Small Efforts Repeated Equal Big Savings

BY MARY HUNT

Next to the rent or mortgage payment, food is likely your biggest household expense. And have you noticed food prices steadily creeping into the stratosphere? A little here, some more there doesn’t seem too bad until you get through the checkout. Wow, $100 doesn’t go so far these days! But you can make it go a lot further if you will diligently stick to a few sage guidelines.

I won’t say these are new ideas. In fact, these are the things we learned from our grandparents -- especially those who lived through the Great Depression! It’s good for us to remember what we’ve learned in order to stay sharp and resolute.

No. 1: Don’t shop hungry. Studies find you will spend at least 17% more for the simple reason that everything in the store looks so good!

No. 2: Shop with a list. Get tough on yourself. If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t go in the shopping cart. Even if you see all kinds of great “bargains” you didn’t know you needed before you saw them, stop and think. Then walk on by. If it’s that important, you can come back later.

No. 3: Prepare your list. Make your list at home using the store’s weekly sales ad. Build your menus around what’s on sale. As far as possible, buy only what’s on sale. Make do. Get creative.

No. 4: Concentrate on the loss-leaders. These are the items that are deeply discounted to lure you through the doors and into an impulsive shopping mood.

No. 5: Know your prices. Keep a written record of the regular per-unit prices of the items you buy most often so you’ll know whether a special is a bargain. Many times, specials have nothing to do with a sale but more to do with a marketing campaign.

No. 6: Buy in season. Fruits and vegetables will be the best quality and the lowest price when they are in season.

No. 7: Shop with cash. Take only the amount of cash you have decided to spend on this trip. Leave the checkbook and that wallet filled with plastic at home. If you come across a fabulous bargain and don’t have enough cash, you can always return later with more cash to stock up.

No. 8: Carry a calculator. Keep a running total of your items in your cart so you can keep track of where you are and to avoid checkout embarrassment.

No. 9: Shop at larger stores. Because of volume discounts, larger stores are generally cheaper than smaller ones.

No. 10: Find a bakery outlet. These kinds of thrift stores offer wonderful bargains. But be careful. It’s easy to spend more on all those bargains than you would have on full price items at the supermarket.

No. 11: Use coupons. Buy the smallest size the coupon allows to get the greatest savings.

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Crossword Answers

BY LOU THEODORE

Nearly 20 years to the day, I penned an article titled “On Names and Nicknames.” I think we all know what a name is. But a nickname? Here what Webster has to say:” a name given instead of the one belonging to a person, place, or thing, usually descriptive and given in sports … to misname.”.

In any event, and to be sure, names and nicknames have always fascinated me. Their origin and ability to survive the test of time is a tribute to the importance we place on names. Some are shocking, some simply do not make sense, and others are as appropriate as one would expect. Take my last name for starters: Theodore. It is a Greek name that means “gift of God.” I have told my wife Mary on numerous occasions that a loose interpretation of the name is “God’s gift to women.” I will pass on her comment.

At the local level, many of my neighbors live in either Williston Park or East Williston. Now, East Williston has several parks, but I am still trying to find a park in Williston Park, although I am told there are some.

There are also names associated with other towns, cities and village. Here’s a few in our country: Boring (Oregon), Bland (Missouri), Pray (Montana), Due West (Georgia), and Hell (Michigan).