ECON The Era of One-Stop Grocery Shopping Is Over

[Wildwood]

The problem with the "local" grocery store is that when the owner is ready to retire nine times out of ten there is no one who wants to take ownership of the grocery store. Happened to the local grocery store back home, all five boys went to college and/or the military, by the time pops was ready to retire the boys were all established with careers, family, and were all either in their 40's or 50's. None of the employees were interested in taking over the grocery store. Mind you the owner didn't get ownership of the store until his dad, who was a butcher, retired at the ripe old age of 95+, the owner was already in his late 60's. The same thing is happening to farms across the US.

That's not what happened here...they were all small regional chains and they just weren't doing that well.

The first one that closed was in a building that was owned by a local man whose father had a grocery store in the building for years. He retired and rented the space to the chain store. The son attempted to put an indepently owned grocery back in that space when the chain closed but only lasted a few months.

The second was owned by a mid forties guy who'd worked at the store for years and bought the business when the previous owner retired. He lasted about five years or so before he gave up too and just liquidated the stock since he didn't own the building and got a good job somewhere else while he was still young enough to have another career.

The third and last finally gave up a few years after they changed our WM from a regular one to a super center. The writing was on the wall. I've noticed none of the small towns can support a larger grocery store once a super center comes in. A neighboring small town has a store from the same chain we had and only a regular WM...they seem to do ok. They have a few items I can't get at WM and I always go to the store in that town because their stock is always fresh as opposed to a closer town that has a store from the same chain and also a super center. Their shelf stable stock seems to often be old when I buy it...they aren't selling enough to keep it rotated.

I can't think of a single independently owned grocery store anywhere near me...sadly enough.

 

[momma_soapmaker]

We are limited on choices in our small rural area too. WM grocery pickup has been a lifesaver.

I do order some things in bulk from Sam's, and it ships free with our membership.

Years ago I would shop the sales and stock deeply in between cycles. I hate coupons - just discount the item! I would find expired coupons in my purse before I finally just gave up.

 

[Meemur]

Since I no longer get ads from HyVee I no longer shop there and no ads from Fareway so seldom shop there. I'm fortunate that I can shop at Aldi, Walmart and Dollar Tree all within a block of one another. HyVee and Target are also within that block but again no ads so no shopping. Fareway is on my way into/out of town so is easy but again no ads seldom shop. I was getting the Fareway ad in my e-mail weekly, but it stopped for some reason. HyVee's online ad is a hassle, so I don't bother. Aldi's online ad is easy, so I sometime check it more to know what produce is available than for prices as they are usually lowest anyway. When I asked about HyVee ads I was told the ad was always available in the store -- no help as I live 25 miles away. Local store has an ad but prices are usually high even when on the ad. I do shop there and always look through the ad before shopping and occasionally find good bargains.

I envy people posting how much they save by shopping ads. No ads, no savings. I'm fortunate I have Aldi and Walmart for lowest food prices without ads. Dollar Tree's grocery prices are usually higher than Aldi and Walmart.

I think HyVee has improved their online experience since last year. I can go online and quickly load my Perks card and then those savings are taken off when I check out. Kroger was just starting digital coupons when I left Ohio.

The problem: At the moment, I'm not shopping there because from about Mid-March to Mid-May, the loss leaders aren't things I'd buy. About Mid-May, they get rid of the last of the winter seasonal items, plus winter squash, and so on. I've gotten winter squashes for a quarter each, and they were still edible. And sometimes in June there will be deep discounts on the strawberries because they price them too high and then they don't move. When the pints drop to $1, I load up and make freezer jam that afternoon.

But, yeah, HyVee is far too expensive, and they play *all* of the games.

 

[Wildwood]

I used to work for the "rich and somewhat famous" as a nanny back in the 80's, most are asset rich and cash poor, just like most farmers I know. Bills get reconciled/paid at the end of the fiscal year.

