I told you earlier this week that coffee and meat prices are on the rise. What can you do to make sure your grocery budget doesn't go to hay wire?
Stores routinely discount baked goods, produce and meat by 50% or more as these items approach their sell-by date. If you plan on cooking the beef, pork or chicken that night, or immediately freezing it, the discounted meat is a good deal.
But, with beef and pork prices up 6% in July over the same period last year, according to the consumer price index, how do we control the weekly grocery bill? Opting for one vegetarian meal per week could save a family hundreds of dollars annually.
Did you know sometimes you can lower your grocery bill by buying things you don't need? Sounds crazy, but just listen.
Most brands are discounted just once during a 12-week sales cycle, according to the founder of shopping site The Grocery Game. The prices of seasonal items, like BBQ sauce in the summer, and competitive categories, such as cereal and soda, are cut more frequently. If you're brand loyal, check the sales circular against what's currently in the pantry. It's better to buy a jar of Skippy peanut butter on sale this week than at full price two weeks from now when you've run out.
What's in your wallet? According to Dr. Richard Wiseman of the UK, it could make the difference in someone's decision to return it if it's lost.
Last year, the best selling author of The Luck Factor and Quirkology conducted an experiment on the streets of Scotland, in which he planted 240 wallets in high-traffic areas: 120 carried photos in their plastic sleeves, 120 did not. None of the wallets held money.
Carefully avoiding locations and situations that might deter good intentions (i.e. trash cans, dog droppings, mail boxes, vomit), a whopping 82% of wallets containing baby pictures were returned.
Puppy lovers, families and seniors weren't as fortunate. Compassionate strangers returned 53% of wallets that carried pictures of dogs, 48% of wallets showing a family photo.
Those faring the worst, however, were photo and charitable-contribution free. Only 15% of wallets without pictures were returned.
So tuck those baby photos in the wallet and chances are, you'll get it back if you lose it.
How's your water bill these days? After such a dry summer, many of us were shocked to see our latest water bill because of how much we watered our lawn. Here's a couple of thoughts.
Stop that dripping faucet. Sixty drips a mijnute will waster about 6,500 gallons of water per year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
And, shower quickly and save. a 15 minute shower a day costs about $310 a year, even with a low-flow shower head. Cutting the time by a third will save about $100 annually.
We could start seeing our grocery bill get even higher. especially if you're a coffee drinker or meat eater.
The rise in beef prices is the result of greater demand from Asia and beef supply issues in the U.S.. The U.S. is having trouble creating enough supply to keep up with demand. Beef has jumped about 11%.
Coffee took even more of a leap. Coffee futures hit their highest level in nearly 13 years Monday, when contracts for December delivery jumped to $1.88 a pound. Coffee prices in general have climbed 34% so far this year.
So, you may want to consider cutting back on the caffeine and eating more white meats.
The clock is ticking for consumers looking to find a more favorable rent or leases. According to rental property marketplace Rent.com, only 31% of landlords reported lowering rents t his year, compared with 69% last year.
Try these strategies to cut your bills:
Plan for the long term - signing a longer-term lease can lead to more attractive pricing because the landlord had your tenancy secured.
Research the market - compare your rent with your neighbors and check similar property listings on Craigslist or Rentometer.com.
Just ask - it never hurts to ask. Many landlords price their properties a little higher because they expect to negotiate.
Play up qualifications - landlords like good tenants. Paying on time and keeping the property in great shape can go a long way.
There's no reason to pay full price for the latest styles of fall staples like jeans, pants and boots. Stores are putting items on sale "pretty much right out of the gate.
More retailers are likely to use one-day-only sales this fall, as companies gauge how deeply they need to discount, says , a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation,.Macy's for example, held a one-day-only sale on Aug. 21, offering an extra 50% off fashion-clearance items in its stores.
Of course that sale is over, but here's one for you...
Kohl's has a storewide sale and clearance event through Aug. 28 with discounts of up to 80%, plus a coupon code, "LOWPRICE15," for another 15% off.
We're always looking for ways to lower our energy bills, here's a couple of little things you can do to lower your bills..
Use up to 60 percent less energy by boiling water in a microwave rather than on an electric stovetop. It takes less energy and it saves you time.
When you do use the stovetop, make sure pots and pans fully cover the heating element. A 6 inch pan on an 8 inch element translates to an energy waste of more than 40 percent!
Improve freezer efficiency by keeping the thing as full as possible, with bags of ice, for instance. The more items in the freezer, the easier to hold the cold.
