Money saving idea?

[Lady Neysa]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Angus about the extreme couponing thing.  Heck, I've been in the grocery store before with a fairly full, mounded up cart, (with no coupons), and people have looked at me like I'm nuts. Can't figure out why, I'm just stocking up, why is that so strange?  Anyway, I understand the points that are being made against it. I admit I've been annoyed at times as well, being behind someone with 2 full carts, and a thick wad of coupons, but annoying as it may be, if the store allows it, people have the right to buy and spend their money as they see fit.  Stores are always going to have any number of justifications for increasing their prices.  I get far more annoyed about prices increasing due to theft, rising fuel and transport costs, the high cost of beef due to the cost of grain, etc, etc. Or for things no one has any control over, like the time a few years ago in Food Lion I saw heads of iceberg lettuce spike up to almost $3 or more a head due to a huge crop failure in Florida.  I've never extreme couponed before, the best deal I ever got was when my kids were babies, I got some great promo coupons in the mail and I ended up getting 4 or 5 large cans of  powdered infant formula for free!  If extreme couponers can work out deals like that all the time, then I can't  blame them for doing it.

[Lady Neysa]

Ok, but on the other side of the coin,  I do get very annoyed when someone at checkout will stand there and argue with the cashier for 10 minutes over something they thought was on sale but wasn't and they want to argue it anyway. They'll pull out the flyer and get snotty and insist they are right, only to finally discover after 10 minutes of haggling and having the manager called , that they were wrong after all. Then they'll still stand there and complain and gripe about how the add is misworded or whatever. Or they'll argue over a coupon that isn't exactly right for the product they are buying, but they insist on it being honored anyway.  There have been times I've been tempted to dig into my purse and say, "for gods sake lady here's 50 cents, the rest of us want to move on with our lives!" 

[Merlin the Elder]

Mercy! That is so true!  I wonder what they would do if you actually did give them the 50 cents...

[PollyPoPo]

Mercy! That is so true!  I wonder what they would do if you actually did give them the 50 cents...

Probably still argue - it's part of the game.

[The Rabbi]

They get really indignant and try to return it and when you refuse as they appearantly need it far more then you do they get angry. at this time the manager returns takes you to a different line while both he and the clerk try not to loose it in front of said customer. OH YES kindnes can be dangerouse. Said customer has actually walked back out of the store after seeing me there.

[PollyPoPo]

A few times in the past, when I had more money than time, I was behind someone who did not seem to have enough money for their purchase.  I would hand the cashier sufficient money ($10 or less) for the purchase and say to the buyer something like "pay it forward."

A couple times I recognized the person from around the neighborhood but not someone I knew personally.  One woman was probably a con, but, hey, it comes around, karma and all that.

Like George of the Jungle says, something good always happens afterwards.

[raevyncait]

I WISH I had an Aldi in a reasonable distance to me, but alas, the nearest one is about 30 miles one way, and the last 7 or 8 miles of that is an area that is ALWAYS heavy stop & go traffic, so any savings I might see are negated by the fuel cost. That being said, there are places that I go that are near an Aldi, and I try to stop in there to do any shopping that I may need to do.  In the areas where Aldi is within about 5 minutes, ALL of the grocery stores have reduced their store brand milk to match Aldi's price.  

Come spring, when the project I'm working on is finished (I work in a construction office on a field site), and I move back to the main office about a half hour away, I'll be driving by an HEB every day, which makes me happier than you can believe! They are a TX firm, so a LOT of their products are TX products, they have fabulous regional produce, and the newer ones (this one has been open since September) are sort of a hybrid of their older stores (basic groceries) and Central Market (an upscale market focusing on super fresh products with a lot of organic, natural and international products and a HUGE bulk foods area). There are some things I won't buy at CM, because I can get them cheaper elsewhere, but their bulk, cheese, and bakery selections can't be beat.

[PollyPoPo]

What's an Aldi?

[Auryn]

Polly
Aldi is a grocery store chain that offers really discounted prices.
The exchange for the lower prices is that their stock is limited compared to a regular grocery store, and a lot of their products are store brand- not national.

Thank you guys for bringing up Aldi,
i really didn't think we had any in the area but I looked it up anyway- turns out there are 2 on my way to work

[raevyncait]

also to know about aldi is that they don't accept Credit cards, only debit or ebt cards or cash. bring your own bags, or expect to buy some of theirs, and you'll self-bag as well.  I've honestly not been disappointed with anything I've bought there.

[PollyPoPo]

I did a quick Google on Aldi, but it appears there are none around here.

I take my own bags to the store (unless I forget them in the car) anyway.  Name brands do not in general impress me, though there are a few that I do insist on for some things because I can taste the difference, especially in texture of some veggies.

If one is ever opened around here, I'll be sure to check it out.

[mehan]

I am loving this thread.  I am learning so much I didn't know. Thank you fairmely.

[Merlin the Elder]

If I wanted to save a lot of money, there's one thing I could do: stop going to faires.  For the record, it ain't gonna happen.

[raevyncait]

and see, I do apply my savings toward my Faire stash!

[Lady Neysa]

I don't which thread I should put this in so I'll put it in both. I just learned of an opportunity to buy a big meat bundle pack from a local butcher. They're offering 69 pounds of meat for appr. 2.45 per pound.  $169.00  In it you get a variety of- 4lb boneless beef sirloin steaks,17 lb pork loin roasts and chops,4 lb country sausage, 3lb bacon, two 4lb beef roasts, (not sure what cut), 12lb ground beef,5lb  chicken legs,3 lb bone in chicken breasts, two 3.5 lbfrying chickens, 6lb hot dogs(not real thrilled by the hot dogs...).  We're gonna split it with my parents, but this will still cover our meat needs for a while. The meat comes already separated and freezer wrapped, which is a big plus for me. I hate re-wrapping meat.
Sound like a good deal, or no?