4 Money Saving Tips

There are so many ways to save money. One of my most effective money saving tips is to shop for groceries at a warehouse food store, rather than a traditional supermarket. This affeects everyone, because we all buy food, whereas some tips, such as saving money on mortgages or credit cards only pertain to certain people. For some more money saving tips, see my blog post from last week with 4 more money saving tips (http://opportunitiesaplenty.com/Debt_Blog/2007/04/a_money_saving_tip_or_four.html)
I hope they help you save money.

Unless you mean warehouse clubs like Sam's, I haven't seen a warehouse food store in over 20 years! As to Sam's and their ilk, I cannot agree that it's automatically a wise use of one's money.

1 -- the prices aren't that great. Most items available at Sam's simply aren't spectacular bargains. The last trip, I think we saved only about $2 over shopping at a regular grocery store. Hardly worth it, when the warehouse club is 45 miles away!

2 -- the quantities are ridiculous in some cases. Yes, I can certainly USE a case of chicken broth cans, but it would take me over a year to go through them. And in the meantime, where do I store all those cans of chicken broth? The problem gets worse when you buy items where you can see a decent per-unit savings, like paper towels and toilet paper. Besides the fact that you need a separate cart to carry the TP and PT, you practically need an SUV just to get them home!

3 -- foodstuffs can go bad long before you use them. Ask me about the "great bargain" I made on a pack of four-boxes-in-one crackers, three of which were thrown away as stale when we couldn't get to them in time.

4 -- as to Sam's Club specifically...it's Walmart, the same small-business-crushing, indecent-wage-paying, sexist, racist, shipping-your-job-to-China business. In short, many have moral qualms about shopping there.

There are many warehouse type grocery stores in major metro areas. I wasn't referring to stores like Costso and Sams Club. I agree, the large quantity stores like Costco may offer savings, but you may make better use of your cash by not purchasing such large quantities. The Pacific NW has a chain callled Winco Foods. They are huge, and offer a large selection, including both major brand names and store brands. As an example, they typically have gallons of 2% milk for around $1.98. A pound of grated parmesan cheese is about the same price, unless you are set on Kraft, in which case it's about $1.00 more. Freschetta frozen pizzas are about $4.88. I typically save about 35% on groceries over the same purchases in stores such as Albertsons and Safeway.

I like Costco very much, but between gas to get there and unless you have ten children, I agree with Puck. The savings for a family of 4 is negligable on warehouse type stores. All though, no one can beat Costco for medications.

When I heard two years ago and read in the newspaper the article that described how Wal Mart info was leaked from their human resource big-wig and they were planning to axe insuarance for many of its workers and get rid of them, I cut up my Sam's card and mailed it to Wal Mart headquarters with the newspaper article included and told them to go !@#$%

Like so many people, Wal Mart is my store of last resort. Sure that microwave by SNORK is $17.98 at Wal Mart (you know the one that the push button door opener will break on in six months and be use-less). However the next model up and better in quality was cheaper at Target or anywhere else.

I work in the retail trade. I read in the business section of the newspaper how Wal Mart has lost money on it's grocery side of the business for 6 years in a row despite hiring former grocery gurus from rivals to turn it around. Grocery store shopping is very different then selling hard goods. People shop groceries more often then hard goods and want quality and service; something Wal Mart has neither of. Grocery stores have healthy and better deals, you just have to look for them.

In the Texas area, HEB grocery just can't be beat and kick the stuffing out of Wal Marts.

PS. Talk about unfit and unhealth workers; go to Wal Mart and look at the freezer that runs the width of the store by the coolers. Sample the sodium content of any of their prepackaged (yet highly profitable) frozen goods. Their is enough salt to embalm a cat.

PLEASE check out PBS Frontline's "Is Wal Mart Good for America?" for an unbiased look at the problem.

One question: How will the government obtain tax revenue when we all work at Wal Mart-like jobs in the future?

