gazettefan:
Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier regardig your post.
I'm not sure why this is. I assumed it had something to do with strategic placement of the items. I do this every time I shop and for some odd reason, I save an incredible amount of money. Maybe try it sometime and let us know if it works for you too.

The dent n bent in Albany is called Detwilers. It is run by the Amish. There is also a store around the corner from them that is a bulk store for things such as chocolate chips, noodles, baking supplies, powdered soup etc... It is also run by the Amish.
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I am not sure the name of the road that the Dent n bent is on... I do know how to get there. From Janesville take hwy 11 towards footville, turn right onto cty hwy b at Footville, keep going straight until you reach the end where you can only turn left or right. Make a RIGHT turn at the stop sign and then a quick LEFT turn. Go about a 1/2 block or so down and it is on the Left hand side. They are closed on Sundays, holidays and some of their religious days.
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The bulk store is located right near by. Turn right off of B at the stop sign and it is the white house with the harness shop on the left hand side.

One more tip that saves money and is also healthier. Many people believe that 2% milk is still "low fat". It was 10 years ago that the FDA decided it only qualified as "reduced fat". In fact, some nutritionists believe there is no good reason for anyone to drink 2% milk unless they have a dietary need for more fat.
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This summer the American Academy of Pediatrics even eliminated its recommendation that babies under age 2 get whole milk. There is simply too much fat in the American diet, and almost everyone gets much more than they need.
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Now, here's the money part -- some (not all) milk producers charge less for 1% and skim (fat free) milk. So if you switch from 2% to 1% you will not only be healthier but you'll have more money to enjoy your health. (My family buys a mix of 1% and fat free, so we get an average of 1/4 the fat from milk that we used to.) This only applies if all your children are older than 24 months.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments on this blog. I plan on referring to this particular post so that readers can take a look at all the comments, not just the ones I chose to highlight in the newspaper in a couple weeks.

Which brings me to my next plea...

u2katie posted an excellent comment about how she's able to use coupons to her utmost advantage. I wanted to do a feature about her, but I haven't been able to get in touch with her (it appears she's a new user). So if anyone knows her or has a story similar to hers, please contact me. I'm in desperate search of a coupon king or queen who'd let me in on a few secrets of the scissors.

Thanks,
Kayla Bunge
Reporter
kbunge@gazettextra.com

Does anyone know the name of the dent & bent store in Albany? I can't find an address on the internet...

Thanks twerp13 for mentioning DJ's bent and dent grocery store in beloit! I shop there also and the savings are awesome! I can shop there and save to almost half price on everything I buy there. Sometimes they dont have everything there that I need but when they do I dont have to go across town east or west to either walmart or woodmans. They even have items of convience that are not a savings but I dont have to shop elsewhere most times. I love that they have Sorgs meats and cheese from decator dairy in brodhead. The people that work there are so nice, they really make you feel welcomed. I also shop at the Amish store in Albany, but thats a ways out of town for me, so I am really glad that DJ's bent and dent is in Beloit now, on park ave north end of beloit south of inman parkway. Its really worth checking out!

Why is this dedicated to under 35? EVERYONE can use help saving money!

I shop the sale fliers, and ONLY buy what is on sale at each store.. It does save $.

I have also found FREEBIES websites, like heyitsfree.net they have a forum with freebie links.. you wouldn't believe the stuff I get for free!

I also clip coupons and go to stores that have double coupon days..in fact Oprah had it on tv today

villa...., can't believe you remove the skin; it's the best part -extra crispy!!!

mmmm possum & tatters...sounds good. Have you got any other road kill grill recipies?

I agree on the freezer if you can find one that is not too expensive to run. Then you can buy sale items in bulk. Also we found buying a half of a pig was a good savings. Also I buy soda pop when it is on sale and stock up then. It seems to last a long time. I also have been to bent and dent and got bbq sauces and many salad dressings for a wee little bit compared to the other stores. also found a nice fishing hat for 1.00 that was originally 30.00.. But do not drive a long way to save or you might as well go to your local store. I happen to live near the Amish community..