I have a relative like that...worth a few million but live the same lifestyle we do. They could live a better lifestyle but all their money goes into accumulating more worth...no boasting or bragging and very humble.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I have a relative like that...worth a few million but live the same lifestyle we do. They could live a better lifestyle but all their money goes into accumulating more worth...no boasting or bragging and very humble.

I’m in this boat, a lot of the asset building is due to how the taxes are structured.
One is rewarded for owning physical assets not cash, and certainly not gold or silver!

 

[packyderms_wife]

Well I had a post but the board is glitching again and hard so flip that!

My cow of a sister in law is extremely jealous of my situation. The difference is I don’t spend 500 to 600 a month on hair, manicure and pedicures only to come out looking like Tammy Faye Baker! It’s amazing what one can buy with that amount of money saved over a twenty year period.

 

[Meemur]

I don't like spending more than $15 on a haircut every six weeks!
But even the cheap places are $22+
And, yes, I just gave myself a trim, and I think it turned out better than some of the blue-hair punks at the cheaper
places have been doing lately. Ugh!

$500 - $600 would buy meat for the freezer and some supplies for maintaining the house and car.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I don't like spending more than $15 on a haircut every six weeks!
But even the cheap places are $22+
And, yes, I just gave myself a trim, and I think it turned out better than some of the blue-hair punks at the cheaper
places have been doing lately. Ugh!

$500 - $600 would buy meat for the freezer and some supplies for maintaining the house and car.

My hair cut is spendy, however I get my hair cut three times a year. I don’t color my hair, etc.

We also don’t eat at red lobster where dinner is a minimum $30 per person. I can buy a tube of 85% ground beef at fareway for $30!!!

 

[Cag3db1rd]

Oh, how horrible for them.

use excursions to Young’s parents’ in Long Island, N.Y., or to their second home in the Berkshires to grocery shop for less.

I can't even. I'm dead.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

From time to time, we switch from Walmart to Food Giant. It depends on if we need to stop in at Tractor Supply. Food Giant and Tractor Supply are next door to each other.

We buy the bulk of all our meat at a small town meat market where they have their own butchers that can and will make the meat into whatever cut you want. We shop there once a month. I forgot to mention that in my earlier post.

What town is that meat market in, SB?

it wouldn’t happen to be Ramer, would it?

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I don't like spending more than $15 on a haircut every six weeks!
But even the cheap places are $22+
And, yes, I just gave myself a trim, and I think it turned out better than some of the blue-hair punks at the cheaper
places have been doing lately. Ugh!

$500 - $600 would buy meat for the freezer and some supplies for maintaining the house and car.

I used to pay an older country barber $8 for a haircut.

He retired during the cough cough, at around age 80 or so.

So I bought a haircutting kit off of Amazon, and learned to cut my own hair.

I charge me even less than I paid my old barber, and my tip is quite reasonable, too.

 

[Tex88]

don't have the time or energy to run all over town for things

That was one of the big lies abut equal rights for women in socialist countries. Women had the right to equal pay for the same jobs men did. But they were also expected to have a second job (running the household in a traditional gender roles way) and a third one, schlep all over town for things. A fourth job if they wanted to better themselves in society and had to be active in party business.

 

[john70]

I go to tb2k for current news



I find out that some people are shopping at more than one store



some people say that some stores charge a different price for stuff than other stores



some people say some stores have nicer stuff



some people ask

​

why does Rachel Wolfe want to have one store, with one price, with one color, with one taste



some people are are even buying cheaper stuff at cheaper stores at cheaper locations in cheaper …..



it would be so much better

to have one store

my store, my stock, my price

take it

or leave it



we need to pass a law

 

[ginnie6]

ok first of all ..... they've got two homes. Cry to me about grocery prices when your money is really tight. And I've always done the multiple stops for whatever. Like the WM here tends to have lousy produce so I don't get produce there only staples. They also have the oat milk dd likes but Aldi doesn't. Aldi produce is better but limited. if I want say purple cabbage or beets or kale then I have to go to HT. HT is more $$ but has a better produce section than anyone, it's also the closest to me and if things were bad I could walk there....
There is a Sprouts close to my other dd and if there is a sale on sometimes you can get some good deals.

