I feel a shopping spree coming on!

It's a rainy dreary day and we have no food in the house for DH's lunch. I really want to go to Walmart and just charge a weeks worth of groceries, at least good stuff for his lunch.

Instead I have about $20 cash, and no extra in the checking account to buy any more than that. The next paycheck isn't until Thursday.

We have not charged anything, trying to pay them all off and doing a great job really. We used our entire tax refund plus some and are paying everything down and I really don't want to ruin it, but I feel bad that he goes with his lunchbox empty.

Please talk me into staying home and not shopping!

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Believe me I understand. We've been seriously trying to not use credit cards, but it's been one thing after another for us since 2007 began. In January, the dog got sick ($300+). In February we had to get work done to the car (Brakes = $500+). In March, the dog got sick again ($400+), more work on the car ($150). This month, the other dog needs her shots and teeth cleaning (about $300), the dog that's been sick so much needs surgery to have a lump removed ($200), and we still need spark plugs and wires for the car ($200). Then next month the "sick" dog needs shots and teeth cleaning. So, it's been a matter of putting groceries on the Target charge card or having no groceries, and we're just getting necessities. Our tax refund was really small this year, and most of it went to the vet. I can feel us sinking, and I just hope things get better soon.

I can't talk you out of running up your charge card, but I know if I had $20 in cash and my husband needed lunch stuff, I'd go to save-a-lot and pick up bread, lunchmeat, and fruit, and I'd probably bake some cookies or muffins or something instead of buying snack cakes.

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I'm in a constant search for the next great freebie or deal.

Well.... is there any way you could spend 10.00 on basics (bread, lunch meat, etc) and save the other 10? I would rather save the credit card for emergencies.

Do you have an aldi's? That is where I like to shop for groceries. I can spend 10 and get enough food for several meals.

If you have a Kroger (or a Kroger affiliate) go to the bake off contest website (from Pillsbury) just google it, they are all over other boards...
Anyway, for submitting a recipe, even a bs recipe, you get a coupon for $5 in free groceries and if you hit the back button 4 times really fast, you get another $5 in groceries!!
The target coupon generator (again, google it) has .50 off eggs this week, they have eggs on sale for .50 that's a no-brainer!
Go to coupons.com, boodle.com, boxtopsforeducation.com, and pillsbury.com and print off coupons to make your $20 stretch really really far. Go to the recycle bins and get coupon inserts from this past week's newspaper. Coupons are a great way to save lots of money!

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flipper113,

Try to hang in there so you can get them paid off!
Do you use coupons?
If so, see if there is a store that doubles them.
If you don't use them check out the TOT board here and try using them. I get a lot of free or almost free items with coupons.

Good Luck, Shirley

I hate that flipper!! spending money has always made me happy. Do you have any ecb? you could spend those? Target gift certificates? rebates laying around? With the price of gas going up to 3.00 a gallon. You will be spending a lotmore than 20 bucks for dh lunches,. and after you spend it you will kick yourself!

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Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

Oprah (is not my favorite person) but she did say something that really hit home.....Nothing tastes as good as being thin. That spoke to me because I was struggling to lose a few when I heard her say that. Well, my dear nothing feels as good as paying that last payment to your creditors!!!

I know it sucks, but you can do it...and you only have to wait three more days. With your $20 can you buy lunch stuff to last til thursday. Girl I could make forty dollars last a week, feeding 4 people! You can do it!

You can make that $20 last until Thursday. You can.

CVS = ECB -- if you have some of those, they carry most items that you'd need for lunches.

As someone suggested above, you can buy a package of lunch meat, bread, fruit/carrots/celery... bake something else for under $10 (at least where I live).

You've made it two months. Wow, I'm impressed! You can do it!!!!

2 months is impressive!! Don't cave!!

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Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

You guys are great! I am inspired again!

We don't have any of the stores you mentioned, wish we had a Kroger, what a great deal! We only have Shoprite, Rite Aid and Walmart within 30 minutes. And the $1 store, I wonder about hitting that up for snacks, I don't know how their food is?

We do have a Save A Lot and I haven't been there in ages, since I first quit working 6 years ago and things were really tight.

I do major couponing, that's how we make it through the winter, on our stockpile and freezers full. But it's the end of the winter and things are a little bare, I'm even out of the necessities like oil and eggs. I usually go to SHoprite, we have coupons for $7.50 off a $40 order, so a pretty good deal if I had $32.50!

I found a Betty Crocker Salad mix in the closet so I am making that and I have a can of tuna, so tuna it will be for the sandwich. I think I will try the Save a Lot again just for fruit and snack type things and of course milk, we drink about 4 gallons a week and maybe eggs.


DH can charge things at the snack truck at work and then pay them on pay day, but I don't want to run up a tab either, pretty much the same as charging, but I'd get more by charging than he will.


I do feel good not charging and it's really a challenge, but it feels good to say I haven't.


Marsha, I hope things are looking up for you soon, it's hard when any member of the family is sick, you have to do what you have to do, no matter what the cost somtimes.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

If you have a dollar store you can buy bread, jelly and peanut butter for $3 plus cereal so you can have a couple breakfast's and a couple lunch's covered for $4

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

It's a teeny thing, but now would be a good time to look for some free samples to send away for, just because it's a bit of a treat. Wal-Mart has some good ones at the moment, but even time spent searching would be a distraction.

I agree try to get just bread & lunch meat & a few other cheap snacks for lunches & then go online for reciepes to make at home for meals on the cheap tonight I am making french toast havent made homemade french toast in forever & last week we made homemade banna bread just a few things to make cheap. As long as you have internet you can get reciepes for anything

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mom of 3 greats girls

What great ideas from everyone...

Maybe try to replace that shopping thrill with the thrill that comes from getting good stuff cheap and creating special lunches from not much! Turn it into your own personal challenge! Imagine how great you'll feel to make it to the next payday without charging anything....what a reward.

And if it's not too crazy, walk to wherever it is you decide to go pick up your lunch ingredients. If you have to lug it, maybe that will prevent you for getting too much.

cj/

It is harder with out some big stores near you.

I would skip buying the snacks and make cupcakes or cookies for treats You get a lot of cupcakes from one cake mix.
I would spend the money on something for a meal instead of a treat.

Years ago I can remember making 2 different meals out of one pound of ground beef.
I would brown the meat and then make spaghetti sauce with half and use the other half for a cassarole or chili the next day.

You will not believe what i got for my $22 at Sale A Lot!


Here's my list, it was 3 bags and a gallon of milk, so not bad!

Armour Salami $1.99
Butterball bologna $1.29
Cinnamon ROlls $1.00
Oreos (cheapy ones) .99
English Muffins .79
Granola bars $1.89
SLiced ham .88
Honey BUns $1.00
Mayo $1.59
Milk $3.09
Wheat bread $1.08
Pickel Loaf .99
BBQ chips .83
4 Ramen nooble cups (for DS) $1.16
Vegetable Oil $1.79

total $22.34!


At least he can have something for breakfast and then a good sandwich along with the salad I made earlier and some fruit I had already.

The end of the month always gets tight for us. We always have enough, I am thankful for that, but it's a close call.

I might have to go there more often, that was pretty cheap!

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Awesome!!!

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

YOU CAN DO IT. I know it is so hard... in about 6 months your going to look at people who use credit cards like they are crazy!!

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cmemaloy@yahoo.com


I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

Life! is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.

I knew you'd be amazed if you went to save-a-lot with your cash. That's where we always like to shop. And the times we've had to charge groceries at target were depressing because I knew the money could have gone so much further at save-a-lot.

Good for you!!! I'm so glad you could avoid using your charge card.

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I'm in a constant search for the next great freebie or deal.

You did great! Sav-A-Lot has some wonderful deals. Next time you are there, check out the produce also. It is cheap and usually good -- at least at the store near me.

Congrats!

Barbara

They were almost totally out of produce when i was there, they must have been waiting for a delivery. I might go there more often, it didn't take that much effort to go there, it's only the next town. Usually SHoprite has better deals with coupons and then I just get all of my stuff in one place instead of driving 2 kids around.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Sav-A-Lot does take coupons.

But there are not a lot of items there that have coupons available for them.

OP, how's it going?

Love to hear updates/outcome!

cj/

Thanks for asking!

It's been almost a month since that post and I still have not charged anything! DH finally started getting overtime at work, so we are caught up now and things are back to normal.

I'm sure there are others who's husbands hours are cut in the winter and you know how tough it can be to get through a winter on half of the usual paycheck. DH is now making 4 TIMES what his checks were in January.

We save a few thousand to get us through, but I need to have more for next year, it was cutting it too close this year and I really don't like that. I am thankful that we made it and didn't charge anything, but I need to be even more prepared for next winter.

I try to pretend we have no money all year, so I don't just blow the extra, but it is nice to have some cash after being down to change.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Excellent - great news!

cj/

WTG!!! winter months are tough for us too! my shopping sprees are teh rebate items at walgreens..lol

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Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

You've all inspired me too. I wanted to help a church in our area that gives out free groceries. Last week they had over 200 people come, but my own budget is snug. But I shall take some rolled change and see what I can get at our Sav-a-lot to take them.

That's also another option when things are tight. Check in your area and see if some churches have a food pantry.