Poor Girl's Guide: Grocery Shopping and Household Chores

Do you find yourself spending a fortune on groceries? It's not your imagination. Groceries, especially fruits and vegetable prices have sky rocketed in the last few years. Higher sales tax is also to blame for your lack of cash. Cleaning supplies are always expensive and there is so much on the market, it could be confusing to know what to buy. There are ways to get around high prices and you can cut your shopping bill in half by following my simple tips.

Discount grocery stores are popping up everywhere. My town just got our first Aldi's and I love it. People assume that discount grocery stores are lower quality but that is simply not true. When you buy a brand name, like Skippy or Pepsi, you are spending extra money for the name. Just so you know, Aldi's does carry some brand names too. Aldi's also has organics and vegetarian foods. Other stores worth checking out are Save-a-Lot and Grocery Outlet.

Target carries groceries now. Their fruits and veggies are fresh and they also carry some organics. Check for Super Target locations in your area, since the Super Target has a much wider variety than the regular Target stores.

When food is out of season, they are bought in from other countries. Shipping food from other countries in South America is very expensive. Guess who ends up paying for all that extra shipping. The customer does of course. Not only that, you are paying more money for food that's not as fresh as they would be had they been in season.

Strawberries are in season late spring, apples are in season from June to November and lettuce is in season from April to October. You'll notice a drastic price drop in fruits and veggies when they come into season.

For a list, go to: http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?id=Seasonalfoodguides

Frozen fruits and vegetables last a long time and are an excellent choice for out of season foods. Frozen foods can last in your freezer for up to a year. Contrary to what most people believe, frozen fruits and vegetables do not lose their nutritional value. Stock up on frozen peas, carrots, corn, string beans, strawberries and blueberries.

Canned tomatoes and beans are also wise choices to make. Canned beans don't lose their nutritional value and can be cooked rather quickly. Canned tomatoes are great in stews, chilis and pasta sauces.

Of course when I said frozen foods, I did not mean frozen meals. Frozen meals are very expensive and with all the sodium and fat it's not even worth it. Make your meals from scratch. Your food will taste better and you will save money.

I can't stress enough about how truly awesome coupons are. Clip them out of newspapers and print them from your computer. Check the back of your receipt at stores like target. There is usually a coupon in back that people hardly ever notice or use. Buy food that's on sale. Check your local paper to find out which stores are having sales.

What do you like to eat? What do you find yourself eating most of the time? Don't buy sprouts because they are good for you if you hate them. Trust me, you won't eat them. Only by foods you love.

Before heading to the grocery store, check your food stock. What do you need and what are you running out of? What's in there that you didn't eat or needs to be thrown out? You can be sure to eliminate those items from your shopping list. Write a list and buy exactly what's on the list. Nothing more, nothing less.

This should be a no-brainer, but it does happen sometimes so make sure you have a snack before heading out to the store. If you're shopping while hungry, not only will you buy more, you will buy stuff you don't need, like a lot of candy.

• You don't need a dozen different cleaners. One all purpose cleaner, dishwashing soap and a bottle of vinegar is all you will ever need.
• White vinegar cleans floors, mirrors, counters and tabletops. Just mix some vinegar with hot water. You can even save on fabic softener by adding vinegar to the final rinse. It will soften your clothes and does not leave a vinegar scent. White vinegar removes wine stains. Just pour a little vinegar on the stain and let it sit a few minutes before blotting.
• Clean tabletops, counters, walls and stove top with hot water and dishwashing liquid. It's amazing what a little bit of soapy water can do.
• Use sponges and towels instead of paper towels
• Don't buy cleaning wipes, they cost a lot and you will waste a lot of money buying them every few weeks. Use a string mop, you know, the kind that mom used to have. They work the best and they last a long time.
• Use a wet rag to dust instead of paper towels and throw away wipes.
• Peppermint oil will eliminate bugs. It's cheaper and safer than using bug sprays. Just add a few drops in a bucket of soapy water before mopping.