up quickly enough, which is scandalous to me, and sort of sinful.
When shopping for home insurance, dont buy the cheapest policy. You should not only compare coverage but find out how strong the companys financial state is and whether they are good at paying claims. I worked in claims for 6 years. If you have to file for a large claim (like roof damage) you want the claim to be covered quickly and you dont want to be nickled and dimed by the adjustor. You can check insurance ratings. Geico has some of the lowest premiums but a below average rating for claims payout. To save money on homeowner insurance raise your deductible, dont buy more insurance than needed and bundle your car and homeowners ins.
Hope & Larry, this was a really good video! I also got a big laugh out of the blooper and Larry's reaction when he realized that the words that had just come out of his mouth didn't make a boatload of sense. ANNNNyway, just wanted to say that utility costs are something that might bear scrutiny when people are considering relocating. I'm blessed to live in an area served by a co-op that actually returns some money every year proportional to usage. Last year it was something like $36.00 for me, and the rates are already good. Highest power bill a couple of years back with central A.C. running 24/7 was $156 but during Spring and Fall, it's down around $45. Have a wonderful week - love & hugs from the steamy DelMarVa peninsula.
Great tips, thank you. I feel like i need to put in a lot more work and time for groceries to save money. Meal planning, price shopping, it all takes effort
The other day I bought a package of two pork tenderloins. I got 2 packages of cut up strips for pork stirfry, 4 packages of pork medallions that I will pound out to make pork cutlets and 2 pork roasts that will feed my husband and I for 4 meals. Total of 10 meals for $12.
I look for any vegetables that are on sale, whether as lost leaders or the marked down vegetable trays that have a little brown on the edges. I pickle them. Broccoli, celery, onions, peppers, mini tomatoes, cauliflower are all good vegetables. I cut them into small pieces (layering them if you want it to look pretty), pack them down tightly into quart canning jars. Make a brine of water and vinegar (with salt if you like) and spices and simmer for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors and then pour the mixture into the jars, making sure all the vetables are fully covered. I use Oriental spices so I can use a jar of home canned cooked chicken, the drained vegetables and rice or noodles for a quick Oriental meal. The pickled vegetables will last 3 to 6 months in the refrigerator.
Have you ever had giardiniera? It is an Italian relish they often put on sandwiches. You can make it chunky or fine. It is usually made from celery, onions, jalepenos, carrots and red peppers. Cauliflower is optional. It is delicious. It sounds up your alley.
@@americafirst9144 No, I have never eaten that. Sounds interesting, except for the hot peppers! I have lived in Texas for many years now, but I'm still at the 'mild' stage. Do they mix in any spices? I would assume garlic at least. (If it doesn't have garlic and onions, it isn't a recipe for me! 😉 )
Love your hair Hope..I cut my own hair..you wear your hair much like someone who has bangs. So much more attractive than women who have a high forehead without bangs ..or your hairstyle over your forehead.
I've noticed that you shop at Kroger most typically, and I wonder if you I have tried other stores like am Aldi, Walmart or Costco just as a comparison on how much you spend in groceries? I used to go to Costco quite regularly until the pandemic and I haven't been back since, and I have been to Aldi many years ago before it was really popular.
I did a video on how to make homemade tortillas. I think I showed how to make roll-ups in that video, maybe... Here's a link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I3DxgLrcrMI.html&ab_channel=UndertheMedian
I know you like mint mobile but I've seen a couple ads with the owner where he is swearing. He gets beeped but not soon enough that you don't know what he's saying.
In all fairness the people spending their money on fast food could be doing so because they were slaving away at work all day and had no energy left to cook afterwards some people with 2 jobs and single moms.. I could see it the way we are all struggling right now..
I know you did the interview with chef aj but in the future could hope do a veganism 101 on a budget and for a family? That would help save so much money for so many people!
I know that cooking so that there are meals for many nights is a good idea. This brought me back to my childhood. My parents were so broke, that we ate on the same meal for 4-5 days. By middle school, we were cleaning office buildings after school with mom and was able to go out to McDonals or Burger King and eat in the car because there was no time to cook. We were there from 5-8:30 at night. I loved eating out as a kid. Looking back, it was not the best plan - financially or health wise. Planning is the best options!