Many of already mentioned some of these pointers, but I’ll post my suggestions. I substitute generic whenever possible, but I won’t sacrifice quality. For example, I find Arm and Hammer brand laundry detergent in either powder or liquid to be adequate and half the price of name brands. I also find that substituting cereal brands is generally safe and normally about half the price. If we’re buying soda we tend to buy it in bulk while it’s on sale. I make a trip to Aldi’s about once every few weeks. Aldi’s has great off brand products including their cereals, cheese, and soup (they have a chunky knock off that is equal to or better than Campbells). In addition, I find Aldi’s Momma Cozi frozen pepperoni pizza to be equal or better than Tombstone and at only two dollars a pie. We avoid Woodman’s for produce, but shop there for our general goods. I find on average that Woodman’s is cheaper than Pick N Save, Logli’s, or Sentry despite the lack of a food club. Occasionally Pick N Save will have a ten for ten dollar sale, which is worth a trip. However, I wouldn’t shop there on a regular basis. For produce, we shop anywhere but Woodman’s, because the quality is horrid. As a result, most of the produce at Woodman’s spoils before we have a chance to use it and that ends up being a waste of money. For meats, it’s always been Sentry for quality and if you wait until they have a sale then it’s fairly inexpensive. In addition, we always cut coupons if and I stress –if—we use the product. I’ve known people to buy products they either don’t need or normally don’t use with coupons. As a result, they end up wasting money. Lastly, if you have time to cook in bulk (stews and chili are great for this) and freeze it is also possible to save money. However, if you have a lousy freezer (as I do) then you’ll find food will become frost bitten if you don’t eat it within a reasonable time frame. If you really get broke, than nothing is better than either grill cheese or Ramon noodles for a tight budget.

Especially for families, here's good site with food plans and delicious recipes for eating cheaply. http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com

The author has a "$45 a week" meal plan for a family of four, but it was written before the recent price increases. Now the ingredients might cost $70, but still a bargain for a small family.

Learn to cook...I mean really cook...not just open up a package and minimally prepare something from that. The end result will be both money savings and feeling better all around. Feeling better in turn helps you make better decisions no matter what you are doing....grocery shopping included!

I go to Sam's whenever I need a palette of irregular socks, a couch that looks like it came from Mars, and a 55 gallon drum of peanut butter.

Go to Sam's on the weekend and eat at all of the free food sample stands throughout the store. We go for "lunch" there every Saturday!

hannah: Thanks, but I always check to see if there is any hole or too bad of a ding in the cans before I buy them at the dent n bent. Most of the time my canned food is not even dented... it is just there because the experation date is maybe just a few months away instead of a year, like the ones at the store.
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In fact I have had a lot more bad cans of food that I bought at the regular store than I have ever had at the dent n bents(only once so far) So I am not too worried about it.
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But by all means if any can is so terribly dented or seems to be leaking or has rust on it...DON"T buy or use it.
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Like I said earlier, you can get lots of brand name food, personal products, laundry soap etc... at really cheap prices by going to a dent n bent.

just today I was at the dent n bent and I bought Gherideli chocolate & Hersherys caco reserve in those fancy little bags, and specialty truffles all for $1.00 each...plus they were buy one get one free ! normally you would have to pay $3.79 or more for just one package. I only treat myself to these decadent chocolates when I find a deal like this...can't afford to otherwise LOL

i thnik they already know they buy the cheap stuff just facts. no early out here.

I hope Penny enjoys her early retirement. LOL ;-)

silly question- dont they teach this in home ec anymore????? That is where i learned most of the examples given here.

1234566789- I TOTALLY agree on the produce thing. I even asked penny a vetren cahier about the lettuce- leaffy stuff and asked WHY- her exact words " they buy the cheapest stuff" so to logli for fresh greens .

villajanesville- are you saying to deduct your food expences of taxes???? I dont think so!! ask you tax advisor first.

janesvilean, I know about placement strategies at the store. (Eye level is good.) I don't now how placement in the middle aisles generate sales of the products there.

twerp- carefull of the dented ones!!! if they re broken tiny cracks they can get bacteria in them NOT GOOD.

watch the coupon thougT! sometimes generic still cheaper than brand name with coupon.
double coupon at logli- again be sure savings is less.

coupons
generic on some things but dont skimp on lets say laudnry soap!!!
volume- if you have a place- example sams tp and papertowl by the HUGE BOX
eat less!! I try but sometimes dont
eat leftovers- dont waste anything

You will not need to write the article now Kayla, just direct people to your blog :) Everyone has saved you a lot of time and hopefully some cash down the road.

