Five Steps We Can All Take to Make a Difference Every Day
We’ve written a helpful article or two about ways to make big changes to your financial lifestyle, especially if you have a lower credit score. Ways to save on auto purchases and auto loans. Ways to restructure finances to get out of debt, or consolidate your debt. We’ve even talked about lowering your payments and improving cash flow with refinancing and debt consolidation loans.
These are larger adjustments, and they make big monthly improvements to your financial situation. Even if you have a lower credit score, a local lending institution, especially one like ours here at the Ashland Community Credit Union, can make it happen for you if you let us try.
However, it’s important to realize that the smallest changes can yield some of the biggest benefits. And these are changes you don’t even need financial assistance to implement.
For instance, saving money every day at the grocery store can really add up the savings, and help improve your cash flow and checking account bottom line. Plus, with prices going up every day, saving money at the checkout is more important than ever.
Here are five ways you can create your own discounts on groceries and lower your grocery bill.
Plan ahead:
Make a list and stick to it. First, see what ingredients you already have in the freezer, the refrigerator, and the cupboards. Make your menu based on what you have, then jot down what else you need. Now, stick to the list. If it’s not on the list…don’t buy it. It’ll be there next week!
Shop the Sales and Use Coupons:
The grocery store flyers come in the mail with your name on them. Use them! Plan your menu based on what’s on sale, then add those items to the list (see above). Advertised prices are usually super low to encourage people to come who don’t have lists. They buy more…you save money!
Be strategic:
Can you buy in bulk? Or can you buy larger quantities of items on sale that you’ll use someday? Paper towels, toilet paper, and canned goods last a long time, and you can often pay less if you buy more.
Choose Generic Brands:
If the goal is saving money, go generic every time you can. Sometimes you may prefer a brand name, and that’s a choice you need to make. But usually, the generic is at least almost as good, and often just as good as the brand name product. You may be surprised at how much you can save without sacrificing taste or quality.
Shop Less:
Try to limit your shopping trips to once a week. Planning ahead will help. The more often you visit the store, the more you’ll buy. We don’t always make a list for the quick drop in grocery visits.
These helpful hints may not be enough to balance your families budget, but they will help. For additional support, or help with larger monthly expenses like credit card debt and auto loan payments, talk to a local community credit union for the most helpful, personal, and friendly financial advice available. You’re family here, at the Ashland Community Credit Union,., We want to help in any way we can.
And if you need a loan, we want to give you a loan, unless you can ask us out of it.