Sam's Club is good if you know your prices (sale and retail). I save $20 or more when I go (diapers, beer, garbage bags, flowers, canned goods and fruit are some regulars which I save offhand). On the other hand, when my weekly grocery fliers come in, I know which of those are deals and steals as well, and will do my bulking up as necessary (and as much as feasablly able, due to storage, perishability, etc.).

On another hand, I read tht Costco has something like 4 times more sales per square foot than Sam's, so they must be doing something right. I just have not been to a Costco for years, due to location.

Wal-mart has something that NONE of it's competitors (including Target) have, everything a household needs on a weekly basis. Milk? Yep. Pharmacy? Yep. Pool supplies? Of course. Your glasses broke? They have eyecare (and even an optomologist!). A bank! McDonald's! Get a haircut while waiting for your oil change and tire rotation! Get your taxes done at the in-house Jackson-Hewitt! The only thing they don't have is a nail salon and dentist. Yet.

As a CONSUMER, Walmart is a near-perfect product. As an activist, well I am not one, so Walmart has done nothing to offend myself or family. Quite the opposite. Better to complain abou the oil and gas companies raising rates hand over fist and increasing prices in double-digit levels over a few months and all the while having record earnings! That affects us all more than the "Evil Empire" known as Wal-Mart.

Disclaimer - I do not work for Wal-mart, nor do I have any direct stake with them (stock, pension, etc.).

I have saved a tremendous amount of grocery and household goods money by switching from other stores to Wal-Mart. My personal opinion of them as a company does not deter me enough to stay away when it comes to my hard earned cash and providing for my family. It tickles me the way a lot of local stores will have an item on "sale," when their sale matches the regular price at Wal-Mart any day.

Interestingly enough, my family and I SAVE money now that we have stopped shopping at Wal Mart. And we're healthier. Why?

First, the money. We buy less. Since things cost more elsewhere, we carefully weigh our decisions and buy only what we need and occasionally what we want. And because we get higher quality products, we may spend more up front, but what we do buy lasts twice as long, so we spend less in the long run. Plus, at Wal Mart, the impulse to buy the great bargains is strong (for the average person, 30% of purchases are on impulse). We have found that we don't stack up on $6 DVDs that we never watch or buy some other low priced impulse item. We actually save between $85 and $100 per month now that we avoid Wal Mart.

Now for the health. We eat healthier foods. We have found that quality produce from a small, local grocery store tastes twice as good as the stuff at our "local" Wal Mart. So we enjoy eating them more, and, hence, eat more of them. And, it is harder to justify spending $3.50 for the bag of chips that we got at Wal Mart for $1.99. So we skip the chips. The same is true of the processed, frozen foods. Since processed, prepared foods cost more at the grocery store than at Wal Mart, we make a menu and prepare healthier foods with lower sodium, and fewer refined carbs and fats. I exercise 4 or 5 times a week anyway, but since stopping Wal Mart six months ago, I have lost 15 pounds, just because I take in fewer pointless calories. And my cholesterol is down.

So, why would I shop at Wal Mart again when the benefits to my family have increased since we stopped?

And another thing...WalMart USED TO have cheaper prices. Not so anymore! So, the real questions is WHY WOULD ANYONE SHOP AT WALMART????

Wal-mart grocery (I do not know about the other departments) used to match competitors' prices (maybe htey still do). Their prices were within pennies per item (if not the same/cheaper) than grocery chain sale prices (the price with the "member" card, not the over-inflated retail prices).

Walmart's clearance prices on retail items are less per item (usually less than 20% off) than other retail chains, but their "white ticket" (full retail price) is much lower to start. You can walk into JC Penney, Kohl's, etc. and they have 50, 60, or even 70% off all of the time, but their original price is insane to begin with.

Wal-mart here matches prices, but the only thing worth pursuing a matching price guarantee on is meat and produce, and Wal-mart's are substandard, on both counts.

