Guest Article by NRP & Blue, October 25, 2021.
Hello again everyone.
Today I want to delve into the purchasing power of “On Sale” and having a Deep Pantry.
On Sale
Ok, what the heck is the Old Man talking about?
Well Having a ‘Deep Pantry’ allows one to buy ‘Stuff’ that’s “On Sale” and/or at a more opportune time to purchase what you need.
First off I want to end a misconception about “Where” to buy your goods.
SO, here is a question for you.
Do you think that a Membership Store like Sam’s Club would be less expensive than its parent company Walmart?
Now remember you’re paying for a Membership, to begin with at Sam’s Club, mine runs right at $119 per year (that I’m stopping next time it’s up) for the Pro Membership (This includes the Credit Card), Wally World Membership? Nada, Zero, Nothing.
A Disclaimer here, I don’t particularly like Wally World and their policies, but it saves me money, a LOT of money.
Let’s take a single Item, for example, Whole Chicken.
Sam’s has Members Mark Chicken that comes from Tyson for $1.14 per pound
Wally has Tyson Chicken (same chicken) for $1.00 per pound.
So Wally is $0.14 less than the Membership Store (Standard Prices)
Now we get a “Rewards Back of 5% from Sam’s Club (if I use their Credit Card), that’s 5.7 cents per pound back, do the math. Wally is still 8.3 cents per pound less. Per Pound. Average Pair of chickens is what 10 pounds (ish) for 2? SO there you go, for that package of Chicken You could have just saved 57 Cents. How many chickens does your family eat a year?
Let’s say 1 package per week, probably a low estimate, but what the heck.
So in one year you could have saved $29.64 on those chickens…..AND THAT’S JUST ONE ITEM, think on it.
PS: If I use the Sam’s CC at Wally world I still get 3% rewards back, so the savings is even more…. 3% more.
Ok, how about things that are “On Sale”.
Are you someone that goes to the Store and just buys what you see you like at the moment?
Do you make a Shopping List for the Store? And buy a LOT of extra stuff you just happen to see?
How about if you actually just buy what’s on your ‘List’?
Well, that means you just paid a LOT more than you should have.
Let’s go back to the Chicken, How about Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast. Normal Price at Safeway right now, $2.59 per pound (Update, Now @ $2.99 per pound) Last time I found them ‘On Sale’ they were $1.79 per pound. Math time again; $0.80 discount for the SAME CHICKEN at $2.59.
Ok, here is a simple fact I have noticed, almost everything in a Store WILL go ‘On Sale’ at some time or another, yes there are some that don’t, but I have found very few.
“But But But” you’re going to say. “I need to buy food each week for the week, (or Maybe per month,) and stuff don’t go on sale every month”.
Yeppers, you are EXACTLY correct there Billy Bob.
Do you have a Deep Pantry?
Can you buy at a discount and justify having a years’ worth of food stored if I can show you how to cut your food bill at least 1/3 probably in 1/2?
If you bought those Chicken Breast ‘On Sale’, you just paid 1/3 off the normal price.
Update: now you would have saved $1.20 —– PER POUND
Here is a little quick search of the Net for cost to feed a family of 4;
“A family of four, including partners between the ages of 19 and 50 years old and two children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old, can spend around $890 a month ($10,680 per year), and partners with kids between the ages of 6 and 11 years old can spend $1,062 per month ($12,744), according to the United States …Feb 5, 2020”
BTW, that was 20 months ago, AND does not include all the extra fluff people want to get. Would bet it’s a lot more now.
So let’s take that $12,744, and cut that by 1/3 = $4,248 less for buying at ONLY a 1/3 discount!!!!!
Any questions so far?
BTW, how about buying in Bulk, and/or from a Local Grower, Farmer, Mill, Wholesale Distributor, So-On?
How about growing your own Garden?
How do you do that?
Start by getting a Deep Pantry going.
There are hundreds of Articles here on Connie’s BLOG about how.
NOW let’s talk Emergencies.
Nope, I’m not going into that, I can and have listed a thousand reasons to have a Deep Pantry, I’m done with that.
I will tell you this, Something WILL happen sometime in your life if only Inflation. Read the article I posted a few weeks back on Inflation.
So, what was the point of this article?
Most folks I know are not the Stinking Rich that flaunt their wealth and don’t give a flying fig about the rest. You know the ones, those that have 3 Boats at the Lake, and a 10 car shop full of ‘Toys’.
Personally, I’m making it by, a few bucks buried in a Coffee Can in the backyard, and am mighty happy in life right now, BUT I’m tight with every nickel that comes in. Hence I buy ‘On Sale’ I’m very ‘Frugal’ with my money.
Me and Ole Blue are to the point where we both are enjoying life as best we can, but ya know something, being Frugal and having a Deep Pantry is somehow very rewarding in of itself. Knowing that we don’t need to bend over backward to TPTB or beg for what we have AND are making it on our own is like no other feeling there is, having a Deep Pantry and the knowledge to sit back and watch the chaos is amazing.
Seriously My Friends, when you know your Family is safe and you can “make it” through the hard times; then there you go, you ‘Made It’.
Life is good here on Lightning Point, even Ole Blue is having a nice hunk of Steak tonight HAHAHA.
Bless ya all, and may you have the foresight to save for the Hard Times.
Thank you all for Reading the Ramblings of an Old Man.
PS: a little Update on Beef Cost.
And yes, that Hamburger you’re now eating actually came from a Cow.
I went to Safeway this morning to do a little research, here is what I found.
Now remembering that I paid right at $3.75 for Beef in the freezer, Beef, Transport, Butchered, Cut, and Wrapped (Double Wrapped for long-term freezing), then Flash Frozen to minus 17 degrees.
Yes, that was about one year ago, so I do expect a cost increase, maybe 5-10%, so let’s say my New Cost would be about $4.12ish (10%). No Inflation right?
At Safeway right now, all prices are Per Pound
Hamburger (20% FAT, that’s junk burger) $3.49, That’s not so bad huh?
Hamburger (5% Fat, the good stuff) $4.25
Roast, good old Pot Roast and Rump Roast $7.44
Steak $17.99, a GOOD T-Bone $19.99
Now I get at least 50% Roast quality or better from that Beef, the rest 95% Hamburger and Stew Meat. BTW, those T-Bone Steaks I eat???? $3.75 per pound….. Any Questions?
A few other prices I got. The first price will be Cost Now, the second cost is what I paid.
Pork Chops $5.49, $3.79
Bacon Thick Cut in a 3 pound package $19.99, $11.99
Chicken Breast $2.99, $1.79
Turkey (Whole) $1.29, $0.79
Cabbage $0.79, to grow mine I figured 12 cents per Cabbage
Jasmine Rice $1.70, $1.10
Pinto Beans $1.59, $0.95
Sugar $1.11, $0.54
What’s the point of all this you might ask?
Having a Deep Pantry and the ability to Save Money is one more positive aspect of being Prepared AND ‘Frugal’.
Lastly, Diesel, this morning was $3.59 per gallon, that’s up from $2.09 on January 21, 2021, remember that date? UP $1.50 per gallon in a little over 9 months. BUT there is No Inflation as per TPTB.