The other week I ran into my friend at the grocery store, this is the same friend that I mentioned before, who doesn’t have internet in her home. We had both just begun our shopping so we walked along side each other, talking, while grabbing the groceries we needed. We started in the produce section, and I noticed her just throwing in PILES of fresh fruits and veggies. I was like, are you going to be able to eat all those before they go bad?
She was like, oh yeah, of course! I eat fresh fruits and veggies all day every day.
At that point I became very interested in EVERY thing about her life as a mom. I was like one of those kids who NEVER stop asking questions. I asked her question after question, and she proceeded to tell me all about her daily routine, which you ALL know how obsessed I am with learning how other moms are spending their time.
So, she told me about the NO internet at her house (won’t happen here, no siree), and that she NEVER eats out ( I could never do that either, but I commend her for it), she shops for all her kids clothes and toys every spring at yard sales, and by doing this she saves her family around $30,000 a year. WOW!
She also tries to be pretty green, so as you can see, she doesn’t use many plastic bags to put her produce in. I of course asked her why she wasn’t putting them in bags, and she just said, it’s waistful.
I bet she thought I was a nutcase, as I was so excited, and taking pictures of her grocery cart, asking her all these questions and buying the same stuff as her. Too bad she doesn’t have internet, she could be the one blogging about this, haha. Guess I’ll have to do it for her.
Well, needless to say, I was instantly motivated by her. I ended up just forgetting about my list all together and just copied everything she did, haha. I didn’t buy quite as much as her, but our grocery carts looked pretty similar in the end. She also inspired me to buy some reusable grocery bags.
Then she told me that she was taking Walmart up on their price matching promise. She showed me how she found good deals at other stores and just cut them out for the cashier to see. I checked out at the same time as her, so I was able to price match with her. I LOVE coupons, but have decided that it’s too much work finding all the grocery coupons.
I like this price matching idea because it doesn’t take as much time. She also had a good point when she mentioned that most coupons are for junk food, and she’s mostly buying produce.
YES!!!! I LOVE saving money, there’s just something so satisfying about it. Almost as good as…… Well, maybe not THAT good, I do love me some cold stone cake batter ice cream 🙂. But, the more I can save, the more I have to SPEND!!! 🙂
Anyway, she saved me like $10!!!!! I know it’s not a whole lot, but I was still so excited that I called my husband the second I drove out of the parking lot to tell him the news. “Sean, GUESS WHAT!!!!!, I just saved $10 at the grocery store”. I was so giddy about it, you’d think I had just found $100 bill on the ground. Anyway, as I was leaving I was telling my friend that I wanted to meet her there every week, and I’ll use her price matching cut outs a long with her. She was like, here, I’ll give you the website.
Uh, no, I don’t want the website, I want you to do the work, and I’ll just show up here each week to meet you:) Sound like a plan?
haha, she agreed. Then I thought…..
You know grocery shopping would be a lot more fun and EASIER if we tagged teamed it.
I actually REALLY hate going grocery shopping. I usually wait until the very last minute when we’re just about out of everything in the house except for some canned beans, or rice. Then my husband begins asking, in his subtle way, do “WE” need to go grocery shopping? He’s learned to say “WE” because If not, then he knows he’ll have to hear my long complaint on how hard it is to go grocery shopping with two kids by myself.
I was also over at Rod Works to use my 25% off coupon I received in the mail, and I had a punch card that was full. So I got
this cute candle holder for 76 CENTS!!!!!! What a day right?
haaaaaa, I LOVE it!!!!
And to top it all off, the other day I won ANOTHER giveaway!!!!! Thank you so much Jen @ A Daily Scoop of Chaos I seriously LOVE this girl, and her blog, you HAVE to check her out.
So, I used this Hot Locks doll as part of Lily’s Easter and she LOVED it 🙂
I won this $25 gift card, and some chocolate last month from a giveaway.
GIVEAWAYS are awesome!!!! If you haven’t entered mine yet, then go leave a few comments for your chance to win Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume, HERE.
I hope you all had a great Easter!!!
A great post, Crystal!! What fun to shop with a friend. I have done that a few times and you are right…it just helps!!:) Love all those fruits and veggies, too.
I can't give up my internet either.
Have a happy day!!:)
Leslie
I too have internet. If you have high school age kids it is impossible to do homework without it (or if you have a husband) but I have managed to keep tv and video games pretty well squashed for going on 19 years.
I start in the produce isle and fill up that way not much else fits in the cart and NEVER go up and down the isles, only the perimeter!
Have a happy day!!
Other Leslie 😉
what a fabulous post! I don't use plastic bags at the grocery store either…reusable all the way! So happy you got some!!!
I could in no way live without the Internet…I use it for so much including school!
I am inspired again to try coupons…I just can't ever seen to jump on that wagon!