Where do you coupon shoppers get all these coupons? Most all coupons I see are for processed food which is way to high in sodium, fat and calories. Or you have to buy 3 or more of the product to save a quarter.

warm is suggesting that you fight back against psychological ploys that are used in supermarket layout. There are experts who make millions of dollars telling stores where to put items for maximum sales. You also have to realize that more items than you think are where they are because the producer has essentially BOUGHT the location. Some items have kickbacks to the store if certain sales thresholds are met. And so forth. They aren't exactly dishonest, but if you know what they are you will at least give a second thought.
http://www.pickbrains.com/articles/psych...

I understand that these meals are not all that healthy. But I can buy more now-during my current economic crisis-that will last longer. I could buy one healthy expensive meal or three meals that aren't so great. Or they could eat really healthy one day and not eat the next.
Those were examples of cheap meals-I really do try to stick something healthy in there. Yogurt (tubs not the cups), my son likes celery (stalks not precut), bags of mixed apples and oranges.
Or if I had known about it I could have worked on a farm this summer with my brother. He works on Saturdays and takes a certain amount of produce home. He says he eats veggies all the time and it cut way down on his grocery bill.

Although sometimes fairly inexpensive comparitively, canned meals are not the healthiest alternative. We make a box of mac-n-cheese once in a great while, however gave up on most things in a can/box like spaghetti/spaghettios, potatoes in a box,etc. The preservatives and all those other ingredients just aren't in your body's best interest. It really is true that you will need to spend more to eat healthier but I consider it a better long-term investment in my family. The kids still get the "fun stuff" once in a while but not daily. That alone saves us money.

Ever tried cream of chicken on toast? One large can, one loaf of bread and I can feed my four kids and me for under five dollars. One big can of chili-a meal under five dollars. Then there are always that mac and cheese and spaghettios my kids like. Spaghetti for a meal-pretty cheap. Soup and bread or saltines. Peanut butter sandwiches. A package of hot dogs and a can of beans. A dozen eggs and toast-three dollar meal for five. A bag of apples equals two snacks for each of my four kids at $.75 a snack.
I'm not the greatest at using coupons but I do look for deals and buy generic. I look at the price of a meal beforehand and keep it at a certain number. We don't have the fanciest meals but my kids aren't starving so far.

A couple things we do or advise:
1. Invest in a freezer (a small chest freezer can cost as little as $150 - the amount you would otherwise save in a month or so). Like others posted here, buy meat products on sale in quantities you will USE, not just store over time. Also, buy in bulk (usually cheaper) and re-package into smaller portions with freezer paper.
2. Make one large meal and freeze the left-overs (we, for example, make a HUGE pot of home-made spaghetti sauce or taco meat at once - generally when the ingredients are on sale - and freeze the remaining in Ziploc - cheaper to make AND an easy meal to prepare if short on time.
3. Garden (or learn how) - rent a garden space and get a green thumb! Fresh produce is expensive, at the price will rise as farmers expenses do. Gardening is easy, plus relaxing - it also gets the kids out from the front of the TV and outside.
4. Go to the store with a list - prepare meals for the week and buy ONLY for those meals - NO IMPULSE BUYING! STICK TO THE LIST - even if something 'tasty' is on sale!
5. Stay away from boxed items and expensive 'non-essentials' : soda, candy, pop-tarts, pre-boxed juices, etc... and don't spend money on bottled water, invest in a water bottle and fill with filtered water!
6. We buy generic when possible, but won't substitute quality to save a couple dollars. Generally, generic items are just as good as regular...cereal for example - Malt-O-Meal cereal is part of the General Mills Company, which makes name-brand - buy the cheap and empty into tupperware containers. Some generics are not as good - frozen generic vegetables have more stems ans leaves in the corn or broccoli than name-brand (another reason to garden!)
7. Cut coupons....find them on the internet!
8. Sometimes buying in bulk because it is cheaper is not always advantageous to the pocketbook - example, I recently bought a 2 gallon container of pickles off the shopping list because it was only a couple dollars more expensive than the small jar, but when I got home, I realized #1-we don't eat many pickles and #2 - I need to refrigerate them after opening, so we won't open this jar until winter so we can store them in the garage - not buying a 2nd refrigerator for a jar of pickles.
9. Use what you buy! - If you have left-over ingredients, try to incorporate them into another meal that week. Eat your left-overs!

