cheapest family in America

[franksolich]

On the Yahoo front page, there's a news story about the "cheapest family in America."

The problem is, it's some sort of video, and when I bring up the video, there's nothing to link to.

Since it's all video, I have no idea what makes this the "cheapest family in America;" from the scant text that's offered, apparently they save an awesome amount on their grocery bills.

Can someone check this out, and post the video thing, if it's new information, not the usual standard customary heard-it-all-before old tips?

[Chris]

Here's the print article: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=5627122

They have their own website... http://www.homeeconomiser.com/

[franksolich]

Here's the print article: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=5627122

They have their own website... http://www.homeeconomiser.com/

Thank you, sir; look as I could, I couldn't find a text version, only the video version.

[SaintLouieWoman]

They've made a cottage industry out of being cheap. This is a testimony to the ingenuity of America. Their suggestion to get a grinder to grind your own hamburger meat is a good one. I'm sure the meat would be better than what you get at the store. The downfall is how much are those grinders?  I guess the ideal would be to find one at a garage sale or perhaps a deal on the internet.

SR got one of those Grill Daddy's from an infomercials on the internet. It does a good job of cleaning the grill----the problem was it was $24.99, is very lightweight but they charged almost $15 to ship it.

I am wondering how many folks use coupons? I've been checking out the ads in the papers and clipping out coupons---the ones that if you spend $50, generally on Thursday---you get $10 off. That's a good deal, as I buy all the bargains and loss-leaders and use other coupons.

[Miss Mia]

They've made a cottage industry out of being cheap. This is a testimony to the ingenuity of America. Their suggestion to get a grinder to grind your own hamburger meat is a good one. I'm sure the meat would be better than what you get at the store. The downfall is how much are those grinders?  I guess the ideal would be to find one at a garage sale or perhaps a deal on the internet.

SR got one of those Grill Daddy's from an infomercials on the internet. It does a good job of cleaning the grill----the problem was it was $24.99, is very lightweight but they charged almost $15 to ship it.

I am wondering how many folks use coupons? I've been checking out the ads in the papers and clipping out coupons---the ones that if you spend $50, generally on Thursday---you get $10 off. That's a good deal, as I buy all the bargains and loss-leaders and use other coupons.

For a while I was clipping coupons, but it seems that the coupons that come out every Sunday are for things I don't use.  I should start getting the Sunday paper and start clipping coupons again though. 

[DixieBelle]

You have to clip coupons every single week and know when to use them. It's kind of a pain but well worth it if you do something like grocerygame. We used to clip every single coupon and then trade them amongst friends and family.

[Miss Mia]

You have to clip coupons every single week and know when to use them. It's kind of a pain but well worth it if you do something like grocerygame. We used to clip every single coupon and then trade them amongst friends and family.

Okay none of my friends clip coupons either, so that's not helpful.  LOL

It's hard when you're only shopping for 1 anyways.  I mean it's not like I need to buy in bulk. 

[debk]

You have to clip coupons every single week and know when to use them. It's kind of a pain but well worth it if you do something like grocerygame. We used to clip every single coupon and then trade them amongst friends and family.

Okay none of my friends clip coupons either, so that's not helpful.  LOL

It's hard when you're only shopping for 1 anyways.  I mean it's not like I need to buy in bulk. 

You can also get them on the internet.

I was reading an article that the way to make coupons even more successful is to use them when the product is on sale.....and most items have a rotation of every 4-6 weeks for going on sale.

On stock items, I tend to get them when they are on sale and buy quantities. We go through a lot of bottled juice, and I've learned to only buy it on sale, as it's ridiculous how much it is.

I was talking to someone yesterday, and a lot of store brands anymore are just as good as the name brand. It used to not be that way.

[Miss Mia]

You have to clip coupons every single week and know when to use them. It's kind of a pain but well worth it if you do something like grocerygame. We used to clip every single coupon and then trade them amongst friends and family.

