- Use my credit card when it gives me a discount. I have an OMC card, so if I shop at Daiei on particular days each month, 5% of whatever it comes to is deducted from the total just by paying by credit. Same goes for my Saison card if you use it at Sunny or Seiyu. I still write the cost down as I would for a cash purchase in my 家計簿, and then I make sure I put the money away to be put in my bank account.
I have another variation on this which is buying things on extra points days. Like at ゆめタウン they have ５倍 days, so they give you 5 yen back (instead of 1) for every 105 yen you spend on those days. Which basically means it's 5% off, because when you have 500 points saved they give you 525 yen discount vouchers. If you only bought things on ５倍 days, you only need to spend 10,500 yen (instead of 52,500 yen) to get your 525 yen voucher.
- Don't take my husband with me shopping if I can help it. lol
- Walk to the supermarket. This stops me overbuying cause I have to carry everything home. So if you can picture me walking with A strapped on, one hand holding on to B's, with my bag and shopping on the other, I think you will understand what I mean.lol
- Buy fruit, veges and fish that are in season. Not only do you get more for your money, things also seem to taste better when they are in season.
- Cut out and use coupons. Sometimes I print them out from the net, other times I use coupons I've cut out from local free papers that get delivered.
Sorry, that's all I can think of for now. If I do think of something else I'll do a Part 3!! If anyone has anything else to add, please leave a comment!!
When it comes to credit cards, we buy everything on our credit card and pay the whole amount off at the end of the month. We have an offset account which means that all our money and savings are in the one account and the the percentage is taken daily and comes off the loan of our house every day, so at the end of the month we have paid off alot of our loan simply by leaving money in our account.
返信削除We use the credit card for everything (but only within our budget) and then at the end of the month not only have we got no debt because we pay the credit card off totally, we have also reduced our loan.
We've been doing it for the past 2 years and I was really amazed at how much we have been able to take our loan down by.
Walking to the supermarket is a good idea. I'm in agreeance, that even by yourself you can't bring home loads of shopping that you don't need because it's too heavy to lug all the way home, in my case about 1.3 km.
:)
Thanks for more hints!
返信削除>>Don't take my husband with me shopping if I can help it.
SO TRUE!!! My problem is that K really plays up when we all go to the supermarket together (she is fine if just her and me), so my attention is spent chasing her around/getting her to take her hands off the food etc, so I don't pay so much attention to what J puts in the basket. But I like him coming to pick to fish, since I have no idea about what to buy or how to cook it, and if he didn't come, we could go for weeks either without eating fish, OR overdose on salmon, lol.
Also, when we used to live in walking distance to the supermarket, I found I bought less each time, but went more often. Not sure if it saved in the long run. I kinda like buying all at "once" by car thse days, and trying to use that stuff up rather than restock during the week - just need to be more vigilant/careful with the weekly shop.
I dont think I have ever really seen coupons around....hmm, will have to keep an eye out for that.
(sorry for the long comment)
Thanks for your comments guys!
返信削除Walking to the shops has its advantages and disadvantages, main disadvantage being (in my case) that it kills my back!! Which could also possibly be an advantage cause it means I'm in and out of the supermarket in a flash!lol
Going shopping once a week is possibly a better option, but not until I get a bigger fridge!!!lol
I went a bit overboard on Sunday buying up HEAPS of veges at a well known market, but am having so much trouble arranging stuff in my midget sized fridge... Daikon was going for 45 yen, hakusai for 60 yen (for a whole one), carrots were 9 yen for 100g, 10 shitake for 150 yen, spinach for 65 yen, the list goes on. Who could refuse that? lol
MUST BUY BIGGER FRIDGE!!!!lol