Back in the day, when my (now) husband Matthew and I made the decision to get married, we signed up for a pre-marital course that covered topics that newlyweds would encounter. One of the topics was finances, and we were asked to estimate what our monthly food budget would be. Matthew and I had lived on our own for years, so we knew the drill. Another friend had only lived at home, and he estimated that a monthly food budget for him and his wife would be about $200. Ha. Ha! Haaaaaa.
Groceries are a necessity, because we all need to eat. Throw in a kid (or three) and the cost of groceries can easily skyrocket. There are a number of things that you can do to keep costs down. Some people clip coupons (not my thing), and some people watch the fliers (totally my thing). We have a Costco membership, because with a family of five, it just makes sense. We spend enough per year that our annual rebate covers our membership. Costco is an hour away, so when things we buy at Costco (large blocks of cheese) go on sale for the same price as Costco or lower, we stock up.
The main way we save money on groceries is by shopping at Superstore (Loblaw's, for you Eastern Canadians). The prices alone are so great, and we signed up for their MasterCard a few years ago to get points. We use credit cards for their perks (we pay them off monthly). A card that has no annual fee, and that lets you take money off of your already discounted grocery bill? SIGN ME UP.
A few months ago, they introduced the PC Plus card, which has nothing to do with the credit card. You receive an email weekly that has offers tailored to your regular shopping habits. By some combination of wizardry and magic, the points add up quickly. Last month, I took fifty dollars (FIFTY DOLLARS) off of my grocery bill, and the other day, I took seventy dollars (SEVENTY DOLLARS) off of my grocery bill. I mentioned it on FB and found myself among a multitude of people who sand the praises of the PC Points and a few who realized that they need to be on the PC Points train.
Which side are you on? PC Points enthusiast, or soon-to-be convert? Do you have any other tips for saving money on groceries?
*This is totally not sponsored. I'm just excited about saving SEVENTY DOLLARS (And more!) on my grocery bill.
Like this post? Check out How To Use Your Kids As Tax Deductions and Did You Know That Kids Can Bowl For Free This Summer?
I picked up my kids from school today and chatted with a few other parents, as I like to do. (Being self-employed means that I take any adult social interaction that I can get.) One of the Dads mentioned that there was a website we should all check out — kidsbowlforfree.com
I like the word "free" and when I got home I looked up the site.
A bowling alley twenty minutes from our house is one of the participating alleys and I signed my kids up. I also spent the $24 for me and my husband (and my brother)(Best Uncle Ever) to be covered from now until September.
We haven't bowled much as a family, mainly because it's cheaper to take the dogs for a walk or go for a hike. Now that we can bowl for free, it's time to show my kids the mad skills I learned when I was in a bowling league in middle school. (I was the epitome of cool, as is evidenced by that last sentence.)
Do you have any links to free activities that you want to share with the rest of us? We'd love it if you would.
Here's a great round-up of places kids can eat free in Canada! (You can thank me later...)
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