Okay none of my friends clip coupons either, so that's not helpful.  LOL

It's hard when you're only shopping for 1 anyways.  I mean it's not like I need to buy in bulk. 

You can also get them on the internet.

I was reading an article that the way to make coupons even more successful is to use them when the product is on sale.....and most items have a rotation of every 4-6 weeks for going on sale.

On stock items, I tend to get them when they are on sale and buy quantities. We go through a lot of bottled juice, and I've learned to only buy it on sale, as it's ridiculous how much it is.

I was talking to someone yesterday, and a lot of store brands anymore are just as good as the name brand. It used to not be that way.

Oh I agree about store brands.  There are only a few things I stick to name brand (like Tide, I just can't buy the off brand) and usually on that, I'll buy it when it's on sale.  A few months ago, the smaller bottles of Tide were on sale almost half price and you ended up with more if you bought 2 of those at the same cost as a bigger bottle.

Hum, I'll start getting the Sunday paper again I think. 

[SaintLouieWoman]

You have to clip coupons every single week and know when to use them. It's kind of a pain but well worth it if you do something like grocerygame. We used to clip every single coupon and then trade them amongst friends and family.

Okay none of my friends clip coupons either, so that's not helpful.  LOL

It's hard when you're only shopping for 1 anyways.  I mean it's not like I need to buy in bulk. 

You can also get them on the internet.

I was reading an article that the way to make coupons even more successful is to use them when the product is on sale.....and most items have a rotation of every 4-6 weeks for going on sale.

On stock items, I tend to get them when they are on sale and buy quantities. We go through a lot of bottled juice, and I've learned to only buy it on sale, as it's ridiculous how much it is.

I was talking to someone yesterday, and a lot of store brands anymore are just as good as the name brand. It used to not be that way.

Oh I agree about store brands.  There are only a few things I stick to name brand (like Tide, I just can't buy the off brand) and usually on that, I'll buy it when it's on sale.  A few months ago, the smaller bottles of Tide were on sale almost half price and you ended up with more if you bought 2 of those at the same cost as a bigger bottle.

Hum, I'll start getting the Sunday paper again I think. 

The only reason I go along with getting the liberal STL Post-Dispatch is for the coupons. SR likes to read a paper in the am. I've boycotted the Post for years. I hate giving them a penny.

But I love getting those $10 and $12 off coupons. It's not that difficult to spend $50 in the store. I use the regular brand coupons only when they're on sale. The ideal is to go to the local store when they have the $10 or $12 off coupon for spending $50, and then using other coupons for sale items.

My company has been messing with the commissions of the sales reps. I made a whopping $18.88 commission last pay period (but I also get a salary). I'm not too proud to use those coupons.

[Miss Mia]

You have to clip coupons every single week and know when to use them. It's kind of a pain but well worth it if you do something like grocerygame. We used to clip every single coupon and then trade them amongst friends and family.

Okay none of my friends clip coupons either, so that's not helpful.  LOL

It's hard when you're only shopping for 1 anyways.  I mean it's not like I need to buy in bulk. 

You can also get them on the internet.

I was reading an article that the way to make coupons even more successful is to use them when the product is on sale.....and most items have a rotation of every 4-6 weeks for going on sale.

On stock items, I tend to get them when they are on sale and buy quantities. We go through a lot of bottled juice, and I've learned to only buy it on sale, as it's ridiculous how much it is.

I was talking to someone yesterday, and a lot of store brands anymore are just as good as the name brand. It used to not be that way.

Oh I agree about store brands.  There are only a few things I stick to name brand (like Tide, I just can't buy the off brand) and usually on that, I'll buy it when it's on sale.  A few months ago, the smaller bottles of Tide were on sale almost half price and you ended up with more if you bought 2 of those at the same cost as a bigger bottle.

Hum, I'll start getting the Sunday paper again I think. 