 

[psychgirl]

Well I had a post but the board is glitching again and hard so flip that!

My cow of a sister in law is extremely jealous of my situation. The difference is I don’t spend 500 to 600 a month on hair, manicure and pedicures only to come out looking like Tammy Faye Baker! It’s amazing what one can buy with that amount of money saved over a twenty year period.

500$ for hair and nails?!!

Good grief tell your ridiculous SIL to just stuff it!
Lol…

 

[psychgirl]

DD usually does most of the grocery shopping for all of us, and she shops at 3-4 stores, but she still spends lots of $ on junk food, mainly for the little ones.

DH and I make a run every few weeks on Tuesdays to Fresh Market for ground Chuck (ha ha! iPad capitalized Chuck!) and boneless chicken breasts. It’s been several years now that they have sold both for $3.99/pound. WAY less and much better quality than other area grocery stores. I don’t know how long they can keep it up.

Yes!!!
We just got a Fresh Market last year and I love that store!

I go for the Tuesday chicken special as well…They’re too pricey for daily shopping so I consider getting the chicken a treat and try to buy 2-3 packages.

And you’re exactly right; it IS better meat. The chicken at Meijer or Kroger etc is so bad lately DH told me it didn’t even taste like meat anymore. But at least we’re not starving…

Going in to FM just makes me FEEL better too. It’s so clean and pretty. And at least they have those daily specials so, that’s what I look for.

Thursday is a great sale day too ; rotisserie chicken and home made pizzas are only 6$…as well as a ton of other items. The rotisserie chicken there beats those I’ve had in every other grocery by a mile, and you won’t find those for 6 bucks ANYWHERE else.

Their meat/seafood counter is beautiful, the way food should really look.

Have you ever tried the fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice, or their regular squeezed orange juice??
**swoon!!! They put out samples every week so I make sure to have some lol!

Sigh….but I can’t afford 99% of it to shop there exclusively.

 

[connie]

Sprouts is 100 miles away but go there when we go to Costco every few months. Produce , bulk raw sunflower seeds and bulk European cereal ( museli). Their store brand yellow or blue corn tortilla chips are far superior to other brands in my opinion and we sometimes hit a sale. Chocolate covered nuts are a treat. I also occasionally buy supplements there.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

What town is that meat market in, SB?

it wouldn’t happen to be Ramer, would it?

Nettleton

 

[Just Plain Mom]

Haircuts...Husband has a trimmer, and only gets one haircut per year, so he can "follow the cut again."If I had my way, he would maybe cut it once a year only. He cuts my hair, and for his trouble gets a kiss. It's amazing what that man will do for a kiss.

Our budget for food, gas and everything else is $350 per month for the two of us, plus too many cats. Lol, it's our budget because after everything is laid out, that's what we have left. We have a garden, and there are an HEB and a Walmart in town. We have a Costco about an hour away, and have to go to the doctor there about every six weeks, so we shop there afterwards. I will buy the basics--eggs, two 3-packs of milk (I check the expiration dates and then take them home and mark them; they will last me the six weeks or more), and meat if I need it. Maybe some veggies if they look good. Also blueberries, our splurge. They have very sweet organic blueberries. Always check the prices first, especially on meat--Costco is usually much lower. I know how to use my freezer. Husband likes nuts for a snack, so I'll get them there. Also coffee, which he can't live without. And I do get some vitamins/supplements there. And of course, we get gas, which will usually last me until the next trip.

