10 Ways To Avoid Overspending at the Grocery Store

Let's face it -- grocery stores want to make a profit just as much as any other business, and while their profit margins are notoriously low, they can and do have lots of subtle ways to get you to spend cash on their products. 

Here's 10 ways to stop yourself from spending more dollars than you should at the supermarket:

1.  Never go to the grocery store hungry.  If you're parking in their lot and your stomach's growling, then take the 5-10 minutes to chow down on a snack at their little cafe or deli (most of them have these now), or get a yogurt smoothie, cold organic juice, or protein drink and guzzle that down (show the empty container to the cashier at check-out, you're not going to get stopped in the store for drinking the stuff while shopping).  Don't roam those aisles on an empty stomach!

2.  Shop once a week for perishables, biweekly or monthly for staples.  Fresh fruit and veggies need to be replenished more often than toilet paper, but not every trip to the grocery has to be a Major Event.  Have a plan for your non-perishables (personal hygiene items, canned goods, etc.) and buy them once or twice a month.  Bigger packaging means less cost per ounce, etc. but make sure to check the unit price on the item, don't just assume bigger means cheaper.  CostCo and Sam's are great places to buy things like this -- toilet paper, pickles, beans, rice, things like that.  Have a weekly run for the stuff that goes bad -- bananas, milk, stuff like you want to eat fresh. 

3. Never enter a grocery store without a list.  Make a list of what you need -- go thru the house, keep a running list on the fridge.  When you're in the store, only buy what is on the list.  If you're new to this, trust me -- it gets easier over time. 

Sunday Inspiration for Simple Living 1 - The Parable of the Rich Fool (or Greed is Stupid)

I'm going to try and provide inspiration every Sunday here at Everyday Simplicity, some words of encouragement in turbulent times.  It's been my experience that no matter who you are, there are times when you need someone to tell you "everything is going to be alright," and Dear Reader, please know that I'd be happy to relate that to you personally if you email me at rkennedy at texas dot com.  Meanwhile, I'm going to be offering an encouraging word or two every Sunday here on my blog. 

Why?  Perhaps you're into downsizing, the slow movement, voluntary simplicity, going green, being frugal, or simple living.  Heck, maybe you're just trying to live through this New Great Depression (look, we know that they say "recession" to try and keep fear levels down).  No matter your reason for altering your lifestyle away from living large, it can be hard to do - frustrating; at times, downright discouraging. Change is never easy. 

I know.  I love living a simple life, but that transition was very hard at times.  And it took me a lot longer than I wanted it to take. Sometimes, it's not easy now.  I wonder about the stability of the FDIC, for example, and what I should do proactively about that insecurity....

Stop With the Soft Drinks - Bacteria Containing Fecal Matter May Be in the Soda Fountain

You may not want to buy that soda from your local fast-food joint.  Today, there's growing news coverage that commercial soda fountain machines may contain "coliform bacteria" which is banned by the FDA since this type of bacteria may well contain fecal matter.  That's right -- fecal matter. 

Right now, this horror is based upon a study done of  a mere 30 soda fountains in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia.  However, statistics being what they are, many are extrapolating that study and seeing it as having national implications. 

Ewww. 

What's causing this?  Apparently, there is a little plastic gizmo (i.e., nozzle) that connects with a plastic tube that carries the liquid from the storage container through the tube and nozzle, into the glass.  (Think about the self-serve fountains at the theatre or the convenience store.)  Just one "contamination" of that nozzle can allow the bacteria to spread and grow within the plastic tubing, and apparently, the tubing doesn't get cleaned all that often.