I have always cut coupons but now more than ever I have to find creative ways to save. I created a spreadsheet and wrote down all the items I buy on a monthly basis in the rows and the stores I shop at in the columns. I visited Walmart, Target, BJs, and Lowes and wrote down the price of each item and calculated the unit cost. This took a long time to complete but am very happy I did. I always thought Walmart was cheaper on everything and they are not! I also was able to figure out if something was cheaper at Lowes when the coupon is doubled versus just using the coupon at Walmart. My spreadsheet is 8 pages long. My monthly grocery bill prior to being unemployed was around $1100 - $1400. This included pet supplies (I have three dogs and a cat), beauty products, and cleaning supplies. My first month of unemployment my grocery bill was $643.07. I am so proud of myself. It helps I am one of those crazy people that stocks up on food when there is an incredible sale. My friends always make fun of me about how many cans of vegetables I have but they sure are coming in handy right now considering when I bought the Del Monte vegetables I only paid about 35 cents a can and they are in the stores for around a dollar a can. I buy meat on clearance and am not ashamed. I always bought meat on clearance in the past just more so now. People freak out over brown beef. Hello! It would be that color if it were not for the oxygen that is injected in. It is just as safe.
My eating out expenses prior to me being unemployed were $120 - $250 a month. Even when I had a job my husband and I only ate out once a week and he went out to lunch once a week. Eating out is such a waste of money if you do it all the time. My first month unemployed our eating out expenses were $81 excluding what we had to spend on vacation. Not too bad but I hope to have it even less this month. When we do eat out now I will buy coupons from Restaurant.com when they are 80% off.
Stupid Stupid Spending: Shopping...who does not like to shop? My monthly department store and clothing costs before being unemployed were between $1,000 and $1,500 for Tony and me. Now my budget is $50. Luckily I have more clothes than I can imagine. I know you all are wondering how someone can spend that kind of money on clothes each month. I wonder myself. Much of the expense was for things around the house. I did a lot of redecorating but I do love clothes. You don't have to tell me twice...how much I spent each month was just stupid. But I was smart with my 401k and put in the max I could. I just wish I would have bought less and saved more. Changing my spending habits in this category is not going to be easy but I really do not have a choice in the matter. I do not have credit card debt other than what my husband I just had to charge on our vacation. Only about $700 on a 0% credit card. Not bad and I do not indent on charging any thing else. I could easily pay it off with money out of my savings account but it seems smarter to leave it on a 0% card and leave more money in the savings account. Lets see how I do over the next few months. I am under some serious retail therapy.
It is going to be hard not to donate to good causes. I always took out the checkbook for animal shelters and other fundraising events for causes I fully believe in. I still want to donate but it will have to wait until I am employed.
I'm not sure where the closest Harris Teeter is to you, but keep an eye out for when they have triple coupon days. I know people who had over $200 worth of grocery's for $50 or less.
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