| There are lots of ways to save money, and
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| | ibuprofen, green beans, sweet corn,
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| any method you can add to your
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| | ketchup, mayonnaise, mixed fruit, sugar,
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| money-saving toolbox will help you better
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| | condensed milk, cornflakes, raisin bran,
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| achieve your financial goals. Whether
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| | facial tissue, whipped cream, ice cream,
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| it's putting more money towards
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| | chocolate milk, graham crackers, cream
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| retirement, a college fund, a down
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| | cheese, eggs and peanut butter.
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| payment on a home or automobile or that
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| | Including savings from using the store's
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| vacation you've been dreaming about,
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| | loyalty card (another must-have
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| reaching your financial goals requires
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| | money-saving tool), I calculated a
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| that you make wise financial choices. In
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| | savings of between 13 and 68 percent with
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| other words, reaching financial goals
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| | an average 42 percent savings. If I
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| requires you to be frugal.
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| | purchased all items from name brand
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| As humans, we need to eat and grocery
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| | manufacturers, I would have paid $74.41.
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| shopping typically occupies a big chunk
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| | Foregoing the lure of buying brand name
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| of our budget. This is even truer for
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| | items, the total came to $43.45 - a
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| larger families or families with special
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| | $30.96 savings for 20 items (an average
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| dietary needs. However, you can
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| | of over $1.50 per item) just for buying
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| significantly reduce your grocery bill by
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| | store brands and using my store loyalty
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| employing five basic rules to your
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| | card.
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| grocery shopping tasks:
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| | The difference in prices is what the PLMA
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| 1. Always shop with a list
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| | calls the "marketing tax" which you pay
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| 2. Plan your meals
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| | so name brand manufacturers can promote
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| 3. Buy store brands or generics when
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| | their products through advertising and
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| available
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| | other means. However, many store brand
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| 4. Use the store's loyalty card
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| | items are produced by the same
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| 5. Use coupons for additional savings
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| | manufacturers that make competing name
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| Always shop with a list
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| | brand items. You can save a lot of money
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| Shopping with a list is vital. While we
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| | by choosing to not pay this "marketing
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| allocate a certain amount for groceries
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| | tax" and keep that money where it belongs
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| each week in our monthly budgets (you do
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| | - in your pocket!
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| budget, don't you?), we should further
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| | Use coupons for additional savings
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| regulate food spending by always using a
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| | In addition to store brand and loyalty
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| list during our grocery store excursions.
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| | card savings, you should make the most of
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| A grocery shopping list is a natural
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| | your grocery shopping dollars by cutting,
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| extension of the monthly budget. This
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| | organizing and using coupons (check your
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| list is your grocery spending plan just
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| | Sunday newspaper). Coupons are a
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| as your budget is your overall household
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| | marketing gimmick, so don't buy items you
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| spending plan. It helps you see where you
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| | do not need just so you can save a little
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| can cut costs, helps you stay on track
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| | on the purchase. In reality, that's a
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| with your financial goals and helps to
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| | waste of money. Use coupons to save money
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| curb costly impulse buying.
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| | on items you need and use. Try a
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| Plan your meals
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| | different brand if a coupon from that
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| A good grocery list will follow a weekly
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| | competitor can save you money - even if
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| menu plan. Buy items that you can reuse
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| | it's only a few cents because every penny
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| in different dishes and work with your
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| | adds up at the checkout counter. Cut and
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| family so everyone agrees on the meals of
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| | organize coupons on the same day you plan
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| the week. Schedule dinner so that
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| | your next week's meal menu so you can
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| everyone eats together and make it a
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| | maximize your savings by planning dishes
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| habit to save leftovers that will make
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| | around coupons.
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| delicious weekend lunches. Developing
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| | Don't limit your coupon clipping to your
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| your grocery list around a meal plan will
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| | Sunday newspaper. Try coupon websites,
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| also help you avoid dining out, which can
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| | like One website, CouponBar.com, even
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| be unhealthy as well as expensive.
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| | offers a toolbar you can add to your web
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| Buy store brands or generics and use the
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| | browser. You can even find people selling
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| store's loyalty card
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| | sets of coupons on
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| Buying grocery store brand products will
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| | While it may seem like a lot of planning,
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| save you money -- lots of money. Industry
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| | the savings add up. Depending on your
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| sales research cited by the Private Label
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| | current grocery shopping habits, you may
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| Manufacturers Association (PLMA) shows
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| | be able to cut your weekly grocery bill
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| that American shoppers save about $15.8
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| | in half - or even more! The key to this
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| billion annually by choosing store brands
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| | strategy, as with any budgeting strategy,
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| over name brands. To test this theory,
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| | is to develop your plan and then stick to
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| your trusty writer ventured into a local
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| | it. Once these five frugal habits become
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| grocery store with pen and legal pad,
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| | a part of your routine, you'll thank
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| walked the various isles and documented
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| | yourself for all the initial efforts you
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| actual price differences for 20 common
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| | made to develop these valuable
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| grocery items: aspirin, acetametaphin,
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| | money-saving skills.
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