Now that holidays season is almost over, it's time to stop for a moment and do maths about our expenses. For many of us writing down a shopping list is the best way to avoid buying additional items while being at the supermarket, but even having this list done, if we do not perform an online price comparison or are aware of coupons and special deals, we could be right now realizing that we spent more than we thought regardless our "planned" shopping strategy. Did you really save money during this season? Would like to share with us your experiences or advice? I think this is the right time to start planning ahead of time our upcoming special celebrations throughout the year and any input and insight will always be much appreciated
I definitely saved money during the holiday season. Why? I planned in advance what I was going to buy and did not go over that number by a penny. Also, I took advantage of 2-for-1 deals and used coupons. So, I do not have a credit card bill to pay off because of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas or New Year's Day.
The grocery stores in my area are only just now starting to publish most of their prices online. In the past, it was almost impossible to find out who had the best prices on what - with the exception of perhaps looking through flyers, but even they don't have everything listed. One of the grocery store chains has started a new program though, where you can place your grocery order online and an employee will fetch all the items for you. Then you just pull up and they bring it all out to your car. There is like a $5 charge to do this, but if you think about it, you are likely saving much more than that $5 by not making impulse buys - so it works in your favor in the long run. Plus no standing in line!
