There are three thrift stores near my house that I visit frequently (one of which I also donate items to) and I usually find some good deals. Here’s a few things from one of the last times my youngest daughter and I went.

These four sundae glasses we’re $1 each. Aren’t they great? My family loves them!

This Rubbermaid chip and dip tray and cover was only two bucks and is in excellent condition. We use containers like this all the time and when we can’t used it for food anymore, we’ll find another use for it, probably for storing craft supplies.

These banana split dishes were a $1 each and at first I only bought three because I didn’t see the other one. When I went back another day to donate some items, I spotted it. Needless to say, between the sundae glasses and these, we’ve been having a lot of ice cream lately. lol

I love shopping at thrift stores and flea markets because honestly, you never know what you’ll find. It’s like a tresaue hunt. Like the snowman dishes I bought at a nearby flea market.

This post is part of Frugal Friday and Second Time Around.

Check out this ebook from Budget 101. It’s a great resource for for tips and ideas on how to cut your grocery bill. There’s ideas on once a month cooking, growing herbs, menu planning and more.

Cut Your Grocery Budget

I belong to a bunch of frugal message boards. Some I visit regularly, others not so often. The following tips came from various boards over the course of the last couple of years.

1. Shop your sales!!!! I rarely did this until a year ago and just on meat alone, I bet I save $100 a month. That is a huge savings for any family. We have 3 good sized stores, plus a Walmart Supercenter, but luckily they are all within 2 miles of each other. I get my ads on Monday (or Wednesday in the regular ads) and make out my menu accordingly. Each store has a different meat on sale, so there is almost always a beef, chicken or pork cut on sale. It’s the same for paper products, canned goods, etc. I always TRY to buy on sale. If it’s not on sale, I have an idea of whose prices are best and go from there. Pay cash and don’t use credit cards. It can be easy to rationalize a purchase if the plastic is in your wallet so leave it at home.

2. Record your spending.This way you know where your money is going. Then make the changes

3. Buying only what you need is good advice, however in order to stay good, all of us must have a little treat once in a while. When it comes to groceries…. Spend !!! When the price on something that the family eats is on sale…BUY IT !!! If your family likes mac and cheese and it goes on sale for 8/$1.00 buy 24, cereal .99c a box buy 20. This is what I do. It may sound extreme but my family can eat 2 or 3 boxes of mac and cheese and 2 boxes of cereal a week. Just remember to rotate your food: New in back, old in front to be used first. Be organized!!! Know what you have so you don’t buy a second one, combine your errands, know what size the kids wear etc so you can take advantage of the sales, so you don’t run out and buy something that you already have in a closet.

4. Always think before you purchase! Ask yourself, do I really need this? Do I have something already that might serve the same purpose?

5. Mine would be to take the time to think and plan before you start ANYTHING. If you always have a plan in mind before you hit the grocery store, you’re less likely to be sidetracked. If you already have a plan for your money, you’re less likely to be tempted to do something else with it. If your time is already planned, less opportunity to waste it.

6. My tip would be that buying in bulk or at a warehouse is not always cheaper..even if you don’t use coupons when your not buying in bulk! For example I went to Costco with my mom this week, the FIRST thing they had in view of people coming in was a pack of three boxes of Nutrigrain bars for 6.99. My Ralphs JUST had those SAME boxes on sale for 2$ each! I felt so bad for the people buying the box of nutrigrain bars at Costco There were even coupons out that would have made them FREE, 50 cents or .90 cents each, depending on what coupon you had! There were SO many other things like that but that was the best example that comes to mind.

7.  I would say to at least consider second hand clothing and dented can stores. I have saved tons at both. Dented can stores also sell, dented boxes, ie-cereal boxes with dented corners (bag inside is intact). I have also purchased many LL bean clothes and so forth at K-mart prices cause they were used.

8.  Shop at thrift stores and yard sales. If I have something in mind, it only takes me one or two trips to find what I was looking for. Recently I decided I really needed an adding machine if I was going to do my budget justice. I have calculators but I wanted one that was bigger and with a print option.  The next day, having forgotten about the adding machine, I walked into a thrift store and there was one on the shelf. I paid $3.00 for it. It is a TI and just like the ones we have at work that cost $20.00. I find that it pays to shop there as long as you keep in mind that there has to be a need for the item.

Bonus: Start learning about once a week cooking! We have some great once a week cooking recipes on this site – just follow the links.

Do you have a dent and bent store near you? I recently discovered one in my area and have since become a regular customer. It’s owned by a really nice family that just bought it from the previous owner and they’re working hard to update and clean it up. Just like shopping at a flea market or garage sale, when I shop at dent and bent stores, I take my time and look over each product carefully before I purchase it.

Today I spent $20.98 and this is what I bought.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the products. Scroll past this part to shop for best selling books that will show you how to save money on your food bill.

1) Boxed or bagged items
Two boxes of Muellers ziti: 50 cents each
Two 6 pack boxes of Act 2 microwave popcorn: $2 each but it was buy one, get one free, so $1 each
A 10 pack box of Disney Princess Fruit Snacks: $1
A box of Hersheys Mini Cookies: $1
Two 10 pack boxes of Capri Sun Fruit Drinks: $1.50 each
One 10 pack box of Carpri Sun 100% Fruit Juice: $1.50
One 8 pack box of Back To Nature cheddar crackers: $1
4 packages of Earth’s Best Organic cookies: 25 cents each

My tips for buying boxed or bagged items:
When the item is loose and not packaged seperately inside the box or bag (like pasta is) I don’t buy them if they were opened and taped closed and I’ll only buy boxes that have slight creases in them. When the food item is packaged seperately inside the box and not loose (like everything else on the list), I’ll allow for more damage to the outer box and will buy a box that was opened and resealed.

2) Canned items
One can of Chicken of the Sea Whole Baby Clams: $1
One can of Armour Vienna Sausages: 50 cents
Five cans of Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna Fish in water: 75 cents each

My tips for buying canned items:
I only buy cans that have very small or no dents at all. Out of the five cans of tuna, only one had a very small dent.

Here’s some information I found online about buying dented cans.

Department of Agriculture (was on a page for canned fruit but would pertain to all cans) When buying canned fruit, avoid cans that show signs of bulging or swelling at the ends, or of leakage. Small dents in a can usually will not harm the contents unless the dents have pierced the metal or loosened the can seam. Badly dented cans, however, should always be avoided.

Purdue University Extension
Bulging cans — Spoiled! Throw away!
Dented cans — Do not buy cans with dents on the side seam of the can or on the rim seams at the top or bottom of the can. Check carefully for leakage, especially around the seam. Throw leaky cans away.
Rusty cans — Check for leakage. The rust may have penetrated the can.

With some common sense, shopping in a dent and bent store can save money. I try to go by there once a week because they constantly get more things in and rotate their stock.

By the way…my dog Mini seems to think everytime the camera comes out she has to be in the picture so here she is. LOL

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