Stretching that Navy Pay Dollar!

Below you will find links and ideas on how to save money, and make ends meet! (My list of ways to save is at the very bottom)

Kat's list of ways to save $

 1. Think generic but don't be stuck to it. With a good sale and coupon, the name brands can actually be a LOT less. So make sure you comparison shop.

2. Shop with a calculator to figure per pound, per individual unit prices. That bulk 25 lb bag of sugar may seem like a GREAT deal, but with some careful planning, you could get it for less in smaller packages, and its more storable.

3. Probably should be #1, but coupon, coupon, COUPON! Look for them everywhere, you'd be amazed.. magazines, flyers, in store, newspapers, order some freebies or email a company with praise/criticism and they will send them to you. And if you see a sunday paper with tons, get 2 or 3!

3.5. Get a coupon keeper- no need for anything fancy, just get a 12 pocket accordian folder (the long short ones are perfect, like 3 or 4 bucks at walmart and worth every penny when you realize how organized it makes you. Having those coupons at your finger tips will save you a lot more than having to sort thru stacks and stacks in the store)

4. Join coupon swaps or trains. They can be worth their weight in gold, and you can even request certain things like diaper coupons etc.

5. Shop clearances. Not only are the prices lower to start, but if you have a coupon, they can even be free!

6. Don't discount a floor model. I recently got something I have been wanting for years, but couldn't afford, but they discontinued the color I liked, and I got its way marked down with an extra 10% off for being the floor model. It never hurts to ask, the worst they can say is no.

7. Mailing Lists. Go to Gerber, Huggies, Kraft, etc. Sign up for tehir mailing lists and they will send you coupons. So will Wendy's, McDonalds, red Robin, and lots of other places. If you craft or sew, JoAnns, Micheals, Hobby Lobby, etc.. they all have mailing lists with coupons, sometimes emails sometimes snail mail.

8. Never shop hungry or tired. You are more liekly to throw stuff into the cart that is an impulse buy and mor expensive.

9. Plan ahead. Get your local ads and sit down with your coupons, and plan out your attack. Figure out your route- store #1, then 2, then 3, etc. so you don't waste gas or have to drive all over town 10 times.

10. Learn the trends and stock up accordingly. Soda goes on sale 4/10 here a lot, or even generics at 7/10. So I get things on sale, stock up and make sure I can wait till it comes around again. I just also caught a rice sale, and managed to get boxes of Uncle Ben for free or 25 cents each, fantastic! When it goes up I watch for that, and stop getting it when it is higher, and wait till it drops again. They always drop it down again, its just a question of when and catching it when it does.

11. Know the costs around town. Here that same box of rice is 3 bucks at Albertson's, 2 bucks at Walmart, and 99 cents at the commissary. However, shortening is 3.50 at Walmart and 5 bucks at the commissary. Keep your eyes out and you'll find good deals at different places and you can shop accordingly.

12. If you qualify for WIC or food stamps, go get them. There is a reason they have the guidelines setthe way they do, and you would be surprised how much it can help. WIC covers a lot of people who don't realize that they are eligible, so check it out. And make sure you ask about the Farmer's Market at WIC, which gives you 20 to 50 worth of fresh veggies from the market over the summer by way of voucher checks from WIC. Sounds like not a lot, but its a bag of apples every other week all summer long.