BRAND NAMES or OFF-BRAND

I have watched other people who are on budgets lose themselves in the brand name craze. I wonder what they are thinking when they overpay, just for a name. I asked one person that once and she told me that it is her husband won't eat off-brand names. She said that since he goes with her grocery shopping she doesn't get a chance to choose other brands. In this instance, I suppose that she has no choice. I suggested that he better get a better paying job. hahaha!

For myself and my roommate, I know that we are not picky eaters. We enjoy the off-brand or store brand items just as much as the brand names. We pay much less for our groceries each month. WOW!! Cheaper Groceries!

Cheaper groceries is why I will shop at the Dollar Tree, Dollar King and 99cent Only Stores. When you can buy off-brand cream soups at a 2 for $1, a large bottle of soy sauce for $.99, and my all time favorite 2 lbs of frozen cauliflower for .99, then life is good.

I have priced these items in the chain grocery stores and even in the discount stores and the prices are as much as doubled, sometimes even triple the amount that I pay.

So, as this blog suggests:
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Public Service Announcement: Check Your Pantries!

I was searching blogs yesterday morning and found an announcement about: "The makers of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter have announced a recall of their product do to salmonella." Please visit Mom's Fridge to read the all additional information.

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Discount vs. Overrun

Boy, do I hate to go shopping for groceries, especially on Saturday and Sunday afternoons due to the crowds (maybe you do to?). But lucky for me I live in Las Vegas where most of the big chain grocery stores are open late (1 a.m.) or they open early (6 a.m.). Although I use most of the chain stores for emergencies. The other stores that I shop at are usually open 8am until 9pm.

I don't think that I've told you that I do my grocery shopping by bus, so I do have to plan several days in advance to do all my shopping. The reason? Well, I always need something somewhere. When you live on a budget like my roommate and I do, you're always looking for bargains.

I just found out that there is a difference between Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot or Food4Less and my 99cent Only Stores, Dollar Tree, etc.. Do you know what that is? Ok, don't feel left out. The difference between these is that Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot, Food4Less, etc. are discount stores and the 99cent Only and Dollar stores are known as over-run stores. We all know what a discount store is, but an over-run store needs some explaining (I think).

If you grocery shop at your 99cent Only stores (or Dollar Tree, Dollar King, or similar stores) they are the over-run stores. You probably noticed that sometimes they don't always have your favorite snacks, veggies, etc. every time you go there. They receive the "over-runs" from the manufacturers. Sometimes the manufacturers don't have an over-run of that product that week.

These over-run stores are used by suppliers to relieve their inventories of excess merchandise. The benefit to you is that you can get groceries and other items at a much lower price, sometimes as much as 80% less.

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Do You Shop Smart?

I used to think I did until a couple of months ago. I checked my ads in the mailbox and found a new grocery store opening in my neighborhood (called Save-A-Lot).

I looked at the ads side-by-side and found that the new grocery store was advertising the same items as the other store, but they were A LOT less expensive (although different brand names). I bought a few of my favorite items and left the store with a lot of change. I cooked up some of the items for dinner and even my roommate couldn't tell the difference between the brand named items and the off brand items.

WOW!! Cheaper groceries!

I'll be filling you in later.

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