River Valley Coaching

Here is Part 2 of “Money Saving Tips” to help you meet your financial goals. The following information is based on our (Shara’s) personal experience with a company that monitors the sales for you and tells you when and how to buy.

We have found that if you are observant, you can do the same thing yourself, without paying for the membership.

• Did you know that most groceries (including paper products) go through an approximate 12 week cycle for sales? That means if you can stock up on items when they are on sale and get you through the next 12 weeks, you can schedule purchasing only while they items are on sale!

• Most people don’t know that stores prices vary by location. This means what you pay for diapers at one Wal-mart (or any store) may be different than what you pay at another store different city.

  If you find this to be true, buy at the cheaper Wal-mart ONCE, then save your receipt and bring it in each time to the store you shop at to get the cheaper price.

  This may sound like a pain, but for something that you use consistently like diapers or medication and the price doesn’t change very often the savings can be well worth the effort.

• Avoid non-grocery items at a regular grocery store. Usually there is a high mark-up on diapers, paper products, laundry detergent etc at grocery stores. The exception to this is the “Super” stores such as Wal-mart and Target.

• If you are within close proximity to a warehouse club such as Sam’s Club or Costco it is usually beneficial to pay for a membership. Just be careful that you price check with your grocery store. Buying in bulk is not always cheaper!

  Also, make sure you don’t walk out with more than you need or extra “great deals” (Did you really need 6 bottles of mustard??). If the extra 12 pounds of meat went bad then it wasn’t a good deal for your family.

• Finding stores with little overhead such as Aldi is also a money saver. Again, make sure it is in close distance to your house because you have to factor in gas prices. At Aldi, you bring your own bags to put your food in and bag them yourself, but they don’t pay for the glitz, so neither do you.

Article by Kirk Anderson, Financial Counselor :: As a Personal and Business Coach, Kirk helps others take control of their most powerful wealth building tools, their income. Business, Financial, and Personal Coaching may be exactly what you need to get out of debt, plan for retirement, build wealth, and enjoy life. For more information on gaining control of your financial future, contact us at www.rivervalleycoaching.com for your FREE 30 minute consultation.