We eat mostly organic fruits and vegetables. If I do not, I have some odd facial pain that comes out after a couple of days, and it is not fun. A lot, Husband grows in the garden. We take care to freeze what we can. We also follow a fairly conservative low-carb diet, due to increasing A1c's.

For the rest, I know which stores to go for what. Walmart is the only one that carries my favorite salad dressing, and they also have the best mushrooms and avocados. We shop every two weeks (on the off weeks, I do the laundry on that day ) and go through the sales flyer and coupons beforehand. Coupons on cat food (the cheapest to begin with) make my day. HEB is good with coupons. You "clip" it online, then sign into your account at the checkout, or they have paper coupons with the item. Some things never go on sale, but sometimes they'll give a blanket coupon, $x off your basket if you buy (something) and sometimes it's something we actually eat.

HEB has their new Higher Harvest (bread and zero sugar ice cream!) that is super expensive, but they are splurge items. Maybe once a month. If they have a coupon for it, which seems like every once in a while, 20% off any of it), I'll maybe buy two each. Again they freeze.

I will also order from Amazon or Nuts.com if I find that they have a better price.

I can't imagine someone spending $1000 per month for four people. Of course, if I had that much, I'd not worry about every little penny, but Husband says it's in my nature, and I can't get away from it. There are months when I have to say, "We can't get that until next (social security) check," but sometimes (as Husband knows),we're over because it's something he bought for a repair on the house or mower (which is often), and he has spent more than the $50 I budget for those things, so he doesn't complain. Much.

All in all, we made a decision that we can't compromise our health for a lower price because we're on the edge of our health costing us; the trade-off isn't worth it. So yeah, sometimes, for example, we don't get to have cauliflower in our salad but that's the way it is. We bought extra something else because it was on sale. It's a limited budget and it has to be handled delicately.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Haircuts...Husband has a trimmer, and only gets one haircut per year, so he can "follow the cut again."If I had my way, he would maybe cut it once a year only. He cuts my hair, and for his trouble gets a kiss. It's amazing what that man will do for a kiss.

Our budget for food, gas and everything else is $350 per month for the two of us, plus too many cats. Lol, it's our budget because after everything is laid out, that's what we have left. We have a garden, and there are an HEB and a Walmart in town. We have a Costco about an hour away, and have to go to the doctor there about every six weeks, so we shop there afterwards. I will buy the basics--eggs, two 3-packs of milk (I check the expiration dates and then take them home and mark them; they will last me the six weeks or more), and meat if I need it. Maybe some veggies if they look good. Also blueberries, our splurge. They have very sweet organic blueberries. Always check the prices first, especially on meat--Costco is usually much lower. I know how to use my freezer. Husband likes nuts for a snack, so I'll get them there. Also coffee, which he can't live without. And I do get some vitamins/supplements there. And of course, we get gas, which will usually last me until the next trip.

We eat mostly organic fruits and vegetables. If I do not, I have some odd facial pain that comes out after a couple of days, and it is not fun. A lot, Husband grows in the garden. We take care to freeze what we can. We also follow a fairly conservative low-carb diet, due to increasing A1c's.

For the rest, I know which stores to go for what. Walmart is the only one that carries my favorite salad dressing, and they also have the best mushrooms and avocados. We shop every two weeks (on the off weeks, I do the laundry on that day ) and go through the sales flyer and coupons beforehand. Coupons on cat food (the cheapest to begin with) make my day. HEB is good with coupons. You "clip" it online, then sign into your account at the checkout, or they have paper coupons with the item. Some things never go on sale, but sometimes they'll give a blanket coupon, $x off your basket if you buy (something) and sometimes it's something we actually eat.

HEB has their new Higher Harvest (bread and zero sugar ice cream!) that is super expensive, but they are splurge items. Maybe once a month. If they have a coupon for it, which seems like every once in a while, 20% off any of it), I'll maybe buy two each. Again they freeze.

I will also order from Amazon or Nuts.com if I find that they have a better price.

