Stretching Your Dollar: How to Save Money in an Economic Crunch

Unless you have made your home from a cave dwelling high in some mountainous region where there is no access to CNN, you know that the United States is currently in a situation of money management crisis. In other words, whoever has been minding the store has apparently been sleeping on the job. Political beliefs aside, the financial state of affairs our country has found itself in has put yet another burden on the shoulders of the already overloaded mothers and wives of this country. What overworked, overwrought, underpaid, undernourished, sleep-deprived woman has not wished for some magical fairy to come light the way, give her a step-by-step guide for how to solve life’s problems? Well, Tinkerbell took the day off, and this article won’t solve all your problems in life. But inside this little treasure trove of information, you will find helpful hints to help stretch your dollar (and hopefully give your nerves a break).

Grocery Shopping

Take the time to get down on the level of the bottom shelf and find out how much things cost. In other words, look at the fine print. In almost all supermarkets today, the price of anything you buy is broken down into portions, i.e. dollars per pound, cents per ounce, etc. The idea is to allow you to compare the prices of all the brand offerings the store has. Here is the trick: the least priced items are usually on the very bottom shelf. This seems like a simple concept, right? And right now you are probably saying to yourself that this is not rocket science, and you are right. It just takes a little bit of time and effort. So, you realize that the lowest priced items are on the bottom shelf, which means you will have to take the time and effort to squat down there and squint at the shelf tag, which is probably about six inches or less off the floor. The obvious rub here is that the more difficult the price is to find out, the less likely you are going to be to try to get down there to it. Hence the pricier items, the prettier, splashier-colored packaging being right in front of the average adults’ eyes. Of course, all the yummy, sugar-coated cereals that don’t count for beans (pardon in the pun) in a child’s diet are right there in front of their eyes, whether they be in the buggy or walking. You just have to take a moment, and take your time as you shop, and compare prices, and do all the other obvious, not-so-fun-but-oh-so-necessary things that go along with being frugal. For free coupons visit: