GROCERY BUDGETING IDEAS

Take a trip to the grocery store these days and you will experience sticker shock! This year alone, I have noticed most of my grocery items increasing by a dollar or more. Feeding just two in our household costs over $350 a month. That doesn't include our weekend splurges eating out.

Over the years I've learned some handy tips to save money on food expenses.

• Take a trip to your local farmers market. The produce is much cheaper since the middleman distributor is eliminated. Plus, the quality is much better than store bought produce. This is because no time is wasted in getting the product to you.

• Use coupons whenever possible. They can decrease your grocery bill substantially.

• Shop at discount stores like Big Lots or the Dented Can. The boxes and cans may be dented and that can save you a lot of moohla. Often times, the stores will get a shipment of good quality product that was taken off of the shelves due to advertising reasons. For example, the holiday boxes of cookies and cereal that are left after the season is over.

• Consider joining a local food cooperative. A food cooperative is a group of like-minded individuals who wish to purchase fresh produce, meat, etc., from local providers. Usually, a standard fee is charged which will get you loads more than if you were to try and buy the same items at the grocery store. Because the coop buys the food in bulk quantities, and takes whatever is in season, the resulting savings are well worth it.

Saving on Big Ticket Items

I find it a challenge to save money in many different ways. One way most people don't consider is by shopping for furniture or appliances at discounted prices.

J.C. Penney and Sears have outlet stores located across the country that offer deep discounts on furniture, appliances, and other home furnishings. I've purchased most of my furniture this way. Another, not to be missed, opportunity are store closings.

One of my best buys was a couch I bought when Marshall Field's closed its Milwaukee location several years ago. The closing sale was announced weeks in advance. My friends and I, struggling young professionals living on our own, saw our chance for some quality furnishings. We had no idea what we were getting in to. Ladies with cell phones and lists were poised at the gate. My friends and I looked at each other and figured we had youth on our side. The gates rose and we ran up the escalator steps, two at a time, to get to the furniture department on the second floor. We lost track of each other as we ran from item to item, pulling the tags off of our chosen ones. I was the new owner of a $1200 couch for which I paid $275, including shipping.

Since then, I've never paid more than $500 for a couch. I figure I won't own it forever, we have pets, and if I want to redecorate I won't feel like I wasted money. I've purchased couches, love seats, end tables, and dressers this way.

Before you purchase, make sure to check for flaws. Most of the time, there is nothing wrong with it. The store may have ordered too many pieces or it may be the last one. Whatever the reason, you can reap the rewards of decorating on a shoestring budget.

So, go out and try it. Visit a store closing sale, an outlet, or the clearance department of your favorite furniture store. You just might find the piece you have been looking for.