I watch for sales on meats and make my meals around them. I cut large pork loins into 3 or 4 sections for multiple meals. When I slow roast the pork or beef, I usually get more than one meal out of it.
I cook 1 meal per day for my family. Breakfast and lunch are simple items like fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season oatmeal, toast, eggs ect. Im able to feed 3 people on as little as $200 a month.
Last weekend, we decided we "wanted" fish n chips & onion rings (Halibut). It is cheaper to get take out than dine in. When I was getting ready to order, I noticed it was going to cost for 2 of us $47 + tax & TIP (pet peeve). Well over $50 (CAD or 37 USD). Yup, that's not happening. Instead I threw in a prepared lasagna and garlic toast that cost only 1/10th of the cost of fish & chips for the same amount of time before we ate (1 hr ) and either way, we still had to do dishes and we kept the TIP.(to insure prompt service). So far this year, I have not spent anything on eating out
I don't shop at Kroger much. Their sale items are mostly junk food in my area and you usually have to buy 5 items. Plus they tend to rip me off on 2-3 items each shopping trip by not applying coupons and sale prices.
So true about menu planning based on foods you have or what’s on sale/in season. If you menu plan for whatever meals you want and then shop you’re buying the ingredients at full price. There’s little savings.
Yep, I would have bought even more of those peppers, fried them up and stuck in the freezer. The meat could also be sliced thin to use on pizza. Just beware about Bill Gates fake meats...chicken and beef, they are not required to mark in stores. My local groc. cuts up their own meats.
It's 8:15 AM Texas Time, gathering extra stuff I don't need to take to small food bank, I'll head out in a couple hours, hit Dollar Tree & hit two Food Banks a block from each other & pick up things I need. May stop at QT for ice & Winco for ice cream.
Love the bloopers at the end!!! If people realized how many hours of work it takes to pay for their "convenience foods" to "save time" they'd realize that they're not saving time at all! We've lived frugally all our lives & it's meant that we could work less hours to spend more time with our kids as they were growing up. It's definitely been worth it. As adults they've often shared how special those times together were.🥰Blessings from South Australia💕🐨
Wow, I don’t typically buy many convenience foods but I’ve never really thought of it like that. The less money I spend on those items means the less time I will have to work in the long run.
You two are just the best. Thank you so much for continued intelligent and practical ideas and inspiration. Please keep up the good work! God bless you!
The Kelbasa ideas you gave are really good. We are starting to do tuna patties one night a week, along with chicken from the cans for chicken salad, etc. to help with meat prices. We are trying to use our smaller car more when we can for errands etc. Right now, I am going to turn the air up to 78 and get a fan going. One is already running. Good ideas.
Never have I or never will I ever pay to have food delivered to me. A lot of my husband's co workers are guilty of food delivery and going out for fast food. My husband packs his lunch for work every day and has the entire 35 years we have been married.
When I started heating with pellets and natural gas was my backup. My gas bill was $79 100% natural gas a month budget to $15 a month. I paid around $250 for pellets a year back then. That year they replaced my gas meter. The key is to have energy options. One year I used corn that a farm couldn't feed or sell . That was mixed with pellets to heat the house. The cheapest heat was when the store selling pellets had a few bags wet on each pallet of pellets. They sold them to me for $50 for each pallet. That was $100 for the year. The pellets in some bags needed screening so some work was required. One cup of fines from the screening was added to each hopper of pellets. The ash goes into the garden. Adding your labor can save money on the heat bill. In the fall when they pick corn and shell it, you can in some cases cover the inside of your pickup bed in plastic and they will dump shelled corn into the pickup truck box. You pay for the load of corn. They don't pay for bags or bagging and you do all the storing at home. Then you mix corn and pellets to heat.
Save 100% on the grapes. Leave them at the store. Buck each for peppers? Still too much. Get one for salad. Roll ups? what do you roll them with? Save on electricity: turn off lights AS YOU LEAVE the room EVERY time. Don't spill electricity. Keep only one bulb in multibulb fixture. Wake up just before sunrise. Sleep when it gets dark. Small flashlite beside the bed. Turn off the TV unless you are actively watching. If whatever has a little signal light, unplug it. Turn OFF the computer when you arent' using it. Bake in winter. Garage sale partial candles provide light AND heat. Use glass-neck salad oil dispenser for dish soap. Oatmeal is good for any meal.
