Lately I’ve been thinking (Imagine that – me thinking! But anyway….)
I’ve discovered that one of the most important traits for becoming frugal and saving money is not always math. Sometimes it’s powers of observation. Several times in the past weeks I’ve been on a mission to take advantage of a sale, coupon, or some such saving device, and been totally derailed by a better deal! The manager’s special. It can work really well for your grocery budget, and if you’re paying off debt, any way to save is a good thing.
You can use the savings for debt management.
For example, I’ve been packing my freezer full of meats for the summer cookout season. I already posted on the hot dog debacle.
Now I am on to the chicken fiasco.
My last post about fabricating a chicken clued me into the idea of not being too narrow minded when going to the store. It is good to have a list, but remain flexible for bargains that may pop out. Okay, so – I was lured into the store by a circular that posted 99 cents per pound for chicken legs and thighs. I had moved some things around in the freezer, to make room for 5 lbs of chicken legs and thighs. I got to the store and found what I was looking for and turned to leave.
Suddenly a red tag caught my eye. “Manager’s Special” it said. Chicken leg and thigh portions – 52 cents a pound. I couldn’t take the other packs of chicken out of my basket fast enough! I grabbed 4 instead of 2 packages and once again turned to leave. Then I thought again…. Okay, I figured the markdown was because it was headed for the expiration date. Yes, it was on the 1st, and the expiration date was the 4th. Okay, we’re still good to go. AND – putting the chicken in the freezer sort of suspends time on the expiration for a few months.
Well, I guess this is a no brainer for most of you, but here is the real “meat” of the concept.
I saw the dude loading up the meat case so I asked him. “What time do you usually bring out the Manager’s Specials”
He said “Around 1 – 1:30 every day. We like to have them ready for when people stop by after work.”
Aha! So now, if I have the time, when I need to shop for meat, all I have to do is schedule my lunch break for right around 1:00pm and get there when he hauls out that load of “Manager’s Specials”.
Then I got to thinking again…they must have loaded up on grillable meats for the Memorial Day Weekend. So, I figured, when shopping directly after a holiday with specific foods associated with them, check and see if there are any sales on overstock, especially with perishables.
You can save a lot of money by straying off the shopping list you carefully made by looking beyond your target. A manager’s special can help you save money. And timing is everything!
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