And Wal-mart, like other stores, engages in practices that deceive the customer, but not in illegal ways. For example, they will advertise an amazing price on a staple that customers generally know the price of, like milk. But things that go with milk, like cereal or cookies, will be higher than at a grocery store! Also, because of its power, Wal-mart gets many food items in specially sized packages designed to deceive. For example, a box of some item might be generally sold in a 10.9 oz box, and is priced at, say, $2.99. But Wal-mart will have the company make the item in a 10.4 oz box, and charge $2.89. You only THINK you're getting a savings on that "ten ounce box of whatever", but your per unit cost is higher! (28 cents per ounce for the smaller box, as opposed to 27 cents per ounce for the larger box).

And for packaged items (not meat and produce) that's where they get you on the price match guarantee! The ad for another store will have a sale on that 10.9 ounce item, but when you take the circular to WM, you won't be able to find a 10.9 ounce box, and so they won't match the price. And since many items (including food items) are produced especially FOR Wal-Mart, you'll hardly ever get an ad from another store that you can actually match to a product in WM.

And there's no comparison between Wal-mart and a retailer like JC Penney. The quality at JCP is significantly higher than WM. I've had socks from WM split at the seam within an hour of purchase!! I've owned JCP socks for years before they wear out. You can't even purchase sheets at higher than 220 thread count at my WM, while I just bought a lovely set of 400 t.c. sheets at JCP for only a few dollars higher than a lousy set at WM.

In addition to the political and social issues I mentioned earlier, I also don't shop at WM because the quality is atrocious. I'd rather spend more and own clothes I'll replace every five or ten years, rather than junk I'll have to replace within six months. And it's more economical, too! I used to buy my undergarments at a high quality specialty store, and one particular item cost $30 per unit, and lasted me a year before I had to replace it. So one day, being a thrifty shopper (!!!!), I went to WM and bought one for $12. It failed within two months. I bought a second (now I'm up to $24) and it failed in three moths. So, I bought the third (now I'm up to $36!!!), and it failed in three months. So I went back to the specialty store. I had to spent $66 in one year to get what I needed, when I could have just spent $30, had I not tried to "save money" by buying cheaply made junk!

Very interesting points Miranda!

Interestingly enough, my family and I SAVE money now that we have stopped shopping at Wal Mart. And we're healthier. Why?

First, the money. We buy less. Since things cost more elsewhere, we carefully weigh our decisions and buy only what we need and occasionally what we want. And because we get higher quality products, we may spend more up front, but what we do buy lasts twice as long, so we spend less in the long run. Plus, at Wal Mart, the impulse to buy the great bargains is strong (for the average person, 30% of purchases are on impulse). We have found that we don't stack up on $6 DVDs that we never watch or buy some other low priced impulse item. We actually save between $85 and $100 per month now that we avoid Wal Mart.

Now for the health. We eat healthier foods. We have found that quality produce from a small, local grocery store tastes twice as good as the stuff at our "local" Wal Mart. So we enjoy eating them more, and, hence, eat more of them. And, it is harder to justify spending $3.50 for the bag of chips that we got at Wal Mart for $1.99. So we skip the chips. The same is true of the processed, frozen foods. Since processed, prepared foods cost more at the grocery store than at Wal Mart, we make a menu and prepare healthier foods with lower sodium, and fewer refined carbs and fats. I exercise 4 or 5 times a week anyway, but since stopping Wal Mart six months ago, I have lost 15 pounds, just because I take in fewer pointless calories. And my cholesterol is down.

So, why would I shop at Wal Mart again when the benefits to my family have increased since we stopped?

Sorry for replying to this 18 months late, but better late than never I suppose. I wasn't referring to a warehouse store such as Sam's Club or Costco, but an actual warehouse grocery store. It's much like a normal supermarket, but much larger and devoid of any fancy decorations or fixtures. Another advantage over the Costco/Sam's Club type store is that you can avoid buying huge quantities of things. They have a selection very similar to any other supermarket, but the one's in our area actually have an even larger selection than Albertson's, Safeway, etc. We have a few in our area and prices typically average about 30% - 40% lower that the other stores on the same basket of groceries. Produce is pretty high quality as well.

I realised that many of these warehouse sales are mixing the cheap stuff with the mark-up stuff so take note

Nice tips..........

Thanks Steve

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