Costco

Costco is one of those places I try to avoid.  The problem with Costco is when I start walking the aisles self discipline goes out the window.  Suddenly, I have a "need" to buy 30 pairs of socks and 25 pounds of beef.  In all seriousness, I do shop at Costco for certain things like printer ink and computer paper.  Milk, cheese and bananas are also things I buy on a regular basis.  I also like to buy gifts there, especially toys.  During my last shopping trip there I thought I would browse around a bit and do some price comparisons.  I was honestly surprised at how expensive food was.  In my mind, I thought I would pick up some quick inexpensive dinners that we could microwave since the kitchen was being remodeled and I didn't have a stove.  I could not bring myself to buy the prepared food knowing that it probably would not be enough to feed my family anyway.  Also, I priced trip tip (that is a favorite at our house).  I only buy trip tip or any meat for that matter when I can buy it on sale for $1.99 per pound.  The tri tip at Costco was $4.99 per pound.  Now in defense to Costco, the quality of the meat may be much better.  In all honesty, I would not be able to tell if a tri tip roast was better than another.  

The lesson here is KNOW YOUR PRICES.  If you are really trying to save money, it is wise to not assume Costco will have the best prices on all goods purchased there.

Happy Saving!  

Eating Out On A Budget

I have a confession to make.   I love to eat out.  I do  enjoy the food. More importantly, I enjoy someone else doing the dishes and cleaning up after my messy 11 month old.  Let's face it though, eating out is expensive.  I have figured out some tricks and inexpensive places to eat to keep the cost down for our family of six (Family of six... when did that happen).  When we eat out, my goal is to keep the bill under $25.

In N Out

   This is a family favorite.  This is probably one of the least expensive fast food places to eat.  We share fries.  We also don't order drinks (at least some of us).  My seven year prefers water anyway.  This is far cheaper than McDonald's. 

Jersey Mikes

    Jersey Mikes has a family picnic pack for around $20 that includes two giant sub sandwiches, four bags of chips and four drinks or a two liter bottle of soda.  Again, we combine chips and drinks.   

Stonefire Grill

     This is for take out only.   What comes with this is, a pound of tri tip, bread sticks, a small two topping pizza, and a small salad.  Including tax, I believe this comes to $24.  That is a lot of food for our family and we have left overs

Souplantation

      There are coupons in the paper frequently that are $19.99 for a family of four not including drinks. We were able to use the family of four coupon because children under three are free.  Since my daughter just turned three, we will have to start buying one more meal.   One of the great things about Souplantion is they allow you to bring the kids cups back and get free refills (for kids drinks only).  That is a huge savings.  I really like Souplantation because no one ever leaves hungry,my kids love vegetables, and dessert  comes with the price of the meal.  You can also join their club and get coupons via email.

Panda Express

     I just realized how inexpensive eating at Panda can be.  Forget the kids' meals and order two and three entree item combos.  Again order water.  Ordering 3 combo meals will run around $25.  I also like this because it keeps portion size down for me.  I am less likely to overeat when sharing a meal.

I would love to hear about any other inexpensive dining out ideas you may have.

Happy Saving!

Coastal Contacts

Hubby aka Cory wearing his new glasses.

Cory received his glasses in the mail today from Coastal Contacts. Cory really likes them and says they are comfortable. Cory's glasses were ordered online from them several weeks ago.  I was a little nervous ordering glasses online but it was a great purchase.  There was a place on the site where you could upload a picture and "try on" different glasses.  The whole process was very easy to do.  All that was needed was an active prescription.  I had a question about the prescription and called customer service.  Customer service was very helpful and I also did not have to wait on hold for a long time.

The best part was the PRICE.  After free shipping, the total was $24.95.  Yes you read that right, $24.95.  Twenty-four ninety five was a risk that seemed worth it.  To further sweeten the deal, I registered with shop at home and will receive 8% cash back on the purchase.  I typed in coastal contacts in the search and went to the site from there.  

I will order glasses there from now on.  

Happy Saving!