I can't imagine someone spending $1000 per month for four people. Of course, if I had that much, I'd not worry about every little penny, but Husband says it's in my nature, and I can't get away from it. There are months when I have to say, "We can't get that until next (social security) check," but sometimes (as Husband knows),we're over because it's something he bought for a repair on the house or mower (which is often), and he has spent more than the $50 I budget for those things, so he doesn't complain. Much.

All in all, we made a decision that we can't compromise our health for a lower price because we're on the edge of our health costing us; the trade-off isn't worth it. So yeah, sometimes, for example, we don't get to have cauliflower in our salad but that's the way it is. We bought extra something else because it was on sale. It's a limited budget and it has to be handled delicately.

Our shopping trip to Fareway on Saturday cost us $277! All basics: green beans, broccoli, avocados, bacon, and 14 pounds of beef rump roast that was on sale for $3.88 a pound to can up for future meals, again nothing name brand, my splurge was a cantaloup.
We spent over a hundred dollars at Sam's Club, all basics... TP, PT, avocado oil, coffee, etc., my splurge was a rotisserie chicken!
And finally $68 at Aldi... again only basics, like sugar, half and half, milk, eggs, a loaf of bread, and his splurge was the black label vanilla ice cream.
He went back later and purchased 10 more pounds of rump roast to can up, it does make really quick meals and we haven't seen it that price in a long while, typically the sale price is $5.99 a pound.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I have a household budget of $1000 a month. I keep a fully stocked pantry, and we're totally dependent on the grocery store and meat market. We eat organic as much as possible. We eat good, and I try to cook healthy for the both of us. I do cook almost everything from scratch.

That $1000 budget just doesn't cover food. It also includes household products such as cleaning supplies from dishwash to laundry detergents and anything else I need for the house, bedsheets, towels, etc. At the end of the month, if any money is left over from my budget, I have an emergency fund that it goes into. Some months I have money left, and other times, I don't have any. I do admit that most of the budget is spent on food and wine.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I have a household budget of $1000 a month. I keep a fully stocked pantry, and we're totally dependent on the grocery store and meat market. We eat organic as much as possible. We eat good, and I try to cook healthy for the both of us. I do cook almost everything from scratch.

That $1000 budget just doesn't cover food. It also includes household products such as cleaning supplies from dishwash to laundry detergents and anything else I need for the house, bedsheets, towels, etc. At the end of the month, if any money is left over from my budget, I have an emergency fund that it goes into. Some months I have money left, and other times, I don't have any. I do admit that most of the budget is spent on food and wine.

Sounds like my household budget, mine also includes gas for the vehicles, pet food, and vet visits.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Well I had a post but the board is glitching again and hard so flip that!

My cow of a sister in law is extremely jealous of my situation. The difference is I don’t spend 500 to 600 a month on hair, manicure and pedicures only to come out looking like Tammy Faye Baker! It’s amazing what one can buy with that amount of money saved over a twenty year period.

My sister was always jealous of our financial situation, too. She always lived for the moment and had nothing. We carefully planned out and charted our course with hard work and diligent planning from the start of our marriage. I don't spend $500 to $600 dollars on manicures or haircuts. Our haircuts cost us $35 dollars each. Most of the time, my mom just trims mine for me. We live a very simple country life. Nothing extravagant, but quite comfortably.

We also learned very early to diversify all our assets.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Sounds like my household budget, mine also includes gas for the vehicles, pet food, and vet visits.

Cary always pays for all of that, plus our monthly Sam's Club bill.

 

[Tesss]

We go to costco and stock up on meat. We bring it home and package up individual hamburger into 3 1/2 oz patties. We do the same with chicken and freeze it all. Just enough for a serving. It really cuts down on waste. Hubby does grocery shopping because he cooks very specialized meals because of his health issues. He doesn’t like me to be in kitchen because it throws him off his plan and get in his way. Hahaha! I cooked the first 40 years. He kept saying, “I can’t eat that”, so he agreed to do shopping and cooking. Keeps me from roaming to store. Lol. Shopping for entertainment and “doing lunch” is no longer an event.
My sweet hubby trims my hair and I color it at home.