I don't have a dryer hang clothes on shower rod cook in crockpot keep thermostat at 79degrees eat sandwiches maybe cook something once a week using oven or top of stove
i do price comparison and i also shop clearance sometimes i download coupons but the store rejects them for no reason specially HEB walmart accepts all i spend $ 150 each week id like to waste less we're a family of 3 soon to be 4 i like to save a bunch but i struggle with groceries specially because i cant eat certain foods i also plan my meals ahead ill try your first way and see how it goes
@deborahevans189 America is very cheap compared to here! But their quality of food is appalling. So many chemicals banned worldwide that are allowed in food only in USA. We don't have coupons here & lots of supermarkets are going broke and closing down
As I watched the video I found myself nodding at a lot of the things you mentioned. Right now in West Central Ohio, it is about 65 degrees out, and the high is only about 75. So all the A/C and fans are turned off. And as am running around barefoot in the house, my feet are a bit cold. Need to get the slippers out!
You hit it on the nose...... coffee. I don't ever go out to drink coffee but buying coffee beans. Coffee beans have gone up. A 24oz coffee bean was $11.50 then went up to $20.00. Boy I had to go shopping around on line to find a better deal. Thanks again for your episode.....
Use the peanut butter plus oatmeal molasses and a banana salt vanilla baking soda to make a great sticky cookie. I used molasses that had expired in 2014. Was fine. Was super tasty and vegan and uses up a condiment that sits in the cupboard for years.
We have a natural gas heater and water heater so our bill is very low in the summer- around $14. We’re in the south and don’t turn the heat on til mid or late November. Last year the gas company sent a technician out the first of November to replace our meter because they thought it wasn’t working because the usage hadn’t increased since summer. I tried to explain to the tech that we hadn’t turned the heat on yet and the only gas usage was from the water heater. He insisted on replacing the meter anyway lol😊
Your groceries are cheap we dont have markdowns like that in Canada are groceries are way more double or triple in price and coupons don't really happen either our phone plans aren't cheap like that either cheapest is 70 for unlimited
I shop monthly for canned items, cereals but weekly for all else. I cook a main meal for the whole week like stuffed pepper soup, chili, bok choy salad with ginger dressing, cabbage and oodles then I fill in with other things if I want something different or want to add fruit etc.. I freeze anything for meals later in month.
We buy peppers in bulk as well. We chop and freeze them for future meals. They defrost easily and cook up nicely. TIP: I just shaved off $120.00 annually off my Consumer Cellular cell phone. I switched to on-line automatic billings (saving $5.00 per month) I also removed the texting option and got my monthly bill down to $19.00 per month. (unlimited data.) We also pay monthly for insurances etc. otherwise there is a $5.00-$6.00 charge per month to pay them monthly. A NO brainer!
Be sure to call companies to ask if they offer discounts for paying annually or by a specific payment method like direct debit or cash. They don't always mention it in customer communications. I was able to save 10%-20% - not only on insurance and mobile phone service, but also on contact lenses, internet, subscriptions and other bills. I also schedule annual payments so they don't all hit at the same time.
Excellent suggestions. I do most, but clearance sections are rare where I live. I find loss leaders sell out early and often don't get restocked, so may have to alter my menu planning a bit (long commute does not allow me to pop in early for sale). I do buy bell peppers on sale, slice and freeze on tray then in ziploc, to use in a stirfry later. I do have some summer hot days (90s-100+) but have managed without AC so far by opening windows at night and using thermal curtains by day. I try to charge devices when awake to avoid leaving them connected all night. All efforts help with overall spending.
Wish I could save more... I'm already bare bones in my budget. I live in rural area so only 1 grocery store, which I rarely shop at. The loss leader meats might be cheaper than at the farm, but I doubt it was grass fed and finished raised without antibiotics or shots. Store bought dairy makes us sick. We don't eat processed foods. Thus there is little I purchase at the store. Our diet consists of veggies and meat. I have to be strict with carb/sugar count. Food was how my adopted son was abused so I don't ration what he eats as it causes him distress. So if I made a casserole he would have picked all the meat out and put it on his plate. All that would be left would be part of the filler to the casserole. How do you save enough to save up to pay full year as a single mom almost retirement age who also homeschools, I don't have extra to save to pay whole year of insurance and save for end of year taxes and emergency fund.
I really want to switch over to Mint mobile, but I have to admit, the fact that there’s not a storefront is a little bit intimidating for me. Not in the service aspect, but in the set up.
That freaked us out, too. But, our experience was that it took about 15 minutes to switch over. We had no problems at all. Check Mint's website. They used to have free set up for those over the age of 50. I have no idea if they still do, or not. But, it's worth checking into.
Having my groceries delivered saved me time when I was working. Now, I continue having most of my groceries delivered...to save time, to save gas, for medical reasons, and in my area, to ensure my personal safety...people have been attacked in store parking lots and have had their groceries stolen, or even carjacked...I can afford the convenience of grocery delivery, especially for larger orders or for items that are heavier than I cannot easily carry myself...
I have learned so much from y'all. I would love to print out all of your forms, but I can't figure out how to print them out from my phone. Can you or one of your subscribers be able to help me. I would even be willing to pay for printouts if that would be possible.
We usually buy 2 weeks at a time and fresh produce on the weeks in between. But for the month of August for our grocery haul videos, we are challenging ourselves to do a one month large haul and only go back for fresh produce. Our goal is to stay under $300 for the 3 of us. We average $357/month so it would save us a little bit. 👍
Thank you for your videos ,it always makes me think I can do better ,,, and you present in such a kind ,thoughtful way 🎉❤ I bought a Roku 4 yrs ago and really like it ,,,news ,movies ,tv shows ,,,,,, no cable bills for this girl,, ,I recently found a super market in a small town close by that has Great deals on some frozen meats , 25% off , I figure out the cost per meal I try to keep it at a $1.00 a meal ,but not always ,but I do my best 😊 I make my own bread ,plus I hang my clothes up to dry so much quieter in the house,it’s my favourite chore to do 😎👍👍 and in the present heat wave they dry faster ,,😮😂😂 There is so much we can do our selfs to cut cost ,,,🎉🎉 . Does anyone have any tips on pet cutting cost I have a cat and need to feed him some fish ?… , but it can be expensive ,,Thanks for any tips God Bless you both 😊
Our family is too big to do a spontaneous drive through. Could easily buy a box of pasta and a can of sauce if you are really hungry. Or better yet, PB&J
We began by substituting plant-based sources of protein and using those instead of meat. Beans, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, and split peas are examples.
If you are purchasing P&G products you had better be uploading your receipts to their rewards program for gift cards (Starbucks, and more). I don't buy over priced coffee so a CVS gift card is for me!
Unfortunately, in the state of Florida homeowners insurance availability is getting more and more sparse. Many of the large companies have left, such as Progressive (who I have for auto insurance), and one of the only companies that will insure homes in Florida right now is Citizens. This is largely due to hurricane payouts. Comparing citizens and progressive I get a better deal having my auto insurance separate and with progressive, and my home insurance with citizens, vs having both with Citizens. So I cannot combine my auto and home insurance unfortunately
Unless it’s certified organic, all peanut butter has tons of pesticides due to it being a ground in grown food. So there’s more than just peanuts and salt 😬
Me electric usage for same time this year compared to last year was 328 kWh down 17%, last year was 396 kWh,but the cost was more than double last year. Not sure how much lower I can go on what I use.
I took out a microwave, repositioned furniture from the living room to the kitchen..cut my electric bill. Because of a high heat month my electric bill is up to $29 mo...rarely use the washing machine ..basically live in our ver small kitchen
You rock! Here in houstontexas its been 103 degrees and we used 1400 kWh this past month. We try very hard to conserve but without a.c. 24 hours per day we wouldn't survive. Its still 90 at 10 pm.
@@brianhill6261 I’m in the northeast US, I only use the AC when the humidity level is high or it’s over 80 degrees outside. Shades get pulled closed at night so when the sun comes up in the am I can keep that heat out as much as possible. I also close off rooms we don’t use often.
Where are you? The UK ? Double the price of last year and using less electricity besides! Hope and Larry did a video (maybe more than one) on bringing the power bill down. Consider using a food bank to bring that bill down in order to compensate for the high power bill. Best wishes.