We're constantly being asked if we want to join reward programs. Do we want to apply for a store credit card, or would we like to give our email for weekly deals. Typically I say NO, especially to the credit card offers at the stores. They say you'll save 10% on your purchase, but you'll pay 27% in interest. It's not a good deal. However, last week while school shopping, I signed up for an email club at the Children's Place. I figure, if I start getting too many emails, I can always opt out. Within a couple of days of signing up, I received my first email promotion offering 25% off any online purchase of $50 or more. We all know how easy it is to spend $50 for school shopping. What should have been almost $90 in clothes for my daughter, cost me about $65. Now and then, it's worth accepting department store offers.
JetBlue Airways is making a big splash with its "All You Can Jet" promotion that offers just that, for a month, for $599 - and if you fly domestically, taxes are included. So is this air travel buffet really worth it?
The airline is offering travelers a pass good for unlimited travel to any JetBlue destination - domestic or international - between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8. Passes are on sale until Aug. 21, or while supplies last. To purchase the pass, a flier must join the airline's TrueBlue loyalty program, book all travel at least three days in advance, and fly in coach. As long as the flight you're looking for isn't sold out, there are no blackout dates or restrictions on the time you'll have to fly, the airline says.
The promotion makes more sense for the airline than it might appear. "This is a slow period for airlines, because relatively few people take vacations between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
There is something to think about though... it's already pretty cheap to fly JetBlue, so depending on where you're flying from, you might need to take three trips within that month to really make the pass an attractive bargain.
A mortgage with an interest rate lower than 4% may have seemed like a pipe dream during the housing boom five years ago, but plenty of Americans are locking them down in August. Could they be kicking themselves in September? With mortgage rates hovering near 40-year lows and selling prices still depressed, many potential borrowers are wondering whether rates have further to fall. It's a difficult decision for potential borrowers. Do you lock in at 4.5% or take the chance of rates dropping futher?
Inflation could trigger a rise in rates, as lenders try to make up for the value of the real estate investment that they expect to lose.
If investors grow more convinced that another recession is likely and seek to curb more risk, mortgage rates could fall into another tailspin.
I recently switched home owners insurance. I've used the same company for the last several years and had no intention of changing. However, while on the phone with my car insurance agent, they asked me if I'd be interested in getting their rate for carrying my homeowners and auto insurance together. I had some time, so I said, "why not?". I am glad I did! After anwering a series a questions over the phone, the carrier offered me home owners insurance with a premium that was $600 less a year than what I had been paying. I double checked to make sure I was getting the same good coverage as before, and I was pleasantly surprised to see nothing had changed, but my monthly payment. Sure, it's only $50 a month, but every little bit helps.
This season, tech companies are bracing for a dip in demand among college students. Freshmen are expected to spend $280 on electronics, compared to $439 a year ago, according to the National Retail Federation.
With families strapped, students are likely to opt for cheaper alternatives, like taking a hand-me-down computer from their parents or using the computers on campus.
To entice students into buying a new computer or laptop, manufacturers and retailers are offering value deals, increasing quality or selection. For example, Apple's deals include a 5% to 10% discount off desktops and laptops. College students can purchase a MacBook, $50 off the original price, or an iMac for$100 off the original price. These deals are available throughout the year. To qualify, students must present a student ID or acceptance letter at an Apple store or, if ordering by phone, tell the customer-service agent the college they're attending.
As of Aug. 15, a new Federal Reserve rule will prevent banks from charging overdraft fees unless consumers specifically opt in to overdraft "protection."
In the past, a small number of struggling consumers have generated the bulk of these fees, with 16% of account holders paying 74% of fees, according to the Center for Responsible Lending.
As the Aug. 15 deadline approaches, banks appear to be targeting those frequently overdrawn consumers for expensive overdraft protection services, according to the Center's research. Consumers should be aware that there are cheaper options that still won't result in rejected debit card purchases, including linking a checking account to a savings account.
One great way to realize the value in frugality is to map out small savings over a year. Take a soda from a machine at work at $1.25. Five days a week, 50 weeks a year. That's $312.50. With taxes, you have to earn about $400.00 to buy those cans. Buy a case of generic soda at 15 cents a can and bring a can to work every day, five days a week, 50 weeks a year. Cost: $37.50. Savings on just that one item is $275, a savings of 88 percent. At a big corporation, they'd make you CEO for saving 88 percent. Now multiply that thrifty behavior throughout as many purchases as you can and you start to see the difference.
