Getting my money's worth

...and yours, and yours -- oh, and a little bit of yours...

I tend to buy more groceries when they are on sale. If they're non-perishable, they can sit in my pantry for a while. If they can be frozen, I'll store some away there, too. Even some fruit can be stored in your refrigerator longer than you think because it's harvested so early.

My grocery store receipt shows how much I paid and then how much I "saved" by buying sale items and bringing my own shopping bags. (It doesn't show how much I saved by buying the store brands rather than name brands.) For the first time, my savings totaled up to more than the money I spent.

I bought cookie mix, snack crackers, Cheetos, yogurt, butter, eggs, milk, bread, deodorant, leftover Halloween candy, lunchmeat, bananas, and grapes (41 items). I spent $53.81. I saved $57.08.

Try this system; it works. You won't always save that much in comparison to what you spend, but it's better than paying full price.