These are a few of what we do, If I think of more, I'll re-post.

warm, why is that?

Avoid the inside aisles at the beginning of your shopping excursion; save them for last. This is a HUGE money saver.

lakennedy, now I'm confused, don't know what you mean.

But to be on point: I try store brands and off brands once-in-a-while. If it's good, I continue to buy it. Recently I switched from V8 to another brand and I'm saving at least 25%.

lakennedy, I don't think one of your words is going to make the cut.

Buy the raw ingredients (oats, flour, butter/oil, etc.) and bake from scratch. Cheaper and much healthier! You can make your own bread, granola, etc.

Buy in bulk whenever possible (look for a local food co-op). Buy your meat in bulk (by the half, quarter, etc.) from a local farmer and put it in the deep freeze. Better meat, lower chance of e-coli, cheaper, and better for the local economy.

Grow a garden, even if it's just containers on an apartment balcony.

If you read supermarket packages, you'll discover that you're paying a lot of money for unhealthy junk (hydrogenated shortening, cottonseed oil, preservatives). Your tastes can be retrained, and children can learn to desire quality food!

Oh I thought you were talking about his "white trash/fat f'er" comment. I was confused for a minute there.

Gazettefan,
Your comment was ment as a joke but it is a true problem, daily things are found on the shelves that have been opened and tapped into. You would be suprised!

Go to the Bakery Thrift Shop. Buy a bunch of bread, and freeze what you don't use right away. The prices are excellent. They also have doughnuts, etc.

Try ALDI'S !!! They are much cheaper than Woodmans on bread and buns. Their fresh produce
is very nice and often times the seasonal fruits are far cheaper than Woodmans. All of their foods are pretty much no-name, but we always buy 1 of something and try it. If we like it, we buy again. The chips at ALDI's are
half the price of the name brand ones and my kids love them !!

DON'T buy produce at Woodmans! They are cheap for a reason - the buy #2 quality produce! Ever look deep into their displays? - MOLD on the veggies (you would think the employees working in those sections would monitor this closely). One moldy tomato in the box has already spread to the 'good ones' by the time you buy it - it won't last more than a day at home. Peppers, tomatoes, pineapple, berries, potatoes - all poor quality at Woodman's!!! - Logli's has the best, and keeps for at least a week! You pay a little more, but at least you can eat it and enjoy it instead of throwing it away 6 hours after you buy it! Woodman's is a GREAT place to shop otherwise to save money, but their produce department doesn't save any of us money, or produce quality items!

Thanks, lakennedy, that's why I choose to be 6'-1" and a sinewy 175lbs.

I'm sure you can be anything you want, gazettefan.

In kind, I requested that my last post be deleted.

Yeah, you don't want to leave Woodmans with your Yugo filled with cases of Oreos.

lol. not really;)

thekid: Do you mean like after going camping?

dont go after hangin out with mother nature;)

redbedhead, I am ashamed, but not for grazing, which I DON'T do, but for making a bad joke while everyone's so serious here about lowering the cost of groceries.

You made me wonder about how much grazing is going on. Is it a big problem? I don't see unopened packages when I shop. I'm sure the canned goods are safe. Let me know.

Coupons are a good idea but for me too much of a hassle. Though I admit I've made a life-long vow to myself to never paying full price for a hot pizza. I had an old outdated "one large, one topping for $6.99" coupon for Papa John's laminated. (They never ask for the coupon when I get the pizza.) I've been using it for years whenever I phone in the order.

Gazettefan, How can you call grocery store grazing an inflation fighter??? I happen to work in a grocery store and it is people such as your self that cause stores to raise cost. You should be ashamed!!
Kayla, May I suggest to shop the store ad, base meals and your shopping list around whats on sale, use coupons when possible(alot of stores will double coupons up to .50 face value)and most important go on a full stomach it helps to elimate impluse buys. Good Luck

I'm by no means a vegan, but I do realize that meat is one of the most expensive items in any grocery budget, and besides that, one of the most expensive ways to get protein and other nutrients. It's also the least environmentally friendly. Meat requires 7x its weight in vegetable matter (and all that vegetation itself takes petroleum-based fertilizer to grow, increasing foreign imports), and cows consume thousands of gallons of water in their lifetime. So there are many reasons to reduce meat consumption. Johns Hopkins actually has a "Meatless Monday" program, resurrecting a name that came out of WWII rationing but this time to promote health.
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/
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So if you begin making meatless chili once a week, for example, not only will you (and the earth) be healthier, but you'll reduce those grocery bills right away.

try the dent n bent. they have slightly damaged cans and boxes of name brand items for A LOT cheaper. I was at DJ's in Beloit the other day and was able to buy cans of soup and beans for only .50. I was also able to buy deoderant which normally costs me 3.89 at walmart for only 1.75 same brand name, just less expensive. Granted they don't always have the same exact stuff everytime you go, but more often than not I save as much as $50.00 buy buying dent n bent items.
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There is also another dent n bent run by the amish over in Albany. I carpool there with my mom and sister once a month when my sister goes to get her hair cut at her friends house. It is a nice ride and we save a ton of money. They have lots of buy one get one free items and many other specials at even lower prices. For instance I was able to buy a HP ink cartrige still good and not expired for $5.00...It would of cost me 49.00 at Staples. You sure can't beat those kind of savings.

look at stores ads, shop once a week not daily, read product labels, buy in bulk if u can.

Leave your kids at home whenever possible.

Ramen noodles

if using coupons the key is to have them organized, I use a 3 ring binder with the plastic sleeves, and the tab dividers. Use your coupons when things are on sale. And watch for stores that have double coupon days. Great way to save!

Besides saying we should eat less my advice is buy quality meats on sale and take a day and make meals and freeze them. It saves us money AND time.
2)Buy eggs from local farmers. Cost less and eggs are a great protein. Wellnitz on MM.
3)Freeze vegetables NOW. Easy, fun, nutrious and convient.
4)Water, water, water not cola.

Eat, on the sly, WHILE you're shopping. It's call grazing. Highly illegal but a real inflation fighter.

try using Share - you can get great quality at great prices!

By the way, do you realize that you are asking the very people you plan to tell about these money saving methods? Why don't you do it the "good ole way" and survey people instead of doing it the "craigslist" way?

I guess I could be considered a "coupon queen". I'm able to save $200-$300 a month on groceries and household items by shopping sales and using coupons/rebates. The key is to plan your trip before you leave your house. I spend probably 5 hours a week clipping and filing coupons, researching sales, and making my lists, but I figure if I save $75 a week, I just "paid" myself $15 an hour.

A few quick tips: clip and file every coupon you can get your hands on. Even though it might not be for a product you regularly use, you never know when a store will have it on sale that can be free when purchased with a coupon. Worst case scenario is that you recycle the coupon when it expires.

Use online discussion boards/forums to research sales and coupons.

Of course, there are always going to be things that you'll never be able to get cheap or use a coupon for, like fresh fruits and veggies. The key here is to buy in season and only what you will use before it goes bad. Meat is expensive, but if you watch sales and stock up when the price is low, you'll save a lot. Pick N Save had boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale last week for .99 a pound. I bought 15 pounds and put them in the freezer. That should last me until they go on sale again.

Here's one. Quit eating.

Coupons are nice if their what you need. Remember, sometimes the store brand is cheaper then the item your using the coupon for and just as good.
Prepare and stick to your shopping list.
EAT before shopping if you can. It will stop you from impulse shopping. Also, look at what your buying. What % of your purchases are for food and what % are not.(items for personal care can be counted in the food column because they are item's you NEED.)