For the last few months I have been conducting an experiment in frugality. In an attempt to cut down my food budget I decided to buy only food at the grocery store and buy cleaning products and personal care products at Walmart. Dog food and treats come from the Wholesale club.
On the other had, although individual prices are better at Walmart and they do accept coupons, they do not double them like my grocery store does. I do like Walmart’s generic brand of many products, but they do not make generics of everything that we use. The other problem with this plan was that since I view Walmart as the “home of all things cheap” (not in quality but in price) I have a tendency to pick up this and that along with what I went in for because “it is only $2 or $3” or “isn’t it cute, I need another xyz.”
I actually ended up spending more money when I split my shopping between the two stores than when I contained it to just one.So this month I am back to buying personal care products at the grocery store unless Walmart makes a generic I like and in that case I go there for that item when I am a day away from being out of it. It seems to be working out better.
2 comments:
You are smart to do your own experiment, because really, that's the only way you can know for sure if something is true! There are several chain stores here on Long Island, and the one you'd think was the cheapest...isn't! That's too bad that Walmart doesn't double coupons, although I guess it makes sense since they aren't technically a grocery store.
Here's an idea: next time you go to Wally World and start the "it is only $2 or $3" thing, make a vow that you will walk down X number of aisles and think about it before swinging around back to get the item. I bet in that time, even if it is only a few aisles, you'll either remember you have something just like it at home, or it's just another thing to dust, or you'd rather spend that $3 on something better! If you want to lug yourself and your shopping cart all the way back to get it...then I guess you really, really wanted it, LOL!
I discovered I saved all kinds of money when I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart. I might spend a couple of dollars overall more at Food City but they have better quality fruit and meats.
When I need cleaning supplies I head to Dollar General. They have the stuff I need (at Wal-Mart prices) and there isn't any temptation to buy other things (my DG is scary lol).
Do you participate in Walgreen's rebates? You can get all kinds of bath supplies for free.
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