We are very blessed that he was able to retire from Navy.

I too had a sister who always did the nail thing and very expensive hair cuts and coloring, along with ditching 3 husbands. She told me “I should be a shamed” when she saw our new used motor home. Very jealous of us all though we “Helped” her many times. She no longer speaks to me. Lol

Our only luxury is a new used car. The old was 14 years old. We drive them till they die. Other than that everything is paid off.

The point being that we a very frugal and eat healthy because of God’s blessings and planning. And keeping myself off Amazon and out of dept stores.

It feels like the 70’s all over again. “Biden did That!”

I admire all you that posted and shared your tips. Thank you!

 

[meezy]

Sure, I used to do that all the time when I was a stay-at-home mom. Now I don't have time. I'm lucky to get to just one store these days. Went to Kroger, Aldi, CVS, sometimes Meijer to buy their loss leaders and use coupons. I miss Kroger using double coupons. I used to do that "extreme couponing" thing (on a small scale), bought 4 Sunday newspapers every week for a while (the paper had a deal for more than one subscription) Coupons aren't even worth the hassle anymore.

 

[Meemur]

Coupons aren't even worth the hassle anymore.

Try using the digital Kroger coupons. Load them from your online Kroger account to your Kroger shopper card. They have greatly improved the system, at least I assume so. They were just coming in when I moved out of Ohio. HyVee didn't get them until about 3 years ago, and now they've got most of the bugs worked out.

Don't have an online account? Stop in at the service desk for a card and instructions.

Just click on the coupon you want and it downloads to your card. It'll come up when you check out.

 

[greysage]

Hannafords is pretty good about giving me e-coupons that I'll use. Two weeks ago, it was $7 off a basket of $60 or more.

The one nearest me is the for the most part the least expensive grocery store around. The Shaw's closest to me is super expensive.

Luckily for me, if I need to get something from another store I've got numerous choices.

Within 10 miles, but most of them within 3 miles:
5 Hannaford, 3 Price Chopper, 3 Shaws, 2 full-grocery local health foods, 2 full grocery health food co-ops, and a Trader Joes.

 

[packyderms_wife]

My sister was always jealous of our financial situation, too. She always lived for the moment and had nothing. We carefully planned out and charted our course with hard work and diligent planning from the start of our marriage. I don't spend $500 to $600 dollars on manicures or haircuts. Our haircuts cost us $35 dollars each. Most of the time, my mom just trims mine for me. We live a very simple country life. Nothing extravagant, but quite comfortably.

We also learned very early to diversify all our assets.

Nothing galls me more than when someone comments “it must be nice to be rich” to me or OC! I want to throat punch them every time!!! We’ve worked damn hard and sacrificed so much to be where we are at right now. I’ll post the remainder of my post tomorrow if the board isn’t so glitchy!

 

[Meemur]

I’ll post the remainder of my post tomorrow if the board isn’t so glitchy!

While it could be the board, I'm having problems, too, both here and on other sites, plus I was having internet problems at work earlier.

 

[packyderms_wife]

While it could be the board, I'm having problems, too, both here and on other sites, plus I was having internet problems at work earlier.

The only place I’m having problems is here at tbk, posts are taking forever to load.

 

[subnet]

I don't like spending more than $15 on a haircut every six weeks!
But even the cheap places are $22+
And, yes, I just gave myself a trim, and I think it turned out better than some of the blue-hair punks at the cheaper
places have been doing lately. Ugh!

$500 - $600 would buy meat for the freezer and some supplies for maintaining the house and car.

"Haircut"??
Whats this you speak of...lol

My barber is BIC and bar soap, they do good work cheap.

