Guidelines and Tricks of the Trade

Below are some basic guidelines and tricks of the trade to help you make the most of your money.

• Less time in a store = less spending!

-make a list and do your best to stick to it.
-don’t buy anything that’s NOT on your list unless you see that it is highly
discounted AND/OR you have a coupon for it which will make it highly discounted.

• Don’t buy anything you wouldn’t normally buy, unless you have wanted to try it but

didn’t want to spend the money, or you can get it free or virtually free.

• Don’t shop when you’re hungry, especially if you are an impulse buyer. -Don’t buy candy, gum, soda, or any other impulse buys when standing in line at the register, unless you have a coupon for it, or you put it on your list already, or you need a filler to get your total up to a specific dollar amount.

• Knowing Prices helps figure in coupons

-some stores list their prices online (ex: www.Safeway.com, use zip code 97080 for online
purchase and delivery). Not very many stores do this yet.
-Create a Price Book. I'll explain this in a later post.
-Shop Sales listed in the Ads.

• Plan meals from the Pantry or Stockpile not from the store

-know what you have on hand, and what you need to complete meals.