And thanks for the shout out, all her Easter stuff looks so awesome!
Day one today of Isagenix so far so good! Ill be doing some updates on my blog!
I would find it hard to eat so much produce each and every day like she does.
How cool you found such inspiration in the grocery store! I really need to get some reuseable bags..
but I ain't getting rid of the Internet! 🙂
I don't think I could do without internet, but I do love to save money.
A SITS friend
I have to say I thought it was funny she tried to send you to a website when she doesn't have internet. You should have her guest blog and share all her tips.
What a great post …I am a green gal…I have not used a plastic bag in over a year! We also gave up all single use plastic bottle drinks…. we do hawever still struggle with our eating habbits…getting better each week
I could never give up the internet…I use it for everything …I could ditch tv in a heartbeat
you are still amazing me! I love it. I love giveaways but have yet to win one….one day! 🙂
Also grocery shopping can be so much fun if you tag team or just meal plan. I do that with my grocery chains ad's and it works. Every little bit of savings adds up.
I am still with you, I doubt I can ever say bye-bye to the internet. I would go insane!
oh and go to whole foods and buy their reusable bags. They are only .99 and SO durable. Also they have a warranty on them. LOL. If they break down due to wear and tear you can bring them back in. Or so I have been told. Oh and they hold a TON!! We use them for everything. Even picnics and such.
I need to do better at saving money at the grocery store! Gotta work on this!
Stop by my blog for a full week of giveaways!
Thank you so much for visiting me…your blog is so lovely. I adore your shopping story..wow what a gal. No internet that is amazing. I could never live without it now…take away my T.V. but not my internet. I do try to use reusable bags…and have many but seem to forget them a lot.
Off to read some of your past posts. You know I will be back because your blog is so amazing. xoxo
Sounds like a great week! Her cart looks like mine, except we usually have two since there is seven of us, but I couldn't give up the internet… I guess my trade off is that I don't watch TV. Great post!
I wish I could be like your friend. I am just like you, absolutely hate grocery shopping, but have started doing it Sunday evenings while my husband's home watching the kids.
I love that you were absolutely giddy about your shopping trip. My cart never has that much fresh fruit and veggies and I'm like you with putting shopping off to the absolute last minute even if it leaves us with nothing but Cheeze Wiz and Wheat Things 😀
Imagine how much time going without the internet would free up!!!! In my pre-blogging days my house was spotless.
Oh, and I always take advantage of the Walmart price match. I'm not a couponer – but always up for a price match. I do this with other businesses too, asking if they would match a competitor's coupon
This was AWESOME. I love your new candle holder. 76 cents is practically walking out the store with it. Great deal.
Sounds like an impressive lady! I could not imagine not having internet though – but I guess if you are used to it, it could work. I am terrible about looking for the best deals. I am probably one of the ones spending that extra $30,000 a year! 🙂
We had a lovely Easter, thanks!!
Hi, found you at SITS
I never thought about the price matching, what a great way to save. I'll have to check that out.
Hi, I'm stopping by from SITS.
Great savings and wins. I am going to have to try that for sure.. Thanks for sharing..
I love saving money, too! It's such an awesome feeling. 🙂
Hope you enjoyed your Easter as well!
Saving money is great, but there's something about winning a prize (giveaway, etc) that makes you feel like the whole world is smiling at you!
Love that!
Wow – I'm impressed with your friend but I could not give up the internet! The reusable bags are a great idea. I bring my own too and keep a few plastic produce bags in there and just keep reusing them!
Thanks for stopping by and becoming a follower. I'm following you now too.
Alissa
I love your post, I also hate grocery shopping because it takes so long to get organized, I am a big fan of the price matching at Walmart but such a chore, get ready for inpatient people behind you. Can't wait to check out the website your friend (without) internet shared with you. 🙂
The price matching idea is great because I don't eat the stuff that I can get coupons for. Most of it really is processed food and I could eat it, but I'd rather not.
Do people describe you as bubbly by any chance? LOL! I got breathless just reading this!
Hi there!
First time visitor here, saw your blog name at the freckled bug and just had to pop on over as a fellow 'wannabe' gal! your post totally cracked me up and I'm SO with you on the grocery chore – my hubby says the SAME thing to me!! 🙂
cheers from one 'wannabe' to another!
I got me some of these reusable bag´s a few year´s ago. That way I save money. Here in Germany you have to pay for plastic bags at the Groserystore.:o(
Great post!
Hug´s, Verena
thats so funny.. I would have so asked to piggy back to.. I love how people can do things like that. it inspires me to find deals.
just joined this blog, I love it!! thanks for taking the time to share all this fabulous information with us Crystal!! I'm moving to SLC area in a couple of weeks, and can't wait to check out some of the shops you mention. I do love Tai Pan, and recently heard about the Rods store, now I have Hobby Lobby to check out too!!