The only reason I go along with getting the liberal STL Post-Dispatch is for the coupons. SR likes to read a paper in the am. I've boycotted the Post for years. I hate giving them a penny.

But I love getting those $10 and $12 off coupons. It's not that difficult to spend $50 in the store. I use the regular brand coupons only when they're on sale. The ideal is to go to the local store when they have the $10 or $12 off coupon for spending $50, and then using other coupons for sale items.

My company has been messing with the commissions of the sales reps. I made a whopping $18.88 commission last pay period (but I also get a salary). I'm not too proud to use those coupons.

$10 or $12 off coupons???  That I've never seen.  I mostly see those buy 5 cans of veggies and save 15 cents. 

[debk]

Apparently I need to start looking at the ads and coupons too.

I didn't know about the $10 - $15 off either....I hardly ever spend less than $100 when I go....shoot, if you buy milk, cat food, and a bottle of Cheer...it's almost $50...

[DixieBelle]

our $10 off coupons are coming from the store and beng mailed to all residents in a certain area. They do it to entice you. I usually get one every three months and it has $40 worth of couons to be used over a four week period ($10 a week).

[Miss Mia]

our $10 off coupons are coming from the store and beng mailed to all residents in a certain area. They do it to entice you. I usually get one every three months and it has $40 worth of couons to be used over a four week period ($10 a week).

Holy crap, the grocery stores here need to start doing that!  I have been checking out the Fiesta grocery store lately (it's the Mexican store) and they have really good prices. 

[debk]

our $10 off coupons are coming from the store and beng mailed to all residents in a certain area. They do it to entice you. I usually get one every three months and it has $40 worth of couons to be used over a four week period ($10 a week).

Holy crap, the grocery stores here need to start doing that!  I have been checking out the Fiesta grocery store lately (it's the Mexican store) and they have really good prices. 

If I'm near one, some Dollar General's have groceries in them. I bought sirloin for beef stroganoff from one back in the spring, and the meat was really tender. (it tasted like beef anyway ) Some of them also have produce and it's been fresh and so is the bread and they carry the brand we eat (Nature's Own honey wheat). Big Lots also has groceries....found a great pasta sauce there a couple of weeks ago....probably won't find it next time I go.

[SaintLouieWoman]

our $10 off coupons are coming from the store and beng mailed to all residents in a certain area. They do it to entice you. I usually get one every three months and it has $40 worth of couons to be used over a four week period ($10 a week).

They send the things out intermittently. I actually get them in the newspaper inserts from the food stores. There's a new Whole Foods that went up near our local Schnuck's (local chain). Sooo, at only 1 Schnuck's store in town, there are the $12 off $50 coupons. Whole Foods has retaliated with $5 off $35 and last week $10 off $50. It doesn't take long to run up $50 at Whole Foods. 

Then the ShopNSave prints $10 off coupons on their insert in the newspaper. I don't especially like them, but the local Dierberg's honors the coupons. (Dierberg's is another nice local chain).

The competition is getting fierce here. Now Dierberg's announced that they're lowering the price of milk and eggs. Soooo, I'll get their milk and eggs on $10 off day.

Those big coupons really help. Tonight got $12 off at Schnuck's, plus an extra $3 in regular coupons and got two $5 gift cards at Target (spent $22 for Kashi cereal and frozen dinners). Not bad getting $25 off. I spent a total of $84 and really stocked up.

[DixieBelle]

I love Schnucks but they don't have them here - just back home. We have several good chains though. I like harris teeter but they are pricey. I slum at the sketchy store in the barrio sometimes but I make Mr. Belle come along.

[SaintLouieWoman]

I'm in mourning. Dierberg's had a sign today that they no longer will honor competitors $10 off coupons. At least I got in on the last day of the sale.

[Thor]

Kroger's has some sort of membership card. I found some chuck roasts & steaks for under $2/ lb with the card. I need to go get some more.