 

[Meemur]

"Haircut"??
Whats this you speak of...lol

My barber is BIC and bar soap, they do good work cheap.

I'm female and really don't want a guy's haircut. I'm sure it looks great on you!

 

[meezy]

Try using the digital Kroger coupons. Load them from your online Kroger account to your Kroger shopper card. They have greatly improved the system, at least I assume so. They were just coming in when I moved out of Ohio. HyVee didn't get them until about 3 years ago, and now they've got most of the bugs worked out.

Don't have an online account? Stop in at the service desk for a card and instructions.

Just click on the coupon you want and it downloads to your card. It'll come up when you check out.

Oh, I do. I meant paper coupons. Whether they're clipped out of a newspaper section or printed out from a website. Kroger's "digital deals" are usually pretty good. Sometimes they even send me coupons for freebies. Last week I got a free pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Of course that's the only way I'd be eating that brand.

 

[meezy]

I'm female and really don't want a guy's haircut. I'm sure it looks great on you!

I think the last haircut I got was back in January. I'm just letting it grow out. The ends are getting kinda fuzzy though, so it might be time for the $15 walk-in place!

 

[Meemur]

I think the last haircut I got was back in January. I'm just letting it grow out. The ends are getting kinda fuzzy though, so it might be time for the $15 walk-in place!

They aren't $15 anymore, unless you can find a good coupon.

 

[meezy]

Nothing galls me more than when someone comments “it must be nice to be rich” to me or OC! I want to throat punch them every time!!! We’ve worked damn hard and sacrificed so much to be where we are at right now. I’ll post the remainder of my post tomorrow if the board isn’t so glitchy!

You know it's kind of odd -- I stayed home with the kids for about 14 years, and with one income, we were BROKE. It was a real struggle. No, we didn't get EBT or anything like that. But I did learn a lot of strategies for living well with less. And now that the kids have grown and moved out and I'm making a full-time income (albeit not a big one) we have more money now than we ever have. At a time when everyone around is struggling. If this economy had happened back in those days, we would be in serious trouble. But, should I feel guilty about having money (and enjoying it) now when so many others are broke like we were? I don't think so. We paid our dues.

Of course, I am stashing away as much as possible too! Old habits die hard. I still buy my clothes at thrift shops.

 

[meezy]

They aren't $15 anymore, unless you can find a good coupon.

Well, see, it HAS been a long time... I was going to a regular stylist at a salon for a while. My short cut needed some maintenance, but then I let it grow, and I've probably saved a couple thousand bucks by now.

 

[FREEBIRD]

I don't like spending more than $15 on a haircut every six weeks!
But even the cheap places are $22+
And, yes, I just gave myself a trim, and I think it turned out better than some of the blue-hair punks at the cheaper
places have been doing lately. Ugh!

$500 - $600 would buy meat for the freezer and some supplies for maintaining the house and car.

I've been cutting my own hair for over twenty years, and DH's as well.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Nothing galls me more than when someone comments “it must be nice to be rich” to me or OC! I want to throat punch them every time!!! We’ve worked damn hard and sacrificed so much to be where we are at right now. I’ll post the remainder of my post tomorrow if the board isn’t so glitchy!

I'm with you on that, packy. We've had that thrown in our faces a few times, too. I was shopping in a clothing store one day, and the sales lady was pushing me to buy more than I was shopping for. It was a high end store, too. I told her I wasn't interested in anything else. She smarted off about me being rich, so I could afford it. That made me so mad. I never went back to that clothing store. Most of my clothing comes from Blair, now.

Like you and OC, we've sacrificed a lot over the years to be where we are today. Still, we live a very modest lifestyle. It still pays to diversify our assets. The scam a few months ago wiped us almost out of one of our savings accounts (The scammers were gracious enough to leave us $800 in the account. It was almost laughable considering how much they took.), but with our assets not being all in one place. We didn't lose everything.