It's an Art!

A big part of any homemaker's job (especially those on a limited budget) is to make the household income go farther. One of the ways I try to do this (as it is one of the areas I have the most control over) is to feed my husband and I for the smallest amount possible. Of course one simple way to do this is to buy items on sale. The more items you can buy on sale, the more you'll save, with the goal being to buy everything on sale, to pay full price for nothing. But, stores don't always have things on sale when you need them. So then, you either have to do without or buy the item for full price. To avoid this problem, I have been trying to stock up on items that are a really good price, to last me until the item goes on sale again. However, the more I do this, the more I realize that it is somewhat of an art form. It takes thought, planning, and definitely some experience to be able to realize when something is a very good price, to be able to predict when it will go on sale again, and to be able to determine how much of that item you will need to last you until the next sale. If you are able to do this, however, it will undoubtably save you a lot of money in the long run. Of course, it does require you to spend a little more upfront, which can be hard for some people, but it can be done if you work it into your budget.

Since I'm still fairly new at running a household, this is an art I'm definitely still learning! A while back, one store had a really great deal on Quaker products, including oats. I bought a bunch of oats to put in my stock. For a while they just sat there, but then I started making homemade granola, and using them for other things, like granola bars and cookies. Then the other day, I realized that my stock of oats was almost gone. Since I didn't want to be without any oats if I should happen to need them, I put them on my list to buy on my next shopping trip. When I went grocery shopping, I found some oats on sale for $2.50. I knew that I had gotten my last stock for cheaper than that, but I couldn't remember exactly how much I had paid for them, and I didn't think that was a terrible price, so I bought one. I sure regretted that decision a few days later, when I opened the grocery store ads to find that great Quaker sale again! Oats were on sale for $1.00! I couldn't pass up this sale, since I knew what a great deal it was! It does take a bite out of my food budget to be able to do this, but I know I'll save quite a bit of money in the long run! Saving money